A troll couple accidentally summons ponies to Azeroth. And a flustered human. But for the trip back they need the help of a mage as powerful as Twilight Sparkle...
5th installment of the Twilight Goes to Dalaran series (but you can start here if you want to). Knowledge of World of Warcraft is not necessary to understand the story.
In an ocean, there was a group of islands. Being fairly small it belonged to a proud tribe that had come from an ancient empire far across the Great Sea: Gurubashi. That had been a long time ago. The Darkspear Trolls now answered to a Shadow Hunter called Rokhan who had reluctantly taken over after the death of their great leader and Warchief of the Horde, Vol'Jin.
It was not long since the last battle for the islands and the trolls were content to at least have their home back. Rebuilding took less time than repopulation. It was tragic; they had lost so many people in the recent wars. The Darkspear never ran from a fight; on the contrary, they were known to be courageous, loyal and strong. Over the years as part of the great Horde, they had still brought forth famous warriors, hunters, mages and holy women and men. Their priests worshipped the Loa, mighty spirits of the jungle, and the shamans used incense, potions and mystic dances to contact the elements and the wild spirits that walked the world.
Vol'Shalai loved his home and he loved his family. He would do anything to keep them safe. But now that safety was once again threatened. It was not the Alliance, it was not a force of evil from the North or the East or from Outland. This time, the danger came from the Other Side. He shuddered with awe and fear just thinking about it. The Other Side, that was where everybody goes when they die. It was a place of mystery, of imagination, of uncertainty.
Something was stirring on the Other Side. Priests could not contact their Loa and ancestors. Prayers remained unanswered. There were rumours of a betrayal. Vol'Shalai was scared and he knew that many felt the same. This was nothing that they could battle with spears and arrows. They needed a different kind of power.
He had gathered sacred herbs and medicine, ground them into incense. He had asked his wife for advice - she was a priest who worshipped Samedi, the Loa of the grave, and knew a great deal about the Other Side, secrets that Vol'Shalai had no idea about. Together, they prepared for the ritual.
The hut was separate from the others, hidden behind a large red rock. It faced the West, the direction of the Dead, and thus they could see Durotar from here. The orange line divided the sea from the sky, a constant reminder that the Darkspear would not even have this home were it not for the efforts and help of others. There were no walls; only a roof of straw covered the lean building. The waves on the beach beneath the hot sun, the rustling of palm leaves and the cries of seagulls - everything could be heard.
At sundown, on the last night of a waning moon, Vol'Shalai carried a burning torch to the hut, walking slowly and solemnly. He lit the two torches that stuck in the ground, left and right of the entrance. He climbed the short flight of wooden stairs and lit the firepit in the centre of the hut. Then, he stuck the torch into the sand behind the hut, facing the far coast of Durotar. Now that his hand was empty, he slowly sat down next to Miwemba.
His wife was especially beautiful today. She was always the most beautiful when she got ready for a sacred ritual. Her thick hair, which had the colour of sundown, was braided and bound on the top of her head. Golden and silver amulets and bracelets hung from her neck and wrists. She had exchanged her simple robe with a ceremonial garment that was just short enough to dance without tripping over the seams. The heavy cloth was covered with the bones of hundreds of creatures, some were humanoid, some were animals - a tribute to her Loa. And Miwemba had painted her cheeks and her short tusks in a vibrant red.
She turned her head and smiled at him. It was a warm smile but the desperation still showed. She stretched out her hand and passed Vol'Shalai a small pair of ceremonial drums.
Vol'Shalai nodded. They were ready to call the Loa.
"Have you heard? The Omnivore bought the Haunted House!" The tale went through the Empire like a wildfire.
It had started when Blueprint had signed the contract to tear down a house on the edge of the city. She had not expected that there would be such a ruckus about it. Once she asked her assistant, a dedicated draftspony called Fine Line, she was told that the one who had bought the property was not your usual client.
The house had been on the list for decades. Nopony had wanted it, not even the poorest, because there were tales of it being haunted. It was a silly notion and Blueprint insisted on putting the property on the open list every year. Once, she had gone there by herself and found nothing odd about it. Granted, it was small and it was very old, predating the time of crystal houses. Most of the roof tiles were gone and the walls crumbled. The wind howled through the ruins and it smelled of black powder and sulphur - but, as far as she could tell, the foundation was perfectly fine thanks to good ol' earth pony craftsponyship. And finally somepony had bought it.
He had an unusual name - Darren Houndslayer - maybe he was a griffin? - and his mouthwriting looked weird, too, but that aside, his credentials checked out. He had a job at a local shop, insurance and even a commendation from the Princess of Friendship, Her Highness Twilight Sparkle herself. So Blueprint had thought nothing of it when she had made an appointment with him.
After sending the letter, it had taken only two days and Mr Houndslayer stood on the dootmat of her office, knocking against the glass panel of her door. His shadow was huge. Blueprint opened the door and discovered that her client was neither a pony nor a griffin but, as he told her, a human. He had been looking for a good bargain for a while and the Haunted House turned out to be just what he wanted. It was small, it was remote and there was so little left of the original house that tearing it down would not be much of a problem. Darren was surprisingly easy to talk to: He was polite, precise and he knew what he was doing. When Blueprint asked him about the Omnivore, Darren laughed and explained that he ate a lot and a salespony at the market had eventually given him the nickname. All in all, Blueprint was exceptionally happy with the deal.
The following weeks, while stonemasons and workers tore down the old house and partially renewed the foundation, Blueprint and Fine Line spent the time making floor plans of a new house that would stand in the exact same spot. There was no basement but Darren said he did not need one. He also wanted to build the house by himself but Blueprint managed to convince him otherwise.
"It's much easier with help and in the end you wouldn't have saved that much money," she said. "Trust me, I know a guy. He can bring his crew and you'll be done in less than a month. Your house is so small anyway... Are you sure you don't want to add another room? Two rooms and a bathroom: that's tiny!"
But Darren shook his head. "It's all I need," he said and that was it. But he had agreed to add a veranda.
The guy and his crew turned out to be three ponies. They arrived on the site with a wagon so large that Darren wondered if his house would even match the wagon's size.
"We're gonna sleep on site," the contractor, a unicorn mare called Safety Line, said with a toothy grin. "Much faster that way. We only need to drive back twice, to get the wood, bricks, mortar and all - and then we can get started right away."
Darren borrowed a small tent and bought food for three weeks. He used up all of his summer vacation to build the house. The knight had never created anything so big. Back on Azeroth, Darren had to help build the occasional temporary camp or rampart but that had been it. This was very different, especially since it would be his place.
After Darren had begrudgingly left the Valiant Prince Inn, Cadence and Shining Armor had offered him a room in the Crystal Castle. He had felt uncomfortable with accepting such charity and rented a room in another inn instead. While he spent the days working and the evenings training Eclipse, Darren had the nights and weekends to himself but the new room was so small that he preferred to go out most of the time. He took long walks, tested his magical abilities on the lake and talked to his friends in Ponyville, using the enchanted mirror Jonathan had given him. He also met with Sunburst once in a while, mainly to talk about magic, a subject they both enjoyed. All of the money that did not go into food or accomodations, he saved for the big project.
He had left it all behind when he started building, paying his landlady for a full month in advance. Thankfully, the three-headed crew knew how to have fun: They had brought cards, a ball, cider and a guitar.
Safety and her two workers were good company. During their time in the evenings, Darren found out that she had a big family in the city and loved going to the movies, a relatively new invention that was apparently a modern form of theatre. Right Angle, who was an artist with everything stone-related, preferred watching buckball games while his cousin was a carpenter and a tabletop games nerd. They bugged Darren for stories about himself until he gave in and told them about his adventures with Twilight and his fight against King Sombra. From that day on, he had their unwavering admiration - whether he wanted it or not.
After two weeks, they went to the city and returned with food, paint and newspapers. The newspapers were the most interesting thing for Darren. He needed them to practice his reading. The translation spell was once again wearing off and even though he managed to speak Equestrian with only a weak accent, his writing was, to put it nicely, sub-par. Safety Line laughed good-heartedly as she watched him catching up on months-old news. Once he was done with an issue she snatched it away and used it to protect the tiles and wooden boards while they painted the house's interior in a neutral white. Darren worked with them as if they were paying him for it instead of vice versa. He whistled through his teeth while he worked; dipping the paint roller into the bucket and applying paint to walls turned out to be exhausting yet oddly satisfying. Drops of paint dripped onto headlines such as, "Where is the Changeling now - and who is he?" and, "New Leadership in the Dragon Lands" while Darren wondered where he should put the couch once he had one.
Finally, the last wall was dry and the last kitchen cabinet assembled. Now the first thing Darren needed to get was a bed. And a table and chairs. Maybe boxes would do the trick until he could make the time to buy proper furniture.
On the final day, precisely twenty days since the first brick, Darren lit a fire in his new fireplace and invited the workers to stay and celebrate. He managed to make a decent soup, along with a large salad, and they admired their own work, sitting on the ground as if on a picnic. There was something surreal to it; the lack of furniture created echoes when they talked.
Right Angle opened the last cider barrel and poured everyone a mug. Darren stood up and grinned.
"Thank you, everyone, for this beautiful house," he said. "Without you, well, I don't know if I could have done it at all." The ponies chuckled. "And even though everybody else thinks I built on the foundation of a haunted house..." Another laugh. "... I am looking forward to calling it home. Cheers."
"To the Haunted House!" Right Angle called and the other two ponies repeated, "To the Haunted House!"
"This is your place? Wow - it's... small."
"Thanks?" Darren snorted and shook his head at Eclipse's comment. "It's all I need," he repeated the same thing he had once said to the architect. "Come on in." He stepped aside to let his guests in. One by one, they entered the now fully functional living room and looked around with wide eyes. Nobody except for Safety Line and her crew had yet seen the interior of Darren's house.
The house was divided into two rooms; a living room and a bedroom. A third door led to a small bathroom. Wooden beams that supported the ceiling and the roof above it divided the living room into two sections. While one half was occupied by a functional kitchen and a dining table, the other half was dominated by the fireplace, a couch and two chairs. The only carpet in the room was rolled up and leaned against a closet that stood next to the door. Eclipse had an idea what might be hidden inside the closet and grinned.
"Aw, this is so cozy!" Feather Rush gasped with something of a happy sigh. "I didn't picture it like this," she admitted with a sideways glance at Darren.
Darren raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips.
"How so?" he asked curiously.
The earth pony waved her hoof around, pointing at the couch that was covered with a soft blanket, the plants and the wooden sculptures on the windowsills. A softly crackling fire in the fireplace and the chirping birds from outside underlined her gesture.
"I..., to be honest, I always thought your home would be something along the lines of a guard's quarters," she muttered, feeling embarrassed as soon as she had spoken the words.
"You built all of this yourself?" White Alloy ran his hoof over the edge of the fireplace.
"With the tremendous help of three ponies," Darren told the unicorn. "Twenty days. It went well." The statement was simple but the pride in his voice betrayed Darren's feelings.
"I'll say." White grinned and looked out the window. "What a view."
"We're in the middle of nowhere!" Peridot declared. "We took a carriage to get here and I had to sit backwards!"
"I'm sorry to hear that," said Darren with a chuckle. He opened a cupboard and pulled out some glasses.
"At least she got to sit at all," Levinia sighed. The ghost appeared in mid-air next to Eclipse. Her long transparent mane floated around her in an elegant arc as she rotated slowly to face Darren. "Since I didn't know where your house is I had to keep floating along the carriage and they. Were. So. Slow." She ran her hoof down her muzzle and rolled her eyes.
Darren did his best not to grin. Since he was the only one in the building who could see or hear Levinia it would have been odd if he answered to her comment. He began pouring orange and apple juice into the glasses.
"Well, now we're here and I must say it was worth it," said White. "I can see the city from here. And the fields and forest and everything." He stepped away from the windows and took a glass into his magic. "But how the hay are you planning on getting to work on time, Darren? That's easily gotta be fifteen miles!"
Darren wordlessly pointed at the rolled-up carpet.
"Oh, right," White laughed. "Your trusty mount! Feather told me she helped you to get a license..."
There was a knock at the door and everyone inctinctively turned their heads. Darren went there to open it.
Detective Indigo Blaze and Sunburst stood on the veranda. From afar, he could see another guard approaching. It was Abrasive Paper, a colleague of Feather's, and a teenaged colt that Darren would have bet his runeblade was Abrasive's son because he was the spitting image of him; blue-coated and with brown hair.
"Hi!" Blaze and Sunburst both bumped Darren's fist with their hooves. Sunburst heaved a rectangular sack from his back and opened it. "I got you something," he stated the obvious and used his magic to withdraw a box from the sack.
Darren took the box into his hands and tilted it until he could find a label. It was a bookshelf. He would not have expected that - the box was not all too big.
Sunburst pointed at the label.
"I hope it fits your taste," he said, pushing the glasses on his muzzle up. "You can paint it or oil it, doesn't matter. And there is a tool inside for a quick assembly."
"Huh. Thank you. That's a surprise." Darren lifted the box and put it into a corner of the kitchen to open it later. "Come in!"
Now the living room was getting seriously crowded. Thankful for the good weather, Darren opened the large windows on the far side. Abrasive Paper and his son entered the house and looked around.
"Thanks for the invite," said the guard. "And congrats on the new home." He stretched out a hoof and shoved his own housewarming gift into Darren's hands. It was a potted plant. Darren instantly thought of his photo album and the picture of Jonathan in front of his shop. He was still slightly angry at himself for not asking Twilight about her schedule before sending out the invitations. She was a busy pony, he should have expected that she and her friends from Ponyville would not be able to come.
Abrasive Paper pointed at his son who was standing around awkwardly, looking for familiar faces.
"Still Waters, my second son," said Abrasive. "And, by the way, my friends call me Abs. Yo, Deep, introduce yourself properly."
The colt shuffled over to Darren and looked up to the significantly taller human.
"H-hi," he said. "Nice to meet you. And thank you for the invitation." He gave Darren a shy smirk.
"Welcome," said Darren, then pointed at the drinks and a small buffet he had prepared. "Help yourselves."
At first, Darren had been worried that his guests would feel awkward around each other but it turned out that was not an issue. Since two of them were colleagues of Feather's, they quickly found topics to talk about - besides the obvious one which was Darren's new home.
After Sombra's outbreak at Abs's home, the former king had disappeared without a trace, something that had kept the City and the Royal Guard on edge for months. Abs's apartment was now fixed, Blaze had to pull an all-nighter now and then, which explained the rings under his eyes. White, who was a Goldsmith, not a guard, began interviewing Darren on his inspiration for the wooden sculptures on the window ledge.
Still Waters, or "Deep" as Abs called him, joined the two siblings playing outside. Feather cast the occasional look outside the window to make sure they were entertained while she heaped spoons of salad onto her plate. At first, they ran around the house playing Catch, then, they sat down on the meadow and talked.
Levinia floated around Eclipse as a wisp, so slowly that Darren suspected she was still bored. He remembered telling Eclipse about her.
It had been after their fourth lesson. Exhausted and exhilerated, Eclipse stood in the kitchen and drank a milkshake. Darren had explained to him that drinking was an easy way to replenish his magical resources. Even though Eclipse tended to overexert himself, he grew to love his favourite drink, strawberry milkshakes, even more than he already had. Levinia had been with them for the entire time, watching as Eclipse and Darren circled each other and deflected each other's beams of shadow magic. Eventually, she cleared her throat and waved both hooves around, as if to say, "Get on with it, you promised!"
With a sigh, Darren asked Eclipse to sit down.
"Listen, kid, I've got something to confess," he said.
"Y-yeah? What's going on? Was I that bad?" Eclipse's ears folded back. "I know that last lightning bolt was badly aimed. I meant to hit your sword, not the potato barrel..." He pushed his empty glass away.
"It's not that." Darren shook his head. He took a deep breath. "I - When you were still untrained, I asked someone to look after you while I'm not there."
"Errr... okay?"
"She followed you around - though I'm sure she looked away when it was appropriate," Darren amended quickly.
Eclipse laughed.
"I'm pretty sure I would have noticed," he giggled. "You had me there for a second."
"No, she she really was there," said Darren. "Her name is Levinia, and - she is a ghost."
Eclipse snorted and held a hoof on front of his muzzle as he tried to suppress a snicker. He tried to get serious when he saw Darren's face. His left wing twitched a little.
"All right, so can I see her?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"No. But would it be alright if she keeps watching you? Just as a precaution, in case you need help."
"Errr... sure!" Eclipse jumped off his chair. "Look, Darren, thanks for telling me but I got a load of homework. Thanks for the lesson, by the way!"
Eclipse had not really believed Darren, that much had been apparent. Levinia, slightly sulky, kept following Eclipse around but Darren noticed that she tended to disappear while he was there. Thankfully, the matter was resolved later on but Eclipse explained that he could only see her when he was using his magic.
While Darren wandered outside to watch the children playing, Feather joined his side and sighed.
"I'm glad they're getting along," she said. "I didn't know Abs would bring his colt. They meet sometimes for this game he made up."
Darren shook his head. "It's fine," he said. "After his encounter with Sombra, I bet Still Waters did not talk much to other ponies his age."
"True," said Abs who suddenly appeared behind Feather. She gasped and jumped with surprise. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."
Feather laughed, relieved, and patted his shoulder. She went back inside to look for her husband.
"How're you holding up?" Darren asked the guard. "I heard that Sombra dealt quite a bit of damage to the city."
Abs sighed. "We do our best to fix it up. This is my first free weekend in a month."
"Hm." Darren crossed his arms and leaned against the window frame. He opened his mouth to ask how long Abs could stay when the voices of the foals rose.
"Yes, he is!" Eclipse said loudly, standing up. "He's my teacher, I should know!"
"Come on," said Still Waters angrily, "You can't honestly believe that! There are no knights in the Empire!"
"Not today anyway," said Peridot, her voice so quiet that Darren hardly understood what she was saying.
"There's no way that Darren is a knight - I mean, he is -" Still Waters's ears folded back when he noticed they had an audience. "Sorry," he muttered, his cheeks turning deep red.
Darren cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. Now Eclipse was blushing, too.
There was movement behind Darren, and he stepped aside to let White through.
"What's this about?" he demanded. "Eclipse?"
Eclipse dug at the ground with his hoof.
"Nothing..." he muttered, avoiding the gaze of his father.
"Eclipse lied to me," said Still Waters, pointing an accusing hoof at the younger colt. "That's bad, you know."
"Is that true?" White asked, a hint of sharpness in his voice.
"No, it's not," said Eclipse, stomping his hoof. "Darren is a knight. Aren't you?" With pleading eyes, he looked at Darren who tried to keep himself from heaving an exasperated sigh. No matter the planet, children tended to start squabbles like this once in a while, discussing whether one of them was telling the truth or just making something up, based on a story they had heard or a book they had read. It was a classic. The only way to end this, of course, was to confront them with his own version of the truth.
"In a way, you're both right," Darren said diplomatically. "I used to be a knight."
"Hah!" Eclipse pointed a triumphant hoof at Still Waters who crossed his forelegs and grumbled under his breath.
"But I don't fight anymore," Darren amended. "I can still do magic, though." He scratched his chin. "Does that answer your question?" he asked with a friendly smile.
Eclipse nodded but Still Waters huffed.
"You're just saying that to stop our fighting," he snarked. "It's a typical adult tactic."
Darren snorted.
"I can prove it," he said with a smirk.
"Do you have to?" Feather muttered with a sigh.
"Trust me," said Darren, "this will settle the matter. And entertain them." He beckoned the foals to come into the house and went over to the closet in his tiny hall. Opening it, Darren saw in the corner of his eye that Blaze, Abs and Sunburst had stopped talking and watched him, curious what he would show Still Waters. "Step back a little, please," said Darren. He took his scabbard from a hook inside the closet and quickly shut the doors again, hiding his Saronite plate armour.
Darren went outside to get a little more space - with so many guests, his house was just too crowded, he had not thought of that when he had planned the layout - and the curious ponies followed him. White and Feather exchanged a look and Peridot giggled. They knew what was going to happen. Darren grabbed the hilt of his two-handed sword and unsheathed it. The serrated blade scraped at the scabbard as he pulled it out, giving off a sound that could only be described as sharp. White mist rose from the sword, like breath from a pony's mouth in a cold winter's night.
Still Waters gasped, completely mesmerized by the sight of the dangerous-looking weapon. Abs chuckled to himself while Blaze, who had also seen the sword before, just smirked. Holding the heavy blade with both hands, Darren grinned and shrugged, as if to say, "I told you so."
"Your sword!" Sunburst exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "What is it made of anyway? It doesn't look like steel, it's too blue for that. And what do those runes mean? I've never seen symbols just like them!" He pointed at the blue runes that were engraved along the ragged blade.
Darren sheathed the sword and slung the scabbard's belt over his shoulder. How detailed should his answers be? While Feather and White knew that this was the blade he had used to carve his bloody path through Lordaeron, everyone else was blissfully unaware of its history. He decided to go with some basic facts. But had he not mentioned something or other about the sword to Sunburst a while ago? Maybe the stallion had forgotten.
"The blade is forged from Saronite, an ore that can only be found on the northern continent of my homeworld," Darren said. "It's much lighter that steel and once it is tempered it cannot be reforged... The runes are magical and grant the bearer of the sword certain... abilities," he added vaguely. "But enough of that. Let's go inside and have some cake, shall we?"
Still Waters bit his lower lip, apparently he still needed to digest the information that his host owned a sword as long as his father's polearm.
"Woohoo, cake!" Now Darren knew he had the foals on his side.
Levinia heaved a longing sigh which Darren ignored.
Suddenly, the wind which had been a slight breeze up to this moment picked up. Everybody's hair fluttered around in the unexpected squall and Peridot squeaked, trying to keep her mane down with a hoof.
"Now, please, let's go back inside!" Feather urged her children. Eclipse giggled and turned his head to face the direction the wind was coming from. He spread his little wings.
"Hey, look, Mom, I can almost fly!" he said.
"Eclipse, honey, come on," Feather called.
Darren chuckled and tapped Eclipse on the shoulder.
The wind became even stronger. It almost felt like a storm but the weird thing about it was that the sky was still clear. Somewhere in the back of Darren's mind an alarm bell went off.
"Hurry up, buddy," he told Eclipse and gently pushed the excited colt in the direction of his house.
"But, Darren -"
"No arguments," Darren said sternly and that made Eclipse sober up.
"Alright, I'm going. I just thought that -"
The storm, growing louder with every second, drowned the rest of his sentence. Now it twisted and turned and, at the center of the unearthly current, the air rippled and glittered.
"Whoa!" Eclipse shrieked, grabbing Darren's leg as he almost got pulled into the pocket storm. "Darren!"
Darren slung his arm around the scared colt, picked him up and ran. He risked a look back at the phenomenon and saw with horror that there was a hole. The fabric of space had been ruptured and he was only a few feet away from it.
"Shit!"
"Eclipse!" Feather screamed in shock, covering her mouth with a hoof.
"Darren!" Another terrified scream made his blood run cold. It had come from behind. The female voice had an echo - it was Levinia.
"Watch out!" Darren shouted as he saw that the pegasus ghost was dangerously close to the portal. "Get away from there!"
"I can't, it's pulling me in!" Levinia squealed, waggling her legs around and flapping her wings in a futile attempt to get some distance between herself and the swirling current of wind, lightning and magic. Darren watched helplessly as his dead friend was pulled closer and closer to the portal. Without thinking, he stretched out his hand and jumped over to her, grabbing her leg.
"Huh?" squeaked Eclipse, wriggling around in his other arm. "Darren, there's nothing there, please run! Run, run, run!"
Grunting with effort, Darren pulled at Levinia's foreleg. She frantically flapped her aethereal wings.
"Gotcha!" Darren huffed and dug his feet into the grass. "Agh!" The more he strained, the more he realized that he was slipping closer to the current. His eyes widened as he realized that he was now also beyond the event horizon of the damned thing.
"Uh-oh," he stated quietly.
Then it happened; with a jolt, Darren, Eclipse and Levinia were sucked into the portal. The swirling current collapsed almost instantly. The winds died down and an eerie silence fell on the meadow behind Darren's house.
Feather stared at the empty spot where her son had just been.
"White," she whispered, panting heavily. Then, she shouted at the top of her voice, "White! Help!"
There it is, the all too familiar whirlwind of colour and light. Darren cannot tell up from down as the magic rattles his body; he is racing through a place without space or time; everything is spinning. Next to him, Eclipse is screaming; Darren manages to stretch out his hands and catch the colt. Levinia flaps her wings and somehow manages to drift over to them. Hugging Darren from behind with a grip so tight he would not expect from a pegasus, she painfully presses the scabbard against his back. They keep spinning and falling until, finally, the portal spits them out.
Darren collapsed on the soft surface, his impact sending sand in all directions. Eclipse landed on top of him with a huff as the air was pressed from his lungs.
There was something under him. Darren bent forward and rolled to the side. Eclipse slid off his chest and fell into the sand.
"Sorry, Levinia," Darren rasped. He felt sick; everything was still spinning around; Darren held his hurting head and tried to get his bearings.
"Ow," Levinia groaned, to his surprise. "That did not feel good." She blinked a few times, waved her transparent hooves in front of her face and flexed her wings as if to test if they were still attached.
Eclipse rolled over and retched; as he spilled apple juice on the ground, Darren tried to figure out where the hell they were.
They were on a beach, facing a sun that was setting behind a red coast across the sea. It was hot; mosquitos and flies buzzed around their heads which was no surprise due to the light source: a burning torch that stuck in the sand next to them.
"Great," Darren groaned. It seemed they were stranded on a foreign beach, maybe even on another world, and they had nothing with them except for his sword. And he had just built a new home! He angrily hit the sand with a flat hand.
Darren staggered to his feet, trying not to slip, and bent over to look after Eclipse. "Are you hurt?" he asked, carefully touching the colt's shoulder. Eclipse shook his head, then he quickly covered his mouth with a hoof. Darren nodded and turned around.
He froze when he saw the two tall figures standing in front of him. One seemed familiar; the other was a stranger. His face fell as he recognized the one to the right. Tall for a troll even though he was not standing upright, red-haired and blue-skinned with a long lose and pointy ears, clad in green leather armour, two large tusks protruding from his mouth...
"ThrAkk ko'Samedi dan'nae," said Vol'Shalai slowly.
"You ain't Samedi," Vol'Shalai said, staring at the unexpected arrivals. A human and... two ponies? He exchanged a look with Miwemba who just stared at the man, her face contorted with anger.
"What is de meaning of dis?!" she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the human... who looked oddly familiar to Vol'Shalai.
"Waaait," he said, grabbing Miwemba's shoulder. "I know dat man. Him be ma friend, Darren Houndslayer!" His face split into a hesitant smile as he and Darren scrutinized each other. Darren looked quite different; he was wearing simple clothes instead of plate armour and the surprised look in his eyes was... so normal. The blue eyes of a human, in a face with some wrinkles, though the tattoo and the long white hair were exactly as Vol'Shalai remembered. And Darren still had his weapon, the cursed runeblade of a death knight.
Miwemba scoffed and clicked her tongue.
"Ya can't be friends wit a human," she stated. "And what is dis? Two likkle horsies? Are ya kidding me?!"
"Ponies, dey be ponies," Vol'Shalai corrected. He brushed some sand off his armguards, trying to hide his own surprise.
The smaller pony, a little grey pegasus with a black mane and tail, stared at him with wide fearful eyes and hid behind Darren's leg.
"How," stammered Darren, still blinking at him in disbelief. "How - how did you -?"
"De ritual," Miwemba cried. "It has failed. We be doomed! But how - we did noting wrong! I - I dun' undastand!" She wrung her hands in anguish, only stopping to throw a poisonous sideways glance at Darren.
Levinia slowly stood up and floated into the air. Still confused, she stared at the two trolls. Then, she also recognized Vol'Shalai. Her face lit up and she beamed at him.
"Vol'Shalai!" she said happily, flying towards him with her forelegs outstretched. "Thank Celestia!"
"Hello, Levinia, likkle spirit," said Vol'Shalai happily. He embraced the ghost and cuddled her. Levinia giggled happily, overjoyed that someone could hug her even though she was dead.
The little pegasus tugged at Darren's pants and whispered, "What's Levinia doing here?"
"Ya - ya tainted de ritual," Miwemba realized. "Ye got a connection ta dis spirit... we summoned her instead of Samedi. Fool!" She hit Vol'Shalai on the back of his head with her flat hand. "Why did ya no tell me, eh?! Now look at dis mess!"
Looking guiltily at his wife, Vol'Shalai let go of Levinia.
"I had no idea, Gonk be mah witness," he admitted. "And why Darren and de oddah pony be here - no clue, mon."
"I have an idea," said Darren with an indignant huff. "We holt each other when the door open, so we fall here."
"By da Loa, yar Orcish be gruesome." Vol'Shalai snickered. "But is still good ta see ya. Ya lookin' good, so - alive!"
"Thanks." Darren sighed and looked down at the colt clutching his leg. "But Eclipse not look so goot. Sick because of falling."
"Uch! Tsk!" Miwemba clicked her tongue again and spun around. "See wat ya gonna do wit ya mess! I be outta here!" she called without looking back, stomping away. In a swift movement, she snatched the drums from the hut's floor and left in the direction of the trees.
"Darren, what are those creatures?" Eclipse asked in a scared whisper, again in that language Vol'Shalai did not understand. "Are they humans, too?"
Darren snorted, amused, and shook his head. He lifted the terrified Eclipse from the ground and sat him on his arm.
"No," he said. "This is my friend, Vol'Shalai. He's a Darkspear Troll. And my guess is that his wife just left the premises because we messed up their ritual to summon a spirit."
"Oh," said Eclipse, relief spreading on his face. "Your friend, that's lucky. But..." Eclipse looked around. "Where are we?"
Darren's face fell.
"Let my guess: Eclipse just been askin' where ya be?" Vol'Shalai asked.
"Yes." Darren sighed. "But I know exactly where we are. We're in deep shit."
"We better don' let ya into da village just yet," said Vol'Shalai, stirring the fire with a stick. "Ya be safe here - for now. Miwemba be mad but she won't tell on us, promise. She be too embarrassed anyway. The ritual was important, ya know. Now we gotta start from scratch."
"Sorry," said Darren bluntly even though it was not his fault. He warmed his hands at the fire. Eclipse sat close to him, desperate for some comfort in the alien environment. Darren's explanation - that they fell through a portal and were now stranded on his homeworld - was a shock. He did not want to know how the colt felt, knowing that he might never see his family or home again. He probably had not fully realized it yet. For Darren, it was less hard. Even though he felt bitter regret at yet another setback he was at least familiar with this world. He had never been in Durotar, though; the land was property of the Horde. In other words, the last place a human wanted to find himself... He groaned and covered his face with his hand.
"Ya lookin' tired," said Vol'Shalai, standing up. "Lemme get ya some blankets, some food and water."
Darren nodded thankfully, rubbing his eyes. Levinia tilted her head to watch the smoke escape through a small hole in the roof.
Princess Cadence paced up and down in her throne room, something that her sister-in-law Twilight usually did. She spun around to face Feather Rush.
"And they didn't leave any trace?" she asked desperately.
Feather shook her head.
"No. They were there, and then they were gone. And I have not the faintest idea where that portal leads. It's - it's horrible! My s-son - my son is gone...!" She grimaced and sobbed, covering her mouth with a hoof. White put his foreleg around her but he, too, was fighting with tears. Peridot just stood there, a thousand-mile-stare in her eyes, and said nothing.
Cadence felt her own heart sinking as sympathy flooded her soul. The thought of losing Flurry Heart - it was unbearable.
"I promise you," she said, "we will do everything we can to bring Eclipse and Darren back. We will not rest until we find them and we will bring them home."
Sunburst raised a tentative hoof.
"I suggest we contact Twilight," he said. "She has a bit of experience concerning portals, she might me able to help."
"Good idea." Shining Armor nodded. "And tell her to ask her friends; Jonathan or even Discord might have a clue or two. I will write an urgent letter to Princess Celestia."
Cadence put her hoof under Feather's chin and gently pushed it upward.
"We will find them," she said with a confidence she did not feel.
Feather, unable to say any more, just nodded.
Darren is running through the woods, chasing after his prey. His dark plate armour hardly weighs him down; he can easily keep up with them. They will need to rest soon enough. After half a day of being chased by the Scourge, even the fear of death cannot help a man to overcome the fatigue.
Skidding to a halt, Darren smiles darkly. He can still hear them. He slowly approaches the voices and kneels down behind a bush. There, a camp. Five, no, six Alliance soldiers and a few civilians. A simple tent, two fires, no horses. Too easy. Darren raises his hand. Eleven Scourge soldiers, two of them death knights like him, emerge from the shrubbery around him. They look at him in expectation. Their ghouls are growling hungrily, ready to tear flesh apart and feast. Darren reaches over his right shoulder and unsheathes his two-handed runeblade. It, too, is hungry.
He thrusts his blade forward and the undead monsters attack, an unstoppable force that carves its bloody path through human, elven and dwarven flesh. Darren runs into the fray and swings his weapon around, separating an unarmed woman's head from her body with a single strike -
Someone poked his side. Darren sat up with a gasp. Squinting his eyes in the dim light of an early sun, he saw Eclipse sitting next to him.
"You sleep really loud," said Eclipse. "Are you okay? You look like you had a nightmare."
Darren groaned and wiped his hair out of his face. He felt cold sweat on his back, he needed air... He leaned back and took a deep breath.
"Haven't had one of those in a while," he said, more to himself. "Ugh, damn."
Where was he anyway? Right, on the Echo Isles, on Azeroth. At least he was not in the Plaguelands... Now that he was awake, the sheer noise made him wonder how he could have slept in the first place: Exotic birds and other jungle animals sang, screeched and knocked in the trees, invisible to the eye but ever present nonetheless.
Darren turned around and faced Eclipse. The little grey pegasus seemed to have slept much better than him. He sat on the blanket Vol'Shalai had given him yesterday and exchanged a worried look with Levinia.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it," said Darren, waving it off.
"Was it about your past?" Eclipse pressed on.
Darren nodded curtly and raised his brows. He stood up and stretched his arms with a grunt, then he shouldered his scabbard.
"We better get going," he said. "If somebody else but Vol'Shalai discovers us here, we might have to run away very fast."
"Why?" asked Levinia, her voice echoing in their heads. "They looked kinda scary but the stallion was nice. I mean, I didn't understand anything of what he said but that makes sense. We are on an alien world."
"Humans and trolls are not usually friends," Darren said slowly as he put his hands on his hips. He squinted his eyes and looked over to the coast of Durotar. How long would it take them to swim there? Was the current too strong for that? Would they need a boat? And what about a disguise? If he just went there in all his human glory they would die faster than Darren could say, "Alliance".
"It's kinda weird that I can see you now," Eclipse said to Levinia. He poked her with a tentative hoof.
"Stop that!" Levinia laughed. She rubbed her chin in thought. "But you're right, I feel different. I can feel more... and I can't move around as quickly. It's as if I'm closer to the plane of the living..."
No. First things first. They needed to get food and water. If they were lucky, Vol'Shalai could help them with this - and to get back to Equestria. If not, well, then they were screwed anyway and had to at least go to a land that was safe for a human and his young pony friend to live in. So Darren had to find a way to talk to the troll again without alerting the entire tribe.
Before he could make up a plan, the leaves behind him rustled as something came closer. Darren spun around and crouched into a fighting position - in the open hut, there was nowhere to hide.
It was Vol'Shalai. Darren relaxed and exhaled, giving the tall blue troll a brief smile.
"Heeey," said Vol'Shalai with a grin. "How did ya sleep, ma friend? Gotten hungry? I got ya breakfast." He threw three bananas and a loaf of fresh bread over to Darren who quickly caught the food with both hands. "Ya betta make it quick, Darren. De sooner we get ya off dis island the bettah."
"Thanks," said Darren. "But, Vol'Shalai -" He gave Eclipse a banana and stuck the bread between his elbow and his side, "Can you not sent us back? You are the one that take us here in the first place."
The troll crouched down and scratched his long neck.
"Ya got me dere." He sighed, twisting his face into an embarrassed grimace. Eclipse shuffled a little closer to Darren. "Ya see - we can't. We dun' know what went wrong exactly. It was da connection wit Levinia here dat messed da ritual up. But dere be to many factors. We can't jus' reverse it. Agh," he sighed when he saw Darren's face falling, "I be sorry, mon. I dun' know what ta say..."
Darren covered his face with both hands and exhaled. Damn it, he thought. How do I tell the kid? He eyed Eclipse who was still staring at Vol'Shalai, wide-eyed, with both curiousity and fear.
"Eclipse," Darren said slowly. "I have... very bad news."
"Wh-what kind of bad news?" Eclipse asked, biting his lower lip as he braced himself for the blow.
"They can't send us back," said Levinia. She drifted closer to the two of them. "Right?"
Darren winced. "You understood what he just said?"
Levinis shook her head and scoffed.
"No; not a word, actually. But, Darren, that look on your face says it all. We're stuck. Aren't we?"
"Yeah," Darren said simply.
"No." Eclipse stared at both of them. "No. That can't be right. We - what? We're stuck - here, on this world? We can't go home? No!"
"Yes," Darren pressed out. "I'm so sorry." Heat spread in his gut as he watched the little colt's heart breaking. Darren felt guilty even though it was not his fault. In a way, he was the bad guy here: He had to be the one to deliver to Eclipse the worst news of his life.
Eclipse gasped for breath, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. He shook his head in disbelief as tears formed in his eyes; he staggered backwards, almost falling onto his rump.
"No," he said again.
"Eclipse -" Levinia began, floating over to him, trying to hug him, but he waved his hoof around in front of his face and tried to fend her off. "No! Leave me alone!" He spun around and ran out of the hut, right into the foliage below the trees.
"Oh, shit - Eclipse!" Darren called, running after him.
"No! He can't be discovered!" Vol'Shalai called after Darren. He sprinted after Darren, easily keeping up with his long legs.
"Guys, wait up..." Levinia picked up the bread which Darren had dropped and flew after them.
As Darren ran through the woods, he cursed his own hesitation. Now Eclipse was just far enough ahead so Darren could not see him. And the colt might be small but his four legs gave him an advantage on the narrow path that led away from the hut. Which probably led light into the village.
"Darren, stop!" Vol'Shalai called. "Ya can't go dere, ya gonna get killed!"
"But the boy - " Darren panted.
"I gonna get him. Ya wait here!"
"Halt!" a hard voice barked and Darren instinctively obeyed. "Not anoddah step!" He grimaced angrily - that voice had not been his friend's. Darren raised his chin - the tip of a spear was pointed at his throat. He cursed himself twice over. He had just made another rookie mistake. In his hurried attempt to catch up with Eclipse, he had not watched his surroundings.
Now three angry trolls had surrounded him. Hate and suspicion in their eyes and each with a weapon in their hands, they jerked their head, gesturing for him to surrender. Darren slowly reached for his weapons belt. He gave the sheathed sword to the closest troll, a woman taller than him, with a golden ring in her nose and colourful bands around her wrists. Darren made a point of moving very slowly and keeping his hands to his sides, fighting the urge to summon an ice storm and assault his captors.
"Oh, shiiit, ma wife is gonna kill me," Vol'Shalai groaned and skidded to a halt. He raised both hands, trying to appease the angry trolls. "Now everybody jus' caaalm down," he said. "No need ta do anyting rash."
"I ain't gonna do anyting rash," the woman said, mockingly imitating Vol'Shalai's tone. "Cause we wanna know how a dirty human got dis close to da village. And dere could be more! Dat vermin comes in packs, don'tcha know, cousin!"
"I wash myself yesterday," Darren said before he could stop himself.
"Oh, look at dat, da human can talk," the spear-woman sneered. She tilted her head and eyed the sheathed sword in her hands. "Dat is not a normal sword," she said with a frown. She pulled it out of the scabbard by a few inches. Cold mist rose from the runeblade. Her eyes widened. "It's da blade of a death knight! But you ain't a death knight at all! Your hair be white... but your eyes are de eyes of a mortal. He must have taken it from one," she muttered. "Damn it, dose blades are bad luck! Everybody who take one get mad..." She turned her head to the left and spit over her shoulder.
"See, about dat," Vol'Shalai said, rising a finger.
"Oh, shaddap, cousin. Here, take it for safekeepin'. Let's go!"
"Oh crap oh crap oh crap..." Levinia muttered the words like a mantra. Hiding her aetheral body behind the palm trees as she flew after the captured Darren, she clutched the loaf of bread with her hooves. What had they gotten themselves into? Those trolls looked like they were ready to kill Darren if he made a wrong move. The angry woman at the front pushed forward with determined strides while the other two kept their arrow and spear pointed at the human. Darren appeared calm on the outside but Levinia knew him well enough not to be fooled by that. He was probably already thinking of a way to break free.
But where the hay was Eclipse? Had he managed to hide in the forest? Had he been captured? There was no way to tell.
Vol'Shalai was the last one in the line; carrying Darren's sword on his back, he kept looking back. When he spotted Levinia floating above him, he gave off a quiet sigh of relief.
Now they had reached a clearing. The trees parted and Levinia gasped as she beheld the massive stone pillars and walls that made up the village of the trolls. Intricate patterns and figures were carved into the monolithic structures, telling stories of warfare and legends. This was not some primitive clan, she realized, but an advanced civilization. As the trolls led Darren further into the village, Levinia understood that she needed to stay hidden if she wanted to help him. She reluctantly dropped the loaf of bread and let her solid shape dissolve into a little wisp of blue light. In this form, she could easily follow her friend as he obediently walked behind the angry troll woman.
The captors motioned for Darren to stand still as they gathered in what was probably the centre of the village. Dozens of huts stood in a rough circle around a large bonfire. As the sun rose, the denizens of the island left their straw-covered huts, curiously approaching the captive human. Some were armed; others were still holding a basket of food or a little child in their arms. The trolls had mostly blue or greenish skin, wild colourful hairstyles and a lot of jewelry around their wrists and necks. Their naked, furless bodies were more or less covered by cloth and leather. A mixture of interest, suspicion and outright hostility lingered in the air as they murmured and talked among each other. Levinia did not understand what they said but she could still imagine the meaning of the foreign sounds. "Who is that? - How did he get here? - Are there more? - Momma, is that a human? - Stay back, keep your distance!"
"Look!" Silence fell as the leader of the troll guards stuck her spear into the ground, at a safe distance from Darren. She pointed at him. "Look what we found on da beach! A dirty human!"
The crowd resumed their talking and a few boos and whistles could be heard. Darren fought the urge to roll his eyes. Even though his heartbeat was racing, he could not help but be amused by the way the troll woman was begging for attention. He was today's main attraction, that much was certain. Now the woman raised her three-fingered hands again and the chatter died down.
"And look what we took from him! The blade," she pointed at the scabbard in Vol'Shalai's hands, "of a death knight! I wonder, how did he get dat?!" She grabbed Darren's vest and pulled him closer to stare into his eyes. Her irises were of a vibrant pink, quite beautiful were it not for the burning hate that shone out of them. "Who did ya kill, human? And how did ya get here? Dis be Darkspear Village! No Alliance allowed! Did ya likkle boat have an accident?" she jeered.
Darren said nothing. He knew that it did not matter; this troll was not ready to listen anyway.
The other trolls waved their hands in a dismissive manner.
"Get on with it, Kali!" someone called.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the back of the crowd. Some villagers stepped to the side.
"Let me go! Ow! Let me - !" A troll in a long robe stepped forward, struggling with an upset pegasus colt in his arms. They had caught Eclipse, too. Great. Darren sighed and prayed to the Light that Eclipse would not be harmed.
Vol'Shalai shoved the sword into the hands of the next best man standing beside him and stomped over to the robed troll.
"Please gimme da likkle pony," he said calmly. "Dat ain't yours."
The other troll laughed and looked at his catch. Eclipse stopped flailing his limbs around and gave him a dark look.
"Dis likkle ting be yours? I just found it over dere. If it be yours, what's it called, huh?" the troll taunted Vol'Shalai.
"Dat be Eclipse from Equestria," said Vol'Shaial instantly. His immediate response made a mutter run through the crowd once again. "And dis here," called Vol'Shalai, raising his voice, "ain't just any human. He ain't Alliance at all! Dis be Darren Houndslayer, a death knight from de odda continent! And we've been through a lot togedder. We fought traiterous Elves in Quel'Thalas, we've traveled to da Undercity and talked to da Banshee Queen. He be as much an enemy of da Darkspear as me - which is no enemy at all!"
"Da Banshee Queen betrayed us!" someone shouted and some trolls nodded. "How do we know ya ain't makin' dis up?"
"Gonk, save me from dose ignorant fools," Vol'Shalai muttered. He raised his hands, trying to make the villagers listen to him. "Miwemba! Where is my woman?" he demanded. "She knows what happened. She was dere, too!"
"Shut ya mouth, husband!" Miwemba strode over to Vol'Shalai and slapped his cheek. Laughter swelled in the crowd and some trolls even turned their backs and walked away, getting bored. "Ya be makin' a fuzz again," she said, grabbing his arm. "So what if dat human ain't Alliance? Nobody must know da secrets of da Darkspear tribe, ya know dat! No exceptions! Now, do I have ta clean up ya mess or are ya gonna do it yaself?"
Darren let his eyes wander, looking for a gap in the crowd. While Vol'Shalai and his wife were still bickering over who had to "take care" of Darren, he noticed that the trolls were beginning to lose their patience. Some called to kill him, others wanted to try some of their magic on him first. He also noticed how a few villagers made sure to send their children away to play. A bad sign; he had to prepare himself for a fight. But what were his chances, unarmed against dozens of trolls? He could only try to die with honour...
Eclipse, who had gone limp during Vol'Shalai's failed speech, wiggled around and managed to break free of his captor's grasp. Flapping his little wings, he ran over to Darren. Purple smoke drifted upwards from his eyes and his grey coat darkened. He dashed through right between the legs of Kali, dodged another troll and leapt into the air, further than a pony usually could.
"Oh shit," said Darren.
Eclipse's dark magic exploded in a cloud of purple and black mist. The sinister haze stretched into all directions and enveloped the colt whose eyes were now aglow with a stinging blue. He spread his forelegs and wings. A beam of purple lightning sprung from his chest, bridging the distance to the troll that held Darren's sword. It hit the troll and threw him backwards; the weapon was torn from his grip. The trolls shouted and screamed in alarm; some ran away while others readied their weapons or raised their hands to cast spells.
Darren jumped over to grab his sword; he brandished it and raised his other hand. Now that he could channel all of his magic they might have a chance. He reached for the power inside of him and released a whirlwind of ice. The trolls closest to him stumbled and fell, pushed away by the force of the cold wind. Darren used the chance to swing his blade around and parry the strike of a mace that somebody had aimed at his neck.
"Darren, what are ya doing?" Vol'Shalai called, reaching for his axe. "What be going on wit dis pony? How can he do Shadow Magic?!"
Levinia also had enough. Turning from wisp back into a pony, she rose above the fighting humanoids and opened her mouth. Unfurling her wings, she let off an otherworldly scream that made the trolls stumble and clutch their heads in pain. However, since she had not screamed with all her might, the disoriented trolls quickly pulled themselves together and attacked Darren and Eclipse once again.
The first troll to threaten Eclipse was a female priest; she raised her hands and a golden beam of light formed around them. Throwing the Light at Eclipse, she sang something and the Light grew brighter until Eclipse squinted his eyes. It seared his flesh; he screamed in pain and fear as the force threw him backwards.
"Stop!" Darren shouted, shocked as he saw the colt writhing in agony. "Don't hurt him! Eclipse, you need to calm down!" he added in Equestrian. "Eclipse, look at me!" Darren knew that his eyes were now glowing in a cold light but he also knew that Eclipse had never feared his magic. And he was right; when Eclipse turned his head to look at Darren, he could see the child's confusion and desperation but also a glimmer of hope.
Eclipse's eyes widened and he nodded. He flapped his wings and jumped into Darren's arms, throwing his forelegs around his neck. Darren felt the colt's chest expanding and contracting as he took very deep breaths. His lips were moving as he whispered, "In, out, in, out..." The smoke slowly dissipated and Eclipse's eyes returned to their normal sapphire blue. Darren put his arm around Eclipse and held the pony's head close to his chest as he spun around and parried another strike. He swung the sword upwards and threw an icy lance at his attacker, a particularly muscular troll warrior in thick armour. The ice encased the feet of the warrior, binding him to the ground at a safe distance. He shot furious looks at Darren but could not reach him with his large axe.
Levinia circled above them with her wings spread widely, casting angry glances at everyone who dared to come closer. She opened her mouth to scream again. The trolls who saw it yelped and retreated. She closed her mouth and smiled darkly.
Darren noticed that he was now standing back to back with Vol'Shalai. The shaman's face was contorted with frustration as he twirled his axe, ready to hit anyone that tried to attack. But the other trolls hesitated; it was clear that they did not like the idea of fighting their own kinsman. Miwemba stood next to him, shooting an accusing glare at her husband but still clutching a spear she had wrung from somebody's hands and pointing it at the surrounding rabble.
"What is going on here?" The shout cut through the air like a whip. While Eclipse kept counting his breaths, trying to contain his dark magic, a new troll had appeared. The crowd parted respectfully to let him through as he walked towards Darren and his two allies.
"Vol'Shalai, why are ya defending dis human? And what are ya all doing?" he called at the crowd that immediately looked much less interested in making any sudden movements. "If anyting, dis is business of da watchers! Where da hell is Morakki? You, and you, go find him. Kali, get back to yar post! And somebody help Tunari heal dese fools!"
The new troll was obviously in charge - everyone did as they were told and the village centre emptied as quickly as if someone had thrown a stink bomb. Only a few armed trolls remained and Darren noticed that their armour looked very similar. Two of them helped up the priestess who had injured Eclipse. She muttered something under her breath and hurried over to the next wounded villager to heal him.
Scoffing and raising his head, the leader looked at Vol'Shalai along his long nose. White patterns decorated his cheeks, forehead and tusks. Now that he was standing still, Darren recognized the tabard he was wearing over his armour of leather and bones. This troll showed the colours of the Horde. The red and white curved rune - a stylized head or claw - was the same one Darren had seen many times and learned to avoid.
"Well?" he said, his accent significantly weaker than that of his people. "Speak up already."
Vol'Shaial lowered his axe. He pointed at Darren.
"First, can we please agree not ta kill my friend? And I tink da likkle pony is hurt."
The leader's long pointy ears bopped up and down as he nodded curtly. He raised an eyebrow as he inspected Darren and the shivering Eclipse and frowned when he saw the runeblade. Levinia landed next to Darren, guiltily biting her lower lip.
Vol'Shalai quickly reached for a pouch at his belt and opened it. He took one of his small totems, an object made of wood and string and bones, and closed his eyes. He pointed his open palm at Eclipse and a stream of water formed around the colt.
Eclipse gasped as the water flowed to the wound on his cheek and healed it. In a matter of seconds, the only remains of his injury was the missing fur on his cheekbone. Still clutching Darren's neck with his legs, Eclipse gave Vol'Shalai a weak yet thankful smile.
"Ya see, boss, it be all my fault. Miwemba and I tried to call for Samedi but someting went wrong. We summoned dis spirit instead. And Darren and Eclipse," Vol'Shalai pointed at each of them, "dey got caught up in da current. Now dey be stuck here...," he lowered his voice, "on Azeroth."
The leader's eyes widened in alarm.
"Dey're from another world?" he muttered back. "By da Loa, dat ain't good news. Ya say ya trust dem?" he asked aloud.
"Wit me life."
"Very well, den. All of ya got a lotta explaining ta do. I've seen ya fight," the leader said to Darren, "and I've seen ya got de blade and abilities of a death knight. But ya look way too alive to be dead. I wanna know everyting. Let's go to the Darkspear Hold and sort dis out."
Darren nodded, deliberately pointing his sword at the ground. Eclipse shifted around in his arms, trying to get a good look at the new troll without falling down.
The troll picked up the scabbard and gave it to the surprised Darren.
"I'm no friend of humans," he said with a sneer, "I've killed a lot of you, seen, but da young human king showed me dat your kind can be honourable, too. So if Vol'Shalai says dat you can be trusted... den Rokhan is ready to listen."
Everybody followed the troll chieftain into a large house. Just like the others, its steep roof was covered with dried palm leaves and straw. The thin wooden walls shielded the inside from the weather and also provided some privacy. Eclipse was thankful that Darren had no problem with carrying him on his arm. Back at home, he was too old to get carried around like this but the stairs at the house's entrance were made for large trolls, not for ponies. Also, the large creatures still scared him. Levinia, that cheat, had turned back into a wisp.
The trolls, Darren and Eclipse sat down around a fire pit that looked like the one in the hut at the beach except that this one was much larger. It was a pity Eclipse did not understand anything of what they talked about. The troll leader asked a lot of questions and Darren and Vol'Shalai did their best to answer them in that strange language. It sounded different than the speech the other villagers had used. Maybe it was some kind of common tongue? Eclipse knew that the yaks tended to use a simplified version of Equestrian but still spoke differently at home, just like the horses of Saddle Arabia had their own language.
At one point, the troll chieftain groaned and rubbed his eyes. Darren seemed to be guilty of something. Maybe it was the fact that he had been a death knight... Vol'Shalai waved his hands, trying to calm his leader who nodded eventually and suggested something. Darren smirked and agreed, rubbing his chin.
Eclipse became bored. He looked around to find something more interesting to watch. In the end, he watched Levinia who was circling above the head of Darren.
The leader grinned and raised an eyebrow. He made a joke and Darren chuckled, poking Eclipse with his elbow. Blushing, the colt sat up straight and muttered an apology.
"Bored already?" Darren asked and Eclipse felt his cheeks turning even redder.
"It's just that I don't understand anything," he said with an apologetic look. "What are you talking about?"
"We told Rokhan where we come from," Darren said, "and he agrees that we need to leave as soon as possible. He can keep the trolls from killing us - for now. We'll say that it's bad luck to anger the pony Loa." Darren smirked but when he noticed Eclipse's clueless look, he muttered, "I'll explain later."
Someone tapped Eclipse's shoulder and he flinched. A troll lady passed him a plate with pieces of fruit and bread.
"Th-thanks," he stammered, adding a smile to show his gratitude, and took the plate into his hooves. Darren also got a plate and so did everyone else.
The trolls had something pink and brown on their plates that smelled funny. Darren also ate some of it; Eclipse's plate lacked that certain fruit. When Darren glanced at Eclipse with a worried frown, the colt noticed the bones sticking out of the food and understood. That was meat; dead animals. Eclipse grimaced and quickly swallowed his remaining fruit before he would feel sick. He had heard that ponies ate meat if there was nothing else available but it was a sign of extreme poverty and thus considered bordering on savagery. And these trolls just feasted on the meat like they feasted on the bananas and melons and... pie! This world was so foreign. Eclipse felt his heart swelling with homesickness. What he would not give for one of his Mom's strawberry cakes... or just a hug from her. He forced his tears down, trying not to show in front of those huge trolls how lost he felt.
After the meal, Rokhan, Vol'Shalai and Miwemba stood up. Darren shouldered his sword and followed the chieftain out of the house. Eclipse quickly sprang up and went after the knight. The walked through the village and the surrounding palm forest until they arrived at the beach. Four guards followed the group but now they seemed much less alert than before. The sun was high in the sky, it was probably close to midday. Eclipse was sweating under his grey fur; the black mane did not help, either. He tried to stay in Darren's shadow as they crossed the stripe of sand that surrounded the island.
"Take dis boat," said Rokhan. He pointed at one of the barges that lay on the beach. "If you want to get to da human kingdoms ya can't cross da ocean in a tiny nutshell like dis. But it can take ya to Ratchet. And dere, ya wait for da Maiden's Fancy. She can carry ya to de other continent. Now we got to adress one more ting." He turned around and glared at Vol'Shalai. "Ya created dis mess. I tink we can all agree on dat."
The shaman nodded, straightening his back. He was now at least two heads taller than Darren. Frowning, he waited for the chieftain's judgement.
"Ya endangered de Echo Isles wit your reckless summoning ritual. The law requires dat ya be removed from da life of da village for at least one year."
Miwemba gasped desperately and grabbed her husband's arm.
"No, please! We did not know about da connection wit da pony Loa! Please, can't he take anoder punishment instead?"
"Don't embarrass yaself, wife!" Vol'Shalai hissed, clicking his tongue. "Da law is da law. We can't make exceptions." He turned to Rokhan and nodded. "I don't challenge da judgement."
"I ain't done yet," said Rokhan sharply. "Ya will leave de island before sundown and can only return after twelve moons and a day. But don't ya tink ya can just take off like dat. You are a shaman of da Darkspear Tribe, you've got a responsibility." He jerked his head in Darren's direction.
Miwemba's face lit up as she realized that Rokhan had only given Vol'Shalai the lowest possible penalty - and a chance to help his friend. Her grip around his arm tightened and she sighed, pressing her lips together.
"Take dis human to his people," said Rokhan. "Ya will make sure dat he arrives safely, with da Pony Loa and da likkle pony, and then ya can do whatever ya like until da year is over, seen?"
Vol'Shalai nodded slowly. He threw a glance at Darren. The knight seemed surprised. Had he thought that, after such a lapse, Vol'Shalai would be allowed to just stay on the island as if nothing had happened?
"And ya make sure ta never come back to de Echo Isles. I won't be so lenient next time, Darren Houndslayer. Maybe Vol'Shalai is right and ya really are a death knight; maybe it's just a trick. Either way, ya get outta here and make sure ta stay away from da Horde."
As Rokhan's eyes bored into Darren's eyes, Vol'Shalai admired the human for his lack of reaction. For one, he was way shorter than the boss and without his armour, and two, he was probably aware that a Shadow Hunter like Rokhan could take on an armed death knight without even using his spear. Darren simply lowered his eyes and gave the hint of a polite bow.
"You have my word," he said simply in that calm, deep voice of his.
Rokhan sniffed and nodded. He turned without another word and stalked back into the village with the watchers in tow.
And then Darren exhaled slowly, wiping his hands on his vest.
"Here, dis be for you." Miwemba gave Vol'Shalai a basket. "It will take a day until ya get ta Ratchet..."
"I know." Vol'Shalai touched her cheek and kissed her passionately.
Darren and Levinia looked away, slightly embarrassed by the very unrestrained display of affection. Eclipse grimaced with disgust. He let his gaze wander across the beach.
Two trolls, a female and a male, approached them. The female was as tall as Miwemba and carryied a rolled-up blanket as well as a bag. The bag looked weird, it had a brownish colour and tribal patterns but Eclipse could not make out any threads. Had they sealed the cloth with wax or was it an entirely different material altogether? She handed both items to a surprised Darren who thanked her in that guttural language they had used in the hut.
"Come on, lad, let's go," Darren said to Eclipse.
Levinia bounced up and down in the air - she was once again in the shape of a wisp. The little blue light flew over to the boat and sat down on the edge of the bow. Darren, with Eclipse in tow, followed her and sat down, facing forward. He slung the bag around his shoulder, right next to the sheathed sword, and waited.
Vol'Shalai and the other male troll were still standing with Miwemba. The smaller troll hugged her and she gave him a short kiss. She said something quiet to him. The troll nodded obediently and looked back to throw a glance at Eclipse.
Now that Eslipse thought about it, the male looked not just smaller but also way younger than Vol'Shalai. His tusks were shorter and he was a bit lanky, as if he had gone through a growth spurt very recently. He was wearing a light, short-hemmed robe, held together with a belt. A gnarly staff was visible over his shoulder. And he had the same red hair colour as Vol'Shalai. Were they related? Was Miwemba his Mom? Then why did he join Vol'Shalai when he leaned against the wall of the boat to push it into the water? Both of them jumped over the rim, facing Darren, and picked up the two paddles that had been hidden inside the boat. They raised the paddles in a manner that suggested they had done this together many times. In perfect sync, the paddles were pushed through the water and the boat moved away from the beach.
Miwemba shouted something after them, shaking her fist. Vol'Shalai grinned and nodded.
They moved away from the beach so quickly that the troll lady was soon a dot in the distance. With the red rocky coast to their right and the open ocean to the left, they sped across the countless small waves. Eclipse looked back once more. Now the island had shrunk to a green band on the horizon. That was really quick.
"Shaman magic," Darren said curtly, nodding his head at Vol'Shalai. "He probably asked the Water Spirit for help."
"I always thought I would get seasick," Eclipse said. "But I don't feel so bad."
"Also Shaman magic."
"It smells nice." Eclipse held his hoof over the rim of the boat. The water flowed around it so fast that he jerked his forleg back in surprise.
The air tasted like salt. Even though it was very hot, being on the water felt comfortable. Strange birds flew around them. With a shriek, one of them dove into the sea, rising up with a squirming fish in its beak. They rode on the wind like pegasi. Eclipse looked at his hoof; it was already dry again.
"I've never been on a lake," Eclipse said thoughtfully.
"It's an ocean," said Darren. "The Great Sea."
"Oh. Where are we going?"
"First, to the continent. It is not very far, we'll be there in a day. Then, we need to take a ship to the Eastern Kingdoms."
"Is that where you come from?"
"More or less," Darren said. The corners of his mouth twitched. "I'm from Lordaeron, that's in the North, but we will travel to Stormwind, in the South."
Eclipse grimaced, remembering the time he had seen Darren's memories. "Is it because there's still living humans in the South?"
Darren nodded. "Maybe they can help us find a way back home."
"Mom and Dad are gonna be worried sick." Eclipse hung his head and shuffled closer to Darren. "Do you really think we can find a way back?"
"Yes," said Darren confidently. "Twilight may not be here but there are powerful mages on Azeroth. I'm sure one of them can create a portal for us."
"Oh, good." Eclipse wiped his nose. "Then we're going to be okay?"
Darren nodded curtly.
The two trolls kept on rowing for hours. When the sun was low over the horizon and tinted in a deep red, they changed directions. The boat approached the rocky coast. When they were close enough, a narrow band of white sand came into view. It was dotted by the occasional palm tree but otherwise void of vegetation. They pushed the boat onto the beach and underneath a palm tree close to a large rock. Vol'Shalai drew a blanket from the bulky backpack he had brought along. He spread it on the sand and invited Darren and Eclipse to sit down on it. As they did so, he dove into the bag once again and passed the basket from Miwemba to the younger troll. The boy opened it and put it down on the blanket. They sat down and stretched their limbs.
"The guests be first," said Vol'Shalai in Orcish and gestured towards the basket.
Darren reached into it and felt a banana. Apparently, dinner was served. Vol'Shalai did the same and pulled a loaf of bright bread from the basket.
"Yum," he said with a grin. "Homemade bread."
"Aren't we going to light a fire?" Eclipse asked, raising his brows. "I always thought you do that when you go camping."
"One does," said Darren between two bites. He gave Eclipse another banana. "Except when one doesn't want to be discovered. It's warm enough so we don't need a fire anyway. You should still take the blanket, though."
"Oh. I get it. We need to be stealthy." Eclipse nodded sagely. "Okay." His smile faltered. "But we only have one blanket."
"The cold doesn't bother me much," Darren said. "Ever since..."
"You died?"
"M-hm."
"Okay."
There was a pause, filled by the sound of everyone chewing.
"So what's your name?" Eclipse asked the younger troll. "Oh crap, I forgot, you can't understand me..."
Darren smirked and quickly repeated the question in Orcish.
"Xan'tu," said the boy. "Son of Vol'Shalai."
Eclipse found out that Xan'tu had come along because someone needed to return the boat to the island. Vol'Shalai explained that he had been ordered to come along with Darren and Eclipse. The plan was to buy everything they needed for their journey at the small port they were travelling to. Xan'tu eyed Eclipse with just as much curiousity as the other way around. Both had never seen a child of another sentient species before. Xan'tu's voice was still high but sometimes it sounded scratchy. He had his red hair woven into many braids and bound together on top of his head. His upper arms were decorated with tribal tattoos. Eclipse wondered if the staff the young troll had brought along was a magical artefact.
When they were done with dinner, it was pretty dark. The only source of light was Levinia in her wisp form. Darren gave Eclipse his new blanket and offered to take first watch. Vol'Shalai instantly agreed and lied down, along with his son. They were back to back, their weapons and supplies in the middle.
Darren sat down on his feet, intending to meditate with open eyes. The exercise would keep him from falling asleep. He stretched his arms and tried to relax his back and shoulders.
Something poked his side. He twitched and looked down.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
Eclipse grimaced. "I've never slept outside before."
Darren grinned. "What about last night?"
"There - there was still a roof... And a fire," Eclipse said, slightly annoyed. "That was different."
"Alright." Darren patted the blanket. "You can sleep closer to me if you want."
"Thanks," muttered Eclipse. "I'm kinda scared. I don't even know why, not really."
"You're in a foreign environment for the second night in a row. It's perfectly natural to be alert. I'll look after you, don't worry." Darren smiled at the colt. "You just rest."
"I'll try." Eclipse rolled into a fetal position and wrapped the blanket tightly around himself. His back brushed Darren's left foot. The pony twitched as his muscles relaxed.
Vol'Shalai and Xan'tu were already asleep. Their steady breaths, the waves and the wind were the only noise around. One by one, the stars came out. There were so many of them. Darren sighed. He suddenly realized that he had missed these constellations. In the Crystal Empire, there were much less stars visible because of the force field. Here, you could even see the galaxy. It was beautiful.
Having humanoids around felt oddly familiar - even if they were trolls. What different kinds of species would they encounter on their way to Stormwind City? Humans, most likely, and goblins. Those short green creatures owned the ship that travelled from Ratchet to Stranglethorn Valley. At least, so Darren had heard. Maybe they would meet Night Elves or dwarves. Like Stormwind's humans, they were members of the Alliance. But depending on whom they would encounter, there was always the problem of explaining why a troll, a human and a pony were on a journey together. They would have to think of a plausible story.
At least they had some money. But even with money, they still needed to find mages powerful enough and willing to create a portal for them. Also, probably a cleric. As Twilight had told him, the portals to Equestria only worked when Arcane and Light magic were woven together. Then, they needed to find a way to figure out the coordinates of the portal's exit.
Too many variables!
Darren groaned and blinked rapidly. He stretched his arms, then quickly lowered them. He must not be tired yet. It was still a four hour watch...
Someone poked his shoulder and he yelped, his hand reaching for his weapon. The he saw who it was and relaxed.
"Dammit, Levinia!"
"Sorry." Levinia grinned sheepishly. "But are you sure you don't want to sleep? I don't sleep. I can keep watch. And all night, too."
Darren hesitated as he looked back at her. She seemed very eager to help. He grit his teeth.
Levinia's expression softened as her grin faded. She landed on the ground, making her appear more like a normal, if translucent, pony.
"You don't want to sleep?" she asked sceptically.
"I don't want to dream," Darren clarified.
"But you need to." Levinia said quietly. "There's no way around it, Darren."
"I know." Darren huffed and lied on his side. "I am still not used to being the one who needs sleep."
With a grin, Levinia jumped to her hooves. She glowed a little brighter, then she turned into a blue light.
It was still cold when Vol'Shalai woke Eclipse up. The troll prodded his shoulder with a finger and said something with a smile. Eclipse yawned and opened his eyes. He felt sort of rested but not as much as he might have wanted.
"The sun's not even up yet!" he protested with a look at the red ball that touched the horizon.
"It's there, though," Darren rasped. He cleared his throat and began to accurately fold Eclipse's blanket as soon as the colt had stood up. "So it's safe enough to travel. We can get a proper rest in Ratchet."
"What's Ratchet?" Eclipse flexed his wings and eyed the basket with hungry eyes.
"A small town. It doesn't belong to the Horde or the Alliance. They are neutral. Which means that we can take a ship to the continent from there."
"But I thought we were going to the continent now. Oh, you mean the Eastern... Kingdoms are on another continent!"
"Right. Exactly." Darren nodded. He tied Eclipse's blanket to his bag and joined the colt who had taken a fresh fruit from the basket.
"But who are the Horde and the Alliance?"
Darren sighed, then he had to smirk as he saw Eclipse's eager grin. He bit into his apple and sat down on his feet.
"There are many species on Azeroth. And some formed alliances with each other. The problem is, the Horde and the Alliance are enemies. Humans are part of the Alliance, Trolls part of the Horde." That was not very precise but Darren knew he had to keep it simple for the colt. "And I used to be a member of another faction, the - the Scourge. After that, I worked for both Alliance and Horde members."
"I remember who the Scourge are," Eclipse reminded Darren quietly. "I saw it in your mind."
"Yes, you did." Darren raised his brows and accepted a piece of bread from Xan'tu. "Be that as it may, we are going to Alliance territory because I am back to human. I suppose Vol'shalai and his son will have to leave us behind when we reach Duskwood. That's the land we get to before we arrive in Stormwind."
"Now it's getting complicated," Eclipse remarked.
"It's going to get more complicated. But we will deal with that one problem at a time."
"Who are the Princesses of the Horde and the Alliance?" asked Eclipse.
Darren almost choked on his bread.
"Uh, there are none," he said after regaining his breath. "The Alliance has a king, Varian Wrynn, and the Horde has a warchief, Vol'Jin. He is a troll just like... wait a moment..." Darren turned to Vol'Shalai.
"Is Vol'Jin still warchief?" he asked in Orcish.
Vol'Shalai gave Darren a dark look before slapping his own forehead.
"Right, you been gone since dat!" he exclaimed. "No, no, no, Vol'Jin be dead - regretfully. We ain't got no warchief anymore. We got a council. Thrall, Gazlowe, Lilian Voss, Thalyssra -"
Darren interrupted him with a raised hand. "I have not heard of half of these people," he said. "Who is leader of Trolls?"
"Rokhan." Vol'Shalai's grin widened and he laughed when he saw Darren turning pale. "Ya been talking to a member of da Horde Council and didn't know?! Haha! Priceless! Aw, mon, now ya must be realizin' how lucky ya been, eh?"
Darren grumbled something. He wiped his neck as sweat formed there. He had been very lucky indeed. First Sylvanas, then Rokhan... was he destined to stumble upon important leaders and narrowly escape them every time he was in the company of ponies?
"Is Varian Wrynn still Alliance king?"
"Nope. His son. Anduin Wrynn."
"Thanks," Darren grunted. "I know enough for now, I think."
"We be leaving in a bit," Vol'Shalai said, still chuckling. "Ya got everyting wit ya?"
"All packed. It was just a blanket anyway." He turned to Eclipse, switching back to the colt's language.
"So, correction. The Alliance still does have a king, except it is a new one. And there is a Horde Council. We just met one of the members."
"The Troll chieftain?" asked Eclipse.
"The Troll chieftain. I suppose I should tell you about the races before we get to Ratchet. We don't want any incidents..." He caught Eclipse's confused look. "Imagine ponies meeting Changelings in a random bar. In Canterlot."
"Oh. Okay. I think I get it." Eclipse snickered. "That might make for a funny joke, though."
Ratchet was different from all the towns Eclipse had ever seen, which were, granted, only a few.
First, it had a beach. A beach with palm trees, rocks and lots of kelp. There was no grass; instead, a light brown layer of weird, stubby leaves covered the hills and the beach. The town itself was tiny, more of a village, hardly more then seven or so houses. They were built from reddish rocks, the same rocks that rose up as hills just behind the town, and covered with red roof tiles. The windowholes lacked any glass or crystal. It was hot; crickets chirped loudly over the constant rushing of waves that broke on the shore. The sun had not even risen to the zenith but Eclipse was already sweating like crazy. A wooden crane stood next to a small pier, probably for loading goods onto ships. It had smelled like salt all day on the boat but now other smells were there, too. They felt foreign to his nose and reminded Eclipse of ripe fruit and exotic spices.
Lots of bipedal people walked around Ratchet. Most of them were smaller than Darren, with green skin and big, pointy ears. Darren told Eclipse they were called goblins. Many others were human, their skin a darker shade than Darren's. Maybe that was because of the sun. Eclipse eyed his tall friend. The knight was really pale compared to them. Eclipse could even see the difference from out here in the bay, in the canoe they were arriving in. He had never thought about Darren that way. Had he never been in the sun before? Or maybe it was normal in Darren's family. He did have very bright hair. Now it was gray and white but Eclipse knew it used to have more colour, some kind of bright brown. Who was he to know about humans anyway.
They touched the sand and the sudden jolt made Eclipse almost fall over. He painfully bumped his foreleg on the side of the canoe.
"We're here," Darren said needlessly.
"Son, watch da boat. I'ma get ya someting to eat for da journey back home," said Vol'shalai.
Xan'tu nodded obediently. He waited until everyone had climbed out of the boat, then he pulled it further up the beach. That way, it would not float away on its own when the flood came.
"Levinia, would you please stay with Xan'tu?" Darren asked. "We don't want to draw... even more attention."
The blue light that was Levinia had followed him. Now she stopped in her movement and sank a little to the ground, as if drooping her head.
"Sorry," said Darren.
The light rose up again and whizzed into the canoe.
Vol'Shalai, Darren and Eclipse walked up the beach and turned left. They passed the wooden crane and a large house with goblins sitting behind windows. A short line of people stood there, exchanging coins and goods.
"A bank," Darren said curtly. He turned to Vol'Shalai. "I want to withdraw some money," he said.
"But we got money," said the troll, confused.
"Yours," Darren answered. "I have my own."
"Don't be silly, ya gonna need it later, in Stormwind. I'ma cover for yar expenses for now."
"I really think -"
"By order of the Chieftain," said Vol'Shalai with a sly grin.
Darren grunted reluctantly.
"Very well." He frowned. "For now."
They left the bank behind and followed a trail that led up to a steep hill right next to the shore. Big creatures were tied to sturdy wooden poles. They reminded Eclipse of dinosaurs. Standing on four thick, stubby legs, the animals grazed lazily on a tiny patch of brown leaves. Saddles of different sizes were tied to their hill-like backs. Another mount, this one obviously a raptor, eyed the newcomers with the gaze of a vile predator. Its head twitched as it turned it sideways to get a better view. Eclipse winced. The last mount was not a creature but a machine, parked at a distance. The adventurous contraption had three wheels and big exhaust pipes. It also stank quite badly like sulphur and old oil.
"What are those creatures? And that bike thing?" Eclipse asked Darren.
"These are kodos, that's a raptor and the last one a turbo trike. Probably belongs to a goblin. Are you alright?" Darren cast a worried look down at Eclipse.
"Fine, I just need some shade," Eclipse slurred.
"There's the inn. I think it's called Broken Keel."
"Thank the stars," Eclipse breathed.
Vol'Shalai led the way into the inn, a sturdy two-story building. It was dark and stuffy and with two goblin guards on each side of the door - but still slightly cooler than outside. A goblin at the stove, maybe the innkeeper, nodded at them. A frown dug into his face as he saw the human. They walked past him as casually as possible and looked for a table.
As Vol'Shalai waved the innkeeper over, Darren let his eyes wander around the inn. There were still few guests since it was hardly midday. Three grim goblins sat at one table, a Forsaken with a one-handed sword and a heavily armed green orc at another. Two relatively normal-looking humans, a man and a woman, shared a meal at the third table. They seemed vaguely familiar but maybe that was because Darren had not seen any other humans, except Jonathan, for months. And that was it.
Now that Darren realized that there were only three tables, he sighed quietly and turned around to sit down at the low counter. Which was already occupied by a Night Elf. The woman, taller than him, like most of her kind, wore a bulky cloak as if she needed to hide her backpack beneath it. She had a single mug of something in front of her. Her long, shabby dark hair went down to her shoulders. He could not see her face but her entire demeanour was proud and moody at the same time.
Well, they needed to sit somewhere. And close to the counter hopefully meant faster service. He picked Eclipse up around the barrel and helped him up onto one of the chairs, then Darren sat down between the pony and the Night Elf, saying, "Excuse me," in Common. The elf gave a tiny nod and took another sip from her mug. Hot steam rose from it, smelling sharp and salty - like acid. She hissed, apparently content with the drink. Vol'Shalai frowned and slid onto the last free chair, next to Eclipse.
The innkeeper reached beneath the hidden part of the counter and slammed three mugs onto it. Darren took one with foam running down the side and smelled at the one without. It appeared to contain some kind of juice. He eyed Eclipse.
"I should taste it to see if it's harmless," he said.
"Well, if you have to." Eclipse rolled his eyes, trying to cover up his nervousness.
Darren took a sip. It was melon juice, plain and simple. Delicious, actually, and without any alcohol. He wordlessly passed it on to Eclipse. The colt grinned.
Vol'Shalai drank his beverage in one go and sighed happily.
"Ah, dat hit the spot." He leaned onto his crossed arms and looked at Darren. "I need ta buy some food for Xan'tu. Once he's left, we can take care of our own stuff."
"You want to make sure he is gone? Why?" The fact that Darren spoke Orcish caused a small commotion behind him. He cast a quick look back. The humans looked at him with suspicion in their eyes, staring at his sheathed sword. The orc, his eyebrows raised, shook his head. Darren discreetly averted his gaze and faced the much friendlier-looking troll next to him.
"Boy keeps gettin' into trouble," Vol'Shalai explained. "Like dat time when he snuck into da ritual house and tipped over some incense. If Miwemba hadn't known her stuff and saved the death dance with some extra moves he would be on the Other Side now. He ain't clumsy, just way too curious. He don't always know when to stop. Bad combination if ya deal wit dark powers."
"I know," Darren said instantly, feeling reminded of Eclipse. "Good thing he has his father."
"Hope so. Thank the Loa Eclipse got you." He lowered his voice. "I saw what he did yesterday. Dat was Void Magic, how in da world did a pony learn that? Likkle mage Twilight didn't seem like da type for it, and he be just a boy."
"That one is not thanks to the Loa," Darren sighed. "It was combination of bad coincidences. He is a rare kind of pony, an Umbrum. I think they are extinct except for a few of them caged in the - the North."
Vol'Shalai clicked his tongue. "I see. Ya Orcish be getting better, my friend. But I guess we should not talk about dis anymore in here."
"I'm bored," Eclipse piped up. "And my melon juice is empty."
Darren knocked on the counter and a fresh mug slid over to Eclipse's forelegs. The goblin innkeeper winked at the colt.
"Awesome," said Eclipse, impressed by the speedy delivery. "I heard you say a funny word a few times, 'Loa'. What's loa?"
Darren turned his mug in his hands, thinking. He had to keep an eye on the other inn guests. And they needed to get out of here soon. But not too soon or else they would raise suspicion that they might be up to something.
"A loa," he said, "is a special kind of spirit. They are a bit like gods, uh, powerful beings. The trolls worship many different kinds of loa and make deals with them to gain power. I know of a Loa of the Hunt and one of Forms and at least two Death Loa, Samedi and Bwonsamdi. Maybe they are the same one, though. Some are benevolent, others are vicious, all of them mysterious in their own way. Think of them as... unpredictable insurance agent princesses."
Eclipse snorted and coughed as some juice got into his nose. He giggled and made a painful grimace.
"Ouch. Okay," he wheezed. He eyed the Night Elf. "Who is she?"
"I don't know," Darren said, and added as an idea struck him, "I could ask if you like."
"Really?"
"Sure." Darren smirked. If he befriended this dangerous-looking Night Elf, they might have an ally if things went sideways. He did not like the restlessness of those humans behind him. Darren cleared his throat and shifted his weight.
"On your way to Stormwind, too?" he asked her in Common, nodding his head a little.
The elf raised her head to face him. Darren did his best not to flinch in surprise.
She was blind. A black bandage was wrapped around her head, covering her eyes. Her skin, once a spotless pale violet, was burned in many places. Scars went down her neck, mingling with tattoos that glowed in a sickly bright green.
"Yes," she said with a hoarse voice. She seemed to be surprised, too. She probably had not expected him to start a conversation with her. "I have family there."
"Me too, hopefully. I think a cousin of mine moved there to escape the Scourge."
"My cousins died in the fire. The only blood I have left is my uncle. If you can say that." She sighed and turned back to her mug.
A fire. Darren's grip around the mug tightened as he tried his best not to remember his fires.
"Darren? Are you okay?" Eclipse sounded worried.
"I'm alright." Darren waved it off. "She says she wants to go to Stormwind, too, to meet her uncle."
"Oh, cool." Eclipse smiled even though his ears were pinned back. Darren noticed that the colt's breathing was faster than usual. Brave little kid, trying to make friends with intimidating Night Elves. But not entirely unexpected from a pony.
"I hope you find your family," Darren offered.
"Thank you." The elf sounded surprised, again. "I am Nylene."
"Darren. Well met. These are Eclipse and Vol'Shalai. What fire do you mean?" Darren asked carefully.
If her eyes had not been covered with the bandage, Darren was sure her gaze would have burned him to a crisp.
"You can't be serious," she said. "Even the last human should know by now what fire I am talking about. Don't insult me, mage."
"I'm not a - Apologies. I meant no disrespect. I was... away for a while and missed quite a lot, it appears."
"I appears so," the Night Elf seethed. "But perhaps another time. It seems that someone wants to have a chat with you." She pointed behind Darren with her thumb. Her fingernails resembled claws. Darren wondered what had happened to her that had been so damaging that she looked almost like a demon.
Darren turned around. The two humans had stood up and walked up to the counter.
"I think I know you," the man said. "You're from Andorhal, aren't you?"
Vol'Shalai straightened his back. Eclipse cocked an ear, suddenly alert as Darren tensed up.
"Originally, yes. I thought you looked familiar. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, then." Darren remained polite even though the man looked angry. The woman was even angrier, trembling even. What was going on?
"I'm from there, too. We've met before, Darren Childslayer."
Darren's mouth twitched. Just his luck. The first humans he met, and they had to be from the same town as him. He felt the sudden urge to strike the man down for using that name.
"Darren, what he be talking about?" Vol'Shalai asked. "I can't undastand."
"He just insulted me," Darren said slowly, his low voice firm. "Worst thing, he's right."
"Where - where did we meet, then?" Darren asked the man, swallowing hard. He mentally prepared for a fight, listing up the most useful combat spells in his head. He could feel his pulse going up, pressing against his throat.
"At our home, when you burned our children," said the woman, her voice trembling with untempered rage.
The man shifted his weight and landed a heavy fist on the side of Darren's head. Darren did not try to dodge it; if the woman was right, that hit was well-deserved. The man probably thought so, too, as he raised his other hand. But Vol'Shalai would not have any of it. He caught the man's wrist and twisted the arm backwards.
"I don't care who ya be or what business ya got wit Darren," he hissed, "but ya better get ya arse out before I fry you wit some lightning." He stared at the man with a menacing snarl.
As if on cue, chairs scraped at the floor as the other guests stood up simultaneously.
"Uh-oh," said Eclipse.
Shaking off the dizzyness from the hit to his head, Darren rose from his chair, too.
The man used his free hand to draw his sword; the woman pulled two daggers from her belt. The innkeeper, his eyes narrowed, called, "Bruisers!"
Getting angry, Darren threw a spell at the man. The human reached for his throat, gasping for air as he was raised from the ground. The woman tried to land her dagger on Darren but she could not get into his flank - Nylene had slipped from her seat and thrown back her cloak.
She was not wearing a backpack. The dark cloth had hidden a large pair of leathery bat-like wings, ragged and torn on the edges from countless fights. Nylene spread them in a grand gesture, intentionally slapping the woman who fell on her rump. The Night Elf reached for her belt, drawing two large curved blades from it which had also been previously hidden by the cloak. Eclipse gaped at her. She seemed to notice it, smiling darkly back at him.
The orc and Forsaken were close by but seemed unsure whom to attack. Eventually, they settled for Darren. The Forsaken had drawn his sword but instead of swinging it he channelled a fire spell through it. Eclipse jumped up, flapping his little wings, and called for his shadow powers. He turned into dark smoke and wrapped himself around Darren's waist to shield him from the fire bolt. As the flame was snuffed out, Eclipse leapt forward at the advancing orc and assaulted his mind. He scared the orc deeply; the warrior dropped his axes and howled in fear as Eclipse made him see dark nightmares.
Vol'Shalai and Nylene subdued the woman; the Night Elf held her hands on her back as the troll bound them with a spell.
The suffocating spell wore off, dropping the man from Andorhal to the inn floor. Darren drew his runeblade and pointed it at him. He hesitated for a moment; a chance that the man used to crawl backwards. He bumped into the legs of an armed goblin. Looking up, he met a sadistic grin.
"You going straight to jail, friend," the goblin declared happily in broken Common. "We saw you started it."
"But he's -" the man began.
"Defending himself. But he's got to leave, too."
Darren raised his sword from the man's neck, panting. As he realized that the inn was now crowded with armed goblins, he frowned and sheathed the weapon.
"Eclipse, stop," he said as he saw that the colt was still fighting the orc. "Stop. We have to leave."
Eclipse did not listen. The cloud was wrapped tightly around the poor orc, entering and leaving his eyes, ears and tusked mouth, swirling around like snakes. Some of the guards led the two humans away, puffing them in the back to make them walk faster.
"Eclipse, son of White Alloy! Leave the orc this instant," Darren commanded firmly, dipping his hand right into the smoke. His eyes lit up with cold blue light as he prepared to fight the colt.
The goblin bruisers, Vol'Shalai and even Nylene watched in amazement as the dark cloud formed back into a little pegasus. Embarrassed, Eclipse lowered his head, his ears folding back.
"Sorry," he mumbled, avoiding Darren's eyes. "I lost control."
"I noticed," Darren said with a sigh, his hand trembling ever so slightly. "Come here, kid."
The colt ran to him. Darren lifted him up and sat him on his arm. Eclipse hugged him tightly, getting more confused stares from the spectators.
"So much for avoiding attention," grumbled Vol'Shalai, rolling his eyes. He raised his voice. "Sorry, everybody! Dere's been a likkle misunderstanding, I tink."
"Get out!" the innkeeper said angrily. "We have no use for troublemakers and you and your little horsie mean trouble of the worst kind. Out, out, out!"
Darren, with Eclipse in his arms and Vol'Shalai in tow, hurried out of the inn.
"Did we pay?" he asked Vol'Shalai.
"Yep," the troll said.
"Good. Let's get that food at the store and wait for the ship at the beach."
"Sounds like a plan." Vol'Shalai agreed. "Ya alright, mon? Ya lookin' paler than usual."
"Kid's fear spell grazed me," Darren said curtly. "I'll be fine."
"Wait, someone be following us," Vol'Shalai said, twirling around. He reached for his axe but lowered his hand when he saw who it was.
"It is I, Nylene." The Night Elf had caught up with them, moving as freely as if she was not blind at all. "A word?"
"What is it?" Darren asked, slightly annoyed. He had to get Eclipse to safety first.
"I have a question."
"Well, go on, then. We don't have all day, lady."
"You are - unusually unafraid of me. And the human called you a childslayer. Who are you really? I thought you were a frost mage but your aura changed when the fight started."
"I..." Darren looked around. They had reached the beach and were out of earshot from the denizens of Ratchet. Xan'tu gave them a small wave. Vol'Shalai waved back and strolled over to his son. As he watched the troll go, Darren said, "My name really is Darren. Darren Houndslayer. I used to be called Childslayer... once," he pressed out.
"What? I thought the Void Lord just wanted to taunt you back then," Eclipse said, aghast.
"You - you can speak Common?" Darren gaped at the colt.
"I can speak what?"
Darren squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and took a deep breath. He set Eclipse down on the sand. The colt grimaced guiltily.
"Oh..." Eclipse said slowly. "Now I get it. Uh, sorry, Darren, I think I entered your mind. Again. I didn't mean to."
"Apparently, you caught some knowledge of my mother tongue along the way," Darren said, eyeing Nylene.
"You are a curious bunch," said Nylene. She tugged at her cloak, letting it fall in place to hide her wings and blades. "What kind of warriors are you?"
"Vol'Shalai's a shaman and witch doctor," said Darren. "Eclipse is an upstart school colt," he joked with a smirk.
"I'm a future Royal Guard," Eclipse corrected, stomping the ground in protest.
"That, too." Darren's smirk turned into a grin. Then, he grew serious again. "But you need to keep working on your self control," he added sternly.
"Yes, Sir," Eclipse said quietly. He looked up at them with an apologetic smile, then averted his gaze to watch Vol'Shalai and Xan'tu checking the canoe.
"And you, Darren Houndslayer?"
While Darren hesitated, trying to think of a way to avoid the question, Eclipse already blurted out, "He's a death knight! And a pretty cool one, too. Because he uses frost spells. Get it?"
Nylene looked at him, then back at Darren. She laughed hoarsely.
"That was actually a good one. But, little horse, this man cannot be a death knight. He is still alive. I can sense his soul is still intact."
"It is?" Darren asked quietly. He felt suddenly very strange. Heat crept up his face as his chest warmed up.
"I'm a pony," Eclipse grumbled.
Darren eyed the Night Elf. Nylene smiled broadly. Her teeth were unusually sharp and pointed. Darren was sure she still thought of him as a mage. He probably should not correct her on it.
They sat down on the sand, at a safe distance from each other.
"What kind of warrior are you, Nylene?" Darren asked, resting his arms on his knees.
"I am a demon hunter," Nylene declared. "An Illidari. My full name is Nylene Felbane."
"I think I have heard of your kind," Darren said slowly. "Back in Northrend. After the Lich King fought Illidan Stormrage. Is he really your leader? Aren't you a demon, then?"
"He is. And yes, in a way, I suppose I am. But we fight for Azeroth, Darren Houndslayer," she said sharply. "Until every last soldier of the Burning Legion is wiped from this planet."
Darren sighed. It felt as if, from now on, the roles would be reversed: He was the normal one and the person next to him the transformed monster claiming to be good. Maybe that was why he was not scared of her? He had a faint idea what she might have gone through. He felt respect for her - she emanated raw power - but that was it. Even her mindset was the same as his back when he had joined the Knights of the Ebon Blade.
"Well then, that's good enough for me," Darren grunted. He cast a look over to the trolls. Vol'Shalai was now discussing something with Xan'tu.
"Indeed? No further questions?" Nylene was surprised.
"Who am I to judge you?"
"How did you do it?" Nylene asked. "How did you convince Eclipse that you are a death knight? You are clearly a frost mage even though that spell back there was one of the Scourge."
"He raised King Sombra from the Dead," said Eclipse. "But don't worry, we defeated him. And he made a Black Gate. He can use the Death Grip -"
"Eclipse," said Darren slowly. "I gather that you like being able to participate in this conversation. But please try not to tell a stranger everything about us. Especially about my situation."
"Sorry. But you are a death knight," Eclipse grumbled under his breath.
"Yes, Eclipse. Anyway, would you mind going to Vol'Shalai for a bit?"
"Okay..." Eclipse mumbled. "Whatever." He stomped off to the troll.
Darren smirked, facing Nylene again. The demon hunter chuckled.
"You are very fond of the horse," she said. "Are you his teacher?"
"Pony. Yes."
Nylene kept staring at Darren through her bandage, he could sense it.
"You still want an answer," he said.
The demon hunter nodded. "You owe me that much for helping you back there."
Darren frowned. She was right. He did not like telling his secret to a random person he had literally just met. But he did owe her. And since he did not know how to return to Equestria, what was the harm in it?
"I was in the Glades of Tirisfal when I first met ponies like Eclipse here. Two adults, a warrior and a talented mage. When they returned to their homeworld, I came along. There is something unique about the place, something that cancels out the Curse of Undeath. I'd been undead until then, and afterwards... I was not. After months, there was an accident and Vol'Shalai summoned us back to Azeroth. Now we're stuck here - but at least I'm still alive. And Vol'Shalai is helping us to get to the Eastern Kingdoms. No point in going back to Andorhal or Northrend. The Lich King is dead - properly dead, mind you."
Nylene tilted her head incredulously.
"You asked me, I told you," Darren said flatly, shrugging. "I don't expect you to believe me, though. That would be kind of a stretch."
"At least you are aware," Nylene said.
"Blade proves it, though," Darren said with a sly grin. "It's made of Saronite. I carved the runes into it myself. And yet I am still not crazy. I mean, you see the pony, too, right?"
They chuckled at his weak joke.
"Nylene, please don't tell anyone what we discussed just now," Darren requested.
"Do not worry. I excel at keeping secrets." Nylene gave him a toothy grin. "And you amuse me. Pray tell, is there space for one more in your party?"
She wanted to join them? Darren thought about that for a moment. Nylene was clearly not the type to usually team up with anybody. Was she lonely or just bored? Or was there something else going on? He would only find out if he kept an eye on her. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and all that... Best case scenario, she would become a friend. Worst case, he would have to kill her. But who said that travelling trough Azeroth would be without risk?
"Alright, Nylene Felbane. You may join us."
Nylene nodded and smiled her pointed smile.
"You won't regret it," she said.
"Ya shoulda asked me first," Vol'Shalai foamed. "Ya can't just invite random elves into our party! She's Alliance, Darren, and you can't trust dem!"
"But so would I be, by your logic," Darren objected.
"Dat's different. Ya be a special case."
"No, not really. Not every human is part of the Alliance, not every Night Elf is, either. She's a demon hunter, it might be useful to bring her along. Especially since you and I will have to part ways when we arrive in human territory."
"Send her away," Vol'Shalai spat.
Darren frowned and massaged his temples. He raised his eyes at the aggravated troll.
"Look," he said, trying to word his thoughts in the foreign tongue. "I see where you're coming from. I was the same towards orcs, when I've met some that were death knights like me. But after time I realized... that fighting people for things other people did doesn't help. You go after the bad ones or you don't. Nylene wants to join us, without reward or special treatment. We don't have to trust her. But maybe later. What do we have to lose?"
Vol'Shalai hissed.
"Why is this so important to you?" he asked. "And don't give me dat 'she might prove useful' crap. Dere be someting else going on, Darren! I ain't stupid and we literally just met that woman today!"
Darren hesitated. His mouth twitched.
"She's a bit like me," he admitted after a couple of moments.
"Oh." Vol'Shalai's expression softened. "I did not consider dat. You tink she be like a death knight, free from da Lich King's control?"
"Something like that."
"Oh, Loa spare me... Ya think she be lonely."
Darren fell silent which told Vol'Shalai enough.
"Gonk curse my soft heart," Vol'Shalai grumbled. "Agh! Bring that damn elf along, den. But ya make sure she don't do anyting stupid! And she better take no food from us," he insisted, pointing at Darren.
"Deal." Darren smirked. "Thanks, friend."
"Bah!" Vol'Shalai stalked ahead to the food vendor. Darren heard him grumble something about humans having to befriend every last dog on the street before he went out of earshot.
It was still hot even though the sun hung low in the sky. Vol'Shalai wanted to wait at the pier, fishing with a bamboo rod, so Darren decided to go to the bank and withdraw a part of his own money. Vol'Shalai had bought food and water but Darren still wanted to get at least a little more equipment for the journey. Also, something about the poisonous glares the troll shot at Nylene pissed him off. Eclipse tagged along, annoyed by the fact that he could not understand Orcish.
Nylene and Eclipse talked about differences in pony and elven weapons while they followed the dusty path towards a small house with a crooked wooden roof.
"Plate'n'Chain," Eclipse read aloud. "That's written in Common, isn't it?"
Darren nodded. "That's right." How useful, he thought. Though I did learn Orcish the same way - by absorbing life force and soul fragments. A knot formed in Darren's throat as he tried not to think about it anymore.
"You want to buy armour," Nylene mused. "Was it stolen?"
"No, it's safe in a closet at home," Darren grunted. He eyed Eclipse. "You should get a light cloak. And perhaps some clothing in general. You're suffering from the heat because of your dark coat."
"Oh, yes, please," Eclipse sighed. "Feeling hot and stuffy sucks. How can your people even stand temperatures like this?"
"They wear bright colours and linen," Nylene explained with a shrug. "And they rest when the sun is highest." She was still wearing her big cloak that hid her wings and weapons. Eclipse looked at her sceptically.
"Aren't you feeling bad from the heat?"
"No, child. There is a fire burning inside of me, hurting me constantly. A little sun is nothing."
"Yowch." Eclipse shuddered. "Sorry."
Nylene huffed, once again surprised by his sympathy. "Don't be. It was of my own choice."
They entered the shop. It was almost as hot as outside. No surprise, with the forge in the back glowing in a bright orange. The two goblin owners crowded them as soon as they set foot over the threshold.
"Welcome, welcome!" The first one rasped, a blacksmith with upper arms like those of a dwarf, "I am Grazlix and this is Vexspindle. If you want armour, you've come to the right place. We've got everything, from chainmail and plate -"
"- to cloth and leather," finished Vexspindle. This goblin was more lean, and instead of a greasy shirt he wore a purple shirt and a black vest. His pants were also more clean. Darren wondered how he kept his clothes from picking up all the dirt in the workshop. "Ah, you, Sir, probably want a fine robe," the goblin went on, "suitable for a frost mage of your caliber."
"No," Darren said flatly, already slightly annoyed by the obtrusiveness of the two. Which was maybe why the room temperature had dropped to a bearable level. "I wish to buy full body armour - made of," he hesitated for a moment, "leather." There was no point in dragging plate all the way through Azeroth. He had to consider the fact that he was not undead anymore and would have to bear the heat, the cold and the weight of his own clothes. "But no helmet."
"Uh. Right!" Vexspindle said, confused by the request. "Of course!"
Darren took the sword belt off and put the scabbard with his runeblade onto the nearest table. Nylene sat down on a chair, watching them with her not-really-blind, bandaged eyes. The eyes of both merchants widened as they read the mood and put two and two together. One could watch the synchronous shiver running down their backs. Nylene gave off an amused scoff.
"Maybe with some chainmail?" Grazlix offered, suddenly moch more meekly than before.
"Perhaps," Darren replied gracefully. "Depending on your offer, of course."
"Is that a death knight?" one whispered to the other, clearly audible.
"Er, then what about the demon hunter?" the other one hissed back. "The little horse is probably a druid, with our kind of luck..."
"Of course! We'll make you a good offer!" The goblins said in unison, smiling very widely. The honey in their voices could have satisfied a legion of bees.
Eclipse giggled.
Darren went on, "And my friend here gets some robes but, please, not a hem the length of Fordring's speeches. Light and robust."
"Very well! If you would come over here so we can take your measurements..."
"They were really weird," Eclipse said when they walked back to the pier.
Vol'Shalai sat on the wooden planks, leaning onto one of the structure's support beams. He gave them a little wave. Apparently, he had cooled off a little. He had packed away the bamboo fishing rod. A faint smile was on his lips.
"Yes, they were," Darren agreed. "But you can expect that kind of behaviour from most merchants around here. They learned the hard way that you shouldn't anger certain people."
"Certain people? Like you?"
"Like those who are skilled in combat and can make their life miserable," Nylene threw in. "Sad but true."
"Oh. I see." Eclipse's ears went down.
"It went well, though, didn't it?" Darren tried to cheer him up. "Are you happy with your new saddlebag and clothes?"
That made the colt smile and pat his new blue shirt. It covered the upper half of his forelegs and his entire barrel. It was cut in a way that no one could confuse it with a dress. A broad belt held it together and offered a way to transport small things when he did not want to carry his saddlebag everywhere.
"Thanks, Darren. And thanks for the mana potions, Nylene," he added. The Night Elf smiled, showing her sharp fangs.
"I'll get you a shield later on," Darren promised. "In the Eastern Kingdoms."
A blue wisp whizzed towards them and re-materialized into a pegasus.
"Hey, everyone," Levinia said, smiling broadly.
"Back to a spirit?" Darren was surprised. "What about the low profile we talked about?"
"You're one to talk," Levinia retorted. "I noticed what happened to you guys in the tavern."
"A fair point." Darren admitted. "Where is the boy? Xan'tu?"
"Oh, he left half an hour ago with his canoe. His dad told him to use the tide properly so he can get back to the Durotan coast before sundown. Well, at least that's what I think he said."
"Durotar," Darren corrected.
"Yeah, that. It's good you're back, though. Look!" She stretched out her hoof and pointed at a small object on the sea that was growing bigger with every passing moment. "That might be the ship."
Darren squinted his eyes. He could make out three masts and even more bright sails. The Maiden's Fancy was nearing Ratchet.
"Come on, let's go," said Vol'Shalai without a proper greeting.
Darren turned to Eclipse. "He said -"
Eclipse waved it off. "I guessed it." He eyed the tall troll. "Is he still mad at you?"
Vol'shalai gave Darren a friendly pat on the back as he shouldered his bag and axe. He walked towards the end of the pier with his usual swagger. Levinia quickly followed him as a light.
"I don't think so," Darren said with a smirk.
It took the ship another half hour until it was docked and a plank was put in place across which the passengers could board the vessel. They had to pay in advance. The goblin sailor who sold the tickets offered an extra service in case of pirates which both Darren and Nylene instantly declined. They were sure that other passengers would need help more than them. Vol'Shalai hesitated for a moment, then he agreed.
The line was longer than expected; some people had waited inside the houses of Ratchet and shown up at the pier just in time for the boarding. Eclipse nervously walked between the human and the troll, careful not to trip or slip and fall into the water. Everything went well, though, and they found themselves on a large deck. At the front and back, there were doors to wooden house-like structures. They were merged with the rest of a ship. Eclipse was surprised how harmonically everything fit together even though it was made of wood. It looked almost like a zeppelin with different levels. Wooden steps made it possible to climb onto another level but he could only make out sailors on the upper deck. One, a minotaur-like male, stood at a wooden steering wheel. What were they called again?
"A Tauren at the helm," said Darren, looking in the same direction. "Suppose we'll be fine."
"Shall we have a look in the hold where we can rest in the nighttime?" Nylene suggested.
"Yeah!" Eclipse said, his head still darting around, taking in all the new impressions. How could those creatures climb up and down so quickly? There was always someone running around, helping others to fold or unfold a sail or putting knots into ropes or scrubbing the decks... And one goblin kept shouting hoarse orders, using words Eclipse had never heard before. He was sure a good half of them were swearwords and the other half must be special names for different parts of the ship. This place was like a beehive!
Darren, Vol'Shalai, Nylene and Eclipse formed a line to thread through the crowd, right over to one of the doors. Levinia, as a wisp, floated above the ship, looking at everything that was going on. She showed no intention of following them.
The ship's inside was poorly lit. That made sense; they probably had to preserve all their resources and light was a luxury. Eclipse patted Darren's leg. The knight bent down and let the colt sit on his shoulders as they descended below deck.
Most passengers were still upstairs, it seemed, their drumming foot-, claw- and hoofsteps echoing through the ship. There was a weird smell, like metal, oil and muddy water and fish. They walked along a narrow corridor with lots of doors on the left and right. Then, there was an opening and a large chamber with a low wooden ceiling. Countless hammocks hung from the many posts that held the ceiling, swaying lightly with each wave that moved the ship. Eclipse's heart sank. They were going to sleep in the same room with dozens of other people? How was he supposed to fall asleep in here?
"Sweet merciful Stars," he muttered, coining a phrase his Dad liked to use when he was shocked.
"You alright?" Darren asked, tilting his head up in an attempt to look back at him.
"Uh... I dunno," Eclipse said. "I guess we'll see tonight. I have no idea if I can sleep in the same place with so many creatures."
"Sorry," Darren offered, his voice barely audible. "I'm not particularly wealthy."
"It's okay," Eclipse replied instantly. "I know how that feels."
"Adopted pony, right," Darren remembered.
Vol'Shalai sat on a hammock and tested its bounciness. He nodded, content with the result.
"Dis will do just fine," he said with a grin. "Almost like home! And," he looked down, "Everybody gets a chest for storage. That be new, I think. Ya guys hungry?"
While they ate their dinner on deck, the crowd spread out on the ship. Many went into the hold to put their various belongings away though most people had not brought that much with them. Eclipse grew tired as soon as the meal was over. Since he had not slept much the night before, he hoped that the coming one would be better.
The sun set above the red rocks when the Maiden's Fancy left Ratchet, illuminating the cliffs like fire. Nylene and Vol'Shalai had already gone below deck but Darren wanted to sit at the railing and watch the sunset. Eclipse and Levinia kept him company. Nobody spoke as the red ball sank below the horizon. Pink clouds covered the orange sky in streaks.
Each of them was lost in their own thoughts. Eclipse sniffled a little, barely audible above the cries of the seagulls. Darren carefully put his arm around the colt's shoulders. They sat like this until Eclipse's head sank forward. It was time to try out the hammocks. Darren picked Eclipse up and carried him below deck. He placed the small pony on a hammock and covered him with the new blanket.
Darren sat down on the next "bed" and tried to find a comfortable position. The last time he had sat in one of those things had been on his journey back to Tirisfal, after turning his back on the cold continent of Northrend. A decade or so, good Light, that was so long ago. And, still a death knight, he had not needed to sleep back then. Well, he probably had not missed anything. How did Vol'Shalai get even half comfortable in these -
He noticed the blue wisp that was watching him. Grumbling in resignation, Darren took off his boots and placed them in the chest they had been assigned. In the end, it took him less than five minutes until he dozed off.
The hammock is swaying with every wave the ship is riding. A storm has come, even though Darren has been told that they would arrive soon. He grunts in annoyance and stands up, his saronite plate armour clinking with the movement. Reaching for his runeblade, he decides to get on deck and see what is going on.
A gloved hand touches his upper arm. He turns his head, shooting a glance at the haggard face of an undead elf.
"What?" Darren asks sharply.
"We should stay below deck until the storm has settled," Gladius says."They waves can wash you overboard."
Darren shrugs the hand off and stalks upstairs. A howling wind greets him, the freezing ice rain nothing more than a nuisance. He is right in his element. Even though the iron grey clouds are hanging low and the waves are rising high, hitting the ship with brutal force, he can see the familiar dark green band on the horizon. The Glades of Tirisfal are in sight. If he squints his eyes, he can even make out the spires of Capital City.
It is the will of Arthas that the city be wiped out. But first, they will join the glorious return of the crown prince as he makes his way through the courtyard to greet his father. Darren has not been told what will happen next but he can suspect. What he thinks about the morality of all of this is... irrelevant. He is to follow his orders. As soon as the signal comes, he will drop his disguise and the slaughter will begin.
Darren has seen enough. He spins on his heel and returns to his designated resting area. Gladius is still standing there, the tall High Elf crowded by all of the other death knights, the ghouls and the liches. The bulky, stuffed bodies of the monstrosities are the worst, or they would be, if Darren cared about personal space. The smell of decay must be unbearable for the living. Good thing that none can be found here.
"Well?" Gladius asks.
"Land," Darren replies, clenching his fist. "We... better get ready."
"You're hesitating," Gladius notices. A few steps away, a ghoul noisily gnaws on the shinbone of a crusader he has brought along as a snack.
"No," Darren snarls over the scraping and growling of the creature, his voice as cold as the storm outside. "You know we cannot."
"All too well," Gladius sighs angrily. "You are right. We better get ready. What we think about it matters not."
"Or does it?" a soft, female voice asks.
Darren spins around and the hopeless anger is washed away, replaced by guilt and relief.
"I knew what the Scourge did was wrong," he says, the cold in his voice evaporated. "I just couldn't do anything about it."
"So this is another memory?" Princess Luna asks. He starry mane flows around her neck, shimmering despite the bleak surroundings.
Darren nods. "Our arrival at the northern coast of Tirisfal. We disguised ourselves when we landed, before the sacking of Lordaeron."
"But this other knight, this... elf..."
"Gladius," Darren prompts her. He looks at his comrade. The knights seems oblivious to the fact that a dark blue pony has joined them on the ship of the Undead.
"Gladius was indeed your friend?"
"He still is, as far as I am concerned. But he's on the other side of the planet so we're unlikely to meet."
Luna's face lights up. "So you are on Azeroth! Oh, am I glad to hear that! I cannot - stay for long, it truly costs me much energy - to maintain this link across the Dark Beyond. Darren, where art thou exactly?" She suddenly asks, her voice beginning to sound strained. Now Darren notices the small line between the princess's brows and her unusually rigid stance.
"On a ship to the Eastern Kingdoms."
"Ah, hence the dream of... ah, no matter! Are Eclipse and Levinia with you? Are they alright?"
"We're fine, Princess, don't worry. But we don't know how to get home. I hope to find help in -"
Darren sat up with a start as a jolt went through the ship.
"Damn!" he cursed. He had been so close to telling Luna where to look for them. Only one half second more... He sighed and lay down again, facing the dark wooden planks above. That had been one confused dream. Tales from his undead comrades, his own memories, his imagination - all mixed together. If anything, it reminded him that he had befriended an elf before, even though it was more of a necessity to stay relatively sane while he had been Scourge. Darren rubbed his stiff neck. His forehead and back were cold with sweat and his heart pumped so hard he could feel the throbbing in his throat. The stuffy air was filled with the snorting and grunting of dozens of sleeping people. No surprise that he could not rest properly. A few passengers were awake, watching their shady surroundings with a sharp eye. Vol'Shalai had twitched when Darren had cursed but did not wake up. He could not tell whether Nylene was asleep or not, the elven demon hunter was facing away from him. Eclipse, at least, was out like a light, all tangled up in his small blanket.
Darren watched the colt's peaceful sleep. He would bring the kid home to his family, no matter the cost. It was a promise. And Princess Luna would surely try that spell again. The memory of his dream already trickled away like snow in the morning sun. But he would not forget that certain detail. Twilight had told him that time on Azeroth went by differently than in Equestria. If he remembered correctly, a month here was a day there. Which meant that one hour there was roughly a day here. Princess Luna had looked exhausted so she probably needed to rest for a few hours, if not a whole day, until she could pull a stunt like this again. Which meant in turn that he had to wait for up to a month until they would meet again. Several weeks were enough time to get to Stormwind City. They would be safe. Hopefully.
Darren heaved a long sigh. One thing he was sure about: the nightmares would continue. He would get plenty of chances to look for the alicorn.
With a gasp, Princess Luna whipped her head up. The white spell that had been twisted around her horn fizzled out.
"Princess!" Feather Rush called.
"You okay, Luna?" Jonathan caught Luna's foreleg when she lost her balance. Exhaustion was visible all over her face - but she smiled.
"I shall be fine," she said. She turned to Feather. "You son is safe for the moment."
"Well, where are they?" Princess Celestia asked. She helped Cadence up and let the Princess of Love sink onto the Crystal Throne.
Luna sat down next to the throne. She looked around. Celestia, Twilight, Feather and Jonathan all looked at her with expectation. Jonathan poked Sunburst with his elbow. The yellow unicorn twitched and looked up from his book, blushing.
"They are on Azeroth, as we suspected," said Luna. "Thank you for lending me your power, Cadence."
"I need to preserve my power to create the portal," Twilight explained. "Jonathan, too, because he knows his way around Azeroth. He can direct the spell to open a path right next to Darren."
"That's all fine and good but Azeroth is a big place," Jonathan said. "Did you get any specifics?"
"They are on a vessel on their way to the Eastern Kingdoms." Luna wiped her brow and accepted a glass of water Twilight had conjured up. "Sadly, the connection was severed before Darren could tell me more."
"You've got to try again!" Feather urged her. "Princess," she quickly added when she remembered she was talking to royalty.
"I cannot," sighed Luna, "at least not right away. I need to rest for a few hours to regain my strength. Then, I shall cast the spell again. If all goes well, we can set up the portal right away."
"I see," said Feather. She stood up, he legs shaking a little. "I... I guess a few hours won't make much of a difference. Thank you all for your help."
"Come on, let's go and have a bite," Sunburst suggested. He lead the frazzled Feather outside, casting a worried look back at the three princesses.
As the doors of the Throne Room were shut by two guards, Twilight frowned at Jonathan.
"Shouldn't we tell her that it won't be just hours for Eclipse but days?" she said.
Jonathan shook his head. Celestia put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"There is no point to worry her even more," she said slowly. "We're working as fast as we can but our magic has natural limits. The fact alone that Luna managed to cast a spell spanning between two worlds is incredible."
Luna smiled at Celestia, pleased by her sister's compliment. Her head drooped, she looked sleepy.
"Darren and Levinia are with the colt," she said. "They will look after each other, I am sure."
"Well, Darren would face an entire continent if that's what it takes to keep Eclipse safe," Jonathan mused. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."
Twilight smiled broadly. "You're right. He knows the Magic of Friendship. He'll figure something out."
"That was mean." Eclipse turned his head back, casting one last angry look at two Night Elves whose stares were much more hostile than his. The lean bipeds looked a lot like Nylene but their skin and eyes were undamaged. Both were clad in light armour like hunters. Eclipse's attempt at making conversation had backfired as soon as the elves realized that Nylene was with him. With a scoff, they turned their backs on them, not even gracing them with a proper Goodbye or a reason for their sudden hostility.
"I told you, little one, my people shun me. They see only a demon." Nylene's voice was casual but her clenched fist, barely visible under her wide cloak, betrayed her feelings.
"I'm sorry," said Eclipse ruefully, his ears folded back. "I really thought..."
"Never mind those imbeciles," hissed Nylene. Her fist closed and opened, the long claw-like fingernails digging into her palms. She looked as if she wanted to rip something to pieces - or someone.
"Well... how about we try and meet somebody else? There's still many other creatures on this ship we can befriend."
"You have a bit of an obsession, don't you think?"
"What's an obsession?"
Nylene sighed. "Just go to Darren and talk to him for a bit."
"Okay... see you later, then," Eclipse mumbled, his ears drooping. He felt uncomfortable leaving the sad woman behind like this. But she said she wanted him to go so he gave her a little wave and walked across the deck to find his mentor.
Darren sat in the back of the ship, no, it was called the aft. Eclipse passed the only "Draenei" passenger, a blue-skinned female with horns and long, dark green hair, wrapped in a flowing white and pink robe. He could not help but stare at that beautiful, strange face of hers, getting a soft smile from her in return. As Eclipse approached Darren, the clopping of his hooves on the wooden planks must have given him away because Darren turned his head and the corners of his mouth went up.
"Are you meditating?" Eclipse asked.
"Yes. Care to join me?"
"Sure! Last time's been days ago, I miss the good feeling," Eclipse said. He sat on his haunches right next to Darren, closed his eyes and relaxed.
A shuffling and the sound of shifting robes right next to him made him open a single eye and peek to his left. The Draenei woman had sat down a few feet away and was now meditating, too. She was sitting in front of a large tome she had put down on the planks like she wanted to think about what was written in it. Eclipse felt heat creeping up his face as he realized he was staring again. He sat up straight and closed his eyes once more.
Eclipse's left ear twitched. He tried to listen to the calming sound of the sea. But the noisy passengers had been hard enough to ignore before. Now that Eclipse was wondering what that awesome fat book was about he had completely and definitely lost his focus. With a sigh, he reopened his eyes and decided to watch the waves.
There was only water in sight, water, water, water. He never would have thought that there could be this much in one place. It was a lot like snow but so flat and green-blue, almost like the Crystal Heart, but in a darker shade. He knew that the curve in the horizon came from the fact that planets were spheres. It felt comforting to know that Azeroth and Equestria were the same that way.
It was four days since they had boarded the Maiden's Fancy but Eclipse was still far from bored. The creatures on this ship were always doing something interesting and there were so many of them! Also, they were much more different from each other than ponies. Eclipse had already noticed that some people enjoyed each other's company but others didn't. The orcs, for example, did not seem to like humans and vice versa. They avoided each other like identical poles of a magnet. Vol'Shalai was still grumpy about Nylene coming along but at least he talked to her by now, even though they only understood a fraction of what the other was saying. But at least they tried. When the troll passed other Night Elves he either grumbled something impudent or pretended they were air. Most of the passengers were humans or goblins, though: merchants and warriors, a few scholars, one or two small human children who mostly hid behind their parents, intimidated by the other creatures. One particular human, a male with short white hair, was very pale, clad in black steel and carried a large runeblade similar to Darren's. Everyone else gave him a wide berth, except for Nylene, Vol'Shalai and Darren who all pretended not to notice the cold blue eyes or the stinking ghoul that cowered right next to the foreign death knight.
One thing seemed odd to Eclipse: Nobody recognized Darren as a death knight. That brawl in Ratchet's bar had apparently been one Tartarus of a coincidence. Maybe it was Darren's friendliness or maybe because he was wearing light leather armour and his eyes were normal, without that cold glow they used to emit. When Eclipse had asked Darren what leather actually was, his mentor had hesitated. The answer had been appropriately creepy. Skin. Leather was the hide of creatures. Even thinking about it made Eclipse's innards cramp up. Or was it his stomach? Yep, definitely his stomach. Was it lunchtime already?
"Hungry?" Darren's voice made Eclipse flinch. He had been so lost in thought that he had not seen Darren was finished with his meditation.
"Yeah. Today's Vol'Shalai's turn, right?"
"That's right. Let's go to the galley and find him." Darren patted Eclipse's back and the colt grinned.
Eclipse had been surprised by the ingenuity of the goblins. They had installed large steel boxes inside the belly of the ship, with long pipes that led up to the aft deck. Passengers were allowed to cook their own meals there, provided they payed for the fuel. The alternative was the crowded on-board tavern. As they descended the large stairs, Eclipse could already smell the numbingly strong odors of mixed cuisine.
"Oof," he groaned. "I forgot how much it stinks in here."
"Perhaps your mind doesn't want to accept that anything can smell this strong," Darren mused. He made his way along one of those narrow corridors with Eclipse trailing behind. They passed door after door, each one emanating another kind of smell. Eclipse recognized grilled vegetables, fruit juice, mushrooms, meat and several spices. There, Darren had found the right door. They entered the small chamber and found Vol'Shalai standing next to a human woman, sharing a simple stove with her. The room was cramped and hot, there were wooden cupboards left and right. A few pans hung on the tiny bit of wall space that was left. The woman eyed the troll with a mixture of fear and admiration. Vol'Shalai's food smelled really tasty, fruity and fresh but also spicy. It dominated the galley, easily drowning out the smell of the human's much smaller meal. A large bowl of rice sat on a wooden board, already cooked.
"Where's Nylene?" Vol'Shalai asked.
Darren shrugged. "She'll turn up, she always does."
"True. I be almost finished. Gimme five more minutes, den I'll join ya on deck, seen? Take da rice, it be done already."
"Hm," grunted Darren happily. He took the bowl of rice, carefully wrapped it in the towel that Vol'Shalai had shoved into his hands, and motioned for Eclipse to follow him.
"Darren," Eclipse asked as they made themselves comfortable on the wooden planks, "what's an obsession?"
"Huh." Darren put the bowl of rice down and sat on his feet. "An obsession is... when you can't stop thinking about something. So much that it distracts you from important things. It's almost... not you having the thought, the thought has got you. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering." Eclipse leaned against Darren's knee. They were silent for a while, then Eclipse sat up again.
"I... Do you think I'm obsessing over finding friends?"
Darren chuckled, then grew serious when he noticed the worry in Eclipse's voice. He frowned.
"No. Not really. It's admirable you keep trying. Besides, friendship is important."
"Nylene was angry when I said we could try and make new friends," Eclipse muttered. He dug at the floor, scraping at a notch with his hoof.
"I doubt she was angry at you."
"Yeah. Guess she was sad because the other Night Elves don't like her. I mean, they don't even know her!" He spread his forelegs. "Then how do they know if they like her or not?"
"It's called prejudice," Darren sighed. "They made their mind up before meeting her."
"Oh. Well, that's just dumb."
Darren shrugged. "It's very common. When you don't know other people you often decide how you feel about them based on what you think you know."
"Er... I don't get it," Eclipse admitted.
Darren smirked, rubbing his chin. "Alright," he began, "do you remember when you first saw me?"
"Yeah. Peridot screamed. I was just confused. And a little scared, okay," said Eclipse.
"Why do you think she screamed?"
"Cause you're really tall, compared to ponies? And you look very different from us. Maybe because of the glowing eyes..." Eclipse frowned. "Maybe the armour. And you just came falling down from stars-know-where."
"She might have thought I was dangerous."
"I guess so. I mean, Mom and Dad thought so, too. I was more surprised than anything, I guess I wasn't so scared because I like knights."
"I am dangerous, but never to you. You know that, right?" Darren raised his eyebrows.
"Well, of course you aren't!" Eclipse seemed offended by the mere suggestion. "I know you wouldn't hurt me, like, ever!"
"And Nylene? Why didn't you scream when we first met her?"
"Duh, because I know that even though somepony's tall it doesn't mean they're bad. I mean, you're tall and you're nice, so there!"
"See?" Darren said. "You made an assumption based on what you've experienced before. Maybe the Night Elves haven't met any friendly demon hunters before. So they assume Nylene isn't friendly, either."
"They don't know what they're missing, then," Eclipse said.
"No, I suppose they don't," Darren agreed.
It did not take them long to develop a daily routine. After an early breakfast, Darren and Eclipse did their meditation, then they walked around the ship for a while, talking to the other passengers, mostly humans. Darren had hidden his sword in the chest in the hold. He used the chance to find out about the most recent events on Azeroth.
A legion of demons had tried another invasion and failed, an ancient elven city had been revealed and what shocked him the most was that Sylvanas Windrunner, the Banshee Queen, had become Warchief of the Horde. Darren was less surprised that she had persued her own agenda all along, left the Horde behind and disappeared. Her former home, the Undercity, had fallen and was now filled with blight, resulting in Forsaken refugees making their way to the Horde's capital, Orgrimmar. The humans talked about a great atrocity that Sylvanas had committed but they did not want to tell him the details. When Darren kept asking they grew suspicious of him and he quickly changed the subject.
When it was midday, either Darren or Vol'Shalai cooked something for everybody.
After watching people for a few days, Eclipse eventually grew bored. He wanted to play but who was there to play with? He had seen a few human children but did not dare approach them. Darren noticed that the colt was becoming restless. He decided to teach him about Azeroth and play things such as hide-and-seek with the pony to keep him entertained. Nylene was kind enough to step in once in a while. Hide-and-seek with her was even more fun than with Darren, Eclipse discovered. Even though she was apparently blind she was so incredibly good at finding Eclipse that he had to think of more sophisticated hiding places each time. Vol'Shalai showed Eclipse a game that could be played with fourty-eight peanuts and a drawing of twelve houses on a piece of cloth. It was hard to understand the rules with the language barrier but they had time, lots of it. The whole trip would have felt like a vacation if not for the lack of privacy.
The nights were worse, though. Eclipse slept more or less okay but sometimes he would wake up, remember he was not at home with his parents and sister, and cry. He was so glad that Darren understood him. The knight did not say much about the whole problem but he still listened when Eclipse told him his worries. He and his two friends made sure that the more menacing passengers left Eclipse alone.
That was until one night when Eclipse's sleep was disrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. Everyone in the hold was instantly wide awake. Half of the awakened passengers immediately grabbed their weapons. A mage conjured up a purple light to illuminate the hold. Darren fumbled at the chest's lock and retrieved his runeblade while Vol'Shalai squinted his eyes in the suddenly bright room, his axe at the ready.
"Whu- what's going on?" Eclipse asked and he could hear the same question being asked in all kinds of languages by the others.
Nylene sat up and turned her head as if she was looking around through her bandage. She pointed in the direction of the rooms for single passengers.
"There," she said. "Somebody's hurting."
"Don't feel so good, either," Darren mumbled, bending over and holding his head. A sudden burst of searing pain ran through his body like a shudder but he could not locate where it was coming from.
"You okay, mon?" Vol'Shalai frowned.
"A moment," Darren wheezed. He huffed and wiped his forehead. "Better have a look." His grip on the sword's hilt tightened. "You go ahead, I'll be right after."
Nylene reached behind her back and readied her warglaives. She and Vol'Shalai stalked over to the corridor she had indicated, stepping around sleepy and confused passengers. Since no attackers could be seen anywhere, everybody else was hesitant to do something. Eclipse threw his blanket aside and joined the two.
They followed Nylene who seemed very sure where they needed to go. She led them to a particular door and knocked. No one opened so she spun around and kicked the door open with a resounding thump.
There was a human in the room, the only other death knight they had seen on board the Maiden's Fancy. He was lying on the ground next to a chair, writhing in agony and holding his head. Vol'Shalai ran over to him and put his axe aside. He reached for a small pouch on his belt and withdrew one of his little totems. The troll muttered a short chant and a blue glow appeared around his three-fingered hands. Glittering, clean water formed in his palms and he put them on the knight's head.
The human stopped twitching. Still in a fetal position, he opened his eyes and heaved a long sigh of relief. Vol'Shalai kept healing the knight until he was able to sit upright. That undead, ugly ghoul next to them drooled and grunted, unhappy with the world.
"Thank you, troll," rasped the knight, the pain still visible in his cold eyes.
"Sure ting," said Vol'Shalai hesitantly, guessing what the knight had said.
"What happened?" asked Nylene, her glaives still at the ready.
"I..." The knight stood up, still shaking. "That was - the worst kind of pain - I have ever experienced. Including my death. But..." He looked at Nylene, utterly confused. "I feel... different now. As if a weight has been lifted off me. I think I -"
He did not get to finish his sentence. The ghoul that had cowered next to him suddenly leapt up with a snarl. Its rotting arms outstretched, it jumped at the knight, trying to bite his side. The knight reached for his runeblade but Nylene was faster. With one swift strike, she beheaded the creature. Blood splattered across the floor as its head rolled off under the bed.
Eclipse twitched backwards with a disgusted yelp, and tried very hard not to throw up. He staggered, his knees weak, and his foreleg instinctively searched for Nylene's leg to steady himself. She noticed his movement and turned to him with concern.
"Eclipse, please find the human some water," she said.
"Y-yeah." Still fighting the urge to hurl, Eclipse ran out and went to find Darren. The edges of his vision turned grey and he stopped for a moment to breathe, something he had forgotten just now. He stumbled onwards, bumping his flank on the wooden wall, and managed to make his way back to the hold. There, Darren still sat on the hammock, his gaze unfocused, not unlike the knight Vol'Shalai had just healed.
"What -" Darren cleared his throat. "What was it?"
"I don't know," Eclipse said. "It was the death knight, he was hurting but Vol'Shalai healed him with magic. And then his ghoul attacked - and - Nylene -" He bit his lip, bile forming in his mouth. "I need some water."
"Here," said Darren, passing him a flask. "I just drank some, too."
Eclipse eyed the flask. It was still mostly full. He snatched the bottle from Darren's grip and drank so quickly and greedily he almost provoked a cough.
"Actually," he admitted, wiping his muzzle, "I'm supposed to bring the knight water. Guess I'll just bring him the rest."
"It's alright. The ghoul, what happened to it?" Darren asked.
Eclipse motioned his foreleg across his throat. "There's - there's a lot of blood," he stammered hoarsely.
Darren sprang to his feet. "Show me."
They went back to the room, Darren armed with his sword and Eclipse with the water bottle. Eclipse had a strange numbness in his mind. When they entered the knight's room, he felt almost in control again. Then he saw the headless ghoul. Eclipse quickly turned away, holding the bottle in front of him like a protective charm.
"Here you go," he said, staring back at the doorknob. He felt a big hand taking the bottle from him, then the sound of somebody drinking. He risked a look at the knight who was just wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Vol'Shalai stood up and touched Nylene's shoulder. She nodded and sat on the unused bed, next to the death knight. Darren lowered his weapon and used its tip to touch the arm of the ghoul. The creature was definitely very dead.
With admirable calmness, Vol'Shalai led Eclipse outside and shut the door behind them. Eclipse could hear the muffled voices of Nylene and Darren growing weaker as he and the troll left the hold to get some fresh air.
They had to press their bodies against the wooden walls to let a group of armed goblins through. They were all dressed in similar armour and Eclipse was sure they had to be guards. They looked extremely serious and busy as they pushed through the corridor and towards the death knight's room.
"It be alright," said Vol'Shalai, softly pushing Eclipse on.
The fresh air outside felt like salvation. Eclipse took a deep breath and felt that terrible sickly numbness fading away. He staggered towards the railing and leaned on it with both forelegs. On his second day on board, Darren had shown him how to focus on the horizon to steady himself. It was pretty dark, with a few stars dotting the cloudy sky, but one could still make out the thin line where sea and sky met. Eclipse sat on his rump and let go of the railing. His belly contracted, he felt a heavy shiver run all the way up and down his body. His right hind leg twitched and he gasped. It was weird but somehow it felt as if he was letting go of something poisonous.
Vol'Shalai chrouched down right next to Eclipse.
"Dat's right, just breathe, likkle pony. Ya gonna be okay." The troll stroked Eclipse's back with his broad hand. The colt spun around and sobbed against Vol'Shalai's chest.
"A'ight, come here." Vol'Shalai hugged Eclipse back, careful not to hold him too tightly.
"I'm s-sorry, I dunno why this is so bad," Eclipse stammered. "I've seen Darren's memories and I've done mean stuff myself but - never - but - I was r-really surprised - his head just - " He made a flying motion and shivered again.
"I can guess what ya just said," Vol'Shalai sighed, patting Eclipse's head. "but what a pity my Common's so shabby." Though hugs seem to be universal, he added in his thoughts.
"What's wrong? Can I help?" somebody asked. Blue cloven hooves and the pink hem of a white robe came into Vol'Shalai's line of sight.
He looked up. The female Draenei that had been meditating next to the boys a few days ago was standing next to him, genuine worry etched into her admittedly pretty face. He jerked his head to indicate that she was not a bother.
The woman sat down and looked at Eclipse. The blue glow in her eyes showed a tint of golden light.
Eclipse hiccupped, then he noticed her. He let go of Vol'Shalai and wiped his eyes with the back of his hoof, wetting his dark grey fur.
"H-hi," Eclipse muttered, trying to smile at her. His mouth only twitched as the muscles failed to complete the task.
"Hello, child," said the Draenei. "I am Miindra. What's your name?"
"So," Nylene said, tilting her warglaive with the black ghoul blood on it, "you are saying that you have been under control of the Lich King all that time?"
The knight nodded. "Until today. I never realized... how strong his grip was. All those years..." He ran a hand through his short white hair. "Damn. He could have made me do anything. Thank the Light he's better than the last one."
"The ghoul probably was not aware, either," Nylene muttered, more to herself. "What a pitiful creature."
"The Lich King got replaced by a new one?" Darren frowned. He cleared his dry throat. "Who... who is the new...?"
"Bolvar Fordragon," said the knight, a slightly suspicious frown on his face.
Darren stared at him. "You're pulling my leg."
"Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?" the knight responded sharply.
Darren sighed, raising his brows. Bolvar Fordragon, the former paladin and hero of the Alliance, as the new king of the Undead? He had to admit that, as far-fetched the idea seemed at first, it still made sense. He knew that Bolvar had been there when the old Lich King fell. It was supposed to be confidential but somehow that bit of information had seeped through among the death knights on Acherus. It was possible that the higher-ranked among them had kept Bolvar's new... occupation a secret so that no one else would claim the throne and dominion over the Scourge.
"I believe you," he said curtly. "I'm just surprised."
"You seem to deal with the news quite well," the knight remarked. Darren took a moment to watch the man's movements. He seemed to have died in his thirties so he was probably younger than Darren yet older than Jonathan. Had he been killed and turned in Northrend? Or later on, in Andorhal? There was probably no point in asking. Most death knights turned their backs on their past as if it could shield them from the shame and the loss of all that had once been home and family.
"Lots of death knights used to be paladins. And besides, I was away for a while," Darren admitted. He pursed his lips, wondering how he could steer the conversation away from the delicate subject. "My name is Darren, by the way," he said.
"Nylene," said Nylene.
"Tarik. You're a strange lot. I first thought you were a death knight, too, with that sword. But your eyes are different, normal."
"Yes, I know," Darren admitted, slightly annoyed. He saw the smirk on Nylene's face and bit down the comment that was sitting on his tongue. "We should clean this up," he said instead.
"Don't bother, I'll take care of it," said Tarik. "You didn't need to help me anyway. Where'd that troll go?"
"Vol'Shalai? On deck, I suppose. I better see how the kid is doing," Darren said. "You're alright now?"
Tarik nodded, obviously still unsure what to make of Darren.
Nylene put her blades away and stood up.
"I shall join you. Eclipse seemed pretty disturbed by my beheading of the ghoul. The poor horse... Should I have warned him? I just acted without hesitation..."
Darren shook his head. "What's done is done," he said. "He saw my memories once... But those were memories, not the real thing. The ghoul was a threat, though."
"Very well. Farewell for now, Tarik. If you need anything, ask for us and we shall aid you again," Nylene promised.
There was a sharp knock on the door.
"Ah. That'll be the goblins." Darren groaned.
Her voice is so beautiful. That was the first thing that Eclipse thought, forgetting for a second why he was so upset. Now the Draenei stretched out a hand, slowly and carefully as if trying to approach a wild animal. Eclipse swallowed his tears down and smiled at her, this time properly.
"Eclipse. My name's Eclipse." He touched her hand, trying a hoof-fist-bump. She sort of got the idea when he pushed her fingers closed with his hoof.
"What happened? Why are you sad?"
Eclipse looked at Vol'Shalai. Was it okay to tell her? The troll shrugged. Apparently, he did not care or he trusted Eclipse to tell as much as he thought was right.
"You heard that scream, right?" Eclipse asked.
Miindra nodded. "It was a man, I think. Did you see?"
"Yeah. He's a death knight, a human. We went in to help him, he - he was in some kind of pain. Vol'Shalai healed him but his..." Eclipse sighed. "His ghoul suddenly attacked him. Then Nylene chopped its head off. I didn't expect that, it was like - just..."
"Who is Nylene?"
"Oh, she's that nice elf, she's got black hair and a bandage over her eyes and dragon wings - "
"A demon hunter?" Miindra jerked her head back. She looked as if she had eaten something rotten.
"Yeah?" Eclipse confirmed, bewildered. "What's wrong with that?"
Miindra scoffed. Then, as if she had called herself to order, her face became soft again.
"Are you Vol'Shalai?" she asked the troll. Vol'Shalai nodded. "I see," said Miindra. "What did you get this creature into?"
"Hey, don't look at me," said Vol'Shalai, raising both hands defensively when he noticed her angry tone. "I be innocent here."
Eclipse grunted, getting annoyed despite his sadness. He frowned at Miindra.
"Leave my friend alone, lady! He's been nice to me from the start. Darren and Nylene, too."
"I did not mean to upset you. I'm sorry." Miindra seemed confused. There was a thin line between her brows, the same that his Mom got when she was perplexed about something. "I really do wish to help you."
"If you say so," Eclipse muttered.
Miindra sighed. She put the palms of her hands together and took a deep breath. With that soft voice of hers, she sang some calm notes, a tune that reminded Eclipse of home even though he did not know the melody.
Golden light appeared around her hands and she turned them outwards so the palms were visible to Eclipse. The light expanded and a wave of calmness washed over Eclipse.
"Thanks, lady." He smiled. "That felt almost like the Crystal Heart! Hey, can you teach me that? Please?"
Miindra lowered her hands.
"I do not think so," she said hesitantly.
"Why not?"
"You would not be able to wield the Light. I am blessed by the Naaru. Anyone who is not, like the humans, usually undergoes a special ceremony to -"
"Please? I don't mind if it works or not, I just really like how it sounds. It cheers me up. I wanna cheer up my friends when they are sad. Or myself when I'm sad."
A blue wisp of light interrupted them as it whizzed closer and halted close to Eclipse. It circled him a few times.
"Hi, Levinia," said Eclipse. Vol'Shalai noisily cleared his throat for some reason.
"Where have you been? Something bad happened while you were gone."
Levinia stopped circling around Eclipse and hovered in front of him.
"There's this death knight and he had a ghoul and it went crazy and Nylene had to kill it," Eclipse said quickly. "Huh," he added after a pause. "I don't feel sick when I think about it anymore. Still don't like it... but thanks again, I guess." He smiled briefly at Miindra who nodded slowly.
Levinia circled Eclipse as if to say Goodbye and sped away, towards the door to the hold.
"What was that?" Miindra asked, even more confused. Her gaze followed the blue trail that dissipated quickly.
"Levinia," Eclipse said. "She's a ghost but she's our friend. Please don't be scared," he quickly added.
Now that he thought about it, everybody kept behaving weird around his friends. Many did not like Vol'Shalai, maybe because he was so tall and a troll? Darren had been feared on the island and hated in that bar; Nylene was apparently hated everywhere and Levinia had to remain in her wisp form all the time. That was not fair. Eclipse frowned. He would have to do something about it.
Levinia zipped through the ship, her blue light zooming past sailors and passengers in a slalom pattern. She had decided a while ago that it was rude to pass through walls because she invaded other people's privacy that way. Of course, that meant that it took her way more time to get from one place to another than she would have needed. But she had a weird feeling when she floated through solid objects on Azeroth. Levinia did not like it one bit, it was uncomfortable and sticky like chewing gum under your hoof. It felt just wrong.
She met Darren and Nylene in the hallway. They looked worried and exhausted, especially the human. Darren greeted her with a nod. The three of them went upstairs, Levinia floating ahead to lead them to Eclipse and Vol'Shalai.
Eclipse appeared to have calmed down some more. He had dried his tears; the dark streaks on his cheeks were gone. Vol'Shalai and the blue-skinned woman with the horns sat next to him, watching him wordlessly. Eclipse hummed a strange melody that made Levinia think of Jonathan the priest for some reason.
"Hi," Eclipse said, his ears twitching towards them. He frowned at Levinia. "You know, you shouldn't have to be that blue light all the time."
"It's for her safety," Darren said softly.
"Yeah, maybe," Eclipse went on, "but I think we can sort things out if we have to. Come on, she can't even talk that way."
Darren hummed. "I can see where you're coming from. Well, alright." He turned to Levinia, adding, "You may take your pony form if you like."
Finally. Levinia focused and assumed her original shape. The blue light expanded until she was a pegasus again. She wiggled her translucent blue legs and wings. Her ethereal mane and tail unfolded, flowing in an invisible breeze. She sighed happily, enjoying the feeling of freedom.
"Thanks," she said. "I flew around the ship to entertain myself but not being able to talk to anypony really sucks."
"Sorry," Darren said after a moment of consideration.
Miindra jumped up, raising her hands.
"That is Levinia?" she asked. Golden light appeared around her hands as she assumed a defensive stance.
Vol'Shalai immediately put himself between her and the pegasus. "Don't do anyting rash," he said in a suspiciously calm voice.
"What happened?" Nylene asked. "Did Levinia turn into her true form? I cannot tell the difference."
"Yes," Eclipse answered. "She's now a pegasus pony like me. Well, almost. She's still a ghost."
Following a sudden impulse, Levinia landed on her hooves and gave Eclipse a hug. They stayed like this for a long time. She could tell that Eclipse needed it. He heaved a long sigh and held her tightly. How long since he had last hugged his Mom or Dad? Fifteen days or so? Levinia let go and looked at Darren.
"What did da guards say?" Vol'Shalai asked.
"We told them it was an accident. I think they bought that." Darren raised a brow. "But we should watch Tarik."
"Ya mean, keep an eye on him?"
Darren nodded.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to catch up on my sleep," said Miindra with a look at the reddening sky. "Will you be alright, child?"
Eclipse nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for teaching me the song."
Miindra gave Eclipse a warm smile, nodded politely at the adults and went away, her white robe swaying behind her. Levinia caught a glimpse of her thin tail swinging underneath the garment.
"Who is she?" Darren asked, his head jerking in the woman's direction.
"Miindra," replied Eclipse and Vol'Shalai in unison.
"She taught me a song," Eclipse said with a smile.
"I see." Darren raised his eyebrows, amused. "Good for you, lad."
"Are you okay, too?" Eclipse asked, casting a worried glace at Darren.
"More or less," admitted Darren. "Whatever happened to Tarik also happened to me. But it was much weaker. I don't know what it was, exactly. Probably a remainder of the curse. I thought it was completely gone but apparently not," he added with a dark frown.
Levinia let go of Eclipse and hugged Darren.
"What is that for?" he asked her, confused. He put a hesitant arm around her.
"You looked sad?"
"Hm. You're not wrong," he said. "Thanks."
"Sure!" Levinia smiled.
Eclipse is running through wooden corridors, panting and crying. The hallways are like a labyrinth, twisting and changing every time he turns around a corner.
He reaches a door. As he passes through it, he finds himself in a large, open plaza, seamed by crystal houses and red hills. He looks back - the door is gone but the horde of ghouls is still there, shuffling and running after him.
Eclipse jumps up, calling for his shadow powers. Floating in midair, he lets the stream of dark magic flow through his body. He channels it through his hooves and throws it at the foremost ghoul, a stream of black and purple smoke and shadow. The creature shrieks and crumbles, breaking in half with a disgusting crack that sounds like dry branches.
Eclipse raises his foreleg again, casting a different spell. The violet lightning discharges with booming thunder and hits two ghouls at once. Eclipse stomps at the ground, his rush of victory mingling with the desperate realization that there's still way too many.
"Eclipse! What are you doing?"
A dark blue alicorn descends from the blue sky, her wings spread wide. Princess Luna is here! She lands next to Eclipse and lights her horn. With a blue flash, the ghouls, both those shuffling towards Eclipse and those defeated, vanish, dissolving into dust that the wind carries away.
"Princess Luna!" Eclipse runs into her hug, sobbing. "You're here! Thank you!"
The princess sighs, holding him close.
"What is all of this?"
"I think it's the ghoul we killed," Eclipse mutters. "Times a hundred."
"Oh dear."
"Yeah. But it was only one in real life!"
"One is more than enough," sighs Princess Luna. "Where are you?"
"Still on the ship to Booty Bay," Eclipse says, letting go of the princess. "It's a long way."
"Then, pray tell, where doth the ghoul come from?"
"Er, Tarik brought it along. He's a death knight."
"Did they attack you?" asks the princess, alarmed.
"No, the ghoul went crazy and attacked Tarik," Eclipse corrects her. "Nopony knows why. Nylene had to kill it. I'm not really surprised about the nightmare... It was really scary to watch. But I guess I'll be okay, though. My friends are helping me."
"I see." The princess digs at the ground, thinking. She looks a little tired. "We're still trying to figure out a way to find you. Perhaps a portal from our side. But we need a meeting point. Please talk to Darren about it."
"O-okay, Princess."
"You may call me Luna." Luna smiles at him.
Eclipse grins. "Okay, Luna. So I'm supposed to ask him where we're going exactly so we can tell you?"
Luna nods. "Precisely."
"I can do that. You can count on me, Princess! Er, Luna!"
"Very well... thank you, Eclipse... I must go now." A sweatdrop falls from Luna's muzzle. "I shall see one of you again tomorrow... That is, in about three weeks for you. Take good care and don't despair! You will get home again."
Luna's shape is falling apart into a glittering cloud, and along with her the dream dissolves.
Eclipse opened his eyes. Darren stood next to him, a worried frown etched into his pale face.
"Hey, kid," he said hoarsely. "You alright?"
Eclipse stretched his limbs and sat up. He looked around: it was apparently morning. Vol'Shalai sat on his own hammock, his long legs crossed, and watched him, too.
"Yeah. But I had a weird dream. I think I met Princess Luna..." He yawned.
Darren, suddenly even more alert, sat down next to him. The hammock shook as the human's weight was added to Eclipse's. Darren exchanged a look with Vol'Shalai. He lowered his voice as he said, "Please tell me everything you can remember."
"Go on, you wanted to do it," said Nylene.
Eclipse nodded reluctantly and raised his hoof to knock at the door.
They could hear heavy footsteps on the other side, then a key turning inside a lock. Tarik, still in full plate armour, opened the door.
"Yes?" He sounded annoyed.
"Um, hi," said Eclipse nervously, looking up at the human. "I wanted to see how you're doing. Cause we k-killed your ghoul."
Tarik stared at him. As Eclipse gave him a hesitant smile, Tarik's blue glowing eyes wandered to the bandaged ones of Nylene.
"Seriously?"
"His idea," she said. "Eclipse thought you might be... lonely."
"What?"
"Well, you're all alone in that room," Eclipse muttered. "Like, all the time. Can... can we come in?"
Tarik stepped aside. Eclipse and Nylene entered the small chamber.
The room looked almost identical to before, with one notable difference: Someone had removed the ghoul's body. There was still a faint brownish stain on the floor. And it stank like rotten... something. The unused bed was the same. Now that he had time to look, Eclipse noticed the sheathed runesword lying on a small table as well as a dark plate helmet, probably made of Saronite like Darren's armour back at home. A leather bag and a long ragged cloak had been thrown carelessly onto a chair. Eclipse stepped closer to the helmet.
"Cool," he muttered, admiring the piece of armour. It looked battle-worn and sturdy.
Nylene did not sit down this time. She followed Eclipse with her bandaged gaze, then she turned to Tarik.
"I am not good at this," she stated. "So - how are you feeling today? Any pain remaining?" She had probably wanted to sound friendly but the short sentences made it sound like a doctor's emotionally detached inquiry.
"I'm fine," Tarik said. "There's no need to worry."
"Really?" Eclipse tore his eyes from the helmet, folding his little wings. "Cause you sound kinda angry."
"I'm fine. Just stop wasting my time and tell me what you really want," Tarik snapped.
"I thought you might want a friend," said Eclipse bluntly. "See - you booked this room, all alone, and I bet it's expensive and all. But why?"
"Because of the ghoul, obviously," said Tarik.
Nylene huffed. "How considerate of you. No, human. I do not believe you. I know what it's like. You avoid the judgement. From everybody else."
"So you came here to judge me, too? Is that it?" Tarik's voice grew louder with every word. Eclipse's ears folded back, he could almost sense the rage building up inside the human.
"No, what I meant is - "
"Er, Nylene," Eclipse tried to cut in. "Maybe we should..."
"Just get out," sighed Tarik.
"But," Nylene began, trying to say something again. The wings beneath her cloak twitched.
"Get out!" Tarik shouted, making Eclipse cringe and duck.
"Sorry," Eclipse offered, his voice cracking.
Tarik stepped over to the door, opening it with a violent pull. He jerked his flat hand towards the hallway, a silent command. His mouth was a thin line and his cold eyes seemed to glow even brighter.
"Very well, we shall leave," Nylene hissed angrily. "Apologies," she added stiffly.
Eclipse grabbed her hand and pulled her outside, eager to escape the knight's scary glare.
"What in the name of Elune was that?" Nylene cried out angrily, throwing her hands into the air. Her wings twitched underneath her cloak, shifting the cloth. "Ungrateful bastard!"
"So it didn't go well," Darren concluded. He shifted his weight. They stood at the railing, watching a whale swimming along on the port side. The big fish-like creature blew a stream of water into the air, the wind spreading the steaming droplets across the waves. In the distance they could see tiny islands. The water was bright blue and apparently not very deep.
Levinia had left to watch Vol'Shalai cook lunch. Since Nylene, Darren and Eclipse all talked in Common, which made Levinia feel left out, the two had begun to spend more time together and teach each other their languages. The guttural Orcish speech was a challenge for Levinia but Vol'Shalai also had his troubles with Equestrian.
"Not really, no." Eclipse huffed, trying to calm down. He was almost as angry as Nylene. He just wanted to help. What had they done wrong? "When we asked him why he was staying all alone he got so mad! I just wanted to tell him he doesn't have to be alone. But we didn't really get to that point, I guess."
"He said it was a waste of time we came by," Nylene added. "As I said, ungrateful. We're the only ones on this wretched ship treating him like a normal person, the least he could do is -"
Darren raised a hand, interrupting her ranting. Nylene closed her mouth and swallowed the words that sat on her tongue.
"There's something you seem to be overlooking," he said softly. "He's a death knight, Nylene."
"So? I grow impatient, too, it's the pain from the demonic fire within me. Still, that's no reason to snap at people," Nylene countered. "At least - not like that - and not all the time," she added quickly.
"That's not what I mean." Darren shook his head. "There's a difference. We - I mean, he - suffers from growing bloodlust. He needs to hurt and kill to stop the pain. And after a while it gets harder to restrain yourself." He turned away from the magnificent sight of the whale and faced the elf. "We left Ratchet almost three weeks ago. That's why he booked a single room, Nylene. That man is probably losing his mind right about now. And he can't kill the ghoul he brought along because you already did."
Eclipse's jaw dropped as realization hit him. "Now that you put it like this... I think I get it. Oof, how does he even deal with that?"
Darren shrugged. "He's waiting until the journey's over," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. The planks underneath Eclipse's hooves began to feel cold. Was that Darren's work? Was he angry, too?
"We've got to help him!" Eclipse stated, spreading his wings in determination.
"How?" Nylene asked with a dark chuckle. "By letting him kill you?"
"Ha-ha," Eclipse retorted dryly. "Of course not. There must be a way, though. We can't just stand here and do nothing! I mean, it's not his fault he's under that curse..."
"If there were animals," Darren muttered, rubbing his chin, "he could kill those."
"Like that whale?" Eclipse asked hesitantly, pointing at the sea. "I don't think the whale would want that."
"Something a little smaller, perhaps," Nylene said. "Something unintelligent. A big fish or some birds."
"That would work," Darren agreed. "How do we get them here? They're too far away for me to use the death grip and pull them on board." He smirked, apparently remembering the times he and Jonathan had taught Eclipse how to move boxes with that exact same ability.
Eclipse raised his eyebrows. "Levinia could fly up there and find some birds. But I don't want to ask Tarik to come up here," he admitted quietly. Heat crept up inside his belly and his cheeks as he tried his best to look brave on the outside. He would not have admitted it but that whole killing business made him feel profoundly uncomfortable. And animals still had feelings. Even when they could not think like ponies. "Isn't there another way besides killing creatures?"
"Sadly, no," said Nylene.
"I'll do it," Darren offered. "You just wait here." He briefly stroked Eclipse's black mane as he went away from the railing, towards the stairs.
Nylene watched him leave and sighed. She turned around and nudged Eclipse with her leg.
"Do you truly believe Darren is a death knight?" she asked.
Eclipse nodded fiercely. "I saw his mind. His memories. He is a real death knight. He can cast Frost spells and drain life-force and fight with his runeblade. He's just healed, that's all. I mean, not undead anymore but alive. And he doesn't want to use Unholy spells anymore, the ones that hurt people's souls."
"That's all, huh." Nylene shook her head. "If you say so." She frowned.
"Yeah. Honest truth, I swear," Eclipse assured her. "You're my friend, I wouldn't lie to you."
Nylene bent down and gave his shoulder a little squeeze.
"I like you, little pony," she said with her sharp-toothed smile.
Eclipse grinned. "I like you, too, big demon hunter lady."
Darren knocked.
"Yes?!" The door swung open, an angry death knight glowering at him. Somebody else would have shrunken under the look Tarik gave them but not Darren. He knew it too well - from the mirror.
"I figured you need to kill something," Darren said quickly before the door would be slammed in his face. "We have a solution. Interested?"
Tarik's eyes widened. Then, he frowned.
"Who are you really, Darren?" he asked.
"Somebody who knows a thing or two about the curse of death knights. Well?"
"You've got my attention. Make it quick."
"A friend of mine," said Darren, "can fly and bring down some birds from the sky."
Tarik raised his brows, pursing his lips. Darren waited, watching patiently while the undead made his decision.
"What's in it for you?" Tarik asked eventually.
Darren shrugged noncommittally. He had not actually thought about it. What could he ask for in return? If he said it was a gift Tarik might be offended or get suspicious and refuse altogether. Then they would have gained nothing.
"Don't tell me you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart," snarked the knight.
"Well, if you put it that way." Darren smirked as an idea struck him. "You might have noticed the lack of other knights in my group. I could use a sparring partner."
Tarik shook his head. "You don't know what you're up against."
"I have a feeling we might be evenly matched," Darren countered with a sly grin. "So?"
"Fine. Be on deck in a few minutes."
"I'll tell my friend to get the birds," Darren promised. "See you later, then."
Tarik shut the door without further comment. The wood missed Darren's nose by an inch.
Darren shook his head incredulously. Had he been this rude when he had suffered from bloodlust? Possibly. However, it was strange to be on the receiving end. At least his guess why the other knight was so short-fused had been correct. Now they were able to do something about it. He was not even sure why he cared so much about the whole situation. He felt responsible in a way.
Maybe it was because Eclipse cared. Tarik had obviously scared him, that was probably it.
He went into the hold to get his sword in case Levinia would attract a creature too big for a single person to handle. Darren remembered the stories of wild wyverns, proto-dragons, naga and other dangerous monsters. There was no point in taking unnecessary risks. Maybe he should warn her before she took off into the sky... on the other hand, she was already dead and could turn into a wisp anytime. Levinia would most likely be fine.
No, he would tell her anyway, that was the fair thing to do.
Darren unlocked the chest and shouldered the belt with his sword. Now he had to find the pegasus. Wasn't there a way...? Right.
"Levinia," said Darren and a few second later the ghost appeared.
"Hi!" she said. "And? Did he agree?"
Darren nodded. "Let's catch some birds."
Tarik ascended the stairs, his runeblade sheathed on his back. If anything, that ridiculous suggestion of Darren's would be a way to pass the time. And any kind of distraction was a blessing. As he approached the ragtag group, the Darkspear troll turned his head and nodded at him. It was off-putting to see a member of the Horde showing that much courtesy towards a human, and an undead one at that. Maybe the troll assumed that Tarik was a Forsaken.
Darren and the little grey horse appeared to have an argument. They talked in a speech Tarik could not understand. Eventually, the horse sighed, folded his little wings and nodded. The troll said somthing in Orcish, then that horse language, and the two left. As they passed Tarik, the horse said shyly, "Hi, Tarik!"
He nodded a greeting and waited.
"Did we get permission?" Darren asked the Night Elf whose name Tarik had forgotten.
She nodded, grinning, and said, "We did, provided that we clean up afterwards. We could ask Tarik to leave us the birds for dinner. Waste not, want not."
That was when a blue light appeared and materialized into a bigger horse than the grey one. Still small, though, her head was at the height of Tarik's stomach. She turned her translucent head and smiled hesitantly at Tarik.
"Hello," she said. "I'm Levinia. Nice to meet you." She made a hesitant step towards him, stretching out a foreleg. What was he supposed to do with that?
"Tarik. Well met." He nodded curtly. "You can talk," he observed.
"Yes, of course." Levinia grinned. "I'm as sentient as you are."
"And a spirit," Tarik added.
The horse nodded. She had a friendly, pretty face, completely void of suspicion. Was she not the slightest bit scared of him? Well, she was already dead. She bit her lip, then turned to Darren. "So how do I get the birds to fly down here? I've never done anything like this."
"Annoy them. They'll follow you. But watch out for bigger creatures." Darren unsheathed his sword. Tarik frowned as he saw the weapon again that looked a lot like a death knight's runeblade. But that was impossible. Anyone carrying a saronite blade went mad, except for undead people. Maybe it was steel, forged to imitate the appearance of a runesword. But to what end? Why the pretense? It was obvious Darren was very much alive. He was probably around forty, despite the almost white hair. Tarik shook his head, reaching for his own weapon.
The demonic Night Elf crossed her arms, waiting for Levinia to make her move.
"Okay," Levinia said nervously. "I'll try my best. Wish me luck!" She jumped into the air, flapping her wings as if she needed to, and sped towards the clouds faster than should be possible for a creature with such wings. Was it magic? She soared up and Tarik, Darren and even the supposedly blind elf automatically followed her movement with their heads. A trail of blue light followed her path, dissipating quickly.
"She's quite fast," the elf commented, surprise in her voice.
"Well, she's undead. And she knows Rainbow Dash. She might have been an influence." Darren chuckled and blinked. The midday sun broke through the clouds and blinded him momentarily. His eyes were unusally blue, like ice in the arctic. The pale human turned to Tarik. "You ready? Here she comes."
Levinia all but fell back down to the deck, closely missing the largest sail with her wingtip. "Watch out!" she yelled, flailing her forelegs about. "I think I pulled too many down," she blurted out. "Sorry!" With a clatter of hooves, the winged horse landed on the wooden planks and skidded to a stop. Spinning around, she cast a look back. "Oh dear," she groaned.
Tarik raised his brows and readied his sword. He noticed that Darren was doing the same.
"Nylene," said Darren. "If you please."
Nylene nodded and reached beneath her cloak. Spreading her demonic wings, she, too, assumed a defensive stance, each hand clutching a curved warglaive almost as large as Tarik's sword. "Good thing they cleared the deck for us." She grinned, revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Levinia jumped up, this time hovering next to Darren, and pointed at the cloud she had descended from.
There was a strange hum that quickly grew louder until a cacophony of shrieks, caws and fluttering wings approached them. Those were not just a few birds. It was an entire swarm. Tarik hesitated, his sword-hand freezing. He recognized the white bellies, the pointed wings, grey on the upper side and with an enormous wingspan of roughly ten feet, the sharp beaks and the webbed feet perfect for swimming.
"What's wrong?" shouted Nylene over the shrieking of the descending birds.
"Those are albatrosses," Darren angrily shouted back. "It's bad luck to kill them."
"You've got to be kidding me," Levinia said incredulously, her echoing voice easily audible over the terrible noise.
"No, I'm not! It's what the sailors say!" Darren called.
"Isn't it worse luck to get mauled by a crazy death knight? Ash karath!" Nylene barked back.
"Point." Darren huffed and raised his blade again. "Tarik! You up to it?"
Tarik nodded, swinging his sword to strike down the first bird. The albatrosses were graceful creatures in the air but now that they tried to land on the ship they appeared to have their difficulties. Some skidded across the deck, flapping their large wings and crashing against ropes or stairs, while others tried to glide over it and land on the water.
In the corner of his eye, Tarik watched Darren performing extremely familiar movements with his own weapon. His eyes glowed in a cold blue as he stretched out his hand to assault a flock of albatrosses with a frost spell. The birds fell over, frozen stiff, their feathers covered by a layer of ice. He made short work of those he didn't catch with the spell - one strike with the blade and the creatures breathed their last. They seemed to crumble from within as if the sword took more than their lives.
Nylene spun around her own axis like a dancer, simply slicing through the birds with her blades. Her movements were so fast Tarik could hardly follow her. She seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit, judging by the broad smile she was sporting.
Levinia flew into the swarm, hitting birds with her hooves and wings. She took a deep breath and screamed. The shrill, otherwordly banshee cry, louder than the combined shrieks and caws of the swarm, paralyzed a dozen birds at once. The terrified albatrosses fell to the deck like raindrops.
Tarik threw his arm up, pulling a bird down with a death grip of purple lightning, then he stabbed the creature, absorbing its life force into his blade. His mouth twisted into a grin. This day was going better than he had expected.
"Well," said Nylene, nudging a bird carcass with her foot, "I know what we're having for dinner tonight."
"Good thing you sent Eclipse away," Levinia muttered, letting her gaze wander across the dozens of dead albatrosses. "We made a really big mess. Oh, right! Tarik? How are you feeling?"
Tarik twitched. He swung his blade to shake off some bird blood.
"Better," he admitted. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Levinia said. "I feel dirty. I think I'm gonna have a bath in the sea. Be back in a minute!" She gallopped off and dove into the water with a loud splash.
Darren nodded absent-mindedly. He inspected his blade, tilting it in the sun. Blood dripped from it, staining the wooden planks. He raised his brows and sighed, his lips tightly pressed together.
"What?" Tarik asked, curious what the human was thinking.
"Been a while," Darren said quietly. "And albatrosses... the sailors always said not to harm them. It was strange to slaughter them like this."
"What sailors?" Nylene asked. She did not seem fazed at all, still smiling a little. "You went to sea before?"
"On the ship to Northrend," Darren explained.
"Northrend?" Tarik perked up. "You really were in the war against the Scourge?"
Darren hesitated. "Yes," he said. "That, too."
"What?"
"We better clean this up," Darren said quickly, pointing at the entire deck. "Or else we have to pay for it."
The sailors were not at all happy about the chaos the friends had made. They insisted that the creators of the mess were to remove it, too. After four hours of scrubbing the deck and throwing dead birds into the water, save for a few they wanted to cook, Darren and Nylene had just about enough. The sun had already set when they returned to the hold to eat and sleep. Even Levinia, though not exhausted, looked thoroughly annoyed. She turned into a wisp again and flew away, probably to circle the ship again.
Tarik had not said a single word since Darren's comment about Northrend. As soon as the work was done he quickly excused himself and went to his room.
Darren leaned back in his hammock, chewing on an orange Vol'Shalai had offered him while the albatross stew was in the oven. Eclipse, sitting on the floor, looked up from the game of Twelve Huts he and Vol'Shalai were playing.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Ya think someting?" Vol'Shalai asked in broken Common.
"Hm," Darren hummed. "Tarik's watching us," he said quietly.
"Really? Why?" Eclipse perked up, curiously looking around. He could not spot him, though. Since it was late many passengers were already in the hold, getting ready for the night. As usual, an obvious distance was being kept to Eclipse's group. It was dark, the dim light of a few candles and some mage's magic being the only sources of light.
"Not right now, kid, and you shouldn't look around so obviously."
"Sorry." Eclipse's ears folded back.
"No harm done." Darren swallowed the last bit of orange and pressed the peel into a ball. He threw the ball into the trash jar and sat up. "I slipped up," he admitted.
"When?" Vol'Shalai asked, alarmed.
"When we killed the birds. I mentioned I was in Northrend twice. Suppose he wants to find out more now."
Eclipse shrugged. "So what? If he wants to know more, why is that a bad thing?"
"He might want to come home with us," Darren said. "I did when I asked Twilight. It would not be a surprise if he wanted that, too."
"So what?" Eclipse repeated.
"Are you absolutely sure we should tell everybody who asks how to get rid of the curse of Undeath?" Darren whispered. "Before long, you'd have people lining up for a portal to Equestria. We don't even know how to get home ourselves, we can't promise anybody anything. And I'm not willing to dump the Undead of Azeroth on the Princess. I don't have the right."
"But next time we dream of Princess Luna..." Eclipse began.
Darren raised his brows. "Yes, I know. Still, it's a risk to tell him."
Nylene, who had been quiet up to now, snorted. "You're overestimating the number of Undead we're going to meet, my friend. Did you not say you wanted to go to Stormwind?"
"Yes," Darren replied hesitantly.
"Then you need not worry. Most of the death knights have been recruited to Acherus," Nylene said dismissively.
"Really? De flying castle?" Vol'Shalai rubbed his chin. "Why?"
"I don't know much," Nylene admitted. She turned around to face them. "They were drafted just before we left Ratchet. Apparently, they want to travel to Northrend for some quest. I heard so from one of the bankers. It cost me five Gold, and that for just a few rumours. Greedy sonofabitch."
Darren's frown deepened. "That sounds ominous."
"Anyway, they are gone. And don't expect any Forsaken to show up in Stormwind." Nylene smiled darkly.
"What's a Forsaken again?" Eclipse asked.
"Jonathan used to be one," Darren explained. "The Undead who broke free from the Lich King's control joined together as a new nation. Well, most of them, anyway. The death knights are a different matter though Forsaken death knights do exist."
Eclipse ran a hoof through his mane. "But why aren't they in Stormwind? I thought they were humans, too."
Darren sighed. "You're absolutely correct. They are."
"Da humans hate undead," Vol'Shalai said, scratching a spot behind his long ear. "Dey..." he broke off, then continued in Orcish, "How do I say, "despise'?"
"They despise them," Darren helped out. "They are disgusted and scared by the idea of former relatives walking around as corpses. And many aren't aware that the Forsaken hate the Scourge just as much as the Alliance does, maybe even more. The Stormwind citizens would have hung the death knights right away if not for a decree from the King himself."
"Oh. I'm sorry," Eclipse muttered. "That must be hard."
"I think I'm beginning to see the problem," Nylene said. "Apparently, thw two of us are in a similar situation, death knight Darren." She grinned humourlessly. "I hope to find family in Stormwind, too, but I don't even know if they want to cast eyes on me, demonic aberration that I am." She muttered the last words. He left wing twitched, making her hammock shake.
"Whew." Eclipse bit his lip, his eyes watering with sympathy. "I thought I was an outsider because I'm adopted. Guess there's always worse."
"C'mere," Darren invited him.
Eclipse jumped up to Darren's hammock and sat down next to him. Darren put his arm around him.
"Don't worry about us," Darren said. "We're used to what we are. Or were. We'll figure something out."
"Okay," Eclipse sniffled.
Unseen by the colt, Darren exchanged a worried look with Vol'Shalai.
The next day was gloriously uneventful. The sun shone down on them most of the time and a steady wind came from the west. Darren asked the helmsman how long it would take until they reached Stranglethorn Vale. The answer was as short as it was satisfying. If the wind stayed like this they would see the coast of the eastern continent in less than a week.
Under these circumstances, Vol'Shalai and Levinia decided to postpone teaching each other Equestrian and Orcish and stuck to Common instead. To Darren's relief, they were both fast learners. Vol'Shalai had trouble with the consonants, though, claiming that 'da human speech be too soft' for the tongue of a Darkspear troll.
It was past midday when Tarik joined them on deck. Nylene, her legs dangling off the ship's side through the railing, cleared her throat and pointed behind herself with her thumb. When Darren turned his head he saw that the Undead had taken off his armour and donned some light clothing instead. Only the boots were the same as before. He had brought his sword along. Darren quickly stood up and walked over to him, giving a goblin sailor a berth who crossed his path.
"You're ready to keep your promise," he said, jerking his head towards the blade.
"Naturally." Tarik narrowed his glowing eyes. "Where is your weapon?"
"In the hold. I'll get it right away."
"Don't hurry, I literally have all day," Tarik said.
"I know; so do I. We should make good use of it." Darren turned around and called, "Eclipse!"
"Yeah?" The pony sprang to his feet and cantered over to him.
"In the mood for some action?" Darren asked with a friendly smile.
"Sure!" Eclipse said, giddily jumping and buzzing his small wings. "Uh, what do I do?"
"I need to get my sword first," Darren said in Equestrian so Tarik would not understand him. "I'm afraid you can't join us in the fight but if you want you can watch us. Once you have a shield I can teach you how to defend yourself against somebody armed with a sword. And against magic. We need to polish your Void magic skills a bit. Sound good?"
"Okay!" Eclipse grinned. "Cool!"
Darren patted his shoulder and left for the hold.
Tarik frowned at Eclipse. The colt gave him a brave smile.
"Hello," said Eclipse. "Are you feeling better now? Did the bird hunt help?"
"Yes." Tarik eyed him, pursing his lips. "You weren't there."
"No, I wasn't allowed to watch. Darren says you can't unsee the stuff you've seen. I mean, after watching - well, I saw some bad things before and had a lot of nightmares... I really don't need any more of those." He dug at the ground. "Guess you know what that's like." He smiled awkwardly. "Being a death knight and all."
"I don't sleep," Tarik countered flatly. "What kind of creature are you?"
"A pony. A pegasus Shadow Pony." Eclipse proudly puffed out his chest.
"Never heard of those." Tarik looked down on Eclipse, frowning deeply.
"Yeah... I'm not from around here. But hey, we can still be friends if you like!"
Tarik snorted, refraining from a comment. He tilted his head, hearing heavy footsteps.
Darren had returned with his sword belt slung over his shoulder. He raised his brows at Eclipse who understood and retreated to the railing, next to Nylene. Vol'Shalai and Levinia interrupted their conversation, curious about what was going on.
"This is going to be fun," Nylene commented, turning around. She leaned against the railing, both arms outstretched and resting on the polished wood, like a noble getting ready to watch her subjects put on a show.
"Ya sure?" Vol'Shalai asked but he, too, sat back and eyed the two knights curiously. Eclipse hesitantly planted his rump on the planks next to him. It was weird not to stand by Darren's side.
Darren rotated his right shoulder as he and Tarik circled each other like two lions ready to pounce. Both could not help but smirk at each other. Vol'Shalai had not noticed before how similar they both looked. Not in build and appearance; Tarik was slightly taller than Darren and less muscular, his hair was cut very short and Darren's was bound in his neck. Also, Darren's leather armour looked new and Tarik's clothes were worn and apparently had not made any acquaintace with water in quite some time. It was the bleached-out colour of their hair, the pale skin, the way they moved, that greedy look in their eyes. Even though Darren's were not aglow, the vicious tattoo on his left cheek and the dark expression on his face simply screamed, 'death knight'. Vol'Shalai realized that even though Darren might not suffer from bloodlust he still needed to let off some steam.
Tarik leapt forward, swinging his sword around in a fairly predictable manner. He probably wanted to test how skilled Darren really was. Darren easily parried the strike and rotated his own weapon to redirect the blow away from him. Again, they circled each other. Darren made a step forward, trying to get into Tarik's flank. The blades collided, sparks flew off the ragged edges. Another hit and miss. Tarik seemed a little surprised; Darren's smirk turned into a dark grin.
"We're attracting a crowd," Nylene commented, amused. And really, a few goblin sailors had stopped their work, talking and pointing at the two sparring men. Two orcs passed by and halted their conversation. They grinned, looked at each other and decided to watch as well. Vol'Shalai recognized Miindra: the Draenei woman also stood there, her arms crossed and a slightly sour expression on her face.
"Dat alright? Dey fight to kill, I tink," Vol'Shalai said. He was annoyed by how blocky his words sounded but at least Nylene comprehended the meaning.
"Ah, they shall be fine. It wouldn't be half as good a fight if they held back."
"Fighting to kill? But Darren always fights like that," Eclipse said, doubt creeping into his voice. "Except when we're training."
"Exactly," Nylene said. "You're just a child, after all."
"Can you even see them? I - I thought you were blind..." Eclipse asked hesitantly, a blush creeping up his cheeks.
Nylene chuckled. "I am blind but I can still sense them magically, see their shape and their auras. It's entertaining enough."
Tarik was good, Darren had to admit. As he parried another strike, he considered using his powers. Maybe it was time to test out the limits some more. He could tell that Tarik was very skilled, maybe even a tad better than Darren who had not had much practice in the past few months.
Darren attacked more fiercely now, getting faster as his muscle memory kicked in. Cold mist rose from his blade as he drew first blood, scratching Tarik's left upper arm. A streak of dark brown, almost blackened red soaked through the faded shirt. Tarik was quick to repay; he stabbed Darren's thigh. Darren winced, narrowing his eyes. He could feel somthing like happy anger welling up inside of him. He hardly felt the wound, the pain was somehow dulled. Probably the excitement. He brandished his runeblade and kept fighting, recalling all the steps and swings he had used so often that he did not need to consciously think about them.
They exchanged several more swings and parries, still not satisfied. Tarik shook Darren's blood from his sword and frowned as Darren did the same simultaneously. Red and black mingled on the floor.
"You fight like one of us," Tarik remarked and Darren nodded.
"I know," said Darren simply. "Ready for more?"
Eclipse had never seen anybody sparring like this before. Yes, he had watched the City Guard's training session once. His Mom had agreed to take him to the Station, a favour she had called in from a colleague. Eclipse had been deeply impressed by the speed and precision with which the guards moved. Captain Coral Spark had overseen the training. Eclipse remembered him because of the Captain's fiery red mane that had stood out like a bright flame. But this was different. The ponies had mostly trained without spears, using their bandaged forelegs both as blunt weapons and a shield. Darren and Tarik, however, used sharp weapons. It was a very different fighting style, reminding Eclipse faintly of Abrasive Paper, the guard with the polearm...
He noticed that the movements were getting faster. Darren and Tarik had already wounded each other several times. Eclipse felt cold. Darren seemed to have fun in a way but he also looked angry. Which of the two was it? Eclipse shuffled closer to Nylene, seeking her hand. The Night Elf twitched, surprised. She put an arm around Eclipse, holding his hoof.
"You alright, little one?" she asked, worried.
"Think so," he said.
"It's exciting, isn't it?" She grinned.
"That's one way to put it," Eclipse muttered nervously.
"They'll know when to stop," Nylene assured him.
"Who did you take it from?" Tarik asked, pointing at Darren's runeblade.
Darren grunted, panting a little. "It's mine."
Tarik groaned angrily, swinging at Darren once again. He almost hit him; Darren ducked, sliding past his right arm, he rotated back to back with Tarik and grazed his lower spine with the sword tip.
"It's been mine - for a long time."
"Liar," Tarik hissed, stepping a few feet away, putting enough distance between them to relax a little. The echo in his voice grew more distinct. "You're growing weaker. Wearing you out, huh? I can keep this up all day. You can't, you're just human."
Darren rolled his eyes. "Spare me the dramatics. We've been fighting - for twenty minutes - give or take. You're taking this a little too seriously."
"Am I?" Tarik jumped at Darren again, now with genuine fury in his eyes. He slashed Darren's lower arm open. Darren hissed, almost letting go of his weapon. He quickly cast a spell to freeze the wound. He would have to deal with that later. Apparently, it was time to end this.
"You talk as if you're like me," Tarik seethed, so quietly only Darren could hear it over their heavy footsteps and the noise of blades colliding. "I'm growing tired..." - clang! - "...of your mockery, frost mage!"
"I'm not - a mage!" said Darren angrily. He raised his sword and pointed it straight at Tarik. The air grew cold and the wind picked up. Mist condensed into snow, enveloping Darren. Tarik's sword hand grew stiff; his movements became slower. Darren used the opening to use the death grip on him. Purple lightning discharged between them as he pulled the surprised knight closer and swung his blade at his leg.
But Tarik did not hesitate to use his own powers; he managed to parry and hit Darren's arm in the same spot as before. Red sprayed across the floor; Tarik straightened up and grinned, suddenly looking refreshed.
Darren grunted, now thoroughly annoyed, and copied Tarik's attack. He managed to actually hit his leg this time, and this time it was Darren who seemed to regain strength by hurting his opponent.
Eclipse watched fearfully as Tarik hurt Darren once again. His grip around Nylene's hand tightened. "What are they doing?" He shivered. Was it the cold from Darren's frost spells or was it something else? The corners of his vision darkened. His breath accelerated as the fear for his friend grew. This did not feel like a fun sparring exercise anymore, not by a long shot. "Somepony stop them," he whispered, shaking so hard that Nylene perked up.
"Very well, I believe that's enough," Nylene said, genuine worry creeping into her voice. "This is indeed getting too serious." She huffed. "I can't tell well how they're doing physically but they are both losing control over their emotions. Their auras are going off like mad. Vol'Shalai, would you mind putting an end to this?" she asked politely.
"Can do." Vol'Shalai stood up. He pressed his lips together in concentration, waving his arms as if he wanted to throw something heavy aside. A gust of wind rushed across the deck, startling the spectators and billowing the sails. Darren and Tarik were both thrown off their feet. An elbow on the planks, Tarik spun around to see where the wind had come from. Vol'Shalai gave him an apologetic shrug. Somebody in the crowd laughed. There was scattered applause.
Darren reached for the blade he had dropped and huffed. He shakily got to his feet and offered his free hand to Tarik. Begrudgingly, the death knight grabbed his lower arm and let Darren help him up.
Eclipse sprang up and galloped over to Darren.
"Are you okay? Oh stars, you're totally hurt," Eclipse cried as he approached to see Darren's wounds up close. He immediately jerked back. They were not that shallow!
"I'll be fine," Darren rasped, sheathing his sword. He eyed Tarik who was inspecting his own injuries with a frown, mainly the one on his thigh.
"I thought you just wanted to train!" Eclipse said, both scared and angry.
"Sorry. Got carried away." Darren gave Eclipse a stiff smile, then waved at Vol'Shalai. The troll shook his head, grinning. He stalked over to Darren.
"Let me have a look," he said, pointing at Darren's arm.
"Alright." Darren let Vol'Shalai proceed as the shaman called for the Spirit of Water to heal Darren's injuries.
Nylene joined them, casting a look at the dissipating crowd. She raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips like a disappointed mother.
Darren sighed.
"Sorry," he said again. "Guess our new friend here struck a nerve."
As soon as Darren was healed, Eclipse sprang up into Darren's arms to hug him. "I'm glad you're okay," he said sadly. "I thought you just wanted to have some fun but it didn't look like much fun in the end."
"No, it wasn't really," Darren admitted. "I think that, in a way, you made your point." He turned to Tarik. "I'll explain everything if you wish. But not here. In private."
Tarik, still upset, nodded. He twitched when Vol'Shalai nudged him to spread his arms.
"Now you," he said and inspected Tarik's biggest wound.
Eclipse was confused. He thought that Darren and Tarik were angry at each other. But now they sat there, Tarik on his bed and Darren on a chair, and behaved like the best of friends. What had he missed?
"Men," Nylene muttered to herself, shaking her head. She smirked at the bewildered Eclipse. "Let them beat each other to a pulp and before you know it they are, as the humans say, pals." She raised her voice a little. "So you're done comparing the length of your blades?"
Vol'Shalai snorted. He poked Eclipse's shoulder.
"Want to play a game?" the troll asked.
Eclipse shook his head. He pointed his hoof at the knights. He wanted to figure out their strange behaviour.
Darren, leaning back in his chair, said nothing. Tarik rubbed his chin, thinking. Eventually, he broke the silence.
"So you're saying you went to Northrend along with the other paladins," he said. As Darren nodded, he continued, "and then you were killed in the Dragonblight?"
Darren nodded again. "Correct," he said. "Guess we weren't in the same platoon. Where were you afterwards?"
"I was with Falric," Tarik said slowly.
"Damn. So right in the middle of it. I was probably a block away."
Tarik frowned. "Which direction?" he asked.
"West," Darren replied, smirking knowingly. "Right above the War Quarter. Next to that fountain behind the arcades."
"Why is he asking that?" Eclipse whispered.
"He's testing him," Nylene explained. "Tarik wants to see if Darren says anything that is contradicting his claim that he's a death knight. Only somebody who was at that battle would know such details."
"Anyway. After that... and after the Battle at Lights Hope I stayed in the Plaguelands," Darren went on. "Mostly. Then there was that one job offer from a Forsaken priest in Undercity..."
Eclipse noticed himself tuning out Darren's voice. He was suddenly immensely tired; his head bobbed forward. As Darren continued, he felt himself drifting away into sleep.
Darren gave Tarik a rough summary of how he met Jonathan, Arcus and Twilight Sparkle. At first, the death knight seemed amused by the tale but the longer Darren went on the more solemn he became. He knit his eyebrows together, his hands folded tightly over his knee. When Darren got to the part when he exited the portal to Equestria, Tarik raised a hand.
"You're still serious?" he asked. "This makes an entertaining story, I have to admit, but you don't expect me to believe any of it, do you?"
"I didn't even get to to best part yet," Darren said. Sighing, he gestured towards Eclipse who was dozing off on Nylene's lap. "Besides, Eclipse can confirm everything I just told you. He saw my memories when his Void powers awakened."
Tarik's eyes widened. "Alright, go on."
Eclipse walks through a sea of clouds. The fluffy white, cotton-wool, humid substance moves slowly, riding on a steady wind. He jumps a little as he accelerates to a canter, then a gallop. Flapping his wings in fast succession, Eclipse runs as fast as he can, his hooves bouncing off the clouds like on springs. There, the edge of the cloud cover is close. He jumps off the clouds and stretches his wings.
The air current hits the underside of his wings hard; Eclipse strains his muscles to keep his limbs outstretched. Laughing, he soars up into the sky. He flaps his wings again, enjoying the feeling of freedom. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows that he cannot really fly this well but he does not care.
He risks a look down and sees a snowy landscape far away, dotted by black rocks. The Frozen North. Eclipse leans to the side, flying an arc around a small cloud. He can feel his wings growing tired. Without hesitation, he calls for his shadow powers. Dark smoke pours from his coat, trailing behind him like a flag flapping in the wind. He can feel the surge of power supporting his flight. Eclipse laughs again and does a barrel roll.
There, something tiny in the distance. Somepony is flying towards him. It's Princess Luna. Eclipse flies towards her, waving at her.
"Hi, Princess!" he calls over the wind.
Strange, Princess Luna looks worried. Eclipse slows down to a halt and lands on a nearby rain cloud. A bit of rain falls out in a sudden shower as his hooves touch it. He sits down on his haunches, waiting for her.
The princess flaps her large blue wings gracefully and lands next to him. Sitting down next to him, she gives Eclipse a little hug.
"Eclipse," she says. "We meet again. Sadly, I cannot stay long. Where goes your journey?"
"Stormwind City," Eclipse says quickly. "But first, we land in Booty Bay. I heard there's pirates! And a jungle!"
"Oh dear. I see. When do you think you will arrive?"
"In Booty Bay? Four days or so. But I've got no idea how long it takes us to get to that other city. Darren said it's safer there. I think he wants to meet somepony from his family there, too."
Princess Luna sighs. "I understand. Please tell him that I shall get a day's rest. I was eager to know more but now I must regain my strength."
"Okay. Thanks for looking out for us."
"Always." Luna gives Eclipse another hug. "Be careful with your shadow," she adds. "Do not underestimate it."
"Er... okay," Eclipse says, confused.
"Farewell. Until next time." Before Eclipse can reply, his left hind leg twitches.
Eclipse jerked awake. He opened his blue eyes, blinking rapidly.
"What? Er - huh?" he muttered, disoriented. Where was he?
"Hello." Nylene smiled down at him. "Had a little rest?"
Eclipse nodded. He yawned, stretching his forelegs. Looking around, he recognized the place they were at. Tarik's room. Tarik was gone and so were Darren and Vol'Shalai. Nylene had stayed behind to watch over him, it seemed. Eclipse shivered, relaxing.
"Whu-what time is it?" he asked, holding a hoof in front of his muzzle as he yawned again.
"Late. Or early. Depending on your perspective. You can sleep more if you wish, I shall not leave you."
"Where's Darren?"
"Asleep in the hold. So is Vol'Shalai. I believe Tarik went on deck to think about their conversation. He agreed to let you rest in his room." Nylene talked with a low voice, almost a whisper. "I suppose he's growing fond of you. What do you think?"
"I think I'm gonna sleep some more," Eclipse muttered, almost immediately gone again.
Princess Luna opened her eyes. She drooped her head and heaved a tired sigh.
"You two are overdoing it." Celestia rushed to her side, carefully putting her foreleg around he sister. Cadence sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"I shall rest now," Luna assured her. "It was worth it, I managed to talk to Eclipse once again." She smiled. "They are on their way to Booty Bay, then Stormwind City."
"Stormwind!" both Jonathan and Twilight exclaimed. "The capital city of the Alliance?" Twilight asked.
Jonathan nodded. "That's the one."
"Why?" She tilted her head. "I thought Darren was from Lordaeron, not Stormwind."
"Yes. But pretty much everyone who survived the massacre in Lordaeron went to Stormwind. Which, mind you, weren't that many. Most got slaughtered on the way out."
Cadence made a disgusted face, then she hummed thoughtfully. "Do you think he wants to check if he has family there?" she asked.
"It's the only reason that comes to mind," said Jonathan slowly. "I never was in Stormwind and so wasn't he for that matter. As far as I know anyway."
"The capital, you say?" Luna smiled. "There might be creatures there who can help them with their side of the portal."
Twilight's eyes lit up. "Yes! We have the magical mirror here; if they had something similar it would be much easier to establish a link! All they would need is... oh..." Her ears folded back. "The help of someone who wields the Light... and also a skilled mage..."
"How skilled are we talking?" Jonathan asked. "You managed pretty well the last time you made a portal."
Twilight sighed, scratching the lavender fur on her muzzle with a hoof. "Ugh... I had help on this side... Celestia's help, remember? And my Cutie Mark is literally Magic. I don't mean to brag but I'm one of the most powerful mages on Equestria. I guess in order to create a working portal they would need a mage with a lot of experience. Most likely an archmage."
"Well, shit." Jonathan grimaced. "There aren't that many."
"I could go to Azeroth myself..." Twilight offered hesitantly.
"No," Celestia said instantly, shaking her head. "We should only do that as a last resort. We don't know where you might end up. You could appear in the midst of an ocean or in hostile territory. It's extremely dangerous."
"I know." Twilight huffed, desperately trying to think of alternatives.
"Do you know of any archmages?" Luna asked.
"Well, both the Alliance and the Horde have a few. The Council of Six is made up of archmages," Twilight said. "But they're usually in Dalaran, and that's too far from where our friends are. Uh..." She tapped her head as if that might help her remember more.
"Jaina Proudmoore?" Jonathan offered.
"Right, she's very powerful," Twilight agreed. "And isn't she a member of that council?"
"Not sure. Also, I have no idea where she might be," Jonathan admitted. "Or if she would even want to help. I got a feeling she doesn't like the Undead. I think she dated Arthas Menethil before, you know, he became the Lich King."
"That does not bide well," Luna muttered, exchanging a worried look with Cadence.
"I see," said Celestia. "I'm afraid that's something that Darren needs to find out somehow. We should try our first approach; the portal with two fixed points. And only if that fails am I ready to let you go to Azeroth again," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"Of course." Twilight nodded.
"I will cast the spell as soon as I am able," Luna promised.
"Thank you all for your help," Twilight said. "Really. I'll tell Feather and White the news right away."
"Of course." Luna bowed her head.
Jonathan crossed his arms and grimaced. "Man, I just hope they don't get into much trouble before we can set up the link. Just got a feeling they might be in over their heads."
"I hope you're wrong," muttered Cadence.
"Land!" The cry from the crow's nest was followed by multiple cheers. Eclipse and Darren joined in them as well. Vol'Shalai just grinned.
"Can not wait to go land, huh?" He spat into the air, watching the cherry pit fly in a wide arc and disappear between the waves.
"Neither can I," said Nylene. When she spat out her cherry pit it flew a bit further than Vol'Shalai's. "Do not mistake me for a thrill-seeker..." - Darren snorted incredulously - "...but a fortnight in the same place is not my idea of a time well spent."
"Wouldn't say it was a waste," said Tarik. He took a pair of cherries from the box he was holding and passed it over to Darren. Tarik stuffed the fruit into his mouth and grimaced, frowning.
Levinia mumbled thoughtfully. Sitting on the railing, the pegasus let her head rest on her forelegs as she watched their competition. "Does it even taste like anything?" she asked Tarik sceptically.
"No." Tarik's cherry pit landed in the water and sank immediately. "But I'm still going to win."
Darren smirked and passed the box on to Eclipse. "What's the score?"
"Nylene's furthest," Levinia stated. "At this rate she's going to score highest."
"Can't have that," Tarik muttered, wiggling his fingers to get the box from Eclipse.
As soon as Tarik had the box Eclipse flapped his wings to make a jump and hook his forelegs over the railing.
"Careful there," said Darren, quickly catching Eclipse's barrel before he could slip and drop into the water. Steadying himself, Eclipse found a way to hold onto the railing properly.
"I can't see anything," he said, disappointed. He was sure he looked in the right direction but there was just more water. Darren helped him down to the floor.
"Patience, kid," he said. "Give it a few hours until we land."
"Do they taste sweet?" Levinia asked, this time Eclipse.
"Uh-huh. Can I have another, please?"
"Only two left," said Tarik, tilting the box so the last two cherries fell out and into the colt's outstretched hooves.
"Thanks!"
"Can you describe them a bit more for me, please?" Levinia asked, an unexpected longing in her voice.
"Uh... they're sweet? Tasty?" Eclipse said hesitantly. "I dunno."
"They're juicy," Nylene said. "When you bite them they split open and the flesh of the fruit turns flat between your tongue and your palate. And the sweetness is like sitting under a harvest moon, between rows and rows of cherry trees after a long day's work."
"Thanks," Levinia whispered, her eyes teary.
Nylene nodded, smiling knowingly.
"Come on, let's go pack our things," Darren suggested.
"Levinia! A word?"
Levinia perked up. She trotted over to Darren, ignoring the slightly scared looks from a group of humans who were also packing.
"Yes, what is it?"
Darren pulled a face. "Look -"
Levinia frowned. "You want me to turn into a wisp. Again."
"Well..." Darren nodded, shrugging apologetically. "It's safer that way. Booty Bay is a neutral town. A lot of people there make money by - doing questionable things."
"Such as?" Levinia asked sharply. The air around her turned cold. The humans close to them grabbed their things and hurried outside.
"Buying and selling volatile information. Or goods. Or people."
Levinia groaned and ran a hoof over her translucent muzzle.
"You know what? No," she said. "I won't turn into a wisp again. I don't want to."
"Levinia - " Darren began.
"No!" Levinia repeated, this time with more emphasis. Her ghostly voice echoed through the hold, chasing away the last remaining passengers, two orcs and Miindra. "I really think you're underestimating us, Darren. By far. Pardon my Prench but you still totally think like a weak human. Let's see who we are, all right? We've got you, a death knight who can take on several people at once without even breaking a sweat; Tarik - same thing, probably times two, since he's undead. Me - a spirit who literally can't die..."
"You still can get vanquished," Darren protested half-heartedly.
"A moot point if I shout loud enough." Levinia grinned. Then she turned serious again. "Next, we've got Nylene who's a demon hunter that can move as fast as a shadow; Vol'Shalai, a powerful shaman; and even Eclipse, who's only a colt..."
"Alright, I get it," Darren interrupted her. "You're adamant about it, aren't you."
Levinia nodded. "Yes. I am. Darren, I really like you guys and don't want you to get hurt but I'm not going to hide who I am. I wanna spread my wings, I wanna walk and talk and hug. Is that really, honestly, too much to ask?"
Darren sighed and nodded. "No. No, it's not. But then we shouldn't stay in Booty Bay any longer than absolutely necessary. We buy what we need for the rest of the way and then we leave."
Levinia sighed, relieved. "Thank you. But where in Stranglethorn Valley are we going to sleep?"
"You don't sleep," Darren remarked, shouldering his bag.
Levinia just rolled her eyes at that. "You're one to talk."
"But if we're lucky, we won't have to stay there at all. You'll see."
When they walked across the plank that conneced the Maiden's Fancy to the pier, Eclipse noticed with surprise that it was much easier for him to keep his balance than two weeks ago. Carrying his small saddlebag on his back and clad in his new blue robe, he jumped the last step and looked back. Vol'Shalai put a hand on his back, encouraging him to keep walking and make way for the following passengers. Eclipse stepped aside and let them pass. It was strange; even though he was relieved to get off that ship he had the faint feeling of leaving something familiar behind. He felt funny standing on the unmoving wooden planks of the pier. Eclipse could not shake the impression that it was the ground that was bobbing up and down instead of the waves.
Vol'Shalai laughed. "Ya got sea legs," he said.
"Sea legs?"
Nylene, who had been walking behind Vol'Shalai, grinned. "You've grown used to the up and down of the waves. Once that is gone you need to adapt back. Come on, little pony. Let's see where our human friend is taking us."
"Is Tarik coming along?" Eclipse asked. He looked around. Booty Bay really was a bay, framed by tall yellow rocks and lush green jungle. It was the strangest town Eclipse had ever seen. There were normal houses but some seemed to have been built from derelict ships. He could even spot a crow's nest. And the buildings hung on the rocks like spiders in web. Walkways, ramps, stairs and bridges made of wood connected the different levels. There was no beach, the cliffs just ended where the water began. It was loud; over the crashing of the waves Eclipse's ears were assaulted by the shouts of sailors, fiddle music, the sound of jungle drums and the shrill cries of exotic birds in the palm trees. His ears swiveled this way and that and so did his head, trying to take in everything at once.
"Thank the gods they're gone," a sailor hissed to his colleague as they tied another rope around a wooden pole to secure the ship. "When was the last time we had a mess like this?"
"Dunno," the other goblin replied. "Was kinda fun to watch, though."
"Before you go down the slope towards the boat, turn left. They're at the second building along, just after the armorcrafter," a female goblin just told Darren.
"... to Stormwind anyway," Nylene said. "Eclipse?" She nudged him with a finger.
"Huh!" Eclipse jumped. He blushed, feeling as if he had been caught distracted during class. "Sorry. Can you repeat that, please?"
Nylene smiled. "There is a lot to see here, isn't there?"
Eclipse nodded. Then he remembered Nylene could not see that and added, "Yeah."
"What I said is that Tarik's travelling to Stormwind anyway. We can journey there together."
"Oh, cool! What does he want to do there?" Eclipse asked.
"I do not know, he didn't say."
"Oh, okay." Eclipse found that he was more interested in his immediate surroundings. As they walked along the lowest footbridge, many gazes followed them. But it was not just his friends, Eclipse realized. The other passengers of the Maiden's Fancy were also being scrutinized, mainly by the goblins that seemed to be guarding the port but also by other people who sat or stood close by. The hairs on his neck rose as a shiver ran down his back. The travellers quickly spread in all directions, disappearing to other levels, into houses or through a tunnel entrance that led straight into the cliffs at Eclipse's left. Eclipse would have liked to disappear, too. He felt so terribly obvious, standing out like a sore horn, being the only pony around.
No, to be fair, there was Levinia, too. She cantered over to him and put a foreleg around his shoulder, making him smile.
Darren made a beeline for the bank. Unfortunately, the building was on the other side of the bay. They needed to walk all around town, following the semicircle of wooden piers that made up the port around Blackwater Cove.
"Plate'n'Chain? Again?" he heard Eclipse's voice from behind.
He cast a quick look back to make sure they had not lost anybody. No, the group was complete. Nylene and Levinia were close to Eclipse who had just read a sign, Vol'Shalai walked beside Tarik. The troll wore a strange expression as he looked at the palm trees up on the cliffs. And there, right ahead, was the bank, a sturdy two-storey stone house.
Darren walked to the counter which was a simple window just like in Ratchet.
"Welcome to Stranglethorn Trust," a grumpy goblin told him, trying in vain to glaze over her boredom with a chipper voice. She flicked her bright blue, obviously dyed, hair back. "Name?"
"Darren Houndslayer. Say, where can I buy supplies for travelling?"
The goblin touched a small magical orb that sat on the counter next to her and stroked its surface as if she wanted to find a gem in a small box. A shallow bowl lay next to the orb, perhaps for change.
"Ah, there ye are. Hound-slay-er, Darren." She looked up at Darren, passing him the orb. He hesitantly touched the artefact, waiting for the list of his belongings to appear before his mind's eye. "Ya might wanna see Graves," the banker added.
"Pardon?" Darren returned the orb to her and watched as some gold coins appeared in the shallow bowl. He quickly added them to the shrinking amount in his wallet.
"Graves. That goblin over there, on the crate. He's an auctioneer. Can make ye a real good deal if ya're the only one buyin'. And it's one hell of a slow day, considerin' the Maiden just arrived. Ye be the first one passin' by." She had a weird way of talking, a mix between the speech of dwarves and sailors with the hint of a trollish accent. It was extremely difficult to place and confusing as hell.
"Thank you," said Darren politely, raising a hand for something of a wave.
"Sure." The goblin leaned back and put her legs on the counter, folding her hands behind her head. "Great doin' business with ye." She closed her eyes, well aware that nobody except her could activate the crystal orb.
Shaking his head in bewilderment, Darren stepped away from the counter. He made some quick calculations in his head. Satisfied with the result, he turned to Eclipse who had watched them curiously.
"So I heard that somebody promised you a shield," he said, earning a big grin from the pony.
Levinia sat down on a smaller crate next to the goblin who was called Graves and set her head down on her crossed forelegs. A mosquito tried to land on her but flew away as soon as it touched her cold barrel. Vol'Shalai seemed to be in a strange mood. He kept frowning and pursing his lips as if chewing on words. She could sense that he was in some kind of inner conflict. Maybe she would ask him about it later on. After Darren was done buying Eclipse his gift.
Now the human was thoroughly inspecting a shield offered by the auctioneer, tapping the wood, turning it in his pale hands, running two fingers over the inner surface, looking for flaws. The goblin tried to convince him to buy something else as well, a pair of matching linen bags he had found difficult to sell. Apparently, somebody had found them in a place called The Barrens. They looked strangely familiar. The bags were bulky and contained a number of parchment scrolls, a long, dried inkwell, a broken quill, and some glass vials with colored liquids in them.
"We never identified the potions," Mr Graves said. "Be careful, they're at least two years old. And the notes are in a language nobody seems to know. You look well-read to me, maybe you're up for a puzzle?" He grinned widely, a sight that would have discouraged Levinia from buying anything from him, least of all a pair of worn old saddlebags -
That was when the bit dropped. Levinia jumped off the crate and pulled the surprised Darren aside.
"Buy it," she whispered urgently. "Ditzy will pay you for it later. Just don't let him keep it."
"What?" Darren muttered back. "Why?"
"I'll explain later," she promised.
"Alright. But you don't have to pay, I got it covered," said Darren.
"People here seem unfazed by the sight of a pony ghost," Nylene remarked dryly, mumbling into Tarik's ear.
The death knight nodded sagely. "Pirates," he said. "They are used to seeing loa and spirits - all kinds of things. It's the rum, I suppose."
Nylene snickered into her fist.
Darren bought the bags and shield, along with a piece of paper. They would get food for it in the Salty Seaman, he explained, and passed the bags over to Levinia.
She accepted the gift with eagerness and quickly opened the bags while automatically following Darren around a corner. Withdrawing a parchment roll with her mouth, Levinia could feel excitement building up inside her. With a shivering hoof, she unrolled the scroll. Lines over narrow lines covered the paper, the small, intricate letters of someone who wrote many words in one go.
"I knew it!" she stage-whispered. "See?" She passed the scroll to Darren.
"Oh dear Light," it escaped Darren. He stopped dead in his tracks. "That's Twilight's."
"What?!" Eclipse and Vol'Shalai blurted out, each in his native tongue.
"Listen to this," Darren said, "Day six: I still can't get the portal to compensate for the spacial differential. Maybe Celestia has an idea. It can't be the - the axis shear; when I went to Canterlot High that was not a problem at all. R-A-B-twelve minus one half R-G' and so forth... that's a formula... The page goes on like that. It's a scientific journal. About the portal she created, most likely." He looked up and quickly returned the scroll to Levinia. "That's invaluable," he whispered, beaming with excitement. "How did you know?"
"These are saddlebags for an Equestrian pony. And the scrolls are the ones Twilight always uses. Everypony knows she buys them in bulk." Levinia grinned. "She's not just famous for being a princess." She laughed happily. "You know, all those coincidences... sometimes I can't help but think somepony's watching over us."
"A beautiful notion," said Nylene.
"Or a creepy one," Eclipse muttered.
Darren had not joked; he really was in a hurry. After exchanging the coupon from the bank for food and supplies at the local tavern, he surprised Eclipse by pointing at a flight of stairs inside the same building. They followed him up through the dimly-lit room. After the stairs came a room with tables, then more stairs and finally a ladder. Vol'Shalai quickly put Eclipse on his shoulders so the colt would not have to climb the steep steps.
They passed through a doorway and found themselves on a strange balcony that looked like the bow of an actual ship. Darren stopped, confused.
"I do hope there's magic involved because that doesn't look structurally sound," Levinia said from behind.
Eclipse jumped off Vol'Shalai and looked back.
"Holy shit," he muttered.
"Don't curse," Darren immediately scolded him.
"Sorry. But seriously, look!" He pointed at the house they had just left. It hung so high up the cliff that Eclipse felt almost dizzy looking down. He was not used to heights.
I was okay with being high up in my dream, he thought. Maybe I need to train myself to get used to it.
"I think we're on the wrong roof," Tarik commented.
"I think you're right." Darren frowned.
"No, no, dis be just right," Vol'Shalai said in Orcish. "Only for me, though, I tink." He grinned and made a step to the left side of the balcony to another flight of stairs Eclipse had not noticed before.
"Oh my goodness, more stairs?" Levinia said incredulously while Vol'Shalai disappeared around the corner. "I think I'm gonna fly for a bit." She flapped her wings and took off, turning into a wisp. Floating high above them, she circled the bay.
Eclipse followed Vol'Shalai around the corner, onto a wooden platform, and gasped. Vol'Shalai was sitting on a manticore!
"Want to come, too?" the troll asked with a grin.
"N-no, thanks," Eclipse stammered. "I'm good."
"Eh, you go with Darren," Vol'Shalai agreed. "I see ya later. I'll take this wyvern, he seem ta like me well enough," he added, turning to the goblin that stood next to him, holding the reins of another manticore. Now that Eclipse had a closer look, he noticed that the manticore was different to the ones in his school books. Its lion body was more lean, the head smaller and the bat wings larger. Only the scorpion tail seemed the same proportion-wise. And then there was the saddle on its back. This creature was born to fly. So that's why Vol'Shalai sat on it: He was renting a flying mount.
"See you later," said Eclipse and returned to the other balcony. "Vol'Shalai is renting a manticore," he told the others.
"We call them wyverns, or wind riders," Darren said. "They're sentient, by the way."
"Really? And you use them as mounts? And they let you?"
"I believe Twilight Sparkle lets Spike ride on her back, too," Darren countered. "But you're right, they don't let just anyone ride on them. Neither do gryphons. Which might be a problem."
"We shall see," Nylene said calmly.
Levinia returned from her flight and resumed her pegasus form, landing gracefully on the balcony.
"I found the other flightmaster," she said. "Up there." She pointed at a platform to their right.
"How do we get there? I don't see a ladder," said Tarik. "Don't tell me we have to go back down and then use the footbridges."
Darren shrugged apologetically.
Miindra of the Aldor slid the letter into a mailbox and sighed sadly. She felt guilty. But she knew she had to report this. It was too much of an abnormality to let it slide.
She had gotten suspicious when Darren had immediately stormed into that room of the hurting death knight. Even Miindra had sensed the painful tremor running through the fabric of existence and she was merely a paladin and not an undead of the Scourge. That strange ghost pony creature that tagged along with the troll like a loa... she behaved as if she was perfectly fine with being dead. An impossibility by itself. And, to top it all off, there was Darren himself, a death knight in all aspects save the fact that he was very much alive...
At first she had considered writing to the Aldor themselves. But this was not just a matter of the Light and the spirit world. There was magic beyond her ken involved. It did not help that the strangers always stayed together; there had been no chance for her to talk to the ghost or the death knight alone. With a shiver, she recalled the features of that demon hunter. She reminded her too much of the Betrayer who had occupied her beloved Holy Temple of Karabor.
No, there was no other way. She had done the right thing. The person she had addressed the letter to would know what to do. Miindra was sure of it.
A faint flash of light shone through the slit of the mailbox, indicating that the letter was on its way. Miindra hoped that the arcane priority stamp had been the correct one. She sent a silent prayer to the Light and left for the Salty Seaman.
To Eclipse's utmost relief, the gryphon Darren decided to rent appeared much less threatening to him than Vol'Shalai's wyvern. It moved its big head around in sharp twitches, nervous like any other bird, but Eclipse felt some kind of weird connection to it, a familiarity that might come from his own pegasus heritage. The gigantic creature was big enough to carry both Darren and Nylene and even left space for Eclipse to sit between the two of them. Levinia turned into a light and sat on Eclipse's head as a weightless fourth passenger.
Tarik watched them securing themselves on the back of the lion-bird creature, his hand holding the strap of Twilight's saddlebags. Nylene put her arms around Eclipse and reached for a handle that was sewn to the saddle. Darren sat in the front and took hold of the reins. Eclipse felt uncomfortable, not because of the gryphon but because he could not fly by himself. If he fell off he would probably die. Okay, Nylene would most likely catch him. But still, his stomach tied into a knot at the thought.
"What about you?" Eclipse wanted to ask Tarik but then he noticed that the knight raised his hand. He pulled a small whistle from his pocket and blew into it. The shrill tone made Eclipse flinch. "Ouch," he hissed, holding his ringing ears. Nylene gently took his foreleg and placed it on the handle again.
Something shrieked in the distance. A shadow approached, a small dot out of nowhere, and swiftly descended to the flight master platform. It was a creature that looked eerily familiar to Eclipse even though he had never seen one in real life. If such a term was even appropriate. The undead gryphon looked a lot like the one Darren had sat on in his memories. It was almost as tall as their own gryphon but it had no feathers: It was a skeleton. The bony wings flapped up and down, using a magic unknown to Eclipse to keep the creature airborne.
"I sent her ahead," Tarik explained. He put the whistle back into his pocket and waited for his mount to land. The gryphon slammed its vicious claws into the platform, startling the live one. Darren pulled at the reins and stroked the gryphon's side to calm it down.
Tarik quickly walked over to his abomination and greeted it by patting its beak. "Hello, my girl," he said quietly. "Ready for our next ride?" As an answer, the gryphon laid down on her belly, making it easier for Tarik to swing his leg over her back and sit down in the saddle. He bound Twilight's bags to the saddle and tugged at them, making sure they would not fall off.
Eclipse noticed that Darren's shoulders slumped forward a little. Was he sad? Now he straightened his back and tilted his beckbone forward. Pressing his knees together, Darren bent forward and clicked his tongue.
With a big leap, the gryphon jumped off the platform. Eclipse let out a yelp and held on for his dear life. Nylene laughed; Darren cast a worried look backwards.
"I'm okay, I'm okay!" Eclipse called over the wind.
"Do you know the way to Stormwind?" Nylene shouted.
"No! But Kansan here does," Darren replied, calling over his shoulder.
"Oh dear," said Nylene, loudly enough for Eclipse to hear.
Eclipse clutched the handle with both hooves, holding his head as low as he could. The wind made his black mane and his robe flutter around wildly but the sudden chill did not bother him at all. Was it his pegasus blood or something else? When he realized that the take-off would be the wildest maneuver for a while he gradually relaxed and dared to look around. As they rose through a low-hanging cloud they quickly left Booty Bay behind.
The land ahead was extremely green and covered by gigantic deciduous trees. Hills and hills were cut in half by a long river that flowed from north to south. As they flew further north, with the sun in their backs, Eclipse discovered more things below: Massive stone gates similar to those on the Echo Isles, blocky ruins and an enormous whirlpool of water right in the middle of it. In the west, Eclipse saw the ocean they had crossed with the Maiden's Fancy, seamed by long, white beaches.
"Elune's light, what is that?" That was Nylene.
"The whirlpool? No idea," Darren replied.
"Looks like somepony pulled the plug in the middle of Stranglethorn," Eclipse observed. "Where does all the water go?"
Nobody could answer that. They kept on flying and after half an hour or so they found the wyvern, steadily gliding ahead of them.
"There! Vol'Shalai!" Eclipse stretched out a hoof. Nylene touched his foreleg again, encouraging him to hold on to the handle.
Darren nudged the gryphon to fly a little faster and soon they caught up with the wyvern. Eclipse looked back: Now they were in a formation of three in which Darren and Tarik took advantage of the slipstream of Vol'Shalai's beast. The creatures moved in perfect sync like the Wonderbolts at one of their famous performances.
"Levinia," Darren called. "Would you please ask Vol'Shalai to land?"
The blue light ascended and sped ahead to sit down behind Vol'Shalai. She turned into a pegasus and said something to Vol'Shalai who nodded and pulled at his wyvern's reins.
As they descended into the green, Levinia quickly returned to Eclipse's head.
"And ya be sure ya wanna do dis?" Vol'Shalai asked. He was still sitting on his mount, holding the reins down to keep it from moving around too much. It dug at the ground with a paw, eager to fly again.
"There's no other way," Darren said. "It's too dangerous for a member of the Horde. We humans can pass for Alliance and so can Nylene. The ponies are a different matter altogether."
Vol'Shalai nodded reluctantly. "I'm aware," he admitted. "But I made a promise, my friend."
"And you kept it," said Darren, climbing off the gryphon. Eclipse jumped after him, flapping his wings to slow the fall.
"Thank you for coming with us this far." Darren stretched out a hand and Vol'Shalai took it, shaking it firmly.
Eclipse jumped up to hug the troll. Vol'Shalai caught him with two hands and held him to his chest for a moment. Eclipse felt heat creeping into his cheeks and nose and he hiccupped.
"I'll miss ya too, likkle pony," Vol'Shalai said hoarsely. "Look after - Darren for me,... right?" he added in Common.
Eclipse nodded, wiping his eye with the back of his hoof. "Bye," he said. Would they ever see each other again? Once Eclipse returned home - probably never. "Th-thank you for teaching me the House game," he stammered. He wanted to say more, to tell him how grateful he was for him healing Darren, for being there for Eclipse, for his tasty cooking and his jokes and his kindness but the words got stuck in his throat. He hoped that Vol'Shalai would still know somehow.
"You're welcome. Spirits be wit ya, everybody."
"Farewell," said Nylene, bowing her head. "Walk in the light of the stars."
Tarik, who had said nothing and also remained in the saddle, respectfully nodded at the troll.
Vol'Shalai gave them a last friendly wave and took off. The wyvern flapped its enormous wings and carried him away. He was gone way too quickly and all that was left was a groove in the sand where his mount had landed. Eclipse felt another wave of sadness welling up.
Darren nudged Eclipse. The colt spun around and hugged him, looking for consolation. Holding Eclipse tightly, Darren said nothing. Eventually, the tears subsided. Darren let go of him and they both climbed onto the back of their mount.
Eclipse had not expected he would have to say Goodbye to Vol'Shalai so soon. He also never had to say Goodbye for good before. It was terrible, he decided. Was it like that for everyone who travelled far away from home? If so, he did not want to go on any adventures. He closed his eyes, held on to the handle of the saddle, and sighed. He felt tired and also a bit angry. He could have spent more time with his friend. Or could he? If he had, he probably still would have thought it had not been enough. Vol'Shalai was like the nice uncle he didn't have, the one that taught you games and how to spit cherry pits very far, just fun stuff. Eclipse also liked how confident the troll was even though nobody except Darren had understood his language. Vol'Shalai knew how not to be a stranger. Eclipse knew that was not easy to pull off when you stand out.
After passing over a long mountain ridge, they landed in a dark, gloomy forest. It was cool, much colder than Stranglethorn Valley. Everyone climbed off their gryphons. Darren let go of the reins and the gryphon quickly disappeared between the gnarled trees.
Eclipse stared at Darren. "Isn't he going to run away?"
"No, just hunting," Darren said calmly. "He'll return when he's satisfied."
Levinia flew down from Eclipse's head and turned into a pegasus. "We should get a fire going. I can help collect some wood if you want."
Darren nodded. "I'll join you."
"I don't feel cold," Eclipse said slowly. He tapped at the ground, digging at it with a hoof. "The ground is pretty chilly and the wind, too, but... I dunno, I just don't mind. Maybe it's because I'm a shadow pony. Like Sombra. I basically come from the snow and ice." He grinned. "Huh. Cool."
"I don't need a fire, either," said Nylene. "With the demon fire inside my veins I never get cold."
"I see," said Darren. "Suppose we can skip that, then. Since I'm also impervious to freezing temperatures. Tarik?" he asked more out of politeness.
"I'm dead," Tarik said flatly.
There was an awkward moment as they all realized the weirdness of the situation, looking at each other. Fire was one of the first things on the basic survival priority list and they could just dismiss that point.
"Well." Darren sat down on the next best rock. "Time for dinner, then," he declared.
The sun had already set, an event they more or less missed due to the high mountains around and the dense foliage above them. Darkness enveloped them like a cloak. Mist rose from the ground, creating eerie shadows. A wolf howled in the distance and was quickly silenced by something else. Eclipse shuffled a little closer to Darren, clutching his piece of bread like a stuffed toy. Levinia's ghostly appearance was the only source of light, not the warm light of a hearth but a dead, somehow distant glow.
Nylene gave Eclipse an encouraging smile.
"Don't you worry, An'dorei," she said. "With us around, nothing can touch you."
"It's so creepy here," Eclipse muttered defiantly. "We should have made a fire. Vol'Shalai would have needed a fire."
A crow landed next to him, cawing loudly. Eclipse gave off a startled yelp. The fur on his back bristled.
"A raven," Darren said casually. "Want to feed it?"
Eclipse shook his head, frowning fearfully. He tightly folded his wings.
"I'll share," said Darren. He crumbled a part of his own slice of bread and scattered the crumbs on the earth in front of him.
"What's that word you just used?" Eclipse asked to distract himself.
"An'dorei? That's you," Nylene said. "A child of the snow. Do you like it?"
Eclipse nodded. "Yeah, it's nice."
The raven stalked closer on its two thin legs, folding its wings. It was a big animal, its wingspan almost the same as Eclipse's, with a sharp bright beak and intelligent eyes. Picking at the breadcrumbs, its head twitched around, trying to keep an eye on Eclipse and Darren who were closest to its newest food source.
"He looks kinda smart," Eclipse remarked as he watched the raven. Even though the creature scared him a little he could not help his curiousity.
"Ravens are smart animals," Nylene said. "Thay can be loyal and patient and fun. They know when they are being spied upon; they are sometimes mischievous and downright wicked. Some even hold grudges when you upset them." She grinned, showing her demonic fangs.
"Come on, don't scare him," Levinia scolded her.
Nylene's face fell. "I did not mean to."
The raven looked up, waiting for more breadcrumbs to drop. Darren quickly obliged and left the remainder of his meal to the bird. The raven devoured all of it, then it fluttered up and away. It landed on a dark, mossy branch, at a safe distance to the group, and cawed ominously.
"When did you upset a raven?" Darren asked curiously.
Nylene's grin returned. "I did not. But my dear baby sister used to keep trying to catch ravens. She loved to stroke their black feathers and she collected all the feathers the birds dropped in our grove. But she was not exactly a druid. There was that one time she'd built a trap using a box and string and, I believe, skethyl berries. The raven wasn't a fool, though. It quickly realized the trap was a trap and threw the berries back into her face. I laughed so hard..." Nylene smiled fondly. "She's long gone to the Shadowlands but I'll always remember her face." She laid her head back, pressing her lips together.
Levinia trotted over to her and gave her a hug.
"I'm fine, that was a lifetime ago," Nylene assured her.
Levinia did not let go until Nylene gently pushed her away without complaint.
"Is Vol'Shalai going to fly all the way to Kalimdor?" Eclipse asked. "Cause that's a long way. What if the wyvern needs to eat?"
"There is a zeppelin tower not too far from Booty Bay. He'll fly to Orgrimmar from there." Darren put a blanket on the ground and sat down on it, leaning against the fallen tree. Eclipse joined him, scooting over close to Darren's side.
"Cause the ship is gonna stay in port for a while?"
"That and he wants to do some business in the city. He can't return home for a year, remember?"
"Oh, right..." Eclipse muttered. He had completely forgotten about that.
Levinia trotted over to them and sat down next to the blanket.
"How about we have another look at Twilight's notes?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Darren smirked and shook his head. "Tomorrow. It's too dark and humid. The parchment wouldn't appreciate that."
"You mean, Twilight wouldn't." Levinia rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine... But I want to do something. It's not bedtime yet."
Eclipse's ears folded down and he sighed sadly. Bedtime... Levinia felt a pang of guilt. He probably thought of his own bed at home and of his family. Darren put an arm around the colt's shoulder but Eclipse shrugged it off and turned away.
Levinia jumped up and stretched her legs and wings. "Well, I'm not going to sit here doing nothing. See you guys later." She flapped her wings and sped up into the sky, rushing past the low-hanging branches. The raven gave off a surprised squawk and fluttered to another tree.
As she rose up into the sky, leaving the gloomy forest behind her, Levinia looked around. Maybe she could spot the moon. There it was, in the east, hanging low above the mountains. And there was the other, smaller one. It had already climbed further up in the sky, joined by the first stars. The mist between the trees was like a blanket. It stretched as far as the eye could see. Up north, Levinia saw a grove with a gigantic tree, its full crown so large that she wondered how ancient it was. A thousand years or even more? Behind it, a river cut through the forest. And far away in the distance there was the shadow of a high mountain. But she suspected that they would not fly that far. Darren had bought food for a week or so and she was sure he was good at calculating these kinds of things. She kept flying around, following a street in the woods, but as she came closer to the grey mountains in the east she decided that she better returned to the camp.
Vol'Shalai is flying on his wyvern, looking left and right. He has not noticed Eclipse who is sitting right behind him.
Eclipse cautiously touches his back. Vol'Shalai twitches and pulls hard at the reins.
The wyvern roars in confusion and makes a nosedive. Eclipse is thrown off the saddle. He falls and falls, through the clouds that do not support his weight, through branches that slice his face open. With a crack, he hits the dirty ground.
Everything hurts. Eclipse tries to stand up. On shaking legs, he drags himself to the nearest tree. He cannot walk anymore. Stumbling like a drunk, he hits the tree with a hoof.
The bark splits open, revealing a hidden room. Eclipse walks inside and finds himself in a familiar place. There's his bed, the window, Peridot's bed and the desk. But everything looks abandoned and sterile. Peridot is lying in her bed. As she sees him, she sits up.
"Who are you?" she asks, frowning at him.
"What? It's me, Eclipse!" How can she not know him? "Your brother," Eclipse adds, desperation worming its way up through his stomach.
"My brother's not a cloud," Peridot says, hiding her head under her blanket. Her muffled voice sounds through the feathers, "You're creepy."
Eclipse is a black cloud of smoke. He rushes past Peridot and escapes through the door. Down, down, down the stairway - the living room looks wrong. Hammocks are hanging from the ceiling. Eclipse the shadow cloud lands on the floor and touches a hammock. The ropes that hold the contraption to the ceiling rip apart and the net falls to the carpet. It crumbles and decays, advancing like a swarm of ants crawling across the ground of a forest. The decay reaches the carpet which instantly crumbles, too.
Terrified, Eclipse turns back into a pony, staggering backwards. The floor is blackening, the upper layers of the wooden planks peeling off like ashes in a campfire. He quickly withdraws his hooves as the room is falling apart.
Eclipse jumps, giving off a scared shout, and flaps his little wings. He can't escape the decay. He tries to run, pushing at the ground with his hind legs.
The cawing of a raven roused Eclipse from his sleep. He opened his eyes, looking around his unfamiliar surroundings. He was still on the clearing, lying next to Darren who muttered and grunted in his sleep. It seemed he did not have the nicest dreams, either. Nylene lay on her side, her leathery wings half spread. Her chest rose and fell calmly. Levinia was not back yet. Eclipse had not expected that he would be able to see so well in the dark. Since Levinia's spirit did not illuminate the clearing the mist and black trees seemed closer than they actually were.
Eclipse looked at the fallen tree behind Darren. The raven was back. It was probably the same one as before and it had interrupted his sleep.
"Thanks, raven," Eclipse muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Stupid nightmare."
The bird turned its head to focus on Eclipse with one eye.
"I was a shadow cloud again, you know," Eclipse said, quietly so he would not wake up his friends. "And my sister didn't recognize me. Which is stupid, she wouldn't do that. I mean, she knows I've got Void powers, duh." He sat on his haunches, leaning against Darren. "And Vol'Shalai would never drop me. Why do I dream dumb shit like that..." He cast a look at the sleeping Darren. "Yeah, yeah, don't curse, I know. Bet you used to curse a lot when you were undead." He lay down again, resting his head on his forelegs. "I'm probably just homesick. Do ravens get homesick?"
The raven tilted its head, nervously unfolding its wings and shifting its weight from one spindly leg to another.
"Guess not," Eclipse said. "You're lucky, then. I wish we could go home already. I hate to wait so long." He sniffled and closed his eyes, pulling the blanket over his head.
When dawn broke, almost everyone was in a lousy mood. Levinia was even more bored than in the evening; Tarik was broody as always and Darren's eyes were bloodshot with dark rings underneath as if he had barely rested at all.
Only Nylene sat up, stretching all of her limbs, and happily wished them a good morning.
After a quick breakfast, Darren went into the forest to relieve himself. Eclipse went in the opposite direction, promising he would only hide behind the next best old tree. He did not want to go too far anyway. When he returned, Darren was already back and had rolled up the blankets. He stood next to Kansan the gryphon and inspected his beak and claws. Nodding, he went on to check the saddle for flaws.
Levinia had taken a few pieces of parchment from Twilight's saddlebags and sat on the ground. She flipped through the notes, her face scrunched up in concentration.
"Hey," Eclipse said.
Darren looked up. "Ready to go?"
Eclipse nodded. "Guess so. I can't wait to get out of this creepy forest."
"I thinks it's boring," said Levinia, pursing her lips, without taking her eyes off the notes.
"Well, you don't have to fear for your life out here," Eclipse snapped, regretting his words the moment he said them.
"Neither do you," said Levinia quietly. "I wish you'd realize that."
"Sorry. Dunno why I said that," Eclipse mumbled, rubbing the back of his hoof.
"We better take off," said Darren, raising his voice.
Eclipse cantered over to Kansan and climbed onto the saddle. Levinia stuffed Twilight's notes back into the saddlebags and passed them over to Tarik.
"I really need to wash my clothes," said Nylene, joining Eclipse on the gryphon's back. She tugged at the bandage that covered her left arm, right above the bracers. "Ew," she scoffed with contempt, throwing her dark hair back. "Reeks like one of those filthy demons." That got her a little grin from Eclipse.
"We'll get to a river soon," Levinia promised her.
"Good thinking," Darren praised her. "Your scouting is going to pay off. I'll do my best to get us there before sunset. Once we're through Duskwood we can take things more slowly."
Darren managed to keep his promise. The sun had already passed its highest point when he landed Kansan in close proximity to the river Levinia had discovered the day before. The trees on the opposite riverbank looked bright and healthy, very much unlike the blackened, gloomy forest of Duskwood. Darren helped Eclipse off the mount. While Nylene and Tarik went into the forest to collect some firewood, Darren and Levinia unloaded their things.
"Ow..." Eclipse rubbed his neck and stretched his wings. "Sitting for hours hurts." He squinted his eyes and turned his head. A resounding crack in his spine startled him. "Did I break something?" he squeaked.
Darren chuckled. "Don't worry, you'd know if that were the case. Just stretch slowly if you're not sure." He opened his backpack. His hand disappeared inside it and reappeared with a pouch. "How about some stew?" he asked.
"Okay," Eclipse trotted over. "Do you need any help?"
Darren shook his head.
Levinia assumed her pegasus shape and floated over to Eclipse. "How about we go for a run?" she suggested with a taunting grin.
That sounded like a great idea. Eclipse turned, ready to dash along the river, but Darren called, "Wait!"
"What?" Eclipse froze, his hoof in midair.
"If you leave your robe I can wash it," Darren said.
Eclipse set his hoof down. "Right."
While Levinia helped Eclipse out of his clothes, the fluttering of wings announced the return of the raven.
"You again." Darren eyed the bird as it landed on his shoulder. It cawed, then it stretched its head to reach for the pouch in his hand. Darren shrugged the raven off. It flew up and circled him, then it decided to sit on the undead gryphon's saddle. "Tenacious bird," Darren muttered.
"He likes our food," Levinia speculated. She turned to Eclipse. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah!" Eclipse said, jumping giddily on the spot.
"Then let's race!"
Running alongside the river was like a liberation. Eclipse gallopped as fast as he could with Levinia right beside him. The air rushed past him, caressing his coat; his mane and tail flapped around widly; he skipped over sticks and stones, using his wings for extra speed. The sun shone on his grey fur, warming it up. His hooves thundered against the soft earth. Laughter bubbled up inside him, bursting out like birds from a cage.
Darren sat at the campfire, stirring the stew in his small cooking pot. Eclipse's boyish laughter could be heard from the distance, bringing a faint smile to his face.
Tarik sat next to him, sharpening his runesword. "I'll have a walk, too," the death knight said.
Darren nodded, still listening to the cheering ponies with half an ear. "Good luck," he said, suspecting that Tarik was going to look for an animal to kill.
Nylene stood in the river, working on her hair with a comb. She dipped her head into the water. There, now most of the knots could get undone much more easily. Her hair floated around her head like a veil. Some fish swam by, disturbed by the elvish intruder. Nylene raised her head and rubbed the soap she had brought along onto her arms and chest and neck. All that dirt and blood and sweat from several weeks had probably coloured her burned, almost scaly skin in an even darker tone than it already was. The water took the dirt like a forgiving mother and carried it away. As she washed herself, the tattoos on her body felt as if they glowed brighter. There, now she smelled much better already. Now for her face and ears and, very, very carefully, her eyes.
She had forgotten the feeling of her own hands on her skin. It was as if she got reacquainted with herself, feeling a little more at home in her own body again. Running her soapy hands through her hair, she submerged herself completely, holding her breath. The water was cool and fresh. Then, she went on to her legs, rubbing the soap in. Her feet felt sore. Her toes were almost fused together now, not long until she would have demonic hooves instead. At first, she had been terrified by the thought of further disfiguration but meeting Eclipse had changed her mind. Maybe it would not be so bad to have hooves. She would not need shoes anymore. And at least her hands would remain hands if you did not mind the talon-like fingernails. Nylene smiled and let herself float around in the shallow part of the river. The water flowed over her leathery wings, cleaning them as well.
She stayed in the river for half an hour, then she decided that it was enough. Nylene left the water and set the soap down on a broad stone to let it dry. She checked the wet bandages that she had hung over the branches of a bush. They were still damp. But she had expected that. Nylene covered herself with a linen sheet, tying it into a knot over her heart. She sat down to dry herself up alongside her clothes, letting the summer sun warm up her face and trying to imagine the colour of the trees as the sun's rays shone through them.
The rustling of feet treading on grass made Darren look up from the fire. For a second, he was speechless.
Nylene was back, once again in her sparse armour, cloak and bandages, but she looked quite different. Her fur-laced, admittedly very short pants and her bracers were bright and clean, the stains mostly gone. The bandages on her arms, chest and legs now appeared more like clothing than makeshift first-aid measures. Her cloak was thrown back, revealing her wings and the demonic tattoos on her muscular shoulders, and her dark hair - its actual colour turned out to be a very deep blue - was woven into a long braid. The dark bandage was firmly wrapped around her eyes and bound a little differently than before. She tugged at the cloth, still unused to the way it was now. A hint of green light shimmered through the threads. As she approached him, her mouth turned into a confused smirk.
"What?" she asked.
Darren cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows, facing the stew again. Without looking at Nylene, he stood up and passed her the wooden spoon. "I need to take a bath, too," he rasped.
"Of course." Nylene sat down in Darren's place, crossing her legs. As he faced her again he saw that her smirk had turned into a confident grin. Darren shook his head and gathered everything he needed for doing the laundry.
"See you later," he said curtly.
Nylene was not entirely sure why Darren had suddenly been so stunned by her appearance but since he treated her with the very same respect as before she did not think much of it. Still, she could not help the satisfaction that came with the knowledge that he seemed to deem her beautiful. Stirring the food in the pot above their campfire, she smiled to herself. The way he had hesitated to say anything was probably out of embarrassment or confusion. She decided to hold her tongue about it; he was obviously preoccupied with other things. He had to take care of that little pony, for instance, until they could find a way back to Eclipse's homeworld.
She looked up and noticed Darren return in clean-smelling clothes, a bundle under his arm: Eclipse's robe. At almost the same time, Tarik emerged from the woods.
"Ah," said Darren, setting the robe down on a flat stone, "you've been successful."
Tarik grunted something. He sat down and took off his armour. Was there blood on it? What had he killed?
"What was it?" Nylene asked aloud.
"Spiders," said Tarik, sticking his sword into the earth, the blade scraping at the mix of clay, loess and sand. "Three of them. Going up to my shoulder, believe it or not. Like those damned Forsaken hunter pets."
Darren whistled, genuinely impressed.
Tarik tilted a piece of his armour in his hands. The shilouette of his cold blue aura shifted when he stood up and stalked towards the river with something in his arms. Maybe Tarik felt her gaze on him because he turned around and said, "It hardly helps but I do have standards." Then, he walked away.
"What does he mean?" Nylene frowned. "His smell?"
"Suppose so," said Darren. "After two weeks aboard a ship with a hold full of people I didn't think much of it. But out here that's an issue, of course. Maybe even the reason why this raven keeps turning up."
"They do like carrion," Nylene muttered in agreement.
"Plus, Eclipse has a finer nose." Darren sounded tired.
"Did you - when you came to Equestria - did you smell?" Nylene asked slowly.
"Yes." Darren sat down on the opposite side of the fire. "Until the curse wore off and the decay was reversed."
"I see."
There was an awkward silence. It stretched on and on, only interrupted by Nylene stirring the stew.
Looking for something else to talk about, Nylene's thoughts shifted to the pony.
"You said that Eclipse was adopted," she said eventually.
"Yes. He was found in the wilderness by some guards, I believe. The couple that took him in already had a daughter. Earth pony. She became his big sister."
"Earth pony?" Nylene stopped her stirring. "I don't understand."
"Right, the pony races. That term isn't entirely accurate, mind you. There are earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns. And alicorns, they've got both horn and wings but they're a special case. Usually, the traits are hereditary." Darren scratched his chin. "But the Crystal Ponies and the Umbrum are a different people even though they have similar characteristics..."
"Now you lost me," Nylene said dryly.
"Umbrum? Shadow ponies. Like Eclipse," Darren explained.
"Oh, like Void Elves?"
"Never heard of them. Hm. I think," said Darren, "it's about time we catch up on who's who."
"Shoo!" Tarik waved angrily at the raven. The bird jumped a step away, fluttered its wings and tried its luck with Eclipse's stew.
"Hey!" Eclipse laughed and pulled his bowl away. "You gotta wait your turn."
Nylene chuckled. She tilted her own bowl so that some stew flowed out and dripped onto the floor, along with a few chunks of vegetables. The raven quickly hobbled over to her and picked at the food.
"You're spoiling that wretched bird," Tarik muttered, shaking his head.
"I think we should name him," said Eclipse. "He comes to us every time we eat."
"Who says it's the same raven?" Tarik said, annoyed.
Darren smirked. "Same wingspan, same colours, same voice. And it's as bold as the last time. Sure it's the same raven. So, Eclipse, what do you want to call it?"
Eclipse looked at the raven. The bird raised its head, tilting it a little so one eye rested on him. Then, it flapped its wings and cawed, fluttering up to Eclipse's head.
"Spunky!" he decided with a grin. His ears twitched, turning towards the raven. "I'll call him Spunky. Cause that's what he is."
The black bird squawked and flew away.
"Aw..." Eclipse's ears went down. "He's gone again."
"Don't worry," Levinia consoled him, patting his shoulder. "I'm sure Spunky will be back." She turned to Tarik. "What's your problem with ravens anyway?" she demanded.
"My problem?" Tarik snapped. "They show up on every battlefield to feast on the corpses, that's what. Every time I see these pests they remind me of that."
Darren sighed, raising his brows, but did not object.
"You can see it that way, I suppose," Nylene said slowly. "But who says that this particular raven has ever eaten anything besides berries and grains and... stew?"
"That's unlikely," Tarik grunted, setting his chin.
Levinia frowned. "I see," she said.
"Well, Spunky seems to like us and we're still alive, I mean, moving around and stuff," Eclipse quickly corrected. "He can't be that bad. Maybe he just wants to be friends."
"Right," Levinia agreed.
Tarik rolled his eyes.
Eclipse dug at the ground with a hoof, pushing his now empty bowl aside. He leaned against Levinia's barrel. She put a wing around him like a blanket.
"Where do you wish to stay in Stormwind?" Nylene asked Darren. "At your family's?"
"No." Darren shook his head. "I need to find out if, one, they're still alive and living there and two, if they even recognize me."
"Did you change that much? I mean, yeah, your mane's white now and there's the tattoo on your face..." Eclipse said slowly. "But you didn't age while you were undead, did you?"
"I meant: recognize me as their family," Darren clarified.
"Oh." Eclipse's ears folded back, then they went up again and he smiled encouragingly. "I'm sure it will be okay. You're really cool, I wouldn't know anypony who wouldn't wanna be your friend."
"That's kind of you." Darren made a face. "Let's hope you're correct. My uncle might be there. He married, oof, decades ago. His son could be a parent by now. If they survived the Plague."
Levinia leaned her head onto her forelegs. "What's his name? The uncle's?"
Darren hesitated. "Janeck," he said curtly. He pressed his lips together and said nothing else.
"Like Darren's dead son," Eclipse whispered into Levinia's ear.
Levinia's mouth formed into an O. She grimaced and fell silent, discouraged from continuing the conversation.
After the awkward lunch they decided to keep resting for another hour. Eclipse and Nylene took a nap in the warm sun. Tarik resumed cleaning his armour and blade.
Levinia turned her attention back to Twilight's notes. She tried to understand what the well-read alicorn had written about portals but after a few pages of formulas and paragraphs in an an accumulation of ant-sized letters she had to give up. Passing a scroll on to Darren, Levinia sighed and hung her head.
"This makes no sense to me," she admitted sadly. "I really have no idea how that kind of magic works."
Darren accepted the scroll, unrolled it and huffed in frustration as he came to the same conclusion.
"Know the feeling." He let go with one hand and the scroll rolled shut. "There's no point without the help of a mage or at least someone who studied magic. We could find somebody in Stormwind. And all the while I should keep looking for the Princess when I sleep. The chances are good with the nightmares I keep having," he added dryly.
Levinia nodded in agreement. She tilted her head.
"We'll need a place to stay. And lots of bits. And Eclipse, he needs education. Think about it, Darren, we have no idea how long it might take us to find a way back home. Oh, sweet Celestia, we'll need jobs," she groaned, hiding her face in her hooves.
"You mean, I need a job," Darren corrected. "They don't employ spirits here. As far as I know. Alright, probably not." He rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Dear Light."
"Are you worried you might not find one?" Levinia asked, frowning.
Darren shrugged. "Just - last time was tedious. It took a while until somebody hired me."
"Well, this time you'll be among humans," Levinia said cheerfully. "Those are better chances, I'm sure!"
Darren raised his brows in doubt. "Right."
"And I'm volunteering to look after Eclipse while you work!" Levinia declared with a grin.
Twilight and Jonathan did not hurry as they walked through the streets of the Crystal Empire. Luna had looked very tired. It was obvious she could not attempt another spell this day.
Jonathan noticed that the crystal ponies did not pay him that much attention. So they were in the neighbourhood of Eclipse's where the residents knew about humans. And here was the house of Eclipse's parents.
Twilight rang the bell. The door opened almost immediately, revealing the face of a nervous mother.
"Hi, Feather," said Twilight.
As she saw the relaxed expression on Twilight's and Jonathan's faces, Feather smiled shakily and exhaled.
"How long have you been holding your breath?" Jonathan asked with a frown.
"Basically all the time," Feather said, stepping aside. "Come on in."
Peridot, who sat on the couch, looked up with hopeful eyes. A glossy new set of playing cards was on the coffee table. Jonathan remembered she had given Darren her previous one when he had been in the City Guard's custody. Apparently, she and Feather had played a game and gotten interrupted by the door bell.
Feather gestured for Twilight and Jonathan to sit down and hurried into the kitchen.
"Coffee?" she asked through the open kitchen door.
"Better not," said Jonathan, "I'll walk up the walls. Just water, please."
"I'd take some green tea, please," said Twilight.
While Feather rummaged in the kitchen, Peridot inched closer to Jonathan who had sat down at the other end of the couch.
"Did you find out anything?" she asked.
"Actually, yes. But your Mom is gonna want to hear it, too." He smiled at her.
While Twilight broke the news to Feather and Peridot who both hugged her the second she told them Eclipse was safe, Jonathan became aware of the absence of Eclipse's father. He stood up and walked over to the stairs. He could hear quick rhythmic pounding coming from a room above. Jonathan cast a quick look back at Feather. She blinked, then nodded. He had permission to go upstairs.
As he ascended the stairs he realized how familiar the sound was. He had heard it many times when he had passed by a certain shop in Undercity. What was White's occupation again?
Jonathan followed the sound to a door at the back of the short hallway. He knocked and the sound went on for a few seconds until it stopped.
"Yes, come in!" a muffled voice called from inside.
Jonathan opened the door and found White Alloy standing at an upright apple tree stump that had to weigh as much as the stallion himself. A sturdy piece of metal that resembled a narrow anvil was stuck into the flat top of the stump. White put a simple cup of silver down on a table next to him. He slid the hammer off his foreleg and sighed.
"Any news?" he asked.
"You're a goldsmith?" Jonathan asked, pointing at the cup.
White nodded, wiping his hoof on his apron. "I've been distracting myself. Hitting something with a hammer helps when you're stressed, you know." His eyes met Jonathan's. "Please tell me," he said, sounding tired.
"Right." Jonathan grimaced. "Sorry. Well, Eclipse and Darren and Levinia are all well und, uh, unharmed. They are on their way to Stormwind City, that should be a safe place. And the Princesses are working on a way to get them back. It's just a matter of time now."
White staggered and quickly steadied himself, using the tree stump as support. He closed his eyes for a second.
"Thanks," he said. With two swift steps, the stallion went over to Jonathan and gave the surprised human a hug. "Thank you." White's voice trembled.
"Sh-sure," said Jonathan, slightly embarrassed. "You okay?"
White let go and rubbed his eyes.
"I am now," he said, smiling. He quickly took his apron off and carelessly threw it over the tree stump. "Let's go downstairs and talk some more."
The zeppelin from Grom'gol was scheduled to leave for the City of Orgrimmar on the same day that Darren and Tarik flew their gryphons across the river to Elwynn Forest, the river that they had used for washing themselves and their clothes. Vol'Shalai was not on that zeppelin. At first, he had urged his wyvern to fly him west but as soon as he was out of sight he had landed and waited for a bit. When he was sure that his friends had departed, too, he rose from the canopy of leaves and followed them.
He was very careful, flying mostly at night and resting in the day. Every time Vol'Shalai landed and each time he took off, he asked the spirits for guidance so he would not lose their trail. His mystical bond with Levinia was a tremendous help. He could vaguely tell in which direction the pegasus was.
Oh, how they would complain if they knew! They would tell him to not risk himself getting caught by the Alliance. He had consulted the Loa about it. They had told him to keep his word, the promise to his wife and to his chieftain Rokhan. Gonk, the loa of forms, had suggested that Vol'Shalai take the shape of a spirit wolf and hide in the ethereal realm as soon as he reached Stormwind City. Vol'Shalai liked that plan. It had worked well before. He would remain hidden until his friends and the pony Loa needed him.
The sun was close to the horizon, big and red, when the gryphons reached the foothills of a broad mountain ridge. They had flown over green trees the entire time. Elwynn Forest was vast and stretched all the way from the fields of Westfall to the Redridge Mountains. Eclipse was relieved that this new forest was better than the jungle of Stranglethorn and much healthier than the gloomy, foggy Duskwood. It was just a regular forest with the occasional clearing, creek or farmhouse. Narrow fields dotted the landscape, holes in the thick carpet of leaves and branches that made it up.
There was a tower in the East and a bridge up ahead, spanning across an entire lake. The broad bridge led to an impressive gate, fortified with towers and a large gatehouse, all built from massive grey blocks of stone. Five gigantic stone statues seamed the entrance to the fortress, greeting anyone that wanted to enter or leave. Eclipse recognized three humans, an elven woman with a bow and a bearded short guy holding up a warhammer - that had to be a dwarf.
"What is that castle?" Eclipse shouted over the wind.
"It's not a castle," Darren called. "Look!"
Eclipse kept looking and soon he understood. Darren made the gryphon rise higher up so they were able to peek over the stone wall. An endless sea of colourfol roofs, blue and red and brown, was hidden behind the gate. There were countless houses and streets, a proud fortress and a huge chapel with a high bell tower in the centre of it all. Though, Eclipse suspected, the chapel was probably called something different when it was this large. There was a park not unlike the one in the Crystal Empire, lush and green, and a port where several ships were anchored. The mountains protected the side of the city that faced away from them, the sea was its border on the left, and the fortress on the right looked as if it used the hills as its backbone. Even from here, Eclipse could see tiny people walking up and down the streets, all kinds of creatures and mounts and carts, and gryphons flying in and out of a hole in the sturdy wall. This was a proper city, its size easily rivaling that of his home, not a shabby town like Booty Bay.
A smile spread on Eclipse's muzzle, his heart pounding faster. He was going to meet all kinds of creatures here and learn new things and finally get to sleep in a proper bed. And with the help of the people who lived here they would soon get back home to Equestria.
"Stormwind City," Darren shouted. "We're here."
Nylene patted Eclipse's shoulder affectionately.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Eclipse nodded.
"Yes!" he called. "It's awesome!"
"I thought so," she said with satisfaction. "We shall find a fine place to rest here, An'dorei."
The so-called landing platform for flying mounts was a room literally inside the city walls. One side was open, facing Elwynn Forest and allowing Darren and Tarik to make their gryphons land with ease. The hall was guarded by armed humans and dwarves. Some of them tended to gryphons that sat on piles of hay, others overlooked the landing and taking off of gryphons and gigantic birds. Eclipse spotted a rolled-up carpet in the corner that reminded him of Darren's flying one.
Darren, Nylene and Eclipse climbed off Kansan's back and shouldered their sparse belongings. Darren talked to one of the guards, a human in red and golden leather armour with a large book in his hands and a strange, melodious accent. Eclipse shifted closer to Darren's side, holding his shield more tightly. All these big flying creatures towered over him; there were at least two dozen of them here. Eclipse could feel the curious gazes of both the creatures and people on him. His tail twitched nervously.
Darren told the gryphon master, because that's who that man had to be, that he did not need Kansan anymore. The creature was led away by a dwarf lady. It sat down on a pile of hay. The dwarf walked off, probably to get the gryphon some food and water.
Once Tarik had also made an arrangement with the gryphon master, in his case to have them look after his undead gryphon until he needed her again, he waved for Darren and his friends to follow him. They gladly accepted; following someone who knew his way around made things easier.
They went down a ramp and some stairs. There was a wide archway and more stairs, then, they had left the city walls and were on a street. Eclipse looked back: Two human guards stood on each side of the entrance to the aviary, staring straight ahead. Eclipse smiled at the foreign yet strangely familiar sight. He almost tripped over his hooves on the cobblestones.
"Whoops!" he muttered, bumping into Darren.
"Want to sit on my shoulders?" Darren offered.
Eclipse considered that for a moment. He liked walking on his own and Darren had to carry his own backpack. But Eclipse would not be able to see much if he stayed down here. His head was at the height of Darren's hands.
"Yes, please," he said.
"Let me take these, then," said Nylene, freeing Eclipse from his saddlebag and shield.
"Alright then. Up you go." Darren bent his knees and offered his arm. Eclipse grabbed it with a hoof and Darren helped him to climb onto his shoulders. Eclipse's tail brushed the sword hilt behind Darren's right shoulder. He held on to Darren's head with his foreleg to steady himself. With the other hoof, he pushed his teacher's white hair aside - it was once again bound into a ponytail.
"Are you ready up there?" Darren asked.
"Yep." Eclipse spread his wings halfway to keep his balance when Darren moved. This was fun, he could see much more up here on his trusty mount. He giggled and an amused snort escaped Darren.
Tarik eyed Eclipse, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged and resumed walking, with Darren and Nylene trailing behind. Both Eclipse and Darren looked around curiously. Houses made of bricks and wood seamed the street left and right. The lower halves were plastered, the roofs were covered with colored tiles and the windows had glass in them with a warm light shining through. Lamp posts and torches added to the glow and plants and banners decorated the streets, giving the city an inviting appearance. All in all, it looked like Canterlot would have if it had been built by big earth ponies.
It was loud even though it was late. Many people, mostly human, were on the streets, trading, talking, walking or riding from one place to another. There was the occasional Night Elf or dwarf and a few other creatures. They were all dressed, something that Eclipse had gotten used to by now. Some wore armour, some cloth robes or shirts and pants. And they all had shoes on their feet.
"The hay are these?" Eclipse exclaimed, pointing at a mount that looked a lot like a pony. They were much larger, with spindly legs, small eyes and a long snout. They wore a weird expression on their muzzle, strangely neutral or even dumb.
Darren cleared his throat. "That's a horse. They aren't sentient."
"Oh. Okay." Eclipse grimaced uneasily, unsure what to make of that information. "Is that - is that normal?"
"Yes. There are no intelligent ponies on Azeroth."
"That must have been strange for you when you arrived in the Empire," Eclipse realized.
"No," said Darren, "not really. I already knew Twilight and Arcus back then."
"Right. I forgot." Eclipse felt heat rushing up his cheeks.
"So, where to?" Darren asked Tarik.
"The Gilded Rose. The best inn you can find - moderate prices, tolerable food, or so I've heard, and discretion."
"Been there before?"
"For a drink or two."
"But you don't need to -" Darren began.
Tarik gave him an annoyed look. "I do have friends."
"Right," Darren muttered.
It was not a particularly long way to the inn - which made sense. If you wanted a lot of travelling customers to come you needed to set up your business close to the main streets and near the points where they arrived and left. The inn faced a large paved plaza with a fountain in the middle of it. To the left, a broad staircase led up to an official-looking building.
"Bank to the left, Auction House to the right," Tarik said curtly. He halted and turned around to face Darren. "I will join you for dinner if you don't mind," he said.
"Sure." Darren nodded.
"Cool!" Eclipse smiled happily. He knew that Tarik was not interested in food but in company. They would not get a more explicit declaration of friendship from him - this request was a close as it got.
When Tarik entered the inn, a young human woman approached him. She had short, brilliantly red hair that curved outwards at the ends, kind brown eyes and a knowing smile. Her simple blouse that had been washed many times and long purple skirt gave her occupation away: she had to be the innkeeper.
"Long time no see," she said with a grin. Her voice was a solid alto, used to making herself heard over a crowd.
"Indeed," said Tarik. They shook hands. The woman did not seem bothered by the fact that Tarik did not smile even now that he greeted her. Somehow, Tarik's movements were more fluid than usual and his voice sounded a little deeper.
There was a small crowd in the large room which served as both an entrance hall and a lounge, with bookshelves and wooden tables and comfortable chairs all about. Eclipse's eyes widened. This was not a tavern, really just an inn, a place where you could sleep and hang out. But apparently it was still popular in the daytime. Most of the guests were eating and drinking, others read books or played card games. They had arrived at a time when the innkeeper probably had her hands full.
"Are these friends of yours?" she asked politely, smiling at Darren and Nylene. Her smile wavered for the fraction of a second as she noticed Nylene's bandaged eyes and the bulge in her cloak where the demonic wings were hidden.
"Allison," said Tarik, "meet Nylene Felbane, Darren Houndslayer and Eclipse." He hesitated. "Does Levinia count?" he asked Darren, raising an eyebrow.
Eclipse frowned. "Of course!" he said even though he had not been asked.
Darren cleared his throat. "No, I suppose not, at least in this case. She does not eat or sleep." He turned to Allison. "Nice to meet you."
They shook hands; Nylene simply nodded a greeting. Allison did not seem to mind.
"We have one more traveller with us," said Darren, "but Levinia's... different. I'll introduce you later if you wish."
Darren shook his head. "No. But when you don't know her and see her for the first time, you might get... startled."
"Well, she's welcome here. Anybody who abides by the house rules and doesn't scare off guests is welcome." Allison's frown warped into a smile again. It seemed to be her most comfortable facial expression. "How long are you going to stay?" she asked.
"Ah." Darren put his hands on his hips, hesitating.
"A week, for now," Nylene jumped in. "I wish to have a room separate from the men. And book it separately, please."
Allison nodded. "Follow me, please," she said, walking over to a high table in the corner of the room. There was no chair but right next to the table stood a sturdy closet. Allison reached for a keyring at her belt. The many keys on it jingled as she picked out the correct one and opened the closet. Withdrawing a large book, she asked, "What about you, Mr. Houndslayer?"
"Just Darren," Darren gently corrected her. "Let's say two weeks for now. I'll pay in advance for each week if that's alright."
"Sure, no problem." Allison readied a pen and wrote down the names. "What about the little one?"
"Eclipse is with me," Darren said matter-of-factly.
"The charge for pets is -"
"Hey!" Eclipse interrupted her angrily, his fur bristling.
Allison closed her mouth. She seemed to think fast. "The charge for beings that share a room with the patron is free if the... being is... peaceful. Food and drinks are extra and..." She eyed Eclipse who frowned at her, daring her to insult him again. "Well, I guess you'll figure out the rest," she added lamely. "All in all, that would be twenty Silver each night, plus five if you want breakfast and a snack in the day."
Darren and Nylene nodded. Tarik already had his wallet at the ready.
"Five days for me," said Tarik.
They payed and Allison put the money into a chest in the closet. When she turned the key, there was a resounding clack that made Eclipse's hair stand on end. There had to be a spell woven into the lock, something to make sure nopony tried to pry open the closet and run off with the valuables.
"Reading the books is for free," said Allison, pointing at the shelves, "but don't read them while eating. Any damage to a book and you have to pay for a replacement. Breakfast is from six to ten, lunch is at midday and supper from six to nine in the evening. If you want to eat here for lunch or dinner, please tell me early, like at the meal before that. You can get coffee and other drinks anytime. Just ask for me or for Frank, my son. He helps out on busy days." Allison gave them three keys. "There's a recall spell on these keys but for your own sakes, do not lose them. There's a map of Stormwind on that shelf over there if you need one." She thought for a moment. "I think that's it."
Darren inspected the key he had been given. A small tag with the number Three was attached to it. Tarik's tag said, "4" and Nylene's, "8".
"Thank you," said Darren.
"Have a nice stay," Allison said politely. Then she turned to Tarik, her eyes twinkling. "How about some catching up?"
Tarik nodded curtly. "See you later." He raised his brows at Darren and Nylene, his way of saying Goodbye, and left for his room.
Allison gave them another smile and went into a room adjacent to the lounge.
Darren looked at Nylene.
"She seemes to be used to death knights," he said dryly.
"Indeed. At least one particular death knight. He was downright cordial with her." Nylene rubbed her neck, her other hand holding both her key and Eclipse's things. "But she grew nervous around me. Her aura flickered like a wildfire."
"She called me a pet," grumbled Eclipse. Darren winced. "Sorry," Eclipse said quickly, loosening his grip on Darren's head.
They went up the stairs and found their rooms. The sturdy wooden doors were each labeled with numbers. There seemed to be a total of eight rooms, all on the upper floor. Nylene put Eclipse's shield and saddlebag on the floor, bid her friends a good night and disappeared into room number Eight. They heard the key turning in the lock and a metallic thud, probably her weapons hitting the floor.
"Let's have a look." Darren unlocked the door and they found themselves in a relatively large one-person room.
Eclipse huffed and jumped down from Darren's shoudlers. He snatched his things and dropped them on the blue carpet right in the middle of the room. He had to admit that the place looked comfy - there was a table with two chairs, a small closet, a counter with a water bowl and jar and a window - but one thing was missing. His own bed. There was only one big bed standing at the wall.
"Where do I sleep?" he asked slowly.
With a grunt, Darren set his backpack down. He opened the closet and found a few blankets. He took two of them and rolled a third one up. Then, Darren removed the bedspread. He put the rolled-up blanket in the middle of the wide mattress as a symbolic wall, then, he spread the other two blankets on the divided bed. There were two pillows. One went to the newly created sleeping spot, the other remained where it was.
"Oh, okay," Eclipse said with a shrug. "Guess that works."
"Please put the saddlebag and shield someplace where I don't fall over them," Darren remarked as he put his sword into the closet, along with his cloak. He sat down on his half of the bed and took his left boot off with an expression of relief.
"Okaaay..." Eclipse drawled. "You're not my Dad, you know," he added glumly.
Darren froze mid-movement. He ever so gently put down his boot. Eclipse's ears folded back and his stomach tied into a knot as he realized he had said something bad.
"No, I'm not," Darren said quietly. "But I'm responsible for you."
Eclipse sighed and put his saddlebag down on his side of the bed. He felt like a jerk.
They unpacked in silence, storing their things in the closet side by side. The knot in Eclipse's stomach grew until it pressed against his throat. His vision blurred.
"Sorry," said Eclipse, his voice shaking. "I just miss them so much. I wanna go home..." Tears fell from his cheeks and dropped onto the carpet.
"Come here," Darren invited him, holding out an arm.
Eclipse ran over to him and they hugged. Darren held him tightly and Eclipse felt even more guilty as he remembered that was almost exactly how White Alloy always held him.
They let go, awkwardly looking away from each other. Darren cleared his throat. Eclipse sat down next to him on the edge of the bed, watching the human take off his other boot.
"Let's go downstairs in an hour, get something to eat," said Darren.
Eclipse hummed his agreement.
Darren said nothing else for a while. He seemed to be thinking about something.
"We need to establish a few rules," he said eventually. "For your safety."
Eclipse nodded.
"When we go outside, don't trail behind or get distracted - I might lose you in the crowd. Don't walk in front of carts or mounts. People are not as considerate as ponies in the Empire and might not even notice you. And don't go with people you don't know. Even if they tell you it's an emergency or that I know them. Alright?"
Eclipse nodded. "Don't get lost, don't get run over, don't get ponynapped," he summarized. "Got it."
Darren raised his eyebrows. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Sharp as a knife," he muttered, then he smiled encouragingly. "And if you still get lost you can ask a guard for help."
"Are they the people with the lion on their tabard?" asked Eclipse.
"Exactly. They all wear the same plate armour, you cannot miss them."
"Okay."
They heard a single bell tolling in the distance, probably marking the sunset. Darren's look became distant, his eyes glistened in the light of the small chandelier. He sniffed, shook his head slightly and then stood up, declaring, "Going to the toilet."
Eclipse nodded absent-mindedly. He frowned as he looked at the cozy but boring room. What would he do with his time while they waited for Princess Luna's help?
Darren was back soon and after Eclipse had relieved himself, too, they went downstairs to order dinner. They found Nylene sitting at a table with her legs crossed, looking bored. Eclipse slid onto a chair next to her while Darren strolled over to Allison.
"An'dorei," Nylene said warmly. "Getting settled?"
"I guess." Eclipse shifted his weight around on the chair. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Waiting for my soup. And watching people."
Eclipse turned to look at the other guests. Most of them were done with their dinner and had resorted to playing that card game he had noticed before. Sometimes they would cheer or groan depending on the players' luck.
"They're playing a new game that's apparently all the rage," Nylene explained. "They call it Hearthstone."
"What's a heartstone?"
"Hearthstone. It's a stone imbedded with a spell to take you to a certain location. Like an inn. Or back home."
"I need one of those," Eclipse sighed immediately.
Nylene smiled wryly. "It only works if you enchant it in the place you wish to return to."
"Aw, crap."
"But if you want the game I can help you with that. The cards are not that expensive. It might be a fun way to pass the time, don't you think?" Nylene's smile turned into a grin that Eclipse mirrored.
They looked up when someone joined them. It was Tarik.
"Hi," said Eclipse.
"Hi," Tarik echoed, sitting down next to Nylene. He was out of his armour. "What's the news?"
"Nylene is getting me a game!" Eclipse said happily.
"That's nice of her. But I meant your plans for tomorrow."
"We haven't decided yet. I suppose we'll do that after a good night's sleep." Nylene put her head on her folded hands. "What's your business in Stormwind anyway?" she asked curiously.
"Vacation," Tarik said, nodding at Darren who sat down on the last remaining seat. "Five days. Then I'll see what work I can do on the Broken Isles. Heard they still need help pushing back the remaining demons."
Eclipse's eyes widened. "Demons?"
"The Burning Legion tried to invade recently. Sargeras was defeated. But there's still a lot of his minions left," Tarik explained. "I'm too late to join the Ebon Blade in Northrend. Broken Isles, that's the next best choice."
"A noble aspiration," Nylene praised him.
"You learned about Tirek at school?" Darren asked Eclipse. The colt nodded. So Darren went on, "Demons look a bit like him. Or like Nylene. That depends. No offense, Nylene," he quickly added.
"None taken," she said gracefully. "Not from you, anyway." She grinned, showing her pointed teeth. "You know, An'dorei, that game has pictures on the cards. They might clear up some of your questions."
Eclipse giggled as he browsed through the cards. He and Darren sat in their room, their bellies full, and inspected Nylene's gift to the colt. Nylene had decided to go to sleep, Tarik had excused himself to meet the innkeeper and Levinia was nowhere to be seen.
"The pictures are funny," he observed, poking Darren's side. "Look!" He showed him a card. The upper half was the coloured image of a rather cute, bone white dog with glowing blue eyes. It was the same blue glow that Tarik's eyes had and Darren's used to have. The bold text underneath the image read, "Play Dead - Ability."
"Get it?" Eclipse grinned.
A short chuckle escaped Darren. He did not comment on the picture any further but still picked up a few cards to look at them.
Eclipse spread the cards out on the table and began to sort them by category. "I think I'll play a Shadow-Frost deck with many minions," he said. "Here, these symbols show the kind of damage each card deals."
"You'll need to learn the rules if you want to play properly with someone else," Darren muttered. His mouth twitched as he looked at the exaggerated gesture of a minion card depicting a warrior. The stance of the axe-wielding human on it was inefficient and wide open for long-range attacks. There was a symbol on top of the card, the lion of the Alliance tabard. "Hm. You probably need to build a deck made solely of Horde or Alliance characters," Darren said.
"Why?"
"So that the game mechanics work."
"I know why, but why?" Eclipse said, not really getting any clearer with his question.
"The two factions are at war," Darren said.
"Yeah, but why?" Eclipse asked a third time.
Darren heaved a tired sigh. "Long, long story, kid. Just... past mistakes on both sides. I'll tell you later, alright?"
"Everypony makes mistakes. They could still try and be friends."
"Sometimes the pain runs deeper than a childhood squabble or something of the like," Darren rasped. He put the cards down, folding his hands. Leaning onto the table, he watched Eclipse.
"I'll build a neutral deck," Eclipse decided. "With humans and Night Elves and trolls and Forsaken. And they're gonna make each other stronger and - bam! - summon, like, loads of battle mages..." Eclipse showed Darren another card. "Look! That one looks a bit like Vol'Shalai but it's a mage; the magic is pink." His ears went down and he lowered the card. Supporting his chin with a hoof, Eclipse sighed. "I hope he's okay..."
"He sure is," Darren said firmly. He pulled himself together and sat up. "So, if you want to summon minions you'll need a card that boosts these summons..." He shuffled through the pile on the table. "Like this one. It's a 'legendary' card. Probably means that it's rare." Darren handed the card to Eclipse.
"Twice as many minions? Cooool!" Eclipse stretched the word, forgetting about his sadness. "'Khadgar'. The picture looks awesome, too. He's got a magic staff. A..." he squinted his eyes to catch all the details. "...raven. Huh."
"Khadgar is a very powerful mage," Darren agreed. "His mentor could turn into a raven but he's long gone."
"So he's basically a high-level wizard," Eclipse stated.
Darren nodded. He frowned. He could not shake the feeling that he was overlooking something.
"So cool," Eclipse kept muttering as he arranged the cards into a grid to get an overview of what he had been given.
Levinia, as a wisp, flew high above the roofs and towers of Stormwind, once again bathing in the moonlight. It was still early night and the many lights of the city probably did not help with a clear view. The air was clean and a fierce wind from the west brought dark clouds that blotted out the few stars that had appeared. Levinia began to understand where Stormwind's name came from.
From up here, she could see a system to the streets. Canals separated the districts and bridges lead across the water. The park was now void of activity and the ships in port had rolled up their sails.
Levinia transformed into her original shape and spread her wings - just because. She smiled and dove for the district with purple roofs and a tall tower in its centre. It reminded her a little of Twilight's Castle of Friendship.
She wished she could do more to help Eclipse and Darren. It was her fault that they were in this situation. At least, in a way. Darren had tried to save her from the rift and now here they were. And the poor colt, he was supposed to be in the Empire, going to school, playing with his sister, not sleeping in an Alliance inn and playing cards with his teacher because nobody else was there to take care of him... nothing against Darren, of course, he did a great job...
She sank down until she could have a closer look at the tower. Vines spiraled around it, using the round stone walls as support, but it was very decorative and did not look abandoned at all. Golden light shone through the latticed windows, sometimes turning red or green. Was it a magical fire?
Landing on a roof next to the tower, Levinia folded her wings and sat down on her haunches. She could turn into a wisp and explore it some more but it was probably too risky. Better not. She dug at the tiles she was sitting on and sighed.
A caw startled her out of her thoughts. She looked to her right.
The raven was back. In the city!
Levinia stood up, eyeing the bird suspiciously.
"Hello, Spunky," she said cautiously. "Sorry, I don't have any food on me." She grimaced. "You're the strangest raven ever. How in Celestia's name do you keep finding us?"
To her utmost shock and surprise, the raven replied.
"You magical signature is quite unique," it said.
"Y-y-you can talk?!" Levinia stammered. "But even in - at home - birds don't talk!"
"If you're not a bird then what are you?" Levinia demanded, spreading her wings. "And why the pretense? That's kinda suspicious, you know."
"I apologize," said the raven. It had a friendly, deep, smart voice that sounded like that of an elderly pony. "I don't want to harm you or your friends, Levinia. But I had to make sure that it's the same way for you. Protecting Azeroth is my job after all."
"Your job." Levinia snorted incredulously. "Right. And you did that by basically spying on us."
"I'd rather not transform on a slippery roof if you don't mind. How about we meet tomorrow? Then I can explain everything."
"Fine," Levinia sighed. "And where?"
The raven thought about that for a moment, tilting his head.
"Let's say two o'Clock at the gazebo in the cemetery. That's quiet but in the centre of the city. If you feel like leaving at some point you can do that, no problem."
"Alright. And how the hay do I get there?" Levinia scrunched her nose.
"I'm sure you and your friends will figure that one out," said the raven with a chuckle.
"What's you real name anyway?" Levinia asked.
"You'll know soon enough. Just call me Spunky if you want. By the way, Darren's cooking is quite tasty."
"I'll make sure to tell him that."
"Well," the raven spread his wings, "I need to go. Busy schedule. And it looks like it's going to rain... But I'm looking forward to meeting you properly. Good night, Levinia."
"Good night, Spunky."
Levinia watched the bird taking flight, deciding that this was one of the stranger things that had happened to her so far.
"Guys! You won't believe what happened to me yesterday!" Levinia's excited shout snapped Eclipse awake like a slap in the face.
"Light have mercy," groaned Darren, turning over under his sheets to bury his face in the pillow.
"Wha?" Eclipse muttered. "Why're you shouting so early?"
"Early?! It's a quarter to nine," Levinia retorted, bewildered. "I waited extra long so you could sleep in."
Eclipse managed to get himself into an upright position. His eyes only slits, he staggered over to the washing bowl to clean his face. Darren turned again and stared at the ceiling, his gaze unfocused.
"So, what happened?" Darren asked, sitting up. The blanket fell away, exposing his scarred chest.
"Uh..." Now that she saw how disoriented they still were, Levinia deflated a little. "Well, I met Spunky again," she said finally.
"That's nice..." Darren shuffled over to the closet, holding the blanket in place to cover his private parts. As he rummaged in his backpack to find his toothbrush, Levinia sat on her haunches.
"Darren. He talked! The raven talked."
"What?!"
"I was really surprised. I mean, we shared our food with him and he behaved like a normal bird back then! I feel kind of misled." She crossed her forelegs. "But he wants to explain everything and make us an offer. Today, at Two, in the park."
"Sounds fishy." Darren ran the brush across his teeth in swift circles. "Did he shay who he wash?"
Levinia shook her head, shrugging.
Darren spat into a metal cup he had withdrawn from his backpack. He frowned as he wiped his mouth. "Did he tell you anything? Any hint?"
"He said his job is to protect Azeroth," Levinia offered hesitantly. "Is that really a hint? I mean, he could be lying. But what would be the point?"
Eclipse dried his face with a towel and sat down on the bed. He preened his wings with his hooves, brushing a loose feather out. Now he could make a new quill. The only thing missing was ink and then he would be able to draw.
"That doesn't really sound useful," he commented, stifling a yawn. "Why is it so late?"
"Maybe because of the rain." Levinia pointed at the window. "It's kinda dark outside. I already flew a round and it drizzled the entire time." She made a face. "So what are we going to do? Should me meet Spunky or just forget about it?"
"Would you turn around, please?" Darren asked. Wordlessly, Levinia and Eclipse turned towards the window to watch the drops hitting the glass panels. "If he managed to follow us this far he won't give up that easily," Darren mused. "Better figure out what the fuzz is about. The more we know the safer it will be for us."
"Yes, I think so, too. He sounded pretty kind, actually. I've got a good feeling about him," said Levinia, rubbing her chin.
"Well, then. I'm done."
Levinia turned around. Darren had put on his shirt, pants and socks. Now he was combing his hair.
"We better get some breakfast. I want to see if I can find out Janeck's address," he said, swiftly tying the hair into a sloppy bun.
"Oh," Levinia remembered, "and Spunky told me that he liked your cooking."
Darren exhaled, looking stressed.
Nylene was already done with her meal when Darren and Eclipse joined her. The lounge was crowded; apparently nobody wanted to go outside in that weather. Darren drank two pots of coffee, getting an incredulous stare from Eclipse, and ate his bread and bananas at a speed unusual for him. Eclipse had just finished his oatmeal when the human stood up and invited him to join him on his way to the City Hall.
Nylene wanted to go and buy some everyday necessities. Levinia decided to join her. Tarik was nowhere to be seen, something that Darren had somehow expected.
When they left the Gilded Rose, covered by their cloaks, it was indeed still raining. Darren was glad that the weather bothered neither him nor the colt. Ignoring the obnoxious drizzle and overhanging clouds, he walked across the plaza towards a guard who stood at the Auction House. The armoured human had taken shelter under the roof of the building's entrance. There was hardly anybody on the street and the few people that dared to go outside were in a hurry, covering their heads with scarves or hoods. Eclipse smiled vaguely as he watched a leaf swimming in a puddle.
"Excuse me, Sir, where do I find the City Hall?" Darren asked politely.
"Next to the Cathedral, on the right-hand side," was the curt reply.
"Thank you."
Darren drew a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "That means we need to head north, cross a canal and then go straight ahead. Should be easy enough."
"If we don't get flooded into the sea first," joked Eclipse, shaking the edge of his cloak. Droplets sprayed onto the cobblestones. He grinned but still added, "I'm glad I left my stuff and robe in our room. I feel like a sponge. My mane's all drenched."
By the time they reached City Hall the water had soaked Darren's shoes, too. He made a mental note to dry the boots and apply fat to keep the leather from cracking. After stepping into a puddle, he felt a wet sock every time he made a step. So maybe he was impervious to the cold but this constant rain was becoming an annoyance nonetheless.
As Darren pushed the door open - it was not locked - Eclipse shook himself like a dog. He cantered inside, joining Darren, and grinned.
"Wish you could do that?" Eclipse asked, straightening out his feathers.
"Not really." Darren raised his brows and smirked. "So, we need to find out who keeps the city register."
"What's a city register?"
"Written records of who lives where... or at least who owns which place," Darren explained as his eyes wandered across the room. There was a large table with some chairs. Shelves with hundreds of books lined the walls. A slightly dusty chandelier hung above it all. Only half of its candles were lit.
"Can I help you?" The sharp question came from behind. Darren spun around. A man had been sitting on a chair in the corner with a book on his lap and a quill in his hand. An open inkwell stood on a small table next to him. As he saw Darren's face, the human seemed to regret his curt greeting. He put the book and quill aside and carefully corked up the inkwell. Standing up, he straightened his purple robes. He was mostly bald; his chestnut hair framed the back of his head like half a bird's nest. His bushy moustache twitched as he took off his monocle to inspect Darren and Eclipse.
"Mr..." Darren began.
"Bathrilor," the man introduced himself. "At your service."
"Mister Bathrilor, are you the one keeping the records of Stormwind's citizens?"
"Yes, indeed I am." Bathrilor grew serious. "But you need authorization or proof of legitimate interest."
"How?" Darren raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Why do you want access the records?"
"To find lost family," Darren said after the tiniest of pauses. Eclipse noticed that the air grew a little colder. Was his friend nervous? He nudged Darren's leg, just a poke with his elbow. Darren squinted his eyes, blinking as if something was caught in it. The air became warmer until is was back to its previous temperature.
"I see," said Bathrilor. He folded his hands behind his back, trying not to look intimidated. Darren was not taller than him but could easily overpower the slender scholar if he wanted to. Of course, Bathrilor did not know that he would not. "Who'd that be, then?"
"Janeck and Emily Fletcher."
"How are you related to them, Sir?"
"Janeck Fletcher is my uncle," Darren said. "They left Andorhal twelve years ago, I think."
Bathrilor raised his brows. "Andorhal." He sighed and briskly walked over to a narrow shelf. Picking out a book the size of Eclipse's slim school books, he motioned for them to follow him. His voice grew sorrowful as he opened the book. "That will be quick to find out. Not many escaped the Scourge. Most families who lost someone already lived in Stormwind when Lordaeron's capital was razed."
"I know," said Darren quietly. "Still."
"Of course. You're not the first one who needs to know, Sir. Twelve years ago, you said?"
Darren nodded and watched Bathrilor skimming through the pages.
"Fletcher, Fletcher," the man mumbled, trying not to forget the name. He stopped eventually, pointing at a line in the book that war written in slightly faded ink. "Fletcher, Janeck," he read. He turned the book around and pushed it over to Darren. "See for yourself," he said evenly.
Darren's face fell. "Died in the year six-twenty-nine. Twelve years ago. Damn it to hell," he muttered.
Eclipse's eyes widened as he witnessed the former paladin cursing like that.
"What about your aunt?" he asked, his wings unfolding nervously. "Is she still alive?"
"Yes." Darren's eyes wandered over the page. "And living in the city. Stephen... her son is also alive and so is his wife." His mouth twitched. It was almost a smile. "They're living in the Old Town. Or at least, Emily owns half a house there..." He quickly drew his map from his pocket and asked Bathrilor for the quill. The scholar hesitantly handed it over to him.
"Thanks," said Darren, copying the address of the house onto the back of the folded map. The feather was loud and scratchy as he scribbled across the paper. "How much?"
Bathrilor shook his head. "Only access to the maps and official documents requires a fee." He frowned. "Although I'd wish for it to be otherwise," he added, his eyes wandering to the dusty chandelier and the worn out chairs. "In any case, good luck, Sir." He stretched out his hand to snatch the quill and quickly shut the book.
"Thank you." Darren nodded and ushered Eclipse outside into the persistent rain.
"Whoa." Eclipse staggered, trying to slow down. "You okay, Darren?"
The knight looked down at Eclipse, his lips pressed together. "Good news mixed with the bad," he just said. "Nothing new to me. Let's go."
"To the Old Town?"
"That's right."
"So, what do you want to buy?" Levinia asked happily as she cantered alongside Nylene. "Fresh tinder? Or maybe a piece of soap, your old one is getting really small..."
Nyleme smirked. "I was thinking of getting a proper robe," she admitted.
"Huh." Levinia was suprised. "Are - are we talking casual or formal?"
"There are no formal robes for demon hunters," Nylene said sourly. "The wings, you see."
"Oh... I'm sorry! Now I feel bad I asked."
"Never mind that. We shall have a grand time picking one out anyway."
"Definitely! I haven't been shopping in a lifetime!" Levinia grimaced as she realized what she had just said. "Oh, you know what I mean, don't you?" She eyed Nylene from the side. "You're going to need something that goes well with your skin tone and tattoos. Maybe dark blue, like your hair, or red. And a nice belt!"
"I was thinking brown or black."
"Really?! Rarity would disagree."
"Who's Rarity?"
"A fashionista in Ponyville," Levinia explained. "I watch her selling her dresses sometimes. You can learn a lot just by watching ponies doing their jobs."
"Does she sell only dresses?" Nylene asked. She halted for a moment to orient herself, then chose a narrow street that led towards the Cathedral District.
"Oh, no, no, but the demand for those is the highest. I guess it's got something to do with us not needing clothes for, you know, decency reasons." Levinia grinned. "Many mares like to look fancy once in a while even when there's not really an occasion."
"They must feel quite confident about themselves," Nylene mused.
Levnia sighed. "Not everypony does. But I think it's great you've decided to look for something that suits you better than bandages. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with those," she quickly added.
Nylene chuckled. "Am I that transparent to you?"
"I'm the transparent one here," Levinia said. "No, really," she said, getting serious again. "You're a beautiful lady, you could probably wear a potato sack and still look good in it."
"Thank you," Nylene said, her voice scratchy.
As the name gave it away, the Old Town was the oldest part of Stormwind. The houses looked similar to the ones in the Trade and the Cathedral Districs. The roof tiles were darker, a reddish brown, and the district's roads were more on the narrow side but everything was well-maintained. Eclipse had trouble keeping up with Darren who strode along the streets with determination. He stepped into an unexpectedly deep puddle as they passed through an archway. Water splashed all over his legs.
"Darren!" he called.
Darren reluctantly slowed down, looking back at him from under his hood.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Shouldn't we take a break, think about what to say and stuff?"
"What for?" Darren raised a brow.
Eclipse rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I can understand why you wanna meet them fast. I'd want that, too, if I was in your place. I miss my family, too. Like, a lot. But don't you think they'd notice that you've changed? You said so before."
Darren froze. His jaw moved as if he was chewing on his words. "I don't know how to explain the differences away," he said eventually. "So there's no point in thinking about it."
Eclipse felt something strange in his gut. Like warm and cold at the same time. He felt angry when he saw how torn Darren looked. So that was it. He wanted to hurry because he did not want to take the time... to be scared?
"Maybe there is a point," Eclipse said slowly. The rain kept falling but at least the archway was big enough to hold it off. The sound here had echoes in it as if they were standing in a cavern. "You know, when I don't know how to explain stuff my Dad practices with me."
Darren smiled lopsidedly. "Grace used to do that, too. With our kids."
"See? We can try it if you like."
Darren huffed. He nodded politely at a passing dwarf, a hooded figure with a bulky cloak that hid their belongings. Then, he turned back to Eclipse. "Alright, I'll humour you," he said quietly. "Go ahead, Eclipse. What would you ask if you were my aunt?"
"Uh... where have you been?" Eclipse offered.
"In the Plaguelands, fighting the Scourge," Darren said.
Eclipse nodded. "Okay. Why didn't you come back sooner?"
"I..." Darren fell silent, already looking miserable again.
Eclipse's ears went down. That was quick. He stammered, "N-nevermind. We can stop."
"No," said Darren. "I didn't look for them because I helped somebody else find their way home," he decided. "Twilight and Arcus - but they don't need to know that."
"Is - is that really the reason?" Eclipse asked very quietly.
"...No. That was only what happened in the end. I'll skip the parts in between."
Eclipse bit his lip. The puddle beneath his feet froze and he made a step to the side so his hoof would not get stuck to the ground. Darren was upset again. Eclipse remembered the time when Darren had explained his past to Eclipse and his parents. "I am deeply ashamed for what I did." That was what he had said. That was why he wanted to keep his time as a death knight a secret. And - Eclipse felt like a fool for not noticing it - that was why he was without armour and sword right now. Darren looked almost like the other humans in Stormwind. Almost.
"It's a good reason. And it's not a lie," Eclipse admitted. "Okay, I can think of one more question." He grimaced uncomfortably. "What's with the weird little horse?"
"That's my friend," Darren said instantly. "And he's a pony, not a horse." He smiled at Eclipse, nodding firmly. "Thank you, Eclipse. Alright. I'm going to do this."
Eclipse smiled back.
"You're welcome. You're my friend, too. And hey, I bet it helps that you're bringing that friend along. So your family can see what a nice guy you are, you know?"
Darren raised his brows.
"Just saying," Eclipse muttered, his face flushing.
Darren checked the note on his map twice before he raised his fist to knock at the wooden door. Eclipse shook himself again, taking care not to spray Darren with the water he had collected in his coat. The door opened inwards, revealing a scrawny human. He was as tall as Darren but only half his weight. His skin was darker than that of most humans Eclipse had seen so far. Brown eyes mustered Darren but could not make out much under the hood. Eclipse hid a grin as he realized that the teenager's features were still very similar to his teacher's. His clothes were simple and light and he did not wear any shoes. Eclipse counted five toes on each foot. It seemed that every human had the same number of these.
"H-hello?" It was more of a question than a greeting.
"Hello," said Darren. He cleared his throat. "Does Emily Fletcher live here?"
The surprised boy frowned. "Yeah?"
"I'd like to talk to her, please." Darren put his hood down to reveal his face. He offered a strained smile.
"I'll ask." He pushed the door closed except for a narrow crack.
"Daaad! There's a man here who wants to see Gran," the boy shouted over his shoulder.
Gran? Eclipse mouthed, exchanging a look with Darren.
Footsteps approached and the door opened again. The boy was replaced by Dad, presumably, who looked the same age as Darren. So he was probably about ten years younger. It was kind of hard to tell the age of humans, Eclipse decided, but at least the way they behaved usually gave it away. He had a rosy skin and grey eyes. His light brown hair was cut short like Jonathan's. He and Darren just stared at each other for a second, then, the man frowned.
"Have we met?" he asked briskly. His eyes wandered to Darren's tattoo, then to Eclipse who gave a hesitant smile, trying his best to keep his mouth shut.
"Y-yes." Darren nodded. "But you don't recognize me," he observed. "I suppose it really has been one hell of a long time."
"That's the problem," said the man warily. "You look like somebody I know. But that's impossible."
"I am your cousin, Stephen."
The color drained from the man's face. The door was shut with a dull bang.
Darren just stared at the door, his mouth slightly agape. His hand twitched.
"What? What'd I do?" he asked, completely flustered. "Also, why does everyone keep slamming doors in my face?"
Eclipse shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe he thinks you're a ghost."
Darren laughed bitterly. "That would be just the thing."
"I mean, it makes sense. Aren't you supposed to be dead? Like, missing in the frozen wastes of Northrend?"
"Yes, but - I'm not - obviously! And ghosts are transparent!"
Eclipse groaned, hiding his face in his hoof. There was something very strange going on with his teacher. He was usually so smart! When did he become like this? It was time to put an end to it.
"This is stupid," Eclipse declared. "I'm gonna try again." He raised his hoof and pounded at the door.
It swung open so fast that somebody had to have been waiting directly behind it. Eclipse almost fell over since he had put most of his weight into the knock.
The man was there again, his expression unreadable.
"Who are you really?" he asked.
"Darren - Darren Fletcher."
"By all the spirits!"
"Can we come in? Please?"
It was not a rich home. But they had a large table in the kitchen. The entire Fletcher family, consisting of the parents, three children and grandmother, sat around it, exchanging awkward glances. The only sound were the raindrops hitting the windows and the mewing of a black cat that strode around the room, looking for a hand to pet her. Stephen had invited Darren for lunch, provided that he explain himself, and told his children that "a friend of the family" was here for a short visit.
Darren had insisted that they set a plate for Eclipse, getting a confused and slightly disgusted look from Stephen's wife. She was a beautiful, slender woman called Marina with long, curly black hair and brown, kind eyes. Those eyes currently rested on Darren, eyeing him with a mix of suspicion and expectation, while she put noodles and tomato sauce on everybody's plates with a quick hand.
Nobody said anything until the old woman at the end of the table cleared her throat. Her wheelchair creaked as she leaned forward, putting the palms of her hands together.
"Light bless this meal and our community," she said solemnly. "And embrace the souls of our fallen." She raised her head and smiled. "Now everybody dig in!" she declared happily, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere. "Nice of you to drop by, " she told Darren with a warm smile that made the wrinkles around her sunken eyes deepen. "Is Janeck coming, too?"
Darren frowned. "I thought he -"
"Mother, Janeck's not here," Stephen said in a suddenly very kind tone.
"Grandpa's gone," muttered the teenaged boy who had opened the door.
"I'm sorry," Eclipse said, feeling bad for them. He regretted it instantly as everybody gaped at him. The girl who sat opposite to him unconsciously opened her mouth. Noodles fell out and onto her plate but nobody noticed.
Eclipse blushed. "I mean, I'm sorry you lost your grandpa," he said. "That must have been really hard."
"It was long ago," said the girl, picking her noodles up again. "I was just a baby."
"Pretty much everyone we lost died twelve years ago," said the other girl who was little older than her sister. "I can't remember any of them really."
"Except for Darren, he went missing in action before that," Stephen told her. He turned to Darren. "We have no idea what happened to him."
"How's Grace?" the old woman interrupted him, her eyes shining. "Your wife always made the best strawberry pie."
Darren faked a polite smile. "She's gone, I'm afraid."
"Yes, of course, I know, darling! Give her and the kids my regards when you leave, will you?"
Completely confused, Eclipse salted his tomato sauce until the hand of the boy stopped him.
"You're using pepper."
"Crap," Eclipse muttered. He tried to brush some of the pepper off with his spoon but was unsuccessful. The sauce was too sticky for that.
"Grandma Emily gets a little confused sometimes," Marina said apologetically.
"I used to call her Auntie Em," Darren said lightly, stuffing noodles into his mouth.
The younger girl giggled. "Really?"
"Vera," Marina said quietly, putting her hand on her daughter's.
"Stephen, I don't want to lie to you," said Darren. "It will sound strange, perhaps even outrageous, but please. Hear me out."
"Darren, dear, whatever it it, you can tell us," said Emily warmly.
Marina took a sip from her cup with shivering hands, hiding her face.
Eclipse's eyes widened as he realized what was going on with the old woman.
"Missus Fletcher," he said, putting his fork down. "Darren's not a ghost. We're totally real."
"Are you a unicorn?" Vera asked curiously.
"Uh... I don't have a horn," Eclipse said, taken aback. "I got wings, see?" He stretched his wings a little.
Vera gasped. Her older brother grinned broadly.
"Didn't you say you were all grown up?" he teased her.
Vera frowned darkly at him. "What's that got to do with anything?" she snapped at him.
"Vera loves unicorns," her older sister told Eclipse, sounding annoyed. "She's now sitting across her life's dream, you know."
"I'm a pegasus, not a unicorn. My name's Eclipse. What's yours?"
"Beatrice." The girl threw her curly brown hair back, getting another amused smirk from her older brother. "And that buffoon over there is Carl."
Carl rolled his eyes and resumed eating.
"Enough of that," Stephen said, his voice strained. "Now..."
"Right." Darren cleaned his throat, raising his brows.
Eclipse frowned darkly at his mentor. His tomato sauce was a lump of rust-coloured ice around his spoon.
Marina stood up and put another log into the oven.
"Alright, kids, please excuse us," said Stephen firmly. "Vera, you still have homework to do."
"And Carl, your room is a mess. We can't clean it unless you tidy it up." Marina stacked the plates and collected the cutlery in the pot. As she put them away, the children stood up, not without half-hearted protest. The look Marina gave them made one thing clear: Don't embarrass us in front of our guest. As soon as the children had gone upstairs, Marina sat down again and faced Darren and Eclipse.
"Sorry about that," she said.
Darren and Eclipse could not help but grin. It was just all too familiar.
"You must be wondering why I'm showing up now of all times," said Darren. "The truth is, I've been abroad. After Northrend, I was in the Plaguelands, fighting the remains of the Scourge."
"But you could at least have sent a letter!" Stephen objected.
Darren shook his head. "I was a long way from civilization. I'm truly sorry."
"You look so different... and yet the same..." Marina said, incredulously shaking her head. "Your eyes are the most brilliant blue... and that tattoo! I thought paladins weren't allowed to have those on their faces."
Darren shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I changed."
"How did you get away from Northrend?" Stephen asked, crossing his arms. "I thought nobody escaped because Prince Arthas burned the ships."
Eclipse rubbed his forehead, confused. "Errr, if nobody escaped, then how do you know about that?"
Stephen hesitated. "It was in the news later on, I guess they found out by questioning those zombie creatures."
"They're not zombies, they're called Forsaken," Eclipse cut in. "I know about Northrend and all that stuff. Darren told me everything."
"Did he now?" Marina smiled kindly at Eclipse but somehow Eclipse could tell that she was as sceptical as her husband. "Then how did he escape?"
Eclipse's face flushed as he was asked this directly. He looked at Darren who sighed in defeat. "Go ahead, kid."
"Well," Eclipse said slowly, "He was, uh, enslaved by the Scourge, to - to fight for them. But when the Lich King was defeated, Darren was set free." As he saw the doubtful faces of the three humans, he frowned. "Shouldn't you be, like, happy that he's alive? You look at us like strangers. I mean, I'm a stranger, okay, granted. But really? Your own cousin? There - there should be a party or at least a hug or, I dunno, something." He spread his forelegs.
Stephen huffed and eyed his alleged cousin. "A talking horse familiar is hardly proof that you're, in fact, Darren. You could be impersonating him. It's not unheard of, people posing as long lost relatives."
Darren's face fell.
"I know!" Eclipse said quickly, raising his hoof. "You could compare your memories! Like, where did you go to school? Who was your best friend? What was your favourite place?"
Three ears were pressed against the bedroom door from the inside.
"What are they talking about?" asked Vera quietly.
"I'm not sure," whispered Beatrice. "I think they're sharing childhood stories."
"Boring," Vera decided.
"I don't trust him," Carl said dully. "He looks like a death knight."
"Don't be stupid. Death knights don't breathe or eat. And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't befriend a pegasus." Beatrice shook her head at her brother's lack of common sense.
"Then what about that rune tattoo on his face?" Carls said angrily. "He's definitely not a paladin like Dad always says he was. And the white hair, the pale skin. And the eyes! They're too blue. There's something weird going on. It could be dark magic! He could be dangerous. Maybe he's even one of those mind readers! Why else would they send us away and talk to him alone?"
Beatrice groaned and sat on her bed. They had chosen the girls' bedroom to eavesdrop because it was the closest to the stairs.
Vera raised her hands in exasperation. "But he's nice!"
"He could be faking," Carl snapped at her.
"I think the pegasus is just a kid," Vera mused, ignoring the jab. "He sounds like a boy. I didn't know that horses could talk."
"They can't," Beatrice said matter-of-factly, her eyes wandering across the pages of a book. "He's gotta be some other creature. Maybe 'Darren' cursed him to be a horse to make him his servant. And you need to do your homework, not fantasize about playing with unicorns."
Vera stuck her tongue out at her when she was sure that Beatrice was not looking.
As Eclipse listened to Darren and Stephen comparing their memories, he realized one thing: Darren was definitely older than Stephen. And Darren had looked after his cousin more than once when Janeck and Emily had been busy working. Also, the last time they had seen each other had been shortly before Darren had been drafted. Darren had met Stephen's two older children when they had still been very young.
The longer they talked, the more serious Marina became and the more happy Grandma Emily looked. With a soft smile, she watched the exchange. She sat there, saying nothing, like a silent observer... like Spunky!
Oh no, thought Eclipse. He had no idea how late it was! He hesitantly raised his hoof.
"Excuse me, can I say something?"
"Sure." Stephen said graciously.
"What time is it? 'Cause we're supposed to meet someone."
Marina stood up and peeked around the doorframe into their living room. "It's half past One," she said.
Darren's eyes widened. "We need to go!" he said. "Sorry. Lost track of time."
"Right." Stephen seemed surprised and sort of relieved.
"Look," said Darren, "I don't know exactly how long I'm going to stay in Stormwind. It won't be longer than a few weeks. And after that I won't have any way of contacting you."
"Oh?" Stephen's brows rose even higher at that.
"I'd very much like to see you again," said Emily. "Thank you for coming. It was a pleasure to get reacquainted. And I am sorry for treating you like a ghost, my dear. Sometimes I'm not so sure what or who is real. It comes with the age, you see, it's not intentional."
Darren stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality. If you want to meet again, we're staying at the Gilded Rose."
Stephen accompanied them to the door. He lowered his voice so his family would not hear him.
"You may have fooled my mother but not me. Don't come back here, whoever you really are. I played nice for the sake of my family but dark sorcerers are not welcome in my home." With these words, Stephen shot an angry glare at the flabbergasted Darren and gently shut the door. They could hear him locking it twice from inside.
"Bye!" Eclipse said sarcastically to the door. "Thanks for the lunch... jerk."
He turned to Darren. The human's face was an unreadable mask. A bad sign.
"I'm really sorry how that went," said Eclipse. "I didn't think your cousin would be this mean."
"Not your fault, kiddo. It was worth a try," Darren said hoarsely. He took a deep, long breath. "We better get going, there isn't much time."
"So how do we get to the inn and the park fast enough?" asked Eclipse.
"We run. And hopefully don't trip."
"Oh joy."
Nylene and Levinia hurried back to the Gilded Rose, both carrying bulky bags. There had to be some kind of sinister magic involved because somehow Nylene had not only bought three robes but also a new chestplate, pants and several silk scarves. How was it that when you went shopping with the intention to find something specific you always found something else instead?
While Levinia had watched the bags, Nylene had eaten a quick lunch, some street food from a slightly apprehensive vendor on Cathedral Square. Now they were late. At least they both had wings to protect their loot from the rain, more or less.
They still arrived at the inn completely soaked. Levinia helped Nylene to spread the clothes on the chairs in her room to let them dry. They grinned at each other guiltily. Nylene urged Levinia to go downstairs but the pegasus first turned into a wisp and back into a pegasus, thus getting rid of the water in her coat and mane. A little cloud of mist hung in the air, evaporating quickly.
They sat down on a couch in the lounge the exact moment when Darren and Eclipse came back, also drenched from head to toe.
"Hi!" Levinia greeted them happily.
Eclipse dropped onto a chair like a sack of potatoes. "I'm gonna stay here, is that okay?"
"In fact, I would have asked for it anyway," Darren admitted. "Are you ready, Levinia?"
The mare nodded. She glanced at Nylene who shook her head.
"I will look after Eclipse," she offered. "Get him cleaned up, perhaps have a game of Hearthstone. What do you say, An'dorei?"
"Sure, why not. I need the distraction."
"See you later, then." Darren sprinted upstairs and into his room. He quickly donned his new leather armour and slung the sword belt over his shoulder. No point in taking any chances.
Darren was silent for the entire way to their rendezvous point with Spunky. Levinia wondered whether she should ask him what was wrong. Had the meeting with his uncle been that bad? But this was not a good moment. They were about to meet a potentially dangerous stranger and Levinia would be the last one to underestimate somepony who managed to track down and follow her with such ease. She would not want to distract Darren in such a delicate situation.
By the time Levinia and Darren reached Cathedral Square, the rain finally subsided. To their relief, they easily found their way to the park. They needed to cross the evenly paved square, then take a right behind the City Hall.
They found themselves at the gazebo Spunky had mentioned. It was deserted, the rows of stone banks before it empty.
"This looks like a place for weddings," Levinina commented. "But not with that weather, I guess. Aw, the roses are so pretty!" She dashed over to the gazebo, a wooden, round construction that looked out upon a small lake. Red and white roses grew there, holding on to the woven fence. The blossoms were half closed because of the rain. Levinia turned around and smiled happily. "I've always loved roses," she explained. "I had roses in three colours at my own wedding. Now where is that raven?"
"Over here," said a calm voice she recognized. A hooded man stepped out from behind a bush. How had they not noticed him before?
Darren's hand went to the hilt of his sword.
The man raised his arm defensively. "There's no need for that. As I told Levinia yesterday, I wish you no harm. In fact, I think I might be able to help you with a problem."
Darren's hand did not move. The water puddles in the close vicinity froze over.
"Darren, it's okay, it's him," said Levinia, raising her hoof. "I recognize the voice."
"Thank you." The man slowly put down his hood. He was, just as Levinia had suspected, human. He seemed at least fifty years old, with short grey, almost white hair and brilliantly blue eyes. She was not sure if it was her being undead but she could feel with certainty that there were both powerful magic and a sharp wit hidden behind those eyes.
Now Darren's hand let go of the sword hilt.
"Khadgar?" he gasped, completely astounded.
"You two know each other?" Levinia's eyes wandered from one to the other.
"No," both men said at the same time.
"But he's famous enough." Darren shook his head. "Why did you follow us?" he asked Khadgar. "Was it something we did?"
Khadgar pursed his lips. "You could say that. Let's walk a bit, shall we?"
Without waiting, he turned and led them down a broad flight of stairs into the park that was apparently also a cemetery. Hundreds of gravestones dotted the grass. Old oaks and lime trees guarded the place, forming a natural roof above their heads. There were a few visitors, putting down flowers, quietly conversing or praying. A city guard patrolled up and down the main path. Darren and Levinia followed Khadgar curiously.
There was a little gust of wind that made Levinia's hackles rise for a second, then, it died down again.
"Somebody wrote me a letter about you right after you arrived in Booty Bay," Khadgar explained. "They told me that they met two foreign, even otherwordly horse-like creatures along with a human that behaved like a death knight but wasn't one, a demon hunter and a troll shaman. As if that wasn't strange enough by itself, they noted that the creatures talked and behaved like humanoids and tried to befriend virtually everybody, even the actual death knight on board. Oh, and one of them was a ghost. Then there's the fight between you and Tarik and the incident with the birds. Do you know how rare it is that somebody goes out of their way to help an Undead, from an enemy faction no less?" Khadgar paused to look at Darren. "Let me tell you, you and your friends stuck out like a sore thumb. Or," his gaze wandered to Levinia, "a sore hoof in your case."
"Should have known," Darren huffed, angry at himself.
"So, given the circumstances, I had to assess the possible threat myself. That's why I tracked you down and followed you as soon as I received the writ."
"I see," said Darren neutrally.
"Calm down, Mr. Darren, I figured out you just want to help the ponies get home," Khadgar said with a smirk.
"Why do you want to help us?" Darren asked, getting suspicious.
Khadgar stopped and raised his brows. "Believe it or not, sometimes I do things not because they are my job but because they're right. But that aside," he turned to Levinia, "you came through a portal, didn't you?"
Levinia nodded. "I think it was one anyway," she said slowly. "We were just sucked in like termites into the mouth of an antbear. It was terrifying." She shuddered just from thinking of it.
"Who created the portal? Was it someone from Azeroth?" Khadgar lowered his voice.
"Well, yeah, but it was an accident... he didn't mean to do it."
"Who was it, though?" Khadgar repeated.
"Vol'Shalai," Levinia pressed out. "I don't like to tell on my friends," she muttered under her breath.
"Should we even be talking about this here?" Darren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry." Khadgar smiled. "I cast a spell when I entered the cemetery. Nobody can hear what we are talking about."
So that was the strange gust of wind earlier, Levinia thought. She had not even recognized it as magic. Khadgar made her feel a little helpless. She discreetly shifted closer to Darren.
They turned right and soon reached the end of the paved path. A low wall surrounded the paved area, keeping people from falling into the lake. Stone benches lined the wall, facing the water. Khadgar sat down on one of the benches and Darren reluctantly joined him.
"You know, Levinia," said Khadgar, "somebody else might have killed the troll for summoning them without their consent."
Darren snorted. "We truly didn't appreciate it but I already knew the man. His bond with Levinia was probably what made the spell go haywire in the first place."
"Oh? I see..." Khadgar rubbed his chin in thought. It made Levinia think of Starswirl the Bearded for some reason even though Khadgar's chin was shaved. "That would be hard to reconstruct, then..."
"It's been done before." Darren said slowly. "But with different means. From what a mage told me it needs both Arcane and Holy magic to work. And the spellcaster needs to know where to go or else the portal exit opens up anywhere on the planet. The slightest alteration and the spell is thrown off with an unpredictable outcome."
"You sound like you saw it happen before," Khadgar remarked.
"I did. I was the one who exited the portal miles away - and months later than the others who went through it."
Khadgar frowned, nodding.
"We're waiting for someone on the other end to contact us. I am not a mage; neither are the others. We don't know how to set up the spell."
"Okay, stop, stop," Levinia said suddenly, raising her hoof. "Darren, can we talk for a second?" She pulled at his arm and Darren stood up, following her until they were - hopefully - out of earshot.
"How do we know we can trust that guy? You're telling him how to get to Equestria! Are you really, really sure Khadgar is good?"
"Yes."
"How can you be sure?" Levinia exclaimed, then quickly lowered her voice. "You said you don't know him!" she hissed.
Darren frowned. "I don't know," he admitted. When Levinia opened her mouth he raised his hand. "But since meeting Twilight and her friends I find it easier to tell who is lying and who's sincere. It's almost like a new skill."
Levinia's eyes widened. "I believe you," she said quietly.
"You do? It's rather vague."
"Element of Honesty," Levinia muttered. "I think it's the Magic of Friendship."
Darren pursed his lips. "Gladius mentioned something like that. A long time ago, when we were captives in Silvermoon. It adds up, I suppose." He huffed. "So you do agree we can trust the man?"
Levinia nodded and smiled warmly. "I trust you, Darren. So if you vouch for him like this that's good enough for me."
Nylene had not taken care of a child for centuries. Ever since meeting the little pony, she caught herself wanting to to do that more and more. Now she had to wash the colt's face and legs. The inn had no shower and they needed to improvise with the water bowl. Nylene had to go downstairs and ask for more water and then they had enough to get all the grime and dirt out. As she rubbed Eclipse's barrel dry with a towel, he giggled.
"That tickles," he complained but kept smiling. "Thanks, Nylene. Oh, mare, I really miss a nice hot shower. Or a bubble bath in the bathtub when you stay in until all the bubbles are gone and the water gets cold. I got this little toy boat for baths and Peridot has one, too. So both of us can play with two boats. I guess our parents thought, 'why give each child two boats when they can share?' I mean, we're too old to take baths together anyway."
"Is that so?" Nylene asked softly, giving him the towel so he could dry his rump by himself.
"Yeah. Mom and Dad adopted me four years ago, more or less. It kinda feels longer, though. Maybe because I can't remember anything before that. Maybe I didn't even exist before that. Or the Umbrum don't do anything interesting in their original shape. I only knew my name when I was found so they must have told me that, at least." Eclipse grinned apologetically. "It's all a big mystery."
"There, all clean," Nylene said, taking the towel back from him and spreading it on the chair's back. "So, do you wish to play now?"
"Yeah!" Eclipse exclaimed happily. He hugged Nylene, wrapping his forelegs around her neck and pressing his head against her cheek. A strange warmth spread inside her chest and it had nothing to do with the demonic fire in her veins. She stiffened as she wondered if she could still shed tears. And if she could - would it hurt?
Eclipse let go, unaware of Nylene's inner turmoil, and dashed over to the table. His Hearthstone cards were still spread all over the tabletop. He used his wingtips and hooves to put the ones he had chosen into two piles.
Suddenly, he sat back and sighed angrily. His ears folded down and he hung his head. Nylene sat down next to him, stretching out her hand to touch his cheek.
"What's wrong, An'dorei?" she asked softly.
"Stephen doesn't believe Darren," Eclipse said with a deep frown.
"Who is Stephen?"
"His cousin. But he doesn't believe that they're cousins. I think that he thinks that Darren uses mind reading magic to know so much about their past. So he can pretend to be Darren even though he's not. And that's just a load of gezzno kodo shit."
"Did you just swear, child?"
"Oops. I didn't even know I could swear in Orcish." Eclipse grimaced.
Nylene sighed. "Darren knows Orcish, too; you probably do because of that. He doesn't appreciate it when you swear, Eclipse."
"I know," Eclipse drawled. "I'm trying not to, for his sake. I don't really care but I guess if I want to become a guard I should keep trying. Anyway! I want to help him. But I don't know how. Do you have any ideas?"
"What do you want to do? Console him? Or find a way for Stephen to accept the truth?" Nylene asked slowly.
"Both, actually."
Nylene thought about that for a moment. Considering her experience with other warriors, she decided to give Eclipse her go-to advice for helping troubled men.
"You can talk to Darren about it, ask him if he wants to discuss it. But if he wishes not to, give him time to figure it out by himself."
"Hm, okay."
"As for the other thing... I have an idea but I suspect Darren would not like it."
"Are you sure about this?" Eclipse whispered. They were hidden behind the corner of a house, peering around it to watch Stephen's front door.
Nylene smiled mischievously. "If we knock we're not breaking in, are we?"
"Now I'm also pretty sure Darren wouldn't approve."
"If you don't want to do it you do not have to. I can talk to her by myself," Nylene offered.
"No, she already knows me, it makes sense if I go, too."
"Very well. Hop on, An'dorei, and lower your head do avoid the backlash."
Eclipse fluttered his wings and jumped onto Nylene's shoulders. He quickly held on with both hooves. Nylene dashed across the street and jumped upon the roof of Stephen's house so fast that the naked eye could not even follow her. They were hardly more than a dark mist that swept around the building. Nylene crouched down on the roof tiles and bent over to peer at the backside of the house. She reminded Eclipse of a pony he had once seen walking on a rope on the Crystal Faire. They had used an umbrella pretty much as she used her wings for balance.
"There, is that her?" she whispered, her head almost upside down. Nylene's braid fell down and dangled like a piece of rope. Her clawed hand pointed at a human girl sitting at a narrow table, bent over a book and several scrolls. Vera Fletcher, their youngest, was reluctantly doing her homework.
"Yep, that's her. And she's alone. Perfect. Maybe her sister went out to play. So how do we -?"
"Are you holding on tightly?" Nylene asked.
"Yeah, why - whoa!" Eclipse called out as Nylene jumped, spun around in midair and landed on the narrow windowsill. "Oh, p-ponyfeathers, I didn't see that coming," he stuttered, shaking his dizzy head.
Nylene held on to the wooden frame of the window with one hand and knocked on a glass panel.
Vera winced so hard she almost toppled her inkwell. She stared incredulously at the window, her eyes as wide as saucers. When she saw Nylene in all of her winged glory, she opened her mouth to scream. The demon hunter quickly put a finger to her own mouth to shush Vera. Surprisingly, it worked.
The girl pointed a shivering finger at Eclipse sitting on Nylene's shoulders. He decided to smile and wave at her now that Nylene was hopefully done jumping. Vera gave a hesitant wave back as she saw that both Nylene and Eclipse gave her a friendly smile. Nylene made sure to keep her lips closed.
After a moment of hesitation, Vera stood up and walked over to the window on shaking legs. It seemed they had given her a good scare. But she still opened the window.
"Why did you come back?" she asked.
"Can we come in?" Eclipse asked back.
"I guess."
Nylene stepped through the frame, ducking low so Eclipse would not bump his head. He jumped off her shoulders and thanked her. Nylene nodded, then turned to Vera.
"Hello," she said softly. "My name is Nylene. You don't need to be scared, I will not hurt you. Thank you for admitting us."
"Sh-sure." Vera frowned, taking a step back anyway.
Eclipse had the feeling he needed to calm her down.
"Look, I don't want to get you in trouble or anything. I just want to talk to you about my friend. Nylene came along to help me get up here, that's all."
"That and for moral support," Nylene corrected, sitting down on the now free chair. She was taller than Darren or Stephen, like most Night Elf females. If she stood up straight the tips of her ears would touch the ceiling. "Are you alright?" she asked as she, too, noticed how shaken Vera was.
"Not really, no. A demon and a dark pegasus just came in through my window."
Nylene smiled sadly. "I may look like a demon but I assure you, you are quite safe. If you want us to leave..."
"Well, no! Now I want to know what the fuzz is all about," Vera said quickly. "Why isn't Darren here, too?"
Eclipse grimaced. "Well, he kinda doesn't know we're doing this," he admitted.
"Oh. I see. Do you want to drink something?" Vera offered awkwardly, apparently remembering her manners.
"No, thanks, I'm good," said Eclipse. He dug at the ground with a hoof. "So, I guess I should tell you Darren's secret. But it's pretty scary so please don't scream or anything, okay? And besides, he is really nice, he'd never hurt a child."
"Okay..."
"I don't really know where to start." Eclipse looked at Nylene.
"How about how you know Darren?" she suggested.
"Oh, right. I'm a - a special pegasus. I can use pretty powerful magic. And Darren is my teacher, he helps me to control it. And he taught me how to meditate, too. I'm pretty good at it by now."
"Is he a wizard?" Vera asked, slowly sitting down on the edge of her bed.
Eclipse shook his head. "No, he's not. He's a death knight."
"What?! But how is that even possible? Aren't they, like, the soldiers of the Lich King?" Vera stammered.
"Well, he used to be. But Darren's not undead anymore. The Crystal H-, uh, a special magic that only exists at my home healed him. And now he's back to human, a normal human who lives and breathes. But he can still use that magic from before. And I think he eats more than other humans. Though Jonathan also prolly wolfs down twice as much as my Dad." He scratched his muzzle. "It's hard to explain. I don't really know how it works. Just that it's true."
"So you're saying he's not a death knight but he used to be one and now he's kind of half a death knight," Vera summarized.
"Yeah." Eclipse nodded, smiling with relief.
"Then what does he want to do with us?"
"I dunno. I think he just wanted to say Hi. And see who from the family is still alive. We came back to Azeroth by accident and this could be his last chance. I mean, he lost his wife, his five kids and his best friend to the Scourge. So you're the only family he's got. Back home, Jonathan is the only other human around. I think Darren gets lonely sometimes."
"Oh Light." Vera's eyes watered up. "My Dad told him to stay away, didn't he? At the door? I didn't exactly hear it but..."
"Yeah."
"Well, that sucks!"
"Yeah."
"And you're totally sure that he's not dangerous?" Vera asked, narrowing her eyes.
"If I could say it in Common, I'd say the rhyme but... Yes. I'm very, very sure. I trust him with my life," Eclipse said firmly.
"Wow, isn't that a bit much?" Vera chuckled nervously, fiddling with a strand of her curly hair.
"No, not really. We actually saved each other's lives a couple times." Eclipse shrugged. "So what are we gonna do now? Do you think you can talk to your Dad about it? Tell him that Darren's okay?"
Vera frowned darkly. "He'll think that you cast a spell on me. I don't think I can convince him that easily."
Nylene cleared her throat. "If I may suggest something," she said.
"Yeah, sure. You got an idea?" Eclipse looked at her expectantly.
"We could arrange a chance encounter. On the street. If Stephen met Darren in a public place, seeing that he is friendly in that context, maybe he would reconsider."
Eclipse raised his brows. If they wanted to do that they would have to tell Darren what happened, would they not? Except maybe if they went somewhere they had wanted to go anyway. Where would he want to go if he lived in Stormwind?
"How about we invite them to a walk in the park or something?" he suggested.
"That could work," said Vera. "We have walks in the park sometimes, as a family. But I guess it would be suspicious if we arranged it too fast, you know, right after Darren was here."
"That is true. How about we think about it, you shall think about it as well, and we meet again the day after tomorrow?" Nylene said. "We did surprise you with all of this," she added with a chuckle.
Vera nodded, still fiddling with her hair.
The silence stretched out until Nylene spoke again.
"Very well. Farewell for now, child." She climbed onto the windowsill. "An'dorei?"
"Wait a second." Eclipse made a hesitant step towards Vera. "Thanks for hearing me out. I know it's weird. I can tell by your face. You look like someone who's been told that apples taste like bananas."
"Yeah, just give me some time. But I think I'm okay. I'm glad you came back anyway," she admitted. "Even though it's on the back of a - uh. Excuse me, lady, w-what are you, exactly?"
"I am a Night Elf. And also a demon hunter."
"A-alright." Vera grimaced uncomfortably. "Did I just offend you?"
"No. Do not worry about it." Nylene gave her another tight-lipped smile.
"Bye, Vera," said Eclipse, giving her a little wave. "See you in two days."
"Bye, Eclipse."
Nylene jumped out of the window, reached for the edge of the roof and swung upwards. She landed on the tiles like a cat. Then, she stretched out her hand to offer it to Eclipse.
The colt jumped onto the windowsill, using his wings for the extra boost, and took her hand. Nylene pulled him up and sat him on her shoulder.
As Nylene rushed across the roof, Eclipse heard Vera closing the window.
"Ha-ha! Your health is down to Minus Two! That's super dead. I win!" Eclipse grinned broadly, tapping his trump card.
"Your mage obliterated my defenses. The field is empty. And I can't heal any more." Tarik leaned back and faked anger. "I will rise again as a spectre and haunt you," he threatened.
"Well, then I should probably make a 'Levinia' card," Eclipse said, rubbing his chin.
"What stats?"
"Six-four and when she enters the field your hero gets stunned and everypony else scared back into your hand."
"Too overpowered." Tarik scrunched up his face. "How the hell did we get here?" he asked, slightly bewildered.
"You wanted to explain the rules to him," Nylene reminded the knight. "Because you like the game much more than I do, apparently."
"Right." He looked at Eclipse who still could not wipe the grin off his muzzle. "Four out of seven?"
"Where the hell is Darren?" Nylene muttered to herself.
"Equestria. Their world is called Equestria." Darren scratched his neck and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Pardon," he said. "Long day."
Khadgar nodded. "Thank you for all of this information. If you could bring me the notes of your friend that would be extremely helpful. I have a rough idea how to make the portal you need," he raised his brows, "but there are a few things that I need to check first. And I will require your assistance for just a little longer, Darren."
"Certainly. No pain, no gain." Darren straightened up.
Levinia had actually expected Khadgar to say something like this much sooner and Darren did not seem surprised, either. She floated lazily into the air. Her hooves lost contact with the ground; her mane flowed more freely as she tapped into her magical resources.
"You know, I better tell the others it's going to take a bit longer. They're probably worried by now. Should I get the saddlebags and bring them here?" she offered. "If I'm going to the Rose anyway."
"Please bring them directly to the Mage Quarter," Khadgar suggested. "Do you remember the tallest tower in the centre?"
Levinia nodded.
"That's the Wizard's Sanctum. Just follow the ramp that circles it and after entering you step into the portal and take a left. You can put the bags on the stone elevation next to the water basin. Just not too close." He winked at her and rummaged inside the bag that was fastened to his belt. "Ah, there it is. Here." He tossed a small item to the surprised Levinia.
It was a gem the size of her hoof, a symmetrically cut, oblong blue sapphire. The pictograph of an eye and three arrows pointing downward was engraved into the stone.
"What is it?" she asked, running her hoof over the smooth surface. There was some kind of spell imbedded in the stone but there was no way for her to tell what it could do.
"That will get you into the Sanctum without trouble. It works like a badge. Meanwhile, I think it would be best if we teleported to my place right away. I need to consult some of my books."
"Okay," said Levinia. "See you later, then!"
"It might take a while," Khadgar warned her, swiftly lowering his hand to the height of his knees. Blue magical energy expanded from it and settled on the ground, forming a circle around himself and Darren. Runes danced along the lines. He did not even need to draw them - they just appeared along with the spell. A shiver ran down Levinia's spine.
Khadgar raised his hand again, this time with more effort as if he was straining against a force that prevented him from doing so. Strands of energy crackled, connecting his fist with the circle. Levinia suspected that the teleportation would ensue as soon as Khadgar opened his fingers. "Are you ready?" he asked, looking at Darren.
"As long as I'll be back before -" Darren began. Khadgar opened his hand and they disappeared in a flash of blue light.
"- Midnight." Darren blinked, staggering as if he had bumped his foot on a stair. He spread his arms to regain his balance. The sudden transference had been entirely different from a portal. It was one thing to fall through a magical current. It was something else to just instantaneously be someplace else. "Oof..." He took a deep breath. Even gravity felt slighty different.
Darren looked around, taking in the new surroundings. There were rows and rows of wooden bookshelves, slightly rounded so they would fit into the circular cavernous hall. A seemingly endless stairwell spiraled upwards into the higher levels of the tower. He quickly stepped to a window and looked outside.
Instead of the roofs of Stormwind there were trees, dead grey trees, stretching to the horizon. They were in the valley of a colourless mointain ridge, reddening in the light of a setting sun.
"This is not the Mage Quarter," Darren said accusingly, pointing at the window.
Khadgar raised his brows. "I thought that would be obvious when I said we'd go to my place."
"No!"
"This is Karazhan, in the Red Ridge Mountains. Well, formerly red. Now they just call it the Deadwind Pass, a rather dreadful name if you ask me. I don't live in Stormwind. Don't worry, I will portal you back at midnight or so." Khadgar smiled apologetically. "I forgot you aren't up to date with everything. Sorry about that."
Darren rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let's just do this research before I get a headache," he pleaded.
"You're taking this teleport pretty well," Khadgar remarked, surprised. "Most people lose a bit of their lunch the first time. Especially humans."
"I lost my life once, I'm not going to lose my lunch over this," said Darren dryly.
"Right. Research," Khadgar called himself to order. "We're looking for a tome, about ye big, with a blue leather binding. It should be somewhere in that section in the upper half of a shelf. It's called Riftworld Codex. And I'll get the Essays on Dimensional Convergence and Walking Through Worlds ... probably also the Book of Medivh. And please, Darren - don't touch the book when you find it, just holler. It is a library but we are the only ones around. And the books here are not all... friendly."
"Rude." Levinia stared at the empty spot before her. She sighed. Better to get to the Gilded Rose and find the saddlebags. She flapped her wings, ready to take off.
Something was not right. Levinia flapped her wings once again, forgetting that she did not need to do that in order to fly. She felt strangely heavy. Something kept dragging her down like an invisible weight and eventually she gave up. Sitting on the ground, Levinia looked at her hooves in confusion. Had she used up her energy without noticing? No, she did not feel weak, just unable to float or fly.
Maybe she could turn into a wisp! Levinia smiled and stood up again. Her form dissolved into the blue light. Now she felt better.
"Now!" somebody shouted.
A strong force took hold of Levinia, dragging her away. If she had limbs she would probably have flailed them around, trying to dig them into the ground. But the way she was she could only watch as she was being pulled into a bottle in the hands of a hooded human. As soon as she was inside the green vessel somebody corked it.
"Well, that was easy." It had to be a male, judging by the voice.
Panic and claustrophobia took hold of Levinia. She tried to escape, flying around in the bottle, but she only bumped against the glass helplessly, like a firefly inside a jar. She had to get out! Yet the longer she struggled the more she had to admit to herself that she was stuck.
The hooded man held the bottle closer and shook it, making her dizzy.
"Stop it, the seal is not foolproof!" The hand of a woman came into view, taking hold of the man's wrist.
"Fine." More quaking, then darkness engulfed her. They had probably put the bottle into a bag.
Thankful that she could not get sick in her current form, Levinia waited until the shaking stopped. It went on for a while and there was a rhythm to it as if her captors were walking somewhere. After what felt like an eternity, the bottle was removed from its hiding place and put on a shelf.
The two hooded figures left, closing a door behind them. There was the sound of a key turning inside a lock.
Levinia was alone.
She sighed inwardly and tried to see in the dark. Her own light shone back from the smooth surface of the glass, creating disorienting reflections.
After a while, Levinia figured out on what to focus. As a wisp, she had unobstricted sight in all directions, theoretically, but she soon realized that this was only half true. Behind her was a wall, beneath and above, the boards of the shelf. Up ahead was mostly darkness. She could make out the silhouettes of books and different items such as scrolls and more bottles. Most of them were empty, carelessly piled up on a large table. Some of them contained irregular shapes, floating inside some disgusting liquid.
Oh merciful stars, was she in a laboratory? What would those people do to her? What could they do to her? She had thought that nopony could touch her without permission - she was a freaking ghost!
And she could not scream or flee or do anything really, except watch and wait.
Scared and lonely, she floated to the bottom of the bottle and just remained there, wishing she could cry.
As dinnertime approached and Darren and Levinia still were not back, Eclipse grew restless. He could not focus on the game with Tarik anymore. When Tarik interrupted his Khadgar card for the second time in a row, Eclipse put his four remaining cards face-down and put his head onto his hooves.
"What's taking them so long?" he asked glumly.
Nylene pulled a face. "I am going to check. You two stay here, please."
Tarik nodded. Then, a thought occurred to him. "But you already ordered your food."
"You can have it," Nylene offered. "For morale, you see."
Frowning, Tarik set his jaw.
Nylene squeezed Eclipse's hoof for a moment, then she rushed off.
"How about another -?" Tarik began.
"No!" the colt interrupted him angrily. "I'm not just gonna sit here when my friends are in trouble."
"You don't know that. They might simply be late."
"Well, I'm not taking any chances!" Eclipse declared, standing up. The whites of his eyes turned black and his irises glowed in an eerie purple light - he was using dark magic!
Tarik twitched, his hand reaching over his shoulder. Then, he remembered he had left his sword upstairs.
Eclipse's coat rippled, dark smoke rising from it. He looked like a shadow priest, like those mad cultists from the sands of Uldum. Even though he was undead, Tarik shuddered.
Somebody screamed. That made Eclipse blink in surprise. He frowned and turned his head to see who it had been.
A woman cowered next to her table, her husband trying to shield her with his body. They were human, maybe Allison's age, and had waited for their own dinner while Eclipse and Tarik had been playing their card game.
"Stop this madness!" Tarik barked, hiding his apprehension in an angry shout.
"But I gotta help Nylene!" Eclipse said. His voice was still his own but it sounded deeper, more powerful.
"Why, don't you trust her?"
"I..." Eclipse sighed.
The dark smoke dissipated and mere seconds later he was back to normal. He hung his head, ears folded back. "You're right. I'm being stupid. I just wanna rush after her but I guess she's not dumb. Or weak."
"What the hell was that just now?" Tarik demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Eclipse who winced.
"My Void powers," the colt admitted begrudgingly. He hit the ground with a hoof, angry at himself. "I'm supposed to be better than that!" he snapped. "Stars dammit!" Eclipse spun around and bolted for the door.
"Eclipse! Wait!" Tarik ran after him, casting a look at the scared couple.
"Sorry about that," he said quickly, getting a shaky nod from the man.
Eclipse was not used to weaving through a dense crowd but people already gave him a berth when they saw how upset he was. He stopped gallopping after only fifty yards, slowing to a canter. Sitting down on the curbside next to a sign that said, "Gallina Winery", Eclipse wiped his muzzle and sniffled.
Tarik spotted him with ease. He strolled over to Eclipse and sat down next to him. Crossing his arms and resting them on his knees, Tarik glanced at the little pegasus. The colt's sapphire blue eyes met Tarik's cold gaze. Eclipse's eyes were bloodshot, he had been crying.
Since he did not know what to say, Tarik remained silent.
They continued to sit there until Eclipse sighed deepy and said, "Sorry."
"Forgiven," said Tarik. "You ready to go back?"
Eclipse nodded, slowly standing up. "I feel like an idiot," he muttered, barely audible over the noises of the street.
"Everybody does sometimes," Tarik assured him.
"Really? Even death knights?"
"Especially death knights. Come on, now. We should be there when our friends return."
"Hm..." Eclipse hummed. "Yeah, you're right."
With the little pony in tow, Tarik returned to the Gilded Rose.
As they entered, they found a letter on their table, next to Eclipse's cards. It was addressed to Levinia and sealed with the sign of the wizard council of the Kirin Tor. Tarik snatched it from the table and flipped it. There was no return address.
"It just appeared out of thin air," said the woman from before, her voice trembling. She and her husband were now seated again and eating some kind of stew Allison had undoubtedly made for them. Tarik should probably tell her to keep Nylene's food warm for her.
"Really? I see. Thank you." Tarik pretended that they were having a normal conversation, keeping his tone level. He turned to Eclipse. "Please gather your cards. I should read this somewhere private." He did not like it but if Levinia was missing this was probably his best clue.
Eclipse, his pack of cards under his wing, sat down on Tarik's bed. The sheets were still the way they had been when Tarik had booked the room. Sometimes he would lie down on it to think but most of the time he had walked around the city, visiting the occasional acquaintance and getting his armour repaired. The colt did not know about this, of course. Tarik was not the person to talk about how his day was.
Tarik shut the door and ripped the envelope open with his pinkie. He found a single sheet of yellowed paper covered in what was most likely Darren's handwriting.
Levinia, we teleported to Karazhan for more research. When you bring the saddlebags to the Sanctum, please wait there. Khadgar will set up a portal for me to get there as soon as we are done. I do not know how long it will take. Khadgar's help will speed things up. Maybe we can go home sooner than we thought. Nylene should ensure that Eclipse goes to bed on time. See you soon. Darren
There was another comment in a different handwriting, this one smaller and more intricate.
Say hello to Eclipse from me. I promise I will return your friend in one piece. Spunky
Apparently, Levinia had been supposed to return here and get the saddlebags from her pony friend. Now he, Tarik, was stuck playing babysitter for a little pony with Void powers. And how the hell did they meet Khadgar? Was he the raven? Tarik groaned.
One thing at a time. First, he needed to calm down Eclipse.
"Darren is safe," he told the colt, waving the letter. "You'll probably see him in the morning."
"What about Levinia?" Eclipse asked, focusing on the thing Tarik had tried not to mention.
"I don't know. It doesn't say. Apparently, she was supposed to come back here. Nylene will find her, Eclipse."
Eclipse sighed. "I sure hope so."
"There is a line for you," Tarik told Eclipse and read Khadgar's note to him. Seeing the relieved grin on Eclipse's muzzle, Tarik put the letter back into the envelope and decided that it was not his place to tell him the raven's identity just yet. "Let's have dinner," he said instead. "I'll get the food from the kitchen."
It took him a while but by the time that Eclipse had eaten he had calmed down enough to be left on his own. Tarik took the bowl and went downstairs to ask Allison for a spare key to Darren's room. He would not let the pony sleep in his bed, not because he had a problem with that but because Eclipse had all his things in the other room.
As he had suspected, Tarik found Allison in the kitchen, washing the dishes of the other guests. Her son stood next to her, drying the plates and bowls with a ragged towel. The adolescent boy frowned darkly as he saw the death knight. Tarik exchanged a few words with Allison, asking her to get Eclipse to bed if Nylene did not return until Nine. He opened the door to room No. 3 for Eclipse and bade him a good night along with the promise of coming back. Then, Tarik quickly donned his armour, snatched his sword belt and slung it over his shoulder. The letter went into his back pocket. He almost forgot the saddlebags. As he entered Darren's room again, Eclipse gave im a bewildered look. Tarik shrugged apologetically and took the saddlebags from under the table closet.
"I'm going to need this," he explained. "See you tomorrow."
He closed the door and made his way to the Mage Quarter.
Eclipse is wading through snow that goes up to his barrel. Pushing through the cold white blanket, he calls out for his parents. The only answer is the cry of a wolf in the distance. He feels alone, so terribly alone. Everyone has left him! He has never been so lost and cold before - except at the beginning. But still, he has to keep trying.
He calls for Darren but all he gets is more snow falling into his face.
His shout for Nylene goes unanswered.
As he shouts Levinia's name, there is a faint reply.
Eclipse opens his mouth again and cries at the top of his voice, "Levinia! Where are you?"
He still cannot make out the words so he calls a third time.
Now, he can finally understand bits of it. Her voice is muffled and has an echo to it as if she were in a small room.
"Eclipse! Help - ! I don't - where I am!"
A weak blue light appears in front of him.
"Eclipse!"
He tries to touch it but as soon as his hoof gets close the light fades.
"Tell Darren and Khadgar! I've been ponynapped but I don't know where I am. Can you hear me?"
"Yes! Yes, I can hear you!" Eclipse shouts against the snow. "We'll find you! Hold on, we'll save you!"
The light fades away and he is alone again. The snow keeps falling, burying him until all he can see is white nothingness.
Eclipse woke up with a damp coat, panting heavily. His cheeks were wet, his eyes felt warm and his legs hurt. No Princess Luna had been there to help him. No Mom or Dad was there to console him. Even Nylene -
He angrily hit the blanket with his hoof. No. He would not give in to his fears. His friends all promised to come back. And his Mom and Dad were safe in the Empire.
... But something had been very weird about that dream. Like a dream interrupting another dream.
Eclipse's eyes widened as he remembered that you often forgot your dreams as soon as you woke up. He ran to the closet and opened it. There, Darren's backpack. Quickly, quickly... yes! An old inkwell, almost dried up. That had to be Twilight's. Eclipse took it and went to the washing bowl. He filled the inkwell with water, closed it and shook it. That should get him enough ink to make notes.
Using the feather he had brushed out of his wing before, Eclipse decided to sacrifice the cheap tablecloth. He wrote down a few words in Equestrian, splattering ink all over the cloth.
Levinia taken where? Track her somehow no Luna knows Khadgar?
As he was sure he would not forget anymore, Eclipse spat the quill out.
"Pwah!" He stuck out his tongue, disgusted. He had not had a chance to wash that feather. In the dim light of the moon, he could tell that the words were legible at least.
Eclipse staggered back to bed, slightly dizzy, and slipped under the blanket. Hopefully, when he woke up again, Nylene and Darren would both be back.
It was almost midnight when Khadgar teleported Darren and himself back to Stormwind. A blue flash of light exploded in the Wizard's Sanctum's portal room, leaving the two men standing on the exquisite carpet before a water basin that decorated a high wall. The blue fire in the lanterns on said wall cast an eerie light on their faces, making them look like ghosts.
It took Darren a moment to get his bearings again. Then he recognized Tarik sitting on a stone plinth next to the fountain, in full armour, with his sword on his back and Twilight's old saddlebags at his feet. He had his hands behind his back for some reason.
"She didn't return from your meeting. That's why I came instead. Would you please release me?"
"Release -?" Darren repeated, now thoroughly confused.
Khadgar sighed. "Right, of course." He raised his hand, making a complicated motion with it.
Tarik twitched and moved his hands, flexing his fingers, then rotating his shoulder. "Sir, your assistant is kind of a dick," he told Khadgar. Standing up, Tarik snatched the saddlebags from the ground and gave them to Darren who reluctantly took them und tucked them under his arm.
"My assistant did exactly what he was told to do," said Khadgar. "When somebody enters the Sanctum without authorization they are detained until a mage with a high enough clearance frees them. Or the intruder is banished or destroyed."
"Lovely," Tarik commented. "Also, aren't you Archmage Khadgar?"
"That I am. For how long have you been sitting here?"
"Long enough to assume that Nylene must have returned from her search for you."
"Wait - are you saying that Levinia is missing?" Darren asked, alarmed.
"Yes. I would have looked for her, too, but somebody needed to meet you," Tarik explained. "And bring the bags."
"Forget the bags! You left Eclipse alone?!" Darren snapped. "Are you out of your mind?"
Tarik frowned. "I told Allison to look after him," he said defensively.
Darren sighed, rubbing his eyes. He took a breath, trying to stay calm. The only good thing about this day seemed to be that it was nearing its end. "Great," Darren muttered to himself.
"Are you doing this?" Khadgar asked, pointing at the water basin. The water in it was frozen.
He was losing control over his emotions again. Darren pressed his lips together and forced himself to focus. He had to make a plan. Give Khadgar the saddlebags so he could do his research on the portal. Find Levinia. Calm down Eclipse. Tell Tarik or Nylene to look after him while he would look for Levinia, not to mention that he still did not want to give up on that family reunion. Given the circumstances, Levinia was highest on the priority list. But he could get one thing out of the way right away.
"Never mind the ice," said Darren. He passed the saddlebags on to Khadgar. "You're free to go through the notes. But please consider that they're confidential. Also, they are in Equestrian."
"I'll need you as a translator, then," Khadgar hinted. "Although it would be very interesting to learn a new language from scratch, I'm under the impression that you are in a bit of a hurry."
"We've got to find Levinia," Darren objected. "That's more important than the portal. And someone needs to take care of Eclipse. So only two will be able look for her."
"We need to figure out what happened first," Tarik objected.
Khadgar hummed, thinking hard. His eyes on the bags, he said slowly, "Eclipse can read Equestrian, can't he?"
"True. What are you getting at?" Darren asked.
"If he helps with the translation all of you can investigate since I would, well, look after the little pony." Khadgar shrugged. "From what I've seen he would probably like to see a wizard's library from the inside. And he will be safer than at the inn - in case the people who took Levinia are also after him. It's not that unlikely with the Void powers he claims to have."
Darren's stomach made a somersault backwards as he realized he had not thought of that possibility. The ice crackled as the water froze through, right down to the bottom of the basin. But Khadgar did have a point. The only thing that peeved Darren about it was that Khadgar, the powerful Kirin Tor mage, seemed to want to remain behind the curtains. He could have been a great help tracking down Levinia. But, to be honest, he was not obligated to do anything at all. And Darren would take whatever help he could get.
"Thank you," said Darren, his throat dry.
"You're welcome. I'll be honest with you, I would be a fool if I passed up an opportunity like that," Khadgar admitted with an apologetic smile. "But are you sure you're alright with letting me take him to Karazhan?"
"If any harm comes to him I will kill you. I don't care how strong of a mage you are," Darren assured him.
"I'll remember that," Khadgar said, respectfully inclining his head. Darren was not sure if he was being ironic but he found he was too angry to care.
"Tarik, will you help me?" Darren asked the knight. "You have done a lot already but -"
"I am a freelancer, I can do whatever the hell I want. That includes tracking down a pony ghost."
When Eclipse woke up, the first thing he noticed was Darren, fully clothed and washing his face. It was probably what had disturbed his sleep. As the human turned around, Eclipse was surprised by how tired he looked. There were dark shades under his eyes, almost like when he had been undead. And he looked even paler than usual.
"Mornin'," Darren rasped as he saw that Eclipse was awake. "You wrote a message?" The knight pointed at the tablecloth.
For a second, Eclipse had no idea what Darren was talking about. Then the memory returned to him. He slipped out of bed and trotted over to the table.
Wow. He had made a real mess. There were dots of ink all over the table, not only the cloth, and the characters he had written were scratchy and looked like those of a five-year-old.
"Uh... yeah. I didn't want to forget. And there was no paper."
"So you sacrificed the tablecloth, I get it," Darren smirked. "But how do you know that Levinia was taken? Did Tarik tell you?"
"No, Levinia did. In a dream." Eclipse shrugged apologetically. "I didn't want to forget," he repeated. "I really hope she's okay. She sounded pretty scared."
Darren nodded. He exhaled and sat down on his side of the bed.
"We'll find her," he promised. "Nylene and Tarik agreed to help with that. Nylene can see auras, that will come in handy when we search the park where we last saw her. And three people can cover more ground."
"You mean four! I'm gonna help, of course!" Eclipse said confidently, already reaching for his shield.
"We need your help with something else."
"Huh?"
"Remember the raven?" Darren said, raising an eyebrow.
"Spunky? Sure! So did you really meet him?" Eclipse asked, excited. "What's he look like? Is it even a he? Is it a human or some other creature?"
"Slow down, kid." Darren chuckled. He bent forward to find his boot. When he had come back late the shoe had somehow gone further under the bed than made sense. He could not reach it. Darren stood up and knelt down, feeling around under the bed. There it was. The other boot stood innocently in front of the closet. Putting them on, Darren said, "So it turns out that 'Spunky' ia a human mage. And he can probably help us with the portal back home."
"Wh-, that's great!" Eclipse exclaimed. Then his ears folded back. "Except Levinia is gone and we gotta find her first, don't we?"
"That's true. But it will take him a while to make sense of Twilight's notes. So we should do both things at the same time," said Darren. When he saw Eclipse's confused expression, he explained, "We gave him Twilight's notes."
"Are you sure that's okay with her?" Eclipse frowned. "I don't think she'd like it if some mage read her notes. He might use them for his..." He looked at the floor, trying to remember the phrase. "Personal gain."
"Not him," said Darren firmly.
"Must be some mage." Eclipse was impressed. "Do you know him? Are you friends?"
"Not quite yet. But I'm willing to take a leap of faith," Darren admitted. He stood up and beckoned for Eclipse to follow him. Eclipse's stomach seemed to agree; it made itself heard with a loud rumble.
As they walked down the stairs, Eclipse realized something.
"Wait a minute," he said. "His name isn't really Spunky, is it?"
"You'll know soon enough," Darren said cryptically.
Well, that sounded ominous. Who was that guy? Was he really that trustworthy? Darren was not the most trusting type, Eclipse knew that, but asking him to help that mage? A sense of dread wormed its way up in his stomach.
"And... and am I going to stay with him?"
Darren halted. When he turned to Eclipse he looked very serious.
"Only if you agree. We'll meet him first. And then you get to decide. If you don't want to go with him you can stay at the inn while we do our investigation."
Relieved, Eclipse nodded.
Eclipse seemed satisfied with that answer for the rest of the morning. After having breakfast and discussing their course of action with Nylene and Tarik, it was agreed that Eclipse would get to decide whether or not he would stay with Khadgar. Nylene slipped the wizard's name eventually, getting a stare and an incredulous laugh from Eclipse. When nobody else laughed he slowly realized they were serious. As the colt's eyes wandered from one to the other, Darren wondered why he was so shocked.
Still, Eclipse was convinced, "I bet he's gonna make us a portal in no time!"
Darren did not have the heart to tell him that these things took time when you were not familiar with someone else's spell. He remembered studying his own libram, memorizing all the Light spells and prayers. Five-hundred and sixty pages were not a joke. It had taken him several years until he had mastered only half of them. Now the tome was probably either in the Chapel of Light's Hope, retrieved by the remaining crusaders, or rotting away in the forest where he had lost it. He could still remember some of the prayers even though he had not said them in over a decade. It was still just a thing, though, and could be replaced. Unlike friends. Unlike Levinia.
Today, the weather was significantly better than yesterday. Scattered clouds chased each other across a blue sky and it was windy but dry. There were a lot more people on the streets and Darren had trouble to keep his eye on Eclipse. The colt suggested to sit on his shoulders before he could open his mouth to say the exact same thing. Eclipse was really considerate for a boy his age. Darren remembered his own sons and smirked. They usually had not noticed when someone had a problem unless they had been told about it head on. And Eclipse's senses seemed to become even keener over time. Every time someone was in a bad mood he immediately noticed it.
"Are you okay?" Eclipse asked. "Is it about Levinia?"
"I'm fine," Darren assured him. "We're almost there."
"Is he nice? Khadgar, I mean?" Eclipse changed the subject.
"Hm. Yes. From what I've seen so far."
They passed a gate that led to the Mage Quarter. It looked quite different from yesterday. Now Darren noticed the grass that covered the space between the houses. The only paved area was in the centre of the quarter, leading straight to the Wizard's Sanctum.
"Oh, good. Because it would really suck if he was a jerk. Or the kind of wizard who has no idea how to interact with people."
Darren grinned. "Like a geek?"
"Yeah, like a geek."
"Being good at something doesn't mean automatically that you're, as you put it, unable to interact properly," Darren said slowly.
"No, I guess not. But think about it. When somepony spends all their time studying one thing they have less experience with other stuff, do they?"
"I suppose you do have a point. Here we are."
Without hesitation, Eclipse jumped off Darren's shoulders. With the weight gone, Darren staggered for a second. Spreading his little wings, Eclipse glided to the ground. His physical strength was improving, too, as it seemed. Maybe it was time for him to take flight lessons? Darren should probably ask Levinia about it.
"Wow," Eclipse whispered, his jaw wide open. "That is a real wizard tower. Awesome!" The colt pointed at the ramp that spiraled up to the tower's entrance. "How does it not fall down? There's no columns or ropes!"
"Magic, obviously," Darren muttered. "Come on."
"Right."
"This is the spot?" Tarik put his hands on his hips, frowning sceptically.
Nylene shrugged. She watched a few visitors hurrying out of the cemetery as soon as they spotted the death knight and demon hunter walking down the main path.
"Darren said the cemetery was the last place he saw her," Tarik went on.
"Yes, I was there." Nylene looked around. She pointed at a path leading to an outlook, right next to the small lake. "Here, that must be it."
She sniffed. Turning her head towards Tarik, Nylene grimaced. "Well, there is something. But I cannot tell exactly... what..." Crouching down, she scraped at the ground. She took a bit of the dirt into her mouth, then spat it out. "Humans," she said, feeling certain about it. "But the trace isn't good enough. Too many other people were here the last day. At least a dozen, I think."
"Let me try." Tarik drew his sword. They both had brought their weapons and Tarik had put on part of his armour as a precaution. "If we combine our efforts we might able to narrow it down."
"How?"
"I can sense spirits, you can sense auras. That's got to be good for something," Tarik said. "If I use the sword to channel..."
"Sir! Ma'am!" A voice called out to them, sounding alert.
They perked up and turned around. Oh, great, a guard. Human. And telling by his aura he was probably a warrior. There was not an ounce of magic in him. Not really a threat. But it was probably not good to cause a ruckus. They had to think fast.
"Oh, good that you're here," Nylene said quickly, resisting the urge to flash him a smile. "We are having a problem."
"What are you doing? Summoning rituals aren't permitted here," said the guard. He was tall, almost her height, and lean. Besides his sword and spear she counted only one hidden knife. And he was nervous, even scared.
"Oh, no, we weren't going to perform one," Nylene said quickly, deciding to tell the truth. "We are looking for a friend. She has gone missing and this is the last place she was seen."
"A... friend?" That hesitation in his voice. As if demon hunters could not have friends. Nylene felt hot anger boiling up.
"Yes," Nylene said with emphasis. "A friend. Did you guard this place yesterday as well?"
"No, that was someone else."
"Did they report anything suspicious? She would not have gone voluntarily," Tarik chimed in.
"Who are you people?" Awesome, the guard was getting more suspicious with every passing second. She had to act fast before he would do anything stupid.
"We don't want any trouble," said Nylene. She waved at Tarik who reluctantly sheathed his sword.
"Still, if you do need help I need your names," the guard insisted.
"Very well," Nylene sighed. "Nylene Felbane."
"Tarik Aydin."
"And your friend is called...?"
"Levinia." Nylene turned to Tarik. "Does she have a last name? I never asked."
"I don't think so," Tarik said. He seemed slightly amused.
"Is she human?" the guard asked, rummaging in a small bag at his belt to get a notepad. The spear was leaned against his shoulder. What a newbie. She could overpower him in four seconds. One fist to knock the helmet off, then a hit against his throat and he would be unconscious. Easy. What would his soul taste like? Nylene blinked, forcing herself to focus.
"No, a pony," Tarik said.
"What?" The guard gave off a short, slightly shrill laugh.
"Not like you think," Tarik said, now annoyed. "She's sentient. About this height," he held his flat hand to his hip, "floating mane and tail, bird wings. And she's translucent."
"Okay, that one's new. I didn't know death knights even made jokes." The guard put his notepad away. "Though I've heard funnier ones, I'll admit."
"Can I kill him?" Tarik asked, his tone suggesting he was getting angry. But his aura glowed in a mixture of green and violet, dotted with red. He was both annoyed and impatient but not in a killing mood. And he would not be so stupid to kill a guard in the middle of the city.
"Hm," Nylene pretended to consider Tarik's question. She scratched her side with her talon-like fingernails. The guard clung to his spear, hurrying to put some distance between them.
"See," said Tarik, "that was a joke." He huffed. "But the part about Levinia missing is not. She's a ghost, surely a Guard of the Stormwind Cemetery has seen his fill of those?"
"No! This is sacred ground, protected by the Church of Light. They m-made sure that there's no ghosts here." That guard was a nervous wreck by now. Nylene almost pitied him. He was very young, only eighteen years or so, probably straight out of training with no experience whatsoever. No wonder they put him here instead of the field of battle.
"Oh, great. So your job is to keep people from desecrating the graves or being inappropriately loud?" Tarik asked.
"P-pretty much," the human admitted.
"Would you please ask your fellow guards if they have seen a pony ghost being abducted? We'd really appreciate the help," Nylene said sweetly. "We are staying at the Gilded Rose."
The guard nodded, lost for words.
"Thank you kindly." Nylene gave him a tight-lipped smile. "And by the way, I have more than one friend. Just because I look demonic that doesn't mean you get to lump me in with the Legion."
"You should keep hold of that spear," Tarik remarked dryly, "but in close combat your sword would be more useful." He turned to Nylene. "I believe we are done here."
Nylene nodded. "Agreed. Farewell, Mr. Guard. Thank you for your service." She said the last sentence without irony.
They walked away, not giving the petrified human another glance. Nylene could have sworn she heard him exhaling very slowly, muttering, "Dear Light."
"I wonder if he is actually going to ask around," Tarik mused.
"I do hope so." Nylene sighed. "Well, that was a big waste of time."
"Not necessarily," Tarik said. "We can still try to track Levinia when he leaves. Or one of us stands watch at the crossing of the path while the other tries it."
That sounded reasonable. Nylene nodded. "Let's do that," she said.
"How many friends do you have, if I may ask?"
"With you - five," Nylene admitted, pulling a face. Her throat felt tight.
"I see," Tarik muttered. "Go on, do your thing. I will stand guard first."
They waited for the guard to get back on his patrol, then quickly walked over to their spot. As Nylene crouched down again, closing her eyes - something Tarik could not see because of her bandage - she tried to calm herself and reach out with her demonic sight.
"I consider you my friend, too," Tarik said suddenly, his voice quiet.
Nylene nodded. The lump in her throat grew bigger. What was going on with her? It was suddenly hard to focus. But she had to find Levinia. She was a demon hunter, how hard could it be to find a ghost? She would deal with those confusing emotions later.
Darren joined them half an hour later. He only had his sword with him and Eclipse was not by his side.
"So he went with Khadgar?" Tarik asked.
Darren nodded. "He'll be fine. Once he realized he is going to help a man who's on his epic Hearthstone card he was hooked. And, of course, the whole idea of getting home sooner."
Nylene smiled. "I can imagine," she said.
"Any luck?" Darren asked.
"No." Tarik huffed. "We met a guard, told him to ask around, but the track itself has gone cold. Muddied up by passers-by."
"Did you try to look for anima residue -?"
"Yes, and also for traces of combat magic," Nylene said. "Nothing. They were quick and efficient. We have no way of finding her."
"Damn it!" Darren angrily pressed his lips together. The grass at his feet wilted and crumbled into icy flakes.
"I am sorry," Nylene said, her shoulders sagging forward. Even the wings under her cloak were drooping. Tarik had never seen a sad demon hunter before. "I wish I could do more."
"Not your fault." Darren said curtly. He exhaled sharply, pacing up and down. "Is there - no other way?"
Tarik reluctantly shook his head.
"Then thank you for your help." Darren spun around, ready to leave.
Nylene swiftly stepped over to him, touching his arm. "Where are you going?"
"To clear my head. And then to the guard house to find out who was on duty yesterday."
Tarik raised a finger. "I'll check the guards. You go and cool off."
"Alright. Well, then. Meet me back at the Rose?"
"In an hour," Tarik suggested.
Nodding, Darren stalked away, Nylene quickly following him. She turned her head, nodding at Tarik who sighed and rolled his eyes. What had he gotten himself into?
Nylene followed Darren out of the cemetery and down the narrow paved road. They passed a gazebo with stone benches, then he turned right. The road meandered between tall stone houses, then it opened to a wide plaza, lined by trees that rustled in the wind. A gigantic church stood right at the centre of it. People with bright auras went in and out of the massive wooden portal. The Cathedral.
"Darren..." Nylene tried again. "Where are you going?"
The human spun around, apparently just now noticing her. He sighed and shrugged helplessly.
"Would you like to go inside?" Nylene pointed at the cathedral.
Nylene shook her head. "It is not a place for me," she said. "They'd kick me out the second I stepped foot in there. Demon blood, remember? There are probably protective charms, too. And besides, I cannot connect with the Light, not even Elune's Light. There is no point for me to go in there. You go ahead, Paladin."
"I'm not a -"
"I know, Darren. But in a sense you still are, aren't you? Don't you and Eclipse meditate?"
"Well - I try."
"Then I will wait here, on this bench, and watch people. And you can clear your head."
"You sure?"
"Yes! Just go. And pray for me, too, while you're at it."
Darren nodded and slowly walked towards the cathedral's door.
Darren had never been in a church this big. The cathedral's hall was so large that his house would fit into it at least a dozen times. It was quiet, considering its size and stone surfaces. Only the murmur and footsteps of visitors and priests filled the silence. There was a stone table in the front where priests could put down their books, candles and chalices when they performed holy rituals. Three stone steps led up to that area. Sacred symbols made of gold framed the altar island. As he slowly approached the centre of the hall, Darren noticed people in the left side aisle, sitting and lying on mattresses and carpets. They had long, pointed ears and violet skin - Night Elf refugees. A robed woman held her hands over the shoulder of an elf. Golden light emanated from her palms, partly healing an injury.
Even the physical light was soothing. It fell through the tall windows like through treetops. Dust danced in the sunbeams that reached the marble floor. The smell of incense lingered in the air. This place felt safe. Safe and peaceful.
There were benches in the right side aisle but Darren decided to meditate his usual way. He found a spot next to a column and sat down on his feet. The floor was cold against his shin bones. Thankful that he had not put on his leather armour - it would have made sitting like this uncomfortable - he took the sword belt off and put it down on the floor. Closing his eyes, Darren rotated his shoulders, trying to relax.
He still could not connect with the Light but at least it was quiet here. And sitting like this, focusing on his breath, almost always made him calmer. He was thankful that he had showed Eclipse how to meditate. Every time he taught the colt something Darren was reminded of things long forgotten - or suppressed. It was probably good even though the memories were often both glad and bitter.
But he wanted to focus on the here and now. Once grounded, Darren would be able to keep on searching.
Darren tried to let go of conscious thought and allowed himself to drift. Every time he noticed worries or half-baked plans coming up he reminded himself to focus on his breath.
He almost forgot where he was. His breath slowed down, so did his heartbeat.
There was a pull in his shoulders and neck as the muscles relaxed one by one.
Darren stayed like this for a few dozen breaths.
Footsteps came closer. He blinked. Blue lights danced before his eyes as he opened them.
Yes, there was someone approaching him. A man in white and golden robes, maybe around fourty. Short blonde hair and a friendly, round face, but with a dark frown upon it.
"Sir, you can't be - here..." The priest's voice faltered as Darren raised his head, looking at him. "You're alive," the man muttered, surprised. "Sorry to disturb you."
Darren raised his brows and nodded politely, biting back an answer. As soon as the priest walked away, Darren stood up, shouldered his sword and left the sacred hall. His meditation had been cut short but at least he was a little more in control of his emotions. That would have to do for now. He decided not to waste another thought on the priest thinking he was unworthy of entering the cathedral. He would not contemplate how he had supposedly lost the right to - no, stop. He had a job to do. Find Levinia. Everything else could wait.
"Khadgar, Sir? Can I ask you something?" Eclipse raised a hoof as if he was in class.
"Just Khadgar is fine. And sure, ask away." The wizard looked up from his notes and put his quill down.
Eclipse flipped through the yellowed pages of Twilight's journal and sighed.
"I read only ten pages to you," he said. "But most of it is like gibberish. Does it make any sense to you at all?"
Khadgar chuckled. "Part of it. I suppose some of it gets lost in translation but the formulas check out. Her approach to creating a portal is... unorthodox but sound. In fact, based on this I can assume that her Arcane magic is more stable than that of most mages. Who is that Twilight, exactly?"
Eclipse raised his eyes to look around the tower. When Khadgar had asked him to step into the blue magic circle he had conjured up, Eclipse had already half expected to get teleported to a different location. Darren had told him that this Karazhan place was where he had been yesterday so it had to be alright. But being told to never leave Khadgar's sight... This tower was probably very big. Or maybe there were dangerous things in other rooms. Eclipse was curious what he would find if he followed those stairs winding through the tower. He could only see lots of curved bookshelves from here, stuffed with hundreds, probably even thousands of tomes and books. But he also wanted to prove to Darren that he could rely on him. So he would do this boring reading as long as was necessary. Or at least until his eyes would get too tired. Whichever came first.
"Eclipse?" Khadgar's worried voice brought him back to the present.
"Sorry. Uh... Twilight Sparkle is... the Princess of Friendship."
"She is a pony like you, isn't she?"
"Well, sorta. Yes. Although I'm a special case. She's an actual, normal pony. Well, except she started as a unicorn, as far as I know anyway, and now she's an alicorn."
"I'm not sure I am following," Khadgar said slowly.
Eclipse grimaced. He never had to explain ponies before. "Uh... it's like an upgrade? She gained wings and got more powerful. And now she's like royalty. Though, since her brother is a Prince I guess she was royalty anyway..." He rubbed his muzzle.
"I see. But she is a mage?"
Eclipse nodded. "Yes. Yes, she is a mage. I think even the most powerful mage in Equestria, except maybe for the other princesses."
"Are there any kings or queens?" Khadgar raised an eyebrow. "These princesses had to come from somewhere."
Eclipse laughed. "It's a title thing. We had it in history class. We have no queens or kings because those often abused their power. With the title of Princess... how do I say that in Common... there's that promise. Not to abuse power. Like King Sombra did, for example."
Khadgar quickly picked up his quill and wrote more notes. The ink splattered across the parchment but he did not seem to care.
"Why is that important?" Eclipse asked, raising an eyebrow. He ruffled his wings. "What does it have to do with portals?"
"Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You see, Eclipse, portals can be quite a problem. We have a big one on Azeroth and it got us into all sorts of trouble. Like two invasions, for instance. And the other portals were often just as bad."
"Oh." Eclipse's ears folded back. "That's... different from what I've heard about Twilight's portals. I think she just made friends. It's kind of her thing, with her being the Princess of Friendship and all."
"Do you know her personally?"
"Not really, just a bit. She's friends with Darren and Levinia. I was at her castle once. She's really nice but..." Eclipse felt heat rushing up his cheeks.
"Intimidating?" Khadgar suggested with a raised brow.
"No! No, that's not it. It's just... I kinda got everypony in danger when I was there. I wasn't able to control my powers yet. We were really lucky that my Mom was there... and Darren, too."
Khadgar put down his quill and folded his hands, giving Eclipse his full attention.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
"I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about it. We're trying to keep a low profile." Eclipse sighed, rubbing his eyes.
Khadgar grinned. "Sorry to burst your bubble but you're way beyond that. And if your friend Darren trusts me with these," he pointed at Twilight's notes, "I am sure he would be alright with you telling me more."
That did make sense. Either you trusted somebody or you did not. Darren had decided to trust this wizard. So Eclipse could, too, obviously.
"Okay, then. Well, I'm not a regular pegasus. I'm a Shadow Pony. They found me when was a bit younger. In the snow in the Frozen North. That's... I think it's a lot like Northrend. With rocks and ice. And I was adopted into a pony family. But a few months ago, my Void powers... awakened, I guess. And then everything got really complicated..."
It was dark and silent. Levinia had not known that one could be both bored and scared at the same time. Scared because she did not know what her captors would do with her. Bored because nothing was happening. She just sat at the bottom of this stupid bottle, in wisp form, and gazed at the opposite wall. Was she all alone in here?
She had tried to contact Eclipse when she had heard him calling her name but she was not sure if it had worked or not. The only thing she could do was wait, and that was what she had done. For an entire day, she estimated. The room had no windows but a faint light had shone through the slit under the door. First, an orange light, then white, then red again. And now it was gone.
Maybe there was something she could do. She could try to get stronger. Maybe Levinia could find a way to get out of this bottle on her own. There was a chance that her friends would not find her. She had to act on the assumption that she was all alone.
They had said the seal was not foolproof. Could she move the bottle?
Levinia circled around in the small container, speeding up until her light was a blur, a blue circle. Then, she changed direction and slammed herself against the glass.
Nothing. Not even a little sound. The bottle had not moved by the fraction of an inch.
She tried again, this time directing her blow towards the corked bottle neck.
Nope.
Right, she was made of light, wasn't she. And Light could not move objects in this shape. She was not strong enough. If she had the power to focus herself into an extremely narrow beam... maybe she could burn a hole into the glass? But maybe the seal only broke from the outside.
Dizzy as Tartarus, Levinia sank to the bottom again. She had to come up with something new. At least she was not in pain. But being alone was not great, either. Her friends were probably worried sick by now.
Darren waited. Sitting on the same plinth that Tarik had sat on, he watched the water in the basin freeze over. The ice crystals formed slowly, deliberately. Then, he willed them to liquefy again. He was still angry but after a day of looking for Levinia he was also tired. Well - more tired.
He had been told that Khadgar would return Eclipse at Seven. Now it was half past.
Finally, the air before him crackled and fizzled. Space bent and twisted in ways it should not and a human and a pony took shape.
"Darren!" Eclipse ran over to him and hugged him before he could even stand up.
Darren cast a suspicious glance at Khadgar who simply shrugged. "He was a little bored in the end."
Blushing, Eclipse let go of Darren and said, "Sorry. It's just that I hate math."
"I gathered. Well, thank you anyway, Eclipse. We've gotten a little closer to cracking this. I think another few days, a few tests to be on the safe side and you and your friends can go home."
"Speaking of," Darren stood up, "about Levinia..."
"Did you find her yet? Is she okay?" Eclipse asked, slightly out of breath.
Darren shook his head. "No trace of her."
Eclipse froze. His ears folded back, his wings hung limp. He slumped down, his rump hitting the carpet with a muffled thud. "Nothing?" he whispered.
"Nothing. The enemy was thorough, we could not track her down. And they were fast. Nobody saw what happened, not even the guards." Darren sighed heavily and rubbed his neck. "I'm at a loss. Nylene and Tarik tried to help but they did not find anything, either."
"You've been searching all day?" Khadgar assumed.
Darren nodded curtly.
Tears formed in the corners of Eclipse's eyes. "I didn't really think she'd disappear like that and not come back," he admitted. "I thought we'd just find her and that would be it."
"Sadly, life doesn't work that way. We've been incredibly lucky so far. But it seems our luck has run out." Darren sat down on the plinth again.
Khadgar rubbed his palms against each other as if he was cold - or lost for words.
"But I saw her in my dream," Eclipse insisted, wiping his nose. "There is some connection. It's just too weak. But it's there."
"Vol'Shalai is the one with the strong connection to her," Darren muttered.
"Why did he go away, then?" Eclipse cried, throwing his hooves into the air. "That rule is so stupid!"
"What rule?" Khadgar asked, reaching into the bag at his belt, looking for something.
"No Horde in Stormwind," Darren explained. He noticed that Eclipse's eyes were darkening. It was just in the corners of his eyes. Was it the Void? Darren's hand twitched and he had to keep himself from reaching for his sword.
Khadgar hummed thoughtfully. He had apparently found what he had been looking for in his bag. He knelt down to get on eye level with Eclipse.
"Here, these are for you." Two stones were in his hands. One of them was of a bright purple with an eye and three arrows engraved into it. The other one was of a pure white. A blue, slightly glowing spiral was the motif on this one. It looked like something Darren had seen before but he could not remember where.
"What are they?" Eclipse asked, carefully accepting the two stones. He blinked his tears away - and the darkness. Running his hoof over the smooth surface of the stones, he examined them closely. "Wait, I think I know what this one is," he said, pointing at the white stone. "It's a hearthstone, isn't it?"
"Very good," Khadgar praised him. "That's right. And the other one works almost the same way. This purple one ist a special hearthstone."
"How - how do they work?"
"When you take the purple one into your hoof and focus very hard it will bring you to my tower," Khadgar explained. "Be careful not to lose it. Only you can use it to teleport but it still can be used to track you down."
Eclipse nodded slowly.
"The other one is not bound yet. I suggest you bind it to the place you are staying at so you can get there at any time."
"How the hay do I do that?" Eclipse asked.
"It needs an anchor," said Khadgar. "Ask someone you trust and who is at that place often to touch the stone while you are holding it. You need to be in the place you want to teleport back to."
"Uh, okay. Sounds complicated."
Darren cleared his throat. "We'll manage. If I serve as an anchor in our room, will that work? Even when I am somewhere else afterwards?"
Khadgar nodded. "Yes."
"Can I change the place?" Eclipse asked. "I mean, when I want to sleep somewhere else?"
"Yes." Khadgar smiled.
"Didn't you give Levinia the same kind of stone? As the purple one?" Darren asked. "Couldn't she use it to teleport here?"
"No, that other stone was just a stone. A symbol to tell the guards of the tower that she was allowed to be here." Khadgar spread his arms. "If I had known..."
Darren waved it off.
"Why are you giving me these?" Eclipse asked, his eyes still on the precious stones. The blue line on the hearthstone shone and glittered.
"I can't keep teleporting in and out of the Sanctum on a daily basis," said Khadgar. "People will start to notice. And officially, I'm staying in Karazhan. But if you are the one who teleports..."
"... they won't notice that," Eclipse finished the sentence. "I see. Thanks, Khadgar. I'll be careful with these, I promise."
"I know you will."
"That is a very precious gift," Darren remarked. He eyed the wizard who just smiled.
"Eclipse is special," said Khadgar. "And I want that portal to work, too. It would be great if we could ally with a friendly world for once."
"Ally against whom? The Horde?" Darren asked sharply.
"No. Against forces that threaten our worlds. We just defeated the Legion and the Old God N'Zoth but I am pretty sure that they are not the last enemies we will have to face. And, of course, we could trade goods, information, technology... Don't you think it would be to the advantage of both worlds, Azeroth and Equestria, if we could establish a permanent connection?"
That actually sounded appealing. But the ponies were strong even though their cheery attitude and friendliness suggested otherwise to the unknowing visitor. And besides, Darren did not have the right to decide for their world. Was it really necessary to make them known to Azeroth? Would it not attract the Greedy and the Ruthless? The last thing Darren wanted was ponies at the business end of an invader's weapon.
Darren exhaled. "That is not my choice to make," he said eventually. "We'd have to discuss it with the leaders of Equestria. And what does the king think about it?"
"I haven't told him yet," said Khadgar, "since he is missing."
"Oh. Right," Darren muttered. "So it's not a decision we have to make right away."
"No. I would keep the portal a secret until we know how to proceed. Until then you will have time to discuss the matter with the Princesses."
"The Pr-... Eclipse, what did you tell him?" Darren asked carefully.
"Pretty much everything," Eclipse said with a small voice. "Was that wrong?"
Darren huffed, then he rubbed his eyes. "It's fine. We'll be fine. And somehow we will find Levinia and bring her home. I promise."
It was a miserable little group that had dinner this evening. Everyone sat there, silent, slowly eating their stew, except for Tarik who did not eat at all and just stared at nothing in particular.
"This sucks," Eclipse said eventually. "There has to be a way to find her."
"We tried, An'dorei," Nylene sighed.
"I'm at my wit's end... We asked the guards, we searched the site and we even looked in the surrounding streets." Tarik's frown was deeper than usual.
"Is there no way to contact Vol'Shalai?" Eclipse asked half-heartedly. "He might be able to call for Levinia. If she almost reached me in my dream, he might be able to actually find her."
Darren pushed his bowl away. Eclipse could not understand how Darren always managed to eat so much, even when he was down. He was like a steam engine that way. But he was still very pale.
"It's the only thing we haven't tried yet," he said.
"Didn't he want to go to Orgrimmar?" Nylene asked, poking her stew with a fork as if to check whether it was still alive.
"He did." Darren stood up. "Excuse me." Snatching his bowl, he went off to the kitchen to get it filled once again.
"If I could try to call for him in my dream..." Eclipse mused, rubbing his muzzle.
"That may be possible. But can you wilfully start a lucid dream?" Nylene asked.
"No..." Eclipse sighed. He put his own bowl away. It was still half full.
Nylene touched his hoof. "Child, you must eat. Magic is exhausting, you will need your strength."
"Today was exhausting. I'm not hungry. I just wanna sleep." Eclipse grimaced. "Sorry. Good night, everyone." He stood up and hugged the surprised Nylene, gave Tarik a wave and went to the kitchen to ask Darren for the key.
Nylene took his half empty bowl and offered it to Tarik who shrugged and began to eat.
Eclipse could not sleep. He tossed and turned under his blanket, trying to get comfortable. He was angry that he could not do anything to help. If he could just think of something to find Levinia! And Vol'Shalai - he was probably halfway across the ocean by now, watching the water below from the railing of a zeppelin or cooking that awesome stew of his, the one with the fruit and spices.
Everything was so complicated! Now they had found a way to go home, maybe, but what use was it if they had to leave somepony behind?
He turned his head and eyed Darren. The human had come in an hour ago or so, trying to be quiet, after Eclipse had gone to bed. Now he was sleeping like a rock, something that was unusual for him. Eclipse knew that Darren had nightmares almost every night. He must have been as tired as he looked. The cold moonlight that fell through the window made him look like a ghost.
Eclipse felt useless. Yes, he had helped with translating Twilight's notes but somehow that seemed to him like something lesser, something that could wait compared to rescuing his friend. Tomorrow, he would ask if he could look for Levinia, too.
He rolled over again, pulling his blanket over his muzzle. His eyes felt tired, too, from all the reading today. Karazhan had been really impressive. It was exactly how Eclipse had imagined a wizard's tower to look like. It was kind of Khadgar to let Eclipse visit. And those hearthstones he had been given!
But Darren had not liked that Eclipse had told Khadgar all about ponies and Equestria and how Darren had gotten there. He had said that it was fine but somehow Eclipse was sure that had just been to calm him down. He would be more careful next time someone asked him about things like that.
It was weird, though, that Eclipse could now talk in Common so easily. It was as if a switch had been flipped in his head, granting him access to things that had originally been in Darren's head. What else had he absorbed when he had been in his mind? He knew some of Darren's memories, like from Northrend or his former home, Andorhal, but they were disconnected. He could only place them together based on the things Darren had told him.
Maybe Eclipse would someday learn Orcish, too? Or more spells? But he felt like he had stolen something from his friend because he had gained that knowledge without permission. It was like eavesdropping on another mind. Maybe that was the real danger of his Void powers: the ability to steal thoughts until you did not know which were yours and which belonged to somepony else.
Darren kept saying that Eclipse was a good pony but he wasn't so sure if that was true. Thieves weren't good ponies. Oh, great, now he felt guilty. That really did not help with falling asleep.
Maybe he should stop thinking about all this stuff and just count his breath. He could meditate while lying in bed. It was not as if anyone would complain about bad form or anything. Yes, that was a good idea. Eclipse closed his eyes and took a slow breath, then another. He sent a wish to the stars that his friends were okay.
He counted to ten, then he started back at one.
And after these ten, he started again...
Eclipse is walking through a library. Dozens of shelves surround him, filled with countless books. He keeps walking to find a door or stairs, something to get him out. But there are only more shelves.
He finds a unicorn who is standing at a desk, writing something. The unicorn looks like Sunburst. Or is it Twilight? Eclipse is not sure. He just knows that the pony is a powerful mage and a friend.
"Hi," he says.
"Oh, hello, Eclipse. Are you looking for something?" asks the pony. It's a stallion, Eclipse is sure now. His shape is difficult to make out.
"I'm looking for my friend," says Eclipse. He thinks, Am I dreaming?
"I don't know where she is," says the unicorn. "Why don't you try the wine cellar?"
"The wine cellar?"
"Yes, just follow the stairs." The unicorn grins widely. Eclipse is not sure he likes it.
He turns around and there are the stairs. They are just the right size for a pony. How could he have overloooked them?
Eclipse follows the stairs, descending the spiral that winds down, down, down into the depths of the tower. They just don't end. He passes different floors. One of them contains a second library. Another one looks like the hold of a ship, with hammocks hanging from the ceiling. The next one looks like an inn. There are tables with people sitting around them, playing card games. Eclipse gets curious and leaves the staircase, walking towards one of the tables. He picks up a card.
The card looks a bit like a Hearthstone card but the proportions of the images are wrong. It has the image of a wolf on it. Or the ghost of a wolf. It has blue fur and is see-through. Its glowing white eyes look directly at Eclipse, making him shudder. The card's title is "The Shaman".
Eclipse puts the card down. The players look at him angrily.
"Don't disturb our game!" one of them says.
"Sorry," Eclipse mutters. "Can you tell me where to find Levinia?"
"No. Just go play with your sister or something."
Eclipse's eyes widen. He staggers away.
"Sorry," he says once again, heading for the stairs.
Down, down, down the stairs lead him. There are more floors with card players but Eclipse ignores them.
Finally, the staircase ends. Eclipse has reached the lowest level.
He stands before a door. Is this the wine cellar? He pushes against the door, expecting to find rows of large barrels and bottles. But instead, there is a long corridor, lined by cages.
No, not cages. Cells. This is a prison. It has to be. There are people sitting behind bars, staring at him. All he can make out are their angry and greedy eyes.
Eclipse feels his blood turning cold. He has to get out of here. But he cannot because he is also in a cell as he just now realizes. He spins around - the door he has come through is gone, replaced by iron bars. He spins around again and shrieks in surprise.
A gigantic, wiry troll is standing right next to him. The troll is in shackles. An iron chain connects the shackles with a ring in the wall. There are a wooden bench, a pile of hay, and a bucket.
The troll is staring into the distance, his arms crossed. He looks familiar, with his red, now shaggy mohawk. His blue skin is dirty and so is his leather armour and he seems very sad. But he cannot have been here for long: he still looks healthy.
"It worked," Eclipse whispers as he recognizes his friend. "Vol'Shalai!" he shouts, trying to hug the troll.
"Eclipse?" Vol'Shalai raises his head, looking for the source of the voice.
"Yes, it's me!" Eclipse tries to touch Vol'Shalai but his hoof goes right through his body like a mirage. "Oh... I can't touch you..."
"Eclipse! Wake up!" Somebody shook his shoulder. Eclipse blinked and groaned.
"Aw, shit," he muttered into his pillow.
"Language."
"Why did you wake me? I was right in the middle of a dream." Eclipse rubbed his eyes, then looked around to see at whom he could be angry.
It was Darren, wearing only his pants, and he looked deeply worried.
"You were shrouded in shadows," Darren said slowly. "Are you alright? What did you dream about?"
"Uh..." Eclipse sat up. "Karazhan, I think..."
"Karazhan? Suppose that makes sense after yesterday," Darren muttered.
"But it wasn't really just Karazhan. It was all kinds of places. All jumbled up and mashed together. It was like a prison."
"A prison?" Darren asked, sounding alarmed. "Eclipse, do you feel trapped?"
Eclipse shook his head. He smiled shakily at Darren. "I don't think it's a metaphor. I think I found Vol'Shalai."
Eclipse had not expected his dream to be particularly accurate, only trusting his impression that Vol'Shalai had to be in some prison, maybe even a metaphorical one. So he was surprised when Nylene explained to him that there was an actual prison called The Stockades halfway between Cathedral Square and the Mage Quarter. In the middle of the channel, completely surrounded by water, there was a stone building that she declared to be a high security prison complex which probably meant that it was extra difficult to break out of it.
First, Eclipse and Darren had bound his new hearthstone to their room, then Darren and Nylene had discussed whether to bring their weapons or not. They eventually decided to leave their blades at the inn. Eclipse was allowed to tag along under the condition that he stayed close and let the adults do the talking.
When they arrived at the Stockades, two guards let them enter. They had to go into a chamber right behind a narrow entrance hall. A grumpy-looking one-eyed human in blue and grey steel armour checked a book for Vol'Shalai's name while two spears and one crossbow were pointed at the three visitors. They were in luck: Vol'Shalai was really incarcerated here. And if they payed a lot of money he was apparently free to go. Darren and Nylene looked at each other and nodded.
"Your powers are getting stronger," Darren muttered to Eclipse as they were led along a dank, wide corridor, surrounded by heavily armed guards. "You found him the first try."
Eclipse nodded stiffly, his wings tightly folded. He was nervous; this prison was very different from the one in the Crystal Empire. It was dirty and creepy. Some prisoners made nasty comments on them as they passed their cells. There were mostly humans but also other creatures Eclipse had never seen before. Some reminded him of Diamond Dogs. All of them were unkempt and the males had shaggy beards. It smelled like old pee and mould and garbage. Darren would not have needed to tell Eclipse to stay close. He would not have wanted to wander off anyway.
The foremost guard had a key ring. He used it to unlock and lock several gates they passed, probably a precaution if someone broke out of their cell. They eventually halted in front of a small cell: It was the size of Eclipse's bedroom so not very spacey for an adult. The guard unlocked the door and told the person sitting inside one word, "Bail."
They unlocked the shackles and led a surprised Vol'Shalai out of the cell.
"What's 'bail'?" Eclipse whispered to Darren.
"Later," Darren muttered back. He stepped forward, helping Vol'Shalai stand. The troll did not have his axe or personal belongings, just the clothes and armour he always wore. His gaze was unfocused and he blinked several times.
"Darren?" he asked hoarsely, frowning in confusion.
"Didn't you get food?" Darren asked, sounding slightly angry.
"Yes, jus' not enough. Little dizzy but it's gonna pass."
The guards gave them an hostile glace - Darren and Vol'Shalai had talked in Orcish.
"Move," said the key-bearer and they went back to the chamber with the grumpy warden. Darren led Vol'Shalai outside, Eclipse trotted right beside them, while Nylene stayed behind to talk about something with the warden.
The fresh air outside was such a relief that Eclipse sighed deeply. He looked at Vol'Shalai. The troll gave him a weak smile which grew into a grin when he noticed Nylene following them. She had a bundle in her arms that looked a lot like his backpack and axe.
Now that they were outside, Vol'Shalai straightened up and stretched. His shoulders and back cracked in quick succession. He firmly grabbed Darren's shoulders with both hands.
"Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much, my friend."
Darren smiled lopsidedly and pointed at Nylene who stepped closer, still her arms wrapped around the troll's personal items.
"Thank you!" He bowed before Nylene who cleared her throat in embarrassment.
"Stop that nonsense," she said harshly. "Let's get you to the inn. You must be starving."
"Likkle pony!" Vol'Shalai exclaimed happily, kneeling down to hug Eclipse. "It was you, wasn't it? De one I've seen?"
Eclipse nodded, wrinkling his nose. The troll smelled like the Stockades.
"Yes, I know. Before I eat I tink I will take a bath." Vol'Shalai grinned, almost back to his old self. "And den ya can tell me how ya did it. And how much dat bail cost ya."
Vol'Shalai had hardly done anything during his little stay at the Stockades but for some reason he felt extremely tired. Was it the stress from not knowing how long he would be a prisoner? Probably. Most likely.
And now he was free, something he had not expected. He had asked the guards to contact Darren but he was pretty sure they had not lifted a finger to get that done. Eclipse's powers turned out to be more useful that he would have thought.
The walk through the city was slow and tedious. Darren supported Vol'shalai by letting him put his arm over his shoulders. He was thankful for that; without his friend as a temporary crutch he would have staggered and fallen. Now that Vol'Shalai thought about it there had probably been something in his food. There was this dizziness he could not explain away just by blaming stress or malnourishment. As they made their way through the human city, most passers-by gave him hostile glances but did not dare to actually say anything, probably due to Nylene's presence and Darren's defiant expression. The guards that patrolled the streets and stood at the gates and tunnels left them alone. Eclipse was silent and broody, something that was unusual for him. He seemed depressed by something. Vol'Shalai would have to ask him about it so he could cheer him up.
The sun was high in the sky, shining down upon his face every time they crossed one of the bigger streets or plazas. Vol'Shalai had not seen the yellow light for three days and enjoyed its presence thoroughly. Finally, they were at the inn which was called something Rose, he did not recognize the first word. Tarik was in the cozy-looking lounge, sitting at a table with a glass of water and reading a book. He looked up when Darren greeted him and half-rose from his seat.
"He really was there?" he asked, surprised, and took Vol'Shalai's axe from the bundle in Nylene's arms. They stashed everything on the floor next to Tarik's seat except for the axe which went onto the table so no one would cut their feet on the sharp blade.
The two guests that sat at another table jumped from their seats and hurried upstairs.
Vol'Shalai sat down and grunted contently as his butt touched soft cushioning. "I like dis place already," he declared.
"We can still order something for lunch," said Darren.
Tarik stood up and pushed his glass over to Vol'Shalai who greedily accepted it. "I better talk to Allison. She's got no idea what's going on." He turned to Vol'Shalai. "You can have my room for the time being."
"Oh? Dat be nice of ya. But what about you, den?"
"I don't sleep. I'll manage. Only booked it for two more days, though. You'll have to see how you proceed after that."
"Two days, ya say?"
"That's right," Tarik confirmed, already heading for the kitchen.
"Got it. Thanks." Vol'Shalai leaned back and sighed. "I tink dere was someting in my food," he said slowly. "I feel funny."
"I guess you don't mean ha-ha funny, do you?" said Eclipse, giving him a friendly but slightly worried smile.
"Eh. It's a bit of ha-ha, too." Vol'Shalai grinned. "But everything has normal colours."
That made Eclipse grin. Then, the grin trickled from his face.
Vol'Shalai touched his cheek with a finger. "What's wrong? Ya look down. Everyting alright?"
Eclipse shook his head. He grimaced uncomfortably and fiddled with his hooves. "Er. We only found you - I mean, I only found you because I've been looking for Levinia. She's missing. We think she's been abducted."
"What?" Vol'Shalai exclaimed. He turned to Darren. "No way! But she be a ghost. How is dat even possible?"
"That's the big question, isn't it." Darren brushed a mote of dust off his sleeve. "We tried to find her but failed. It's as if she disappeared off the face of Azeroth."
Tarik returned from the kitchen. "She's not here," he said. "Must be upstairs."
"Did ya ask for help from the city guards?" Vol'Shalai suggested, taking another sip from his glass.
"Yes, of course, but they were of little help. And even Khadgar had no idea how to look for her..."
Darren was interrupted by Vol'Shalai spitting out the water that had been in his mouth. He closely missed Eclipse who looked at him with surprise and disgust.
"Did ya just say 'Khadgar'?" Vol'Shalai blurted out, wiping his mouth and tusks. "As in, the Archmage Khadgar?" He exhaled heavily and frowned. "What da hell happened while I was gone?"
Vol'Shalai's wyvern was smart - but not so smart that it did not roar in surprise when the troll yanked the reins around. He had flown off towards the Horde's zeppelin tower in the west until he had been sure he was out of sight. Then, he nudged his mount to steer starboard and fly north instead.
Following his friends unnoticed would not be easy. Vol'Shalai knew he would have to travel mostly at night and avoid roads or any other chances of stumbling into Alliance guards.
It was a long ride and it was boring. Vol'Shalai flew for several hours at a time. He eventually spotted a tiny dot in the distance. That had to be the two gryphons, the living and dead one. He slowed his wyvern down and made sure to lose altitude. The closer he stayed to the trees the less likely he would be spotted.
The night was freezing cold, reminding Vol'Shalai of his time in Northrend. He set up camp in a valley close to the borders of Duskwood. That gloomy forest was infamous for its cursed inhabitants. Hundreds of years ago, something had gone terribly wrong when Night Elf druids had tried to become one with nature. In a way, they definitely had achieved their goal. They turned into wolf-like beasts, feral and dangerous. The tales were so well-known that they had even made it across the ocean, scaring children and worrying adults. Who in their right mind would voluntarily spend a night in this forest? Well, except for death knights, demon hunters and shadow ponies... or ghosts...
Would they even need his support? Was he kidding himself? Back in Tirisfal, his help had consisted of covering their tracks. That had been important, granted, but this time he would stay true to his promise and be of actual use. The chances of finding someone who could make a portal were better with one additional person searching. That was good enough for Vol'Shalai to keep following them. He was responsible for the mess he had made.
He pulled his blanket closer and tried to sleep. An hour had already passed since sundown. It was extremely uncomfortable to sit on the lower branch of a tree for this long. He wished for a hammock. Vol'Shalai just hoped he would not fall down. He had used a rope to tie himself to the trunk but it felt like nothing at all. Mending one's self would be hard if your neck was broken and near impossible if you had been maimed by a Worgen.
Oh, whom was he fooling anyway. This was a risk, period. If he wanted to go with it he should stop complaining already, even if it was just to himself.
Two days later, he finally made it to Stormwind. Vol'Shalai landed his wyvern in the forest that surrounded the human city. It took some convincing to make the animal fly off into the night sky and return to Booty Bay by itself. Vol'Shalai wanted to rest for a few hours. He needed his strength for the magic he was going to do.
Shortly after midnight, it began to rain. In a manner of seconds he was soaking wet. Vol'Shalai decided that he had rested enough, quickly packed his things and shouldered his backpack. Then, he turned into a spirit wolf. That should keep him from being discovered or getting a cold from the rain. It had worked well enough in Silvermoon.
The spirit wolf ran as fast as he could, swiftly approaching the enormous gate. Vol'Shalai pressed on, not even stopping to look at the magnificent statues. The longer he stayed in one spot the more likely it was that someone noticed his aura. He could hide himself from the naked eye in his spirit form but a shaman or undead would probably be able to spot him. Maybe even advanced mages or warlocks could do that - anyone who was closely in touch with the spirit world.
Where would he go if he was a traveller like Darren, Tarik or Nylene? There was probably an inn close to the flight master. Vol'Shalai the spirit wolf hesitated. If he remembered his map correctly he was now in the Trade District... He turned right and followed a street to the east. The rain was annoying but it had the advantage of keeping the streets mostly empty.
There was a loud bang and something searing hot hit his backside. He howled, pain clouding his vision. Vol'Shalai stumbled and fell down on the cobblestones, his left hind leg twitching like crazy. His flank felt as if a torch had burned it to a crisp. He looked around to figure out where the lightning bolt had come from.
A bearded, robed, really angry looking dwarf stood behind him, his open palms still facing him. Vol'Shalai's eyes widened. He wanted to dodge the next strike but found that he could not move. Instead, he felt himself slipping back to the mortal plane, painfully shifting into his natural form. As the dwarf shaman threw another bolt of lightning, Vol'Shalai closed his eyes in defeat.
"Wait," Eclipse interrupted Vol'Shalai's story. "He had the same special talent as you?"
The troll nodded. Darren translated as Vol'Shalai clarified, "It ain't my special talent but yes, dat dwarf been a shaman like me. Anyway, I hadn't expected dere to be dwarf shamans. Bad luck, I guess."
Vol'Shalai awoke to a sharp sting in his elbow and a dull throbbing in his hip. He shook his head, holding the aching arm. With a loud clang, a barred metal door was shut.
He was in a large cage. This particular one, judging by the humid smell and the lack of clean straw, was probably what the humans called their Stockades. That was indeed a problem. The Stockades were infamous among the members of the Horde. Vol'Shalai knew that there had a been a prison revolt not long ago. The city of Stormwind kept murderers, rapists and thieves in here but also enemies of the state or of the eastern kingdoms in general - anybody whom a regular prison might not hold. Vol'Shalai noticed a lot of guards who looked alert, well-trained and armed to the teeth. The walls were thick and completely surrounded by the waters of the Stormwind canals. The air felt off as it a weak electrical current saturated it. The cell was apparently a magic isolation chamber. Vol'Shalai had learned about it from a mage back home on the Echo Isles. If you built a cage out of iron bars and applied certain spells to it you could prevent magic from being performed inside that cage. It also cut you off from anyone who tried to track you from outside and made teleportation impossible.
The prison stank to high heavens and it was loud. The shouts of prisoners who were touched in the head echoed through the corridors, along with crying and muttering and the drip, drip, drip of water on stone. And it was cramped - Vol'Shalai had to share his small cell with somebody else.
Vol'Shalai shifted his weight until he sat upright on the straw heap he had been thrown onto. Metal scraped on metal as he tried to move in spite of the shackles on his ankles. He groaned. His left leg still hurt from the burn. To his surprise, a salve had been applied to the area where his leather armour had been burned away. But the wound had not been cleaned.
"Lazy Alliance amateurs," he muttered angrily, inspecting the wound. He winced as he removed a bit of straw from the wound. The juices of his blood had filled it to clean it and mend the damage. But he would have to use a proper healing spell. He had no fire or alcohol to disinfect the wound. His totems, his axe and his bags were gone. Sadly, that was not a surprise.
"The did quite a number on you, didn't they." His cell-mate raised a hand to wave it lazily at Vol'Shalai's leg.
"True." Vol'Shalai nodded. Naturally, the human had talked in Common. Did the guards mix Alliance and Horde to keep the number of prisoners down? Better not to think about it.
"You understood that?"
"Uh-huh." Vol'Shalai nodded again, stopping his inspection of the wound.
He eyed the human instead. The man was a little shorter than Darren which still made him taller than most human women. He had shaggy, black hair that went down to his shoulders, an equally shaggy beard, dark eyes and a healthier skin tone than Vol'Shalai's knight friend. The man gaped back at him just as Vol'Shalai was staring at the man, suspicion, fear and fatigue mingling on the relatively young face. Vol'Shalai felt his mouth twisting into an amused smile.
"What ya in here for?" he asked the human, leaning back with a grunt.
"Wrong place, wrong time... wrong crowd," the man said, a statement that told Vol'Shalai absolutely nothing.
He rolled his eyes. "Dat probably apply to everybody here. Can't ya be a likkle more specific?"
"Not really, no. I didn't even expect you to know Common... or something of the like." The human's voice was hoarse; he sounded as if he had not spoken in days or even weeks. "Are you a Horde spy?"
Vol'Shalai burst into laughter. His everything hurt as he did so but it still felt good. "People actually ask dat? Who in their right mind would answer truthfully?" He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to stop snickering. "Well, my answer: No. I just be a friend of some humans."
"Then why...?"
"I be a troll. A troll. In Stormwind. Do da math, mon."
"I see."
"I'm Vol'Shalai of da Darkspear. What's yar name?"
"Mark Veren."
"Nice ta meet ya, though I wish it be under better circumstances."
"Likewise. I suppose."
"You made friends with yet another human?" Nylene smiled. "I think I can see a pattern emerging here."
"Har har," Vol'Shalai said, sounding tired. "If ya be in a cell wit somebody, wounded and unarmed, and ya don't know for how long it's gonna be, would ya try and piss dem off?"
"Okay, I know I wouldn't," Eclipse said. "But what happened to him? He wasn't there when we... bailed you out."
"I dunno," Vol'Shalai admitted. "We talked a bit. But da next morning, he was gone. I guess I was so tired I did not even wake up when they took him out of da cell."
Nylene suddenly frowned and perked up. She moved her chin around as if chewing on something.
Vol'Shalai hesitated. He looked at her expectantly.
"An'dorei, may we talk in private?" she said eventually.
Eclipse followed Nylene upstairs and into her room. She shut the door and invited him to sit down.
Instead, he stepped closer to her, raising a hoof.
"What's going on? Is everything okay?"
"We promised Vera to visit her today." Nylene frowned. "I completely forgot about it until now."
"Oh, me too..." Eclipse slumped down on his rump and ran a hoof over his muzzle. He heaved a deep sigh. "I'm tired," he admitted. "Do we really have to?"
"It's for Darren," Nylene reminded him. "And we promised." When she noticed the mood Eclipse was in, she also sighed. "I see."
Eclipse hung his head. "I really wanna help him but there is so much going on! Vol'Shalai's suddenly back and Levinia's gone and we still need to find her! And I'm supposed to help Khadgar with the journals! It's just too much!" He felt sweat breaking out under his coat. His vision blurred; dark shades moved in the corner of his eye.
"Moon and Stars..." Nylene rubbed her forehead. She huffed, thinking hard. "Alright, little one. How about we forget about the journals for today? The wizard won't mind. And I am certain that Darren and the others are working on ideas to find your ghost friend."
Eclipse nodded, sniffing. "Okay..." he said slowly.
"Do you wish to meet Vera again? Or shall I go alone and you stay here and rest?" Nylene offered.
Eclipse took a deep breath. He sighed. "I promised," he said slowly. "And I meant it. I don't really want to keep it right now but I meant it. So. We should go together."
Nylene smiled and gently touched his cheek. "Very well. But first, you still get to rest a little. You seem indeed very tired. I will come for you in half an hour, alright?"
"Okay." Eclipse sniffed again and wiped his muzzle.
Nylene knelt down in front of him and gave him a careful hug. Then, she stroked his mane and stood up again.
"You may use my bed or the carpet, whichever you prefer. See you later, An'dorei."
"I like it when you call me that," Eclipse said through his tears.
When Nylene entered the library, she found Darren sitting alone at the same table as before. Vol'Shalai was gone and so was Tarik.
She sat down next to the human, leaned back and crossed her legs. His aura was purple, dotted with red and yellow. Darren was brooding, trying to make up his mind.
"Where did they go?" Nylene jerked her head towards the empty seats.
"Tarik left. Vol'Shalai's napping."
"So is Eclipse." Nylene uncrossed her legs and shifted her weight, leaning onto the table. "This whole affair is exhausting the poor child."
Darren sighed and rubbed his chin. "Thank you for keeping an eye on him," he said.
"Of course. But he will need your guidance. We agreed he will not go to Khadgar today."
"Oh?"
"He wants to take a walk in the city. To clear his head."
Darren exhaled slowly. "Something's not right," he observed. "I can guide his meditation again, I suppose, but there is something else. Not just the stress."
"I'm afraid so. Darren, I think the shadow is looming inside Eclipse. He's being pulled down, we must be careful that the current will not drag him under."
"We lose a friend, we find a friend and we have gained no headway concerning the damn portal," Darren groaned. "Damn it, Vol'Shalai, why did you perform that ritual?"
Nylene leaned forward. "What's done is done," she said quietly. "We need to focus on the present."
The knight rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Levinia takes priority," Darren muttered. "But before we can create that portal, Eclipse needs to find his inner balance. With an energy source like that, we cannot risk him to be in that state. He may be tempted to absorb the magic of the portal. We're heading into uncharted territory here."
"If we get him home soon it would be for the best. But we don't know how quickly that archmage does his research. Elune knows how many projects he might be working on simultaneously." Nylene stood up. "I think we all should get out and clear our heads like Eclipse. I will join him. What about you?"
Darren shook his head. "I'll take a walk on my own."
Nylene left a rush of disappointment, then she remembered her plan with the colt. "Very well. Shall we meet again for dinner?"
"Fine by me." Darren nodded.
"Veraaa..." Beatrice sang in an extra annoying tone, bending over her little sister's shoulder.
"What." Vera frowned at her.
"How about a game? I'm bored."
"No, sorry, I'm not in the mood." Vera stood up and crossed her arms. "Actually, I don't feel so good. Couldn't you, I dunno, ask Carl?"
Beatrice rolled her eyes. "As if. He's at that stupid game again. With his friends. You know, the one with the cards."
"Whatever. But I think I should sleep or rest or something. Please?" Vera tried her best puppy-eyed look. She sat down on the bed, suddenly limp, and pulled her blanket over her belly.
"What are you up to?" Beatrice narrowed her eyes. "You don't look sick to me."
"Well, I have a stomach ache. And I think I can feel something big coming along the road to..."
"Oh, fine, fine, I'm leaving! Gods!" Beatrice threw her hands into the air. "You can be really gross sometimes, Vera!"
"Why, thank you, Beatrice!" Vera snapped back.
Beatrice snatched her scarf from her clothes chest and left the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind her. "I really don't need to smell that," Vera could hear her say to herself.
As soon as Beatrice was out of earshot, Vera grinned and threw the blanket back. She walked over to the window and opened it. Then, she sat down at the table and thought about ways to talk her father into taking a walk in the park with her. Maybe she could use her claiming to be sick as an angle. Maybe she had eaten something bad and needed some fresh air? That could work. Better to think of more ideas, though. This one was still a little risky. She did not want to have to go to an actual healer. They would know immediately that she had been faking.
The thump of hard shoes on her windowsill made Vera jump. Her heart racing from the unusual noise, she turned around and saw Nylene and Eclipse waving at her through the window. Eclipse seemed a bit tired, Nylene looked as demonic as Vera remembered her.
Vera hurried to the window to let her guests in.
The sky was mostly clear when Darren left the inn. He decided to follow the street leading west. Threading through a not-too-dense, mostly human crowd, he passed a stone arch and found himself at a bridge. The canal water was clean, so unlike the canals of Undercity.
He needed a place to think, a place that was not inside a house. Now was the perfect chance. Nylene was taking care of Eclipse. Vol'Shalai was probably out like a light. When you were not used to it, nights in a prison were short. And they had drugged the poor guy. Vol'Shalai was pretty resilient concerning that kind of thing so the substance must have been strong. To what purpose, Darren did not know. Maybe he should ask Vol'Shalai about it.
Darren passed the Stockades, frowning at the fortress-like structure. He was now on the edge of the Mage Quarter. The roof tiles of the houses that cast their shadows on him were mostly purple. Darren noticed that the percentage of robed people had inclined. Some threw odd glances at him. Did they know the meaning of his tattoo?
Vol'Shalai had seemed strangely relaxed about his whole ordeal. But the troll had known the risk of his endeavour. He sometimes seemed not to give a care in the world but his willingness to help out even if it meant walking into the enemy faction's capital city meant something.
Darren's feet had carried him down a broad flight of stairs, then another, and a decline. The air changed, the smell of the streets was replaced by the salty scent of the ocean. As he turned a corner, he left the Mage Quarter and stepped into the sun once again. A tiny park was here, looking out on the sea. Darren followed the carefully paved path to the monument in the centre of the structure. He stepped closer, curious, and read the inscription. It was dedicated to the former king and to the fallen soldiers of Stormwind.
A man wearing the tabard of the Argent Crusade, a bright sun, sat nearby. He was apparently meditating but as Darren passed him, he looked up. Darren nodded at him, getting a nod back - he was used to greeting people wearing this tabard since the Ebon Blade had worked with the Crusade in the war against the Lich King. Darren doubted the crusader recognized him though there was something oddly familiar about him. Or Darren had fought him or some relative of his at some point. His stomach cramped, a sensation that occurred to him sometimes, ever since his recovery. Darren had noticed that it usually happened when he remembered his times as a member of the Scourge, often accompanied by dizziness and a light head. It was distracting and annoying. He would have to address this problem eventually. But not today.
He was out of place here. With quick steps, Darren left the park and kept following his nose like a pony would. That was probably also a thing, wasn't it. He had gotten used to the Crystal Empire and its ponies and adopted their outlook on the world. Being among humans once again, he realized with a jolt that he had less in common with them than with Twilight, Eclipse or even Nylene. He had become quicker to speak his mind, slower to solve problems with violence and felt a strong loyalty towards the Princess of Friendship as well as his other new... friends. Too much had happened for him to remain the same. No wonder his own cousin did not trust him. He must have noticed that something about Darren was different.
Darren was nearing the docks. One plateau after another seamed the hillside that surrounded the harbor. This place was better than the tranquil monument. The bustle did not bother Darren, he liked the fact that nobody gave notice he was here. Everybody was busy going somewhere, preparing goods for transportation, looking for something or someone. The perfect place to disappear in a crowd, apparently - though Darren did not overlook the numerous armed city guards watching the harbor.
He followed the smell of fish. The more distinct it became, the more people he saw and the louder it became. As he entered what had to be a market, the flow of bodies, carts and goods had almost come to a standstill. Darren had to make use of his elbows to keep going. But he had been right. Where freshly caught fish was sold, there were also stands with fried, grilled and cooked food. And with drinks to go with the meal.
He managed to shout at a vendor long enough to get a mug of something or other along with some fried salmon. Holding the fat-dripping, delicious fish in an old newspaper sheet he had been offered, he found a free spot at a tall, round table which was apparently for eating while standing. That made sense; sitting down did not get you any advantage in this busy place.
The beer was luke warm, though, Darren noticed with a sigh. He closed his eyes so nobody would see them glowing, then firmly held the mug with both hands to lower its temperature. He smirked as he took a sip. Now that was better. Luke warm was wrong for beer or just anything else, really. It had to be either warm or cold all the way so you could decide what to do with it.
Like with Eclipse. He was halfway between being a powerful spell-caster and a dangerous void slinger. Darren pulled a face as he remembered the shadow that had showed up in the corner of Eclipse's eyes recently. Losing his way home, then a friend, his efforts to help Khadgar - the stress took its toll on the colt. Distraction and meditation would only get them so far. Eclipse needed to vent his frustration. But Stormwind was no safe place for that. Besides the archmage, Darren did not know whom to ask for help. On the other hand, Khadgar seemed genuinely interested in getting acquainted with Eclipse, probably because the pony was from another world. He should train in the tower of Karazhan, if possible. Darren made a mental note to ask Khadgar about that.
Then there was Nylene. She had claimed to know family in Stormwind but made no efforts to meet them, spending time with Eclipse and with Darren instead. What was she after? She seemed to like Eclipse, maybe she saw some of her deceased sister in him? Or was it because she was treated like a normal person by her new friends?
Chewing slowly, Darren let his eyes wander. A few purple-skinned Night Elves were among the people here, armed warriors and druids, but also civilians in torn clothes and with very few belongings. Even though they towered above the humans, they looked miserable, holding their heads low. Some had an all to familiar vacant look in their eyes. Maybe they were refugees like the ones Darren had seen in the Cathedral.
Strictly speaking, Darren was a refugee, too. But the ponies had never treated him like an oddity. Once they had gotten over the initial shock of meeting a bipedal person almost twice their height, they behaved as if he was a tall pony. Alright, so Nylene probably avoided meeting her family in fear of feeling like an outcast. That made sense, at least. And she had grown increasingly friendly towards Darren, too. Though probably no more than towards Tarik or Eclipse.
Being friendly to each other did not get them any closer to finding Levinia, though. Darren still had no idea how to track her. According to Nylene and Tarik, there was no trace left of her. There were no witnesses of the abduction. How were you supposed to find an ethereal pony? Summon her? She had been given a Kirin Tor badge by Khadgar but that did not help since the badge was not magical. Had they nothing whatsoever that connected them to her?
Darren resisted the temptation to slap his forehead as the obvious answer came to him.
Vol'Shalai had summoned her before. And now that he was out of prison he might be able to sense her again. Eclipse's idea actually made sense. Vol'Shalai only needed to recreate or modify his summoning ritual from the Echo Isles.
Hopefully he would not need any exotic items or ingredients for it. Still, it was the most promising idea so far. They were not yet out of time but maybe Levinia was. Besides missing her, Darren did not want to find out what would happen to Eclipse once he found out that she had been destroyed.
He quickly finished his meal and headed back to the inn.
Vol'Shalai winced as Darren finished wrapping the bandage around his arm. He also grinned, though, so it could not be that bad.
"There." Darren stepped over to the water bowl to wash his hands. "That should do. But you better change the bandage every day."
"Normal rate, got it. Thank you, my friend." Vol'Shalai inspected his arm and nodded. "I been a likkle worried there might have been poison. But it seems ta be alright. Da Spirit of Water agreed to heal me for da most part, but..."
"Wish I could heal you properly, but those days are over," said Darren.
"You mean you could use healing magic when you were a paladin? Before the Scourge killed you?" Eclipse asked. He looked pale, probably not used to the sight of that much blood. The red liquid stained the makeshift bandage Darren had replaced with a new one and it had already begun to harden and turn brown.
"Exactly," Darren replied without further explanation.
"Why don't you use your Light powers anymore?" Eclipse pressed on, his wings half spread.
"I lost the right," Darren said curtly. "We better go downstairs, our food is getting cold."
Eclipse narrowed his eyes and grimaced. His ears splayed back, he pushed his plate away with a hoof. The spoon landed in the brownish-green dish with a small clatter. Small carrot pieces dotted the stew in a futile effort to make it look tasty.
"Guess I'm not hungry," he said slowly.
"Dis needs salt," said Vol'Shalai, nodding sagely. He stood up. "Be right back." The troll left for the kitchen. Vol'Shalai knocked at the door and a young human opened it. The apron around his waist and the cloth holding back his hair confirmed Vol'Shalai's suspicion that he was the cook. When he saw who had knocked, he paled and made half a step backwards. His head tilted back to look up at Vol'Shalai's face.
"Hi," said Vol'Shalai with a jovial smile. "You be da child of Allison?"
The boy nodded, swallowing hard.
"Can we have some salt, please?"
Frank stumbled to the stove. A shivering hand passed a blocky glass vial on to Vol'Shalai. A salt shaker.
"Thanks. Be right back." Vol'Shalai turned to leave, then he spun back to face Frank again. "You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Frank nodded again. He cleared his throat, blushing, and finally spoke.
"Sorry, my, my mother isn't here tonight. And-I-think-I-forgot-the-salt."
Vol'Shalai's smile shrunk a little as the boy kept his rigid stance. "Yes. But hey, shit happens, no? Next time, take a spoon of da sauce and try it before ya give yar guests da food, seen?"
Frank nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"Thanks for the advice," he mumbled.
"You're welcome."
Vol'Shalai rejoined his friends, salted his meal and that of Eclipse, then he passed the shaker to Nylene. He raised his eyebrows, pursing his lips.
"You tried," Eclipse said, trying to smile at the troll.
"Sure. Sure." VolShalai smiled back at him. "Patience ain't my strongest..."
"Virtue," Darren helped out.
Vol'Shalai nodded and snapped his fingers. "Yes. But I been tinking. About Levinia. Did ya try and call her in ya sleep, Eclipse?"
The colt nodded. "Yeah. That's how I found you. But we have this idea that you could try and summon her with your Loa of the Grave ritual."
A blue light bloomed on the wooden floor of Khadgar's library, growing and twisting. There was a flash, then the light faded and revealed a grey pegasus colt. He blinked and shook his hooves as if to check whether they were still attached.
"Hello, Eclipse," said Khadgar, looking up from his notes.
Since Eclipse's last visit two days ago, the pile of documents, books and scrolls had grown exponentially. If Eclipse remembered correctly, that was the word for growth faster than the linear kind. He put the purple Kirin Tor hearthstone he had used for the teleport back into his saddlebag and trotted over to the wizard, a scroll under his wing.
"Hello," Eclipse said shyly, passing the scroll on to Khadgar. "Is that all your homework?" he quipped.
"Precisely." Khadgar smirked, then he grew serious again. "How are you feeling?"
Eclipse grimaced. "I'll be okay," he said vaguely.
Khadgar unrolled the scroll. His eyes moved quickly from left to right several times. "I see," he said. "So, today there will be training. Well, that's fine by me as long as you get to translate another passage for my research. I managed to figure out some more of Twilight's portal setup but I've been stuck at a certain passage."
"H-huh?" Eclipse stammered, taken aback.
Khadgar put the scroll down and raised his eyebrows. He rose from his chair. Eclipse swallowed hard, taking half a step backwards.
"What do you mean?" he managed to ask. "Training? Darren's my teacher."
"This scroll," said Khadgar, motioning at said paper, "says that Darren wants me to give you some pointers. So you can use your powers better."
"Oh," Eclipse muttered. He frowned. "Guess Tarik told him I lost control." He groaned angrily. "Stars. This sucks!"
"It does? Why?" Khadgar's pale blue eyes were like lamps focused on Eclipse but they were also kind. It was hard to look away. It seemed that he already knew the answer but wanted to hear it from Eclipse.
"Because I don't wanna let them down. I lost control before, back home. That was such a big mess. Darren's memories are kinda private and also really... well, he's a death knight. And now that we're looking for Levinia - they need my help. But I can't do anything when I'm stuck as a shadow. Or angry all the time. Or tired all the time."
Khadgar's eyes narrowed as he understood what Eclipse was hinting at.
"All right," he said slowly. "I have an idea what to do, then. You see, I worked together with all kinds of people. Death knights, and priests of both Light and Shadow. We fought together against... a lot of demons."
"The Burning Legion?" Eclipse guessed, remembering that Nylene had mentioned them several times. The way she said their name suggested that she liked them about as much as Darren liked the Scourge.
Khadgar's eyes widened. "I'm not going to ask how you know that," he decided, smiling wryly. "Anyway, let's just say we exchanged notes, the priests and I. It's theoretical for me but we'll adapt it so you can try it out. Do you want to learn how a Light Shield works?"
Eclipse's frown twisted into a smile.
"This list is longer than I expected." Darren folded the piece of paper Vol'Shalai had given him. "Considering that Tarik has the other half."
Nylene nodded. "What do we need to get?"
They stepped into the sunlight, Nylene could feel the difference of temperature on her face and arms. She had decided to wear a shorter cloak that covered only the upper half of her wings. Her glaives were safe in a chest at the Gilded Rose.
"Myrrh for incense, beeswax candles, a ceremonial drum, butterflies..." Darren read, unfolding the paper again.
"Butterflies? Why in the world would he want butterflies?" Nylene asked, frowning.
"Ancient symbol of rebirth," Darren explained. "The list goes on. Thank the Light Vol'Shalai has his totems because shaman magic is much harder for him without them. Seems most of the stuff on this list is either connected to the Elements, like his totems, or to Death."
"Wonderful," Nylene sighed.
"It makes sense. The ritual was meant to call for the Loa of Death."
"Right." Nylene went through the list in her mind. "Where do we get a ceremonial drum? Should we try the Auction House?"
Darren hummed, barely audible over the chatter of a group of women that passed them by. Their conversation halted for a few seconds when they were closest to Nylene.
"That or we can ask around at the Cathedral," Darren went on. "Maybe we can find a Draenei shaman who'll let us borrow one."
"That should go smoothly. Let's just walk up there and say, 'Greetings, we are a death knight and demon hunter and want to defile, pardon, borrow your sacred object. But don't worry, it's not for us but a troll shaman to locate our friend, the pegasus ghost. So you shall definitely get it back soon.' I think our chances are better at the Auction House, Darren."
"Auction house it is," Darren agreed. "Let's buy those butterflies first. I think there's an Alchemy shop in the Mage Quarter. They should have most of what's on the list."
Darren was quiet for a while. Nylene followed him as he lead the way across the canal to the Mage Quarter. She watched his aura as it shifted around him. He was worried.
"We could ask Khadgar," Nylene suggested. "For the drum. He might know where to find one."
"Maybe," said Darren, then fell silent again.
After they passed an archway, the cobblestones were replaced by grass. They were now in the Mage Quarter. In any other place, the feet of all the people would have trampled the leaves to dust in no time. Here, the grass was soft and muffled their steps as they followed the inclining street. Was Equestria like that? Eclipse had told stories that the ponies used magic to tend the land.
"Is this what the Crystal Empire is like?" Nylene asked.
"A little," Darren said. "Actually, in appearance, the Crystal Empire is closer to Dalaran. They also have a force field." He motioned to the left and Nylene followed him around a corner.
She could not keep the conversation going. Nylene sighed inwardly. This was useless. Darren was so focused on his task to save Levinia that he avoided any distractions. He also did not share his worries, not really. She wanted to help him, and not just by buying things for their quest.
This friendship thing was fascinating. Eclipse had a strange influence on her. Since becoming a demon hunter, she had always had a short fuse. Now she wished to share kindness with her friends and wanted to see Eclipse laugh and Darren at ease. Everything else was... less important.
Oh, by the light of Elune, she had to look for her sister! Guilt wormed its way up in her belly as Nylene remembered why she had originally come to Stormwind. She had completely forgotten about it and not even noticed it.
After her visit with Vera Fletcher, though, Nylene was not so sure if she even should return to searching for lost family. Darren had the advantage that he was basically back to human. Nylene, on the other hand, was still half demon. Permanently. She would be shunned even by her own blood.
Fel fire was unthinkable magic among Night Elves. It was the magic that had destroyed their greatest source of power and invited the demons into Azeroth. Lord Illidan had shown Nylene that sometimes you had to fight fire with fire. And so she and her allies had done precisely that, fighting demons by stealing their powers, sometimes almost becoming demons themselves. But also at the cost of their family ties. If she was completely honest with herself, her chances of rejoining her family were so slim that she could dismiss them as non-existent.
No, better to focus on something that had at least a chance to succeed: finding Levinia and bringing Eclipse the little pony home to his own family. A worthy pursuit. And even if she would not succeed, at least she would not regret using her time for it. Eclipse did not care about her demonic side in the slightest. And judging by what he knew about the Scourge, Nylene was sure that the colt had a slight idea what that meant to her. Becoming friends with undead and demons and trolls, that little pony was a special creature. The most confusing about the whole thing was that it felt right.
Nylene smiled to herself. She had a purpose again. She would not turn away from it.
There, the Alchemy shop. Darren had just ascended a short ramp and entered a house. Nylene opted to wait outside in the sun.
Vol'Shalai tugged at his shirt. It was made of linen, light blue and incredibly soft. His new pants were dark green and went down to his ankles.
"Thanks for da clothes," he told Tarik. The two of them were on their way to the Old Town. Tarik had mentioned that he knew somebody who could get them rush'kah paint.
Tarik nodded, his eyes wandering over a slip of paper almost identical to the one Vol'Shalai had given Darren. He frowned, maybe trying to figure out what the things on the list were for exactly.
"Surprise ya found pants and shirt that fit me," Vol'Shalai remarked.
"Not really. Allison collects the clothes that the occasional inn guest leaves behind. But her son is still growing. And humans only make it to six feet, more or less - so there you go."
"Wait a minute... dis be Night Elf stuff?!" Vol'Shalai exclaimed. A dwarf they passed by shot a dark gaze at them. He lowered his voice to a normal volume. "Well, that explains da smell."
Tarik rolled his eyes.
"By da way, I feel kinda naked without my armor and axe," Vol'Shalai continued. He put his hands in his pockets and looked curiously at the people they passed by, fascinated by the mixture of fear and disgust on their faces. Some humans did a double take, probably because of those Night Elf clothes. His bare two-toed feet, tusks and red mohawk still made it perfectly clear that he was a troll and not a treehugger.
"You get used to it," said Tarik absent-mindedly. "We should be close. Ah. Over there." He pointed at a house that sat between two taller buildings. It was only four yards wide, looking as if it had been compressed to fit into the gap.
"Haha, sponge house," Vol'Shalai giggled. "Poor ting can't even breathe."
Tarik's frown deepened. "Better refrain from such comments. The owner's sensitive on that subject. One question, though."
"Uh-huh," said Vol'Shalai, tilting his head back to get a better view of the narrow house. There was only space for two windows and they were on top of each other, their distance from each other suggesting that the upper floor was probably too small for Vol'Shalai to stand upright.
"What's the paint for?"
"Oh, dat be for a Kaz'kah." Noticing Tarik's clueless expression, he added, "Special totem. Ya can call it death totem."
"Lovely."
"Says da death knight." Vol'Shalai smirked.
"Fair point. Anyway. Let me do the talking." Tarik knocked at the door, folded the paper and tucked it away. Vol'Shalai noticed that the doorknob was very low, at the height of his knees. He half expected Twilight Sparkle or Arcus to open the door.
Instead, a little gnome stood there, clad in robes, and jumped when they saw Vol'Shalai.
"My! Tarik! Uh, er, hello! Didn't know you were in town!" They talked pretty fast, making it hard for Vol'Shalai to understand them, like a clock that was wound to tight.
"May we come in?" Tarik asked, suddenly very polite.
"S-sure, yes, yes, of course, come in before there's trouble," the gnome said, stepping aside and hectically gesturing with their free hand.
"Trouble? Are you expecting any?" Tarik asked, pointing at the doorframe to warn Vol'Shalai about its insufficient height. They followed the gnome who quickly shut the door again.
"With a troll, there's always trouble," said the gnome, then they winced as if expecting immediate retailiation from Vol'Shalai. "Sorry, sorry, meant no offense!"
Vol'Shalai just shrugged. "In Stormwind, I agree wit ya," he said, smiling apologetically and thinking back to his time in prison. His hand went to his bandaged, throbbing arm.
Meanwhile, the gnome zipped around, lighting additional candles in the already bright room. The glasses on a sturdy desk suggested that the light was needed to make reading and writing easier. That was confirmed by the hundreds of scrolls filling a shelf that covered the entire left wall. Now that it was brighter, Vol'Shalai got a better look at the gnome. They were slightly taller as Eclipse, with a relatively big head as usual for their species and full green hair that went down to their neck.
"Vol'Shalai, meet Zizmo Topplescratch," Tarik said. "I have never met a gnome with more scrolls, inks or smarts than them. Best chance for us to get what we need."
"Greetings," said Zizmo, fiddling with the match they had used to light the candles, then flicking it into the unlit fireplace. "Tarik, why did you bring a troll into my house? I thought we were friends." They winced again.
Tarik frowned. "Vol'Shalai is... aiding me with something. We need a certain... kind of pigment?" He looked at Vol'Shalai who nodded.
"Nice ta meet ya, Zizmo Topple-Scratch," he said. He grinned. "Never talked to a gnome before. Not da weirdest ting that happened. Anyway! Da paint is made from herbs ya can only find on Kalimdor. And I only know da names in Orcish and my own language."
"Oh, I think I have just the book for that," squeaked Zizmo. They went to the shelf and reached for the stepladder. "The illustrations," they panted, pulling a large tome from the shelf that threatened to bury them under it as they did so, "are extraordinarily detailed. Just describe to me what the herbs look and smell like, where to find them, and I'll look them up for you. But what do you plan to do with the pigments?"
"We lost a friend. She's been taken and we can't find her without magic," Vol'Shalai said. "I understand you don't trust trolls. But I won't hurt ya. I just wanna buy da paint."
He watched Zizmo as they dragged the tome to their desk. He had the feeling that it was better if he kept his distance to the nervous gnome. He did not want to upset them or anything. They cast looks at him like a nervous pony, ready to run at the smallest hint of danger.
"Did she die and you want to resurrect her with your 'voodoo'?" Zizmo asked sharply.
"Oh, no, no, she didn't go to the odda side," Vol'Shalai said, hiding a grin.
"Well, then that's fine, I suppose," Zizmo stated. "All right, tall one, if you would start describing the first herb for me, we can begin."
"This is gonna take a while," sighed Tarik, leaning against a chair, his arms crossed.
Khadgar ducked, quickly raising his hand to conjure a force field.
"Ah, crap!" Eclipse called out. The bang of the lightning bolt echoed through the tiled chamber, thrown this way and that by the tall walls. Luckily, there were no books or pieces of furniture to burn. Only a few scorch marks dotted the floor now, harmless black spots.
"I'm fine," Khadgar assurd him, letting the purple sphere dissolve that had formed around him. It had easily absorbed the lightning bolt. "That wasn't a shield, though, but an offensive spell."
"Uh, er, well, I didn't mean to offend you," Eclipse stammered, gliding to the floor on his little wings. The smoke around his eyes dissipated.
Khadgar laughed. "That's not what I meant. But I can see the problem now. So far, you have cast Void spells exclusively. Not a single Light spell. Even the Dispel is basically a Void spell."
Eclipse's ears splayed back. "So there's no balance," he stated sadly.
"Very - yes, exactly." The wizard pursed his lips and seemed to think hard. "You learned meditation?"
"Yeah."
"Let's try something else, then. I will call for some help, alright?" Khadgar suggested.
Help? Another stranger? Eclipse sighed. "Do we have to?" he asked. "I'm kinda tired, Sir..."
"Oh, don't worry, you already know her," said Khadgar. "But you're right, we should take a break." He raised his hand and said some complicated words. A small table appeared between them, along with a chair and a large pillow. Then, simple porcelain plates, a cake, a knife and a large water bottle appeared, landing gently on the unfolding blue tabecloth.
"I love magic," Eclipse said with a grin. "Sometimes I wish I was a unicorn."
They sat down at the table and Khadgar cut up the cake. "Magic does have its advantages," he admitted, "but it can't solve the real problems. It's great for creating them, though. I hope you like chocolate."
Eclipse dug into his piece of cake. There was silence while both of them chewed.
"I disagree," Eclipse said slowly. "I think Friendship is great for solving problems. I've seen what Friendship and Love can do. Everything else is just fancy tricks compared to that kind of magic. Like a bunny in a hat."
"You consider Friendship to be magic?" Khadgar asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hay yeah!" Eclipse's eyes widened as his shout echoed through the hall.
"Wait, you mentioned Twilight Sparkle had something to do with that," Khadgar remembered.
Eclipse nodded, reaching for another piece of cake. "She's the Princess of Friendship. Princess Cadence, I mean the ruler of the Crystal Empire, is the Princess of Love, Princess Celestia raises the sun, Princess Luna raises the moon and Princess Flurry Heart, er, she doesn't really do anything yet cause she's a baby. But she's powerful, too. Anyway, Twilight and her friends used Friendship to save Equestria so many times that I don't even know about all of them. Like, there's Discord, the spirit of Chaos. He wanted to take over the world but they stopped him. And now they are friends. I heard he likes pranks but he's not mean anymore. Not very much, anyway. I think he annoys Jonathan, he said that Discord turned him into a pony once and... well, that's an example," he finished feebly. "Sometimes they can't reform somepony, though, then they have to seal them away so they can't hurt anyone anymore."
"I see," Khadgar muttered. "Maybe I've approached this the wrong way. I will summon Miindra and then we can try something else. I think if you focus on protecting a friend rather than just conjuring an abstract energy sphere, you'll make progress pretty quickly."
"That sounds okay," Eclipse agreed. "As long as she isn't in real danger."
A door opened. As the beam of light grew wider, revealing the shilouettes of two bipeds, Levinia perked up. Her light shone a little brighter as as she floated into the middle of the bottle to get a better look.
One of them approached her. His hood was down so Levinia could see his face. He was maybe around thirty, with black hair and brown eyes. He did not look particularly evil. He was just a human guy. His hand closed around the bottleneck and Levinia was shoved into a bag once again. The bottle jumped up and down with each step the man took.
They took the bottle out in a different room, a much brighter room. It was perfectly round, covered by a dome, built of heavy, white stones. There were no windows, just a single door. The man uncorked the bottle and Levinia quickly flew out of her prison. But before she could get any further, the woman said a strange word. She threw a metal ring to the ground, made of something that glowed like radioactive steel. It was maybe two or three human feet in diameter. As soon as the ring was still, the runes on it glowed in a sickly blue light. Levinia felt heavy. She was pulled in, forced to stay above the strange ring.
She could finally change her shape, though. Reforming into her natural pegasus shape, she glared angrily at the humans.
"Who are you people?" she demanded. "Where am I? What do you want from me?"
"You were right, she can talk," said the man, looking impressed.
"Of course," said the woman. She was still wearing her hood, concealing her face. "Now shut up. I want to do this right."
The man respectfully stepped aside, casting a curious look at Levinia. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then he folded his hands behind his back and watched.
The woman reached under her cloak and withdrew a large dagger. Did a dagger count as a sword if its blade was as long as the bearer's forearm?
"I'm not dangerous!" Levinia said quickly. "We can talk about this!" She shivered. He mane flowed wildly in the ethereal breeze. Something about this dagger was not right. Is had runes similar to the ones on the containment ring and, now that she thought about it, the runes on Darren's sword, too.
The woman raised the dagger and with a swift movement she stabbed Levinia's foreleg.
Levinia screamed, half in surprise, because it hurt worse than she had expected. The pain shot right up her leg, spreading in her entire body and in her mind, too. She glowed brighter than usual, the blue light casting eerie shadows on the ground and wall. The woman twisted the blade and moved it to the side, taking a bit of ethereal flesh with it. It was a strange substance, a little like blue gooey powder, a little like liquid light. She picked it up with her thumb and finger, making her hand look like pincers. Was she disgusted?
Hands are weird, Levinia thought through her pain. She held her leg close, covering her wound with the other hoof. She could not help the whimper that escaped her as needles of pain ran up and down her leg. She felt weaker than ever before.
"The bottle," said the woman and the man held it in front of her. She slipped the bit of soul into the bottle and sealed it again. "Get it to analysis," she ordered the man. He nodded and hurried away.
"My friends will find me," Levinia told the woman. "And then you'll be sorry."
"Too late," the woman said, her old voice even. "I'm beyond 'sorry'. But you - you may be of use to us yet." She turned on her heel and left. The door banged shut behind her.
Levinia floated above the circle, slowly sinking to the ground. Her quiet sobs filled the round chamber.
After collecting all the other things on the list, Darren and Nylene eventually managed to get a ceremonial drum. There were a few for sale in the auction house and one of them did not need bidding. Nylene bought the drum, accepting it from the hands of an obese human. Grinning, she passed it on to Darren who tilted the small object in his hands. Tauren tribal symbols decorated the kodo skin.
"Probably looted in one of the wars," Darren muttered and Nylene nodded.
"At least it's finding its way back into the hands of the Horde," she whispered back. Then, a small chuckle escaped her. "I never thought I would say that."
"People change." Darren stepped aside to let her leave the auction house first.
If there was something that annoyed Mark to no end it was the attitude of his sister. Even though they were equal in rank she always kept ordering him around. And every time she did, he was too surprised not to obey. It did not matter that what she wanted him to do was right. You just didn't order a brother around like that, prophecy or not.
Still grumbling to himself, he entered the laboratory. He stepped to the table where his experiment was. Checking the glass tubes and the small fire, he confirmed with satisfaction that the trial was finished. It had been smart of him to let the experiment go on by itself over the night, he had saved a lot of time that way.
Mark removed a small flask from the end of the rack, careful not to touch any of the other vials. He readied a sheet of paper and used a sterilized paintbrush to cover it with arkhana dust. Then, he put it onto a flat porcelain plate. Next, Mark poured the contents of the flask onto the arkhana-infused paper.
He watched as the blue liquid was soaked up by the threads of the sheet. Lines of purple, blue and - pink formed on the edge, their distance to each other increasing as the tiny puddle grew.
"That can't be right," he muttered. The lines were supposed to indicate the origin of the liquid but if he read this right, the creature was not from Azeroth!
Mark knew that the color scheme did not correlate with Azeroth, Draenor or even Argus. That meant that the winged horse was either from a world that they did not know or from a different plane altogether.
Shit. He hit the table with his fist, instantly regretting it as the experiment almost fell over. Luckily, it came to a stand-still again.
The horse was useless to them. She might have returned from beyond the Veil but her origin was not Azeroth. He would have to find another creature who had crossed the Veil and returned.
The knight! His eyes widened as he remembered the horse's company. She had been with Archmage Khadgar but also with a death knight. The runeblade had been unmistakable. Mark remembered the way they had talked to each other. They were definitely friends. Maybe he was even the friend she hoped would come to rescue her.
That could work. Death knights had been killed and brought back by necromancy. Many were necromancers themselves. So if he got hands on the knight's anima, they would be one step closer to salvation.
Now all that was left was to convince Dianne to abd- to acquire a corporeal target this time. They would definitely need more people for that. How strong was a death knight anyway? They said that one of them could easily take down a dozen men at once. But maybe those were just rumours.
Mark sighed. What should he do with the poor horse spirit now that it was useless?
When Eclipse appeared back in his room by means of his hearthstone, he felt tired again. Training and translating on the same day was apparently too much. He dropped his saddlebags where he stood, then flopped down on the bed, all four legs outstretched. Staying like this for a while, he repeated the new spells he had learned in his mind. His hooves shone a little bit as he did so, and a feeling of peace made him relax.
Then he remembered that Darren did not want to fall over his bags. He put them next to his side of the bed, then he washed himself. Satisfied with the result, Eclipse left the room and ran down the stairs.
He looked around and saw some other guests but his friends were not there. His ears went down as the peaceful feeling dissolved. Where was everyone? Were they still busy collecting items for Vol'Shalai's summoning ritual?
Eclipse turned to go to the kitchen when the innkeeper Allison caught up with him. She had been at the other side of the room, putting books onto a bookshelf.
"Hey, little pony," she said with a smile.
"Oh, hi," said Eclipse nervously. "Do you know where my friends are?"
"No, but they said they'll be back soon."
"Okay, thanks." Eclipse frowned as Allison left. He sat down on one of the couches close to the bookshelf. Staring at the abstract pattern on the cloth, he leaned forward, tucking his hooves under his chin. After hours of concentration, the last thing he wanted to do was to read a book. Actually, he would like to play in the park, like they had discussed with Vera. But without Darren there was no point. And he definitely would not go out alone. There was a fine line between being adventurous and plain dumb.
Mom would have suggested to go play in the garden. But there was no Mom and no garden.
Eclipse closed his eyes. If only he was with Mom and Dad and Peridot. They would eat together and hug each other. He would have to do boring homework. He would play guard and annoy Mr Coelistine with questions about the ancient Crystal Empire. He would train Meditation and Void Magic with Darren - without any time pressure. He would be at home.
Eclipse closed his eyes. He suddenly felt extremely lonely. Everyone was doing something useful except for him. He had to practice just so he was not a problem. Sure, the grown-ups meant well but sometimes being the "special" child just sucked.
Something poked his side. Eclipse twitched, immediately alert. His eyes snapped open.
Allison's son stood there. Frank. His human face, dotted with freckles and framed by copper-coloured hair, looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and something else. Not fear. But something similar. Caution, maybe.
"Hi," said Frank. "My friends and I are gonna play cards. You want to join?"
Eclipse sat up. "Er. Sorry. I'm not supposed to go out alone."
Frank grinned. "Well. One, you wouldn't be alone and two, do you always do what your trainer says?"
"Trainer? Oh, you mean Darren. See, he said it's dangerous for me to get lost."
Frank rolled his eyes. "He just says that cause he's too lazy to look for you."
Eclipse felt the sudden urge to punch Frank. Instead, he said, "No, it's just too much of a hassle to get rid of the bodies. Kidding!" he quickly added when he saw Frank's face. "Where do you wanna go anyway?"
"Nowhere, actually," Frank admitted, "we're gonna play here. Just wanted to check if you're cool."
Eclipse snorted, suddenly nervous. "And am I cool?"
"You're alright," Frank decided. "You know how Hearthstone works, right?"
Vol'Shalai and Tarik were the first to return from their little quest. When Vol'Shalai pushed the door open, he saw Eclipse and three boys several years older than him sitting around a table. One of the boys, a human with darker skin, seemed familiar to Vol'Shalai but he could not place him. The second one was Frank, the third one a young dwarf with dark hair and beard stubble. Hearthstone cards were spread on the tablecloth.
Eclipse's ears shot upwards as he noticed him and a smile of relief spread on his muzzle. He put his cards face down and stood up.
"Hey," said Vol'shalai, wiping his feet on the doormat. He staggered for a second when Eclipse tackled him with a hug. "Ya alright? Sorry it took so long."
Eclipse let go of him and frowned. "Did you get everything?" he asked.
Vol'Shalai nodded. "Be right back. We need ta put our stuff away."
Nodding, Eclipse trotted back to the table. The three boys stared at Vol'Shalai, then at Tarik who had just entered behind him. Then their eyes wandered back to Eclipse.
"Later." Vol'Shalai left for the stairs, trying not to grin. Tarik followed him, nodding politely at the teenagers.
Frank stared at Eclipse. "There was that troll again," he said. "Are you really friends?"
Eclipse nodded and shrugged. "Yeah. His name is Vol'Shalai. He's nice. And his Darkspear stew is awesome, I could bathe in that stuff."
"How do you know him?" Carl asked cautiously. "Did Darren bring him along?"
"Never mind how ye know him! How is he allowed in Stormwind?" demanded Havar, pointing at the now empty staircase.
Eclipse sighed, getting annoyed. He should have expected a dwarf to ask that kind of thing. He leaned back, raising his brows. "Look, I know it's unusual. But we're really friends. Darren met him in the Plaguelands, I think. He came with us to help me get home."
"But he's Horde!" Carl said incredulously.
"Well. I guess. He doesn't like Night Elves but he's not at war or anything. I promise!"
Frank crossed his arms. "Isn't your other friend a Night Elf?"
"Huh." Eclipse rubbed his chin. "You're right. He wasn't nice to her at first. But we're okay now." He sighed again. "I dunno why but I don't find making friends hard. Why is it so difficult for people on Azeroth?"
Havar frowned darkly. "Might have ter do with everyone being at each other's throats all day long," he said, picking up his cards again. "I think the Horde and Alliance first clashed when the Orcs invaded. That was afore I was born. So I ken not exactly what it was all about."
"That was the first Horde," Carl threw in. "They were not the same guys as the ones in Northrend or Pandaria. But do you even have any idea how many people died because of them?"
"Whatever," Frank muttered. "The less trouble the better."
Eclipse felt sweat forming on his neck. "Yeah, I agree with that. Darren's neutral anyway. He only ever wanted to get rid of the Scourge. I don't know about Orcs. The only one I met wanted to kill us so... yeah. I know the trolls were sort of nice to us. At least their chief was. And Jonathan is good, too."
"Who's that now?" Frank asked.
Eclipse picked up his own cards. "A Forsaken," he said matter-of-factly.
Carl groaned. "Eclipse, you have a messed up circle of friends."
"I like you, too," Eclipse countered.
Carl could not help but grin. "Okay, okay. So let's see: You are friends with," he counted on his fingers, "A troll, a Night Elf, that death knight we just saw, a Forsaken - am I forgetting anything?"
"A ghost and another death knight," Eclipse added.
"I'm confused," Havar said, holding his head. "Let's just get back to the game."
Eclipse's gaze fell on the cards in his hooves. "Oh," he added with a grin, "I'm also friends with an Archmage."
Everyone laughed as they saw he had played the "Khadgar" card.
Carl sighed. Then he seemed to make a decision. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked Eclipse.
"Uh, sure." They stood up and walked away a few steps, around a neighbouring table and the people sitting there.
Eclipse looked at Carl expectantly, a sense of dread building up in his gut.
The human suddenly looked shy. He bit his lip, then put his hands on his hips. He took a deep breath. "Eclipse, is Darren actually a death knight?"
Eclipse nodded. There was no point in denying it.
"I knew it!" Carl hissed. "So he did die?"
"Look... Carl, I know you guys are related. And I get that you were just a foal when the Scourge attacked Andorhal -"
"What? How do you know that?"
"You said so," Eclipse reminded him. "When we visited you for lunch. You said that you lost friends and family twelve years ago. And that - that's when Andorhal was destroyed."
Carl stared at him, his face frozen. He did not say anything.
Eclipse grimaced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you like that. What I meant is: Darren lost his family, too. When he went missing, he was actually killed. And resurrected as a death knight. But he's been healed. I saw it happen. And he just wanted to... to say Hi. Maybe hug his cousin, I dunno." He looked at the floor. "Guess it's too late for that, huh."
"Eclipse, it's not that he simply got lost," said Carl, his face turning red. "He murdered people. Probably hundreds!"
"Yeah, I know. I do. But he didn't want to. The Scourge forced him to do that, he didn't have a choice," Eclipse said desperately. "Please, just give him a chance! We'll be gone soon anyway."
"Why? What does it matter to you if you're going away?" Carl demanded.
"Because he's my friend!" Eclipse exclaimed, turning a few heads. "And I hate how sad he is! He tries to hide it but he's worried like crazy. He keeps freezing stuff. And everyone keeps getting lost! First we get lost, then we lose Vol'Shalai, then Darren loses his family again, now Levinia's gone and..." He huffed, angrily stomping his hoof. "I'm just sick of everything falling apart. But that's not your fault. Sorry. Maybe we should stop with the game for today." Eclipse wiped his muzzle, his ears folding back. He felt like an idiot. A pushy, pathetic idiot.
Carl sighed and raised his brows. "No," he said. "I think I get it, more or less." He gave Eclipse a stiff smile. "You got me convinced, actually."
"What do you mean?" Eclipse asked. He sniffed, inwardly cursing his tendency to cry when he was upset.
"I wasn't sure if Darren could be trusted. But I believe you. I can't say why exactly."
"Well," Eclipse offered, "I was being honest..."
"Guess so. You know what, how about we try again?" Carl offered.
"Wait," Eclipse said. He blushed. "Actually, we're already on it," he admitted.
"Who, 'we'?"
"Well, Nylene, Vera and I. We wanted to make Darren and, and Stephen meet today. It's just that with Levinia missing and all we got held up..."
Eclipse was deeply relieved as he realized that Carl had really changed his mind. They agreed to arrange for a meeting as soon as Levinia was safe. Carl promised he and Vera would convince his father that Darren was alright.
They played for another hour, ignoring the fact that Eclipse's face was a little wet. In the end, he laughed again. Vol'Shalai and Tarik came downstairs after a while. They sat down at another table and talked to each other quietly. Carl and Havar occasionally looked over to them. Once they realized that the troll and the death knight seemed not to care about their presence, they returned their full attention to the game.
"Thanks for inviting me," said Eclipse to the boys as they tidied up the table. "Even though I'm a pony and only ten and have a messed up circle of friends."
Carl smiled at him. "Thanks for being our fourth man," he said.
They stood up and while Carl and Havar picked up their card boxes and bumped their fists to say goodbye, Frank helped Eclipse with storing his cards in a box that was a bit too small to handle properly with hooves.
"Now I can beat Tarik even more easily," Eclipse said with a grin, jerking his head towards the death knight. Frank grinned back, then he wished Eclipse a nice evening and went upstairs.
The front door opened and Darren entered, followed by Nylene. They gave Eclipse a little wave and he waved back with a smile.
Carl and Havar turned to leave. They bumped their fists against Eclipse's hoof and made a small berth around the newcomers. Havar frowned at Nylene but refrained from a comment. Carl said a small "Hello" to the surprised Darren, then he shut the door behind them.
Darren pointed at the door. "Wasn't that -"
"Carl Fletcher, your, er, first cousin... once... removed? I'm not sure, really. But yeah." Seeing Darren's confusion, he added, "We played Hearthstone. With Frank and Havar."
"I see," said Darren evenly. He walked over to Vol'Shalai and Tarik.
"Did you get everything?" Eclipse asked Nylene.
She nodded, kneeling down to get closer to eye level with him. "Even the ceremonial drum. How are you feeling, An'dorei? You look tired." She touched his cheek.
"Guess auras don't lie," Eclipse quipped. "I'm okay. Really. Carl and I had a discussion but we made up. And hey, I learned two new spells today!"
"Indeed? At Karazhan, I presume?"
"Yeah!"
"Come on," said Nylene, leading Eclipse to the table where the others waited, "you shall tell us all about it over dinner. But first we need to discuss who prepares what for the summoning ritual."
While they talked about the ingredients for Vol'Shalai's modified spell, Darren noticed that something had changed about Eclipse. Somehow the colt seemed less upset and more focused. He kept asking constructive questions, was eager to help Vol'Shalai with anything that needed to be done - and he ate his dinner with a vengeance.
Eclipse spilled the beans about his newfound energy when Nylene asked him about his training with Khadgar. He admitted that they had been stuck at first. Somehow he had kept using his aggressive Void spells. Only after Miindra had arrived and guided his meditation, he managed to get truly calm again. She had said some prayers with him, which had been nice, and he had felt warm inside his chest, some kind of connection to Harmony, maybe the Light itself.
Vol'Shalai hummed thoughtfully as he heard that. He pursed his lips, thinking hard, then rubbed his arm absent-mindedly. When he realized he was fiddling with his injured arm, he quickly stopped.
Tarik leaned forward and frowned. "Eclipse, are you saying that you established a connection to the Light?"
"I think so." Eclipse blushed as he relized how intently everyone suddenly looked at him. "What?" he asked, slightly irritated.
"People on Azeroth usually need a special ritual to become priests," said Darren. "There are a few exceptions but it still doesn't just happen to those who have been meditating for a few months. How did you do it?"
Eclipse huffed. "I dunno, really. Maybe it's because I'm a pony?"
"Perhaps." Nylene crossed her arms, leaning back. She smiled. "Perhaps you have an affinity for the Light. You seem to be a creature that prefers Harmony."
"Good for you," said Darren, also smiling a little.
Eclipse nodded. He remembered what Darren had said about losing his right to wield the Light. But the knight seemed genuinely glad about Eclipse's newfound abilities.
"What spells did you learn?" asked Nylene.
"Er... a healing spell and a shield. The healing was hard. And I'm not sure if it really works with big wounds. We didn't have any creature there which was actually hurt." Eclipse shifted his weight on the chair. "The shield was easier, but Khadgar said that it just works for a few seconds. Maybe it's because I already saw Jonathan make shields. I knew what they're supposed to be like and feel like. And that people can make them." He sighed happily as he remembered the feeling of joy as he had cast the spell. "The Light is awesome! I thought it was just a trick for being calm but it's more like... being completely okay and safe. Deep inside. I love it. It's almost as good as being home."
Nylene and Darren nodded. Tarik seemed to be thinking about something sad, he stared down at his folded hands.
Vol'Shalai smirked. "Ya know, maybe ya can help me with someting," he said. "Cause I need a priest for da ritual."
Heat crept up Eclipse's face and he raised his forelegs defensively. "Dude, I'm not a priest! I can only cast two Light spells!"
"Dat's alright, mon! Only... two people need ta sing da song cause we need da help of both the Elements and da Holy Light. Or the Void. Can ya sing?"
Eclipse chuckled. "Of course I can sing."
"What I mean is: Can ya sing well?"
"Good enough for Hearth's Warming carols," Eclipse said hesitantly. "And for the Crystal Faire."
"That's a Yes," Darren clarified.
"Great! Ya gonna be our Loa Singer, then!" Vol'Shalai cheered, clapping his hands together. "And don't ya worry ya likkle head about any wrong notes. It's not just da words, it be mostly about heart. Ya need to mean it. As long as ya do, we gonna be just fine."
Eclipse nodded, unconvinced. He had wanted to help so badly but now that he was actually being asked he was not sure if he was prepared. But he had to try. For the sake of their friend, he just had to. They could not afford to mess up.
It was cold. As a spirit, Levinia had never felt chilly before. Was it the runes that bound her to the ground? It was as if there were invisible chains holding her in place. She tried to jump but something pulled her down again. Landing on her hooves, she winced as a stinging pain shot up her leg. Her wound was still there. It was smaller than before but she was still weakened by it. Maybe it took time to gather the energy to heal it. It was not like she could eat or sleep to speed up the process.
The door opened. Somebody entered her round, for lack of a better word, cell and quickly shut the door behind themselves. A key turned inside a lock with a sound that echoed through the chamber. The hooded figure approached her without bringing their own light. The only source of light were Levinia's glowing astral body and the vile runes in the ring at her feet. The blue shimmer made her visitor look like a ghost, too.
"Where are you from?" the hooded person asked.
Levinia huffed and rolled her eyes as she realized who it was.
"You're the guy from before, aren't you?" she said sharply. "The one who put me in the bottle."
"Suppose there's no point for this, then." The man removed his hood. He looked tired - or maybe it was just the blue light casting shadows on his face? "So," he said again, "where are you from?"
"You abducted me. You put me in this ring, you hurt me - and now you want to have a chat?" Levinia scoffed. "You're an idiot."
"I know," the man sighed. He sat down on the stone tiles, folding his legs like Jonathan did when he meditated. "Sorry about that."
"'Sorry' doesn't cut it in a case like this," said Levinia. "Let me go! I promise I won't take revenge or anything. I just wanna go home."
"I can't do that," said the man. "My sister would kill me - or worse. I must keep you here as long as you're useful."
Levinia frowned. "And what happens when I stop being useful?" she asked slowly.
There was a moment of silence. The man avoided looking into her eyes. Eventually, he said, "My brethren don't know that I'm here. I analysed your anima last night. I'm looking for clues about the origin of creatures that returned from Death. But you're not from Azeroth in the first place, are you?"
"No, I guess I'm not. And I didn't return because I never left."
"That means you're of no use to us. So unless you give me information that I can share with my sister..." He cleared his throat. "We have only one containment ring. These runes of Domination... they're extremely rare. We made this thing by welding runeswords of the Scourge together. I wouldn't know how to make a second one."
"What's your point? So you have a rare torture device, congratulations," Levinia said angrily.
"Well - if we want to capture someone else, we'll need it," said the man.
"Oh?" said Levinia. Then, slowly, as she understood, "Oh."
"Yeah." The man raised his brows, looking guilty.
Levinia sat down, leaning forward a bit. "You don't seem like a villain to me. Why are you doing this? Can't you just... I don't know, do your research at a hospital or university or something? With volunteers?"
The man chuckled at that. "We don't have a license for that. We work in secret."
"Who, we?" Levinia pressed on, realizing that she was now the one asking the questions. But the man was eager to answer. He must have been alone with his worries for a long time.
"The Circle of Approaching Death. That's what we call ourselves."
"Well, that sounds ominous," Levinia commented dryly. "So what's your deal? Is Death approaching you or are you the ones approaching Death? The name's not really clear on that, you know."
"Both." The man stood up. Pacing up and down in the chamber, he said, "We founded this movement because of the Shattering of the Veil. Although many members had already been looking for answers for years." As he saw the clueless look on Levinia's face, he went on, "About two weeks ago, there was a tremor that went through the entire fabric of space. Something happened in Northrend, something big. And soon thereafter, the news came here, to Stormwind: Sylvanas Windrunner has destroyed the Veil. Not crossed, not bent, but shattered. We don't know how she did it but soon -"
"Wait, wait, wait," Levinia interrupted him, holding up her hoof. "What is the Veil?"
"That's the barrier between this life and the Afterlife."
"You mean, where people go after they die?"
"Yes, exactly."
"And it's broken now? Does - does that mean there's no Afterlife anymore?" Levinia shuddered. She remembered how, two weeks ago, Tarik had screamed in torment. How they had healed him and how he had said that the control of the Lich King over him was no more.
"No, the Shadowlands, the place beyond, they're still there. But priests and shamans all over the world say that something's wrong over there. And as long as we can't control where our souls are going when we die, we can't be sure that we'll continue existing at all." The man talked faster now, louder, almost in a panic. "What if every soul wanders around aimlessly now? What if we get judged and punished for breaking the Veil? Or what if they just destroy everything that crosses the border?"
"Stop! Please!" Levinia shouted. Desperation got hold of her. She had always thought that as a spirit she would be safe. But what if that was not the case? She shuddered again. "That can't be true!" she begged. "That mustn't be true!"
"That's why we need to find out more," said the man mercilessly. "We can't afford to fail. Balance between Life and Death must be restored but we don't know how - yet. Your soul and the information it can give was supposed to get us one step closer to that."
"I'm sorry," whispered Levinia. "I'm sorry I can't help. I don't know anything because I never left. And - and now I'm glad I never left, actually. Who knows what would have happened to me. This is awful!"
The man stood up. "I'll give you some time. Maybe something comes to your mind that could help us. Then I can tell my sister that you need to stay here."
"As opposed to destroying me." Levinia covered her face with her hooves. "You're not really evil. But you're still cruel."
"Good night," he said sadly. "Please don't tell her that we talked." He walked towards the door, his back stiff as if he carried the weight the world on his shoulders.
"Wait!" called Levinia. "What's your name?"
"Mark," he said, looking back at her. "Mark Veren."
"I - I'm Levinia."
Mark nodded. The corners of his mouth twitched. Then, he put the hood up, unlocked the door and left.
Levinia was once again alone in the dark. She curled up into a ball, feeling terribly lost. Her light faded to a dull sheen as she tried to make herself as tiny as she could.
Tarik had said that he would only stay for a few days. It was still a surprise to Eclipse when he stood in the lounge, back in his armour and cloak, his sword belt and backpack slung over his shoulder.
Eclipse had just come down the stairs, along with Darren and Vol'Shalai, to have breakfast and discuss how to spend the day. As he saw that Tarik was ready to leave, his jaw dropped. He ran over to the knight, his hooves clattering on the floor, and came to a halt before him.
The human nodded. "I bought a ticket to the Broken Isles days ago. It's not clear when another ship will depart."
Eclipse's ears folded down. He sighed. "Can we come along to the ship?" he asked Darren, turning his head to see what he would say.
Darren raised his brows. He looked at Vol'Shalai. The troll muttered something and Darren nodded.
"I'm gonna stay here," said Vol'Shalai, "and start my preparations."
Tarik's mouth twitched. Then he sat down, dropping his bag next to a table. "There's still some time," he said.
That was when Nylene joined them, dressed in dark blue pants and a wide shirt of the same colour, with wide sleeves similar to those of a gown. As she saw Tarik, she frowned.
"Already? We shall miss you."
After breakfast, everyone except for Vol'Shalai went outside. It was still early and the shadows on the plaza fuzzy and long. Tarik seemed to know where he needed to go. He walked briskly, apparently he needed to hurry now that he had waited for them to have breakfast.
Eclipse sat on Darren's shoulders. Darren had no trouble keeping up since he was in light clothing and without a weapon. Nylene strode alongside them with wide steps. As the trio plus pony made their way towards the docks, Eclipse watched the people on the streets setting up stands and going about their business. Two men, a human and a dwarf, unloaded a cart of food in front of a shop. Another cart, two streets down, was loaded with timber. The house behind it lacked a roof. A lanky Draenei woman in a bright shirt and wide-legged pants helped put the ropes of a construction crane into place.
Everything seemed so normal but so strange at the same time. There were no ponies and the colours Eclipse could see here were mostly dull. But the citizens of Stormwind did not seem to mind. Some even wished them a good morning, something that had not happened before. Maybe being up so early was not for moody people.
Now that Eclipse thought about it, Allison was also usually in a good mood in the mornings. Not today, though. She had been there when Tarik had left, taking his hand and giving him something small that Eclipse had not seen. Tarik had done something unusual, too: he had touched her cheek and then hugged her. After that, he had urged Darren and Nylene to depart, suddenly in a hurry.
They passed through a small park with a monument, then there were lots of stairs, followed by a large ramp.
The docks were already busy as Tartarus, with sailors walking about and carrying things, soldiers in the bright armour of the Alliance, mages and priests in robes, hunters with their animal companions and lots of dock workers.
"Which way?" Darren asked.
Tarik pointed at the far end of the docks. A ship was there, easily twice as large as the Maiden's Fancy. Eclipse counted four masts and at least ten sails. An enormous picture of a lion's head decorated the largest sail. There was a steady wind coming from the east, billowing up the unfurling sails and ruffling Eclipse's mane.
Another Goodbye, Eclipse thought as Tarik stopped and turned around, a guilty expression on his face.
"My gryphon is already on board," he said. Shaking hands with Darren and nodding respectfully at Nylene, Tarik turned to Eclipse. "Farewell."
Eclipse looked at him, wondering if he should say something. Then he jumped from Darren's shoulders and leaped up to hug Tarik. He had to flap his wings to get high enough. But Tarik caught him and held him for a moment. Letting go of the colt, he cleared his throat.
"Good luck finding your friend," said Tarik. "I'm sure you'll be successful. And thank you for your help."
"You're welcome," said Eclipse. "It's just good we were there on that ship, huh? And Vol'Shalai, too."
"True. Tell him my thanks. If you want to contact me, I will probably stay in Dalaran first."
Darren nodded. "Suffer well," he said.
"You too, death knight." Tarik's mouth twitched. A bell on the ship rang twice. He raised his brows. "I have to go."
"Bye," said Eclipse sadly. He felt for the side of Darren's leg, suddenly in need for support. Darren noticed and put his hand on Eclipse's head.
"Farewell," said Nylene, her voice cracking.
They watched as Tarik turned and walked towards the ship with heavy steps. He looked over his shoulder for a moment, raising a hand, then he disappeared in the crowd that boarded the vessel.
They were silent for most of the way back, each one in their own thoughts. Eclipse did not hide his tears and neither Darren nor Nylene asked him to. At the monument that looked out over the harbour, Eclipse looked back. The ship had already left port and was sailing westward.
"Why does Vol'Shalai need so long to prepare for the ritual?" Eclipse asked Darren.
Darren had just left their room, holding Eclipse's wooden shield and his own sheathed sword. He passed the shield to Eclipse who fastened it to his belt so it would not slip off his back. Eclipse was beginning to appreciate the usefulness of clothing as he realized how much he could carry without even needing saddlebags. Darren had insisted that Eclipse wait outside the room while he had gone in and taken what they needed. Nylene was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was in her room.
"Vol'Shalai needs to meditate, the shaman way. And grind powders, make a totem," Darren explained. "It's better if we disturb him as little as possible."
"Is it so complicated to call for Levinia," muttered Eclipse, descending the stairs.
"He told me that his preparation for the last ritual on the Echo Isles took three days and nights."
"What?!" Eclipse blurted out. "Does she even have that much time?"
"We don't know. He already agreed to cut it down to two days but that's all he can do," stated Darren. He held the inn door open for Eclipse. "Is your shield secure on your back?" he asked, slinging the sword belt around his shoulder.
"Uh-huh."
"Good. Because we're going to run."
"Run for what?"
"Warming up. Vol'Shalai isn't the only one who needs to prepare."
Eclipse had not expected Darren to have that much stamina. The human jogged all the way across the city, over two bridges and to a large park. There was more grass than Eclipse had seen on Azeroth so far. Old trees provided shade and there were a few flowerbeds. Eclipse could keep up but he noticed that he was a bit more out of breath than he would have been back home. And, to be realistic here, his legs were very much shorter than Darren's. Every step Darren made on the gravel path meant two for Eclipse.
Darren's pale face had gained some colour as they arrived at a bench where Nylene stood in a funny pose. Her leg was on the back of the bench and she tried to reach for it with both hands. She had exchanged her new pretty clothes with her original ones, the bandages and light leather armour, but her warglaives were not there. Instead, two wooden sticks the length of Eclipse's forelegs were lying on the bench.
"Darren. An'dorei," she greeted them without lifting her eyes from her foot.
"Did we get - permission?" Darren asked Nylene and she nodded.
"I talked to the guards. They said it's fine as long as we keep our distance to other people and come up for any property damage."
"Let's keep that - to a minimum, then," said Darren with a smirk. He was still catching his breath.
"Agreed." Nylene took her leg down and put the other one on the back on the bench, repeating her exercise. "Apparently, there are some monks who train here, too, on a regular basis. There must be a shrine nearby."
Eclipse watched her, confused, and closed his mouth.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Darren swung his arms around, then he raised them above his head and he bent forward. Something in his back cracked when he straightened it. "If we want to save Levinia and you want to help, we need to make sure you know what you're doing," he said. "We need to know what each of us can do. And we must to be able to coordinate our moves."
"I'm getting combat training?" Eclipse asked incredulously, his eyes wide. "Now I want the additional day, please."
"As you said, we don't know how much time we have," Darren countered. "But that's alright. You've already proven that you know how to dodge attacks. I wouldn't have let my sons join me in a real fight - but with a Shadow Pony the equation's quite different."
"Oh, wow," said Eclipse. Then he took a deep breath. "Well, if I'm being honest, I think I'm actually ready for that. What do I do?"
"We'll start with something easy." Darren nodded at Nylene who threw one of the sticks over to him. He caught it and twirled it in his left hand like a knife. "You're going to take these sticks from us."
"What, right now?"
"Of course now." Darren crouched down and drew his sword.
"Okay." Eclipse gathered his strength and released his shadows.
Darren watched as the whites of Eclipse's eyes darkened, the irises glowing in a cold blue. Dark smoke rose from his coat and eyes. Eclipse crouched down like a cat, then he jumped at Darren.
He was ready for the colt, though, and stepped aside. Eclipse hit thin air with his hoof and had to land on all fours. Surprised, he gaped at Darren who just smiled back at Eclipse. "Come on," he encouraged him. "I know you can do it."
Scrunching his little face up in concentration, Eclipse ran towards Darren again. This time, however, he changed his direction and threw a bolt of purple lightning at the stick. Darren hissed as his hand was grazed by the searing electricity but he did not let go.
"Ah, sorry!" Eclipse called.
Darren shook his head. "No, it's fine. Keep going." He looked at his hand. Nothing a health potion could not mend.
Eclipse hesitated. "I don't wanna hurt you," he said, his shadows subsiding a little.
"That honours you but that's not the point of this exercise. You've got permission, kid. You've got to think of me as the bad guy here. Try."
"Okay. Okay." Eclipse jumped again, this time turning completely to smoke. As a swift current, he rushed towards Darren and wrenched the stick from his palm.
Darren watched as Eclipse re-materialized a few yards away, the stick in his mouth.
"Good," Darren praised him. "But Nylene still has hers. Can you take it without losing yours?"
Eclipse looked at the stick in his mouth, cross-eyed. Then, he tucked it under his wing, determination on his face.
Darren watched closely as Eclipse charged at Nylene. He had made it easy for him as they were just warming up. He was sure that Nylene would not grant Eclipse such a luxury.
It took Eclipse eight minutes to claim Nylene's stick. The Night Elf was easily as fast as him, almost turning into smoke herself, and did not cut him any slack at all. When he charged at her, she dodged. When he turned into smoke, she spread her wings and blocked his path. When he tried to hit her with her shield, she deflected the attacks with ease, redirecting the force of his movements somewhere else. Eclipse had to confuse her with attacks from three sides at once to succeed.
He stood there, panting and grinning, and proudly held up the stick with his foreleg.
"I did it!" he called happily.
"You dropped something," said Darren. He dashed towards the other stick Eclipse had lost a minute ago and snatched the piece of wood from the grass.
Eclipse hung his head and groaned.
They took a small break, mostly to let Eclipse catch his breath and drink something. Then, it was Eclipse and Darren against Nylene. This time, the task was to keep the sticks safe and prevent Nylene from taking them. Darren put his sword aside and rolled up his sleeves.
Nylene became even faster now. Eclipse realized that she had still been holding back when they had sparred one on one. Now that Darren was on his side, she was not. The green fire behind her bandage seemed to burn brighter as she dashed around them so fast that she was merely a blur. Strange afterimages lingered everywhere she paused, everywhere she changed direction.
Eclipse understood that he needed to rely more heavily on his powers and instincts. He used his void smoke as a perimeter, whipping it around like a black ribbon. His wooden shield was not of much use here, he mainly used it to shift his balance and block a few blows from Nylene. He managed to keep her at bay, more or less, but then she turned around her axis, bent backwards and changed. For a moment, it was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing her demonic self. She seemed taller, her bat wings larger, and her now horned head turned towards him. Her tattooes glowed brightly as if they were resisting the change. A flash of green fire erupted from her chest and Eclipse staggered as the demoness towered over him, engulfed in flames. Freezing up in shock, he dropped his stick.
Nylene picked it up, turning towards Darren. Her appearance was now back to normal but Eclipse could not unsee it in his mind. Was that what a demon hunter turned into when they lost control of the fel fire inside? Now that he got a breather, Eclipse suddenly noticed his legs were shaking like crazy.
Darren seemed unfazed by Nylene's eruption. This time, he held the stick in his right hand. His eyes glowed blue as he cast a spell, raising his left hand. The wind picked up, enveloping him in cold snow.
Nylene smiled darkly. She folded her wings to reduce her air resistance and reached for the stick. Darren turned his arm, elbow up, and leaned away so her hand was directed away from his. She spun around and kicked, landing a hit on his thigh. Darren grunted and cast another spell, freezing Nylene's other foot to the ground.
She bent down and hit the spike of ice with her fist. As it exploded into small shards, she tried to hit Darren's chin with an uppercut. He leaned backwards, let her fist pass and hit the side of her face with his flat hand. Nylene retaliated by grabbing his other hand and wringing the stick from it. Before she could pull her own arm back, however, Darren caught it and shook his head with a tight-lipped smile. Nylene gasped as her hands turned white, encrusted by ice. Darren twisted her arm around her and was suddenly behind her. He locked her own arms around her throat and chest, rendering her upper body immobile. Nylene tried to jump but Darren had once again frozen her feet to the ground. Since he was so close to her back, she could not unfold her wings, either.
Nylene's clawed fingers relaxed and she dropped the stick. She grinned, revealing her pointed teeth.
"You win," she panted. Darren smiled, too, a little out of breath just as she was.
"Woo!" Eclipse shouted, applauding by stomping his hooves.
They both suddenly seemed to realize where they were. Darren let go of Nylene's arms, blinking. She picked the stick up but it was clear that the fight was over. The ice around her feet quickly thawed, leaving a little puddle behind.
Darren rubbed his neck. "Another break," he said curtly, casting a short look back at Nylene as he approached Eclipse. Nylene looked back at him, her mouth slightly open, looking a bit surprised. Darren cleared his throat.
"You alright?" he asked Eclipse.
"Yeah. Are - you two okay?"
Darren nodded. "Sure." For some reason, he looked at Nylene again who walked over to them.
"I hope I didn't spook you with my Chaos Nova, An'dorei," she said, sounding worried. "I just wanted you to know I can do that so you wouldn't be surprised by it later on."
Eclipse shook his head. "It's okay," he assured her. "I trust Darren and I trust you, too."
She smiled warmly and nodded.
The third lesson was the hardest. Eclipse had to make a shield of Light to protect Darren from Nylene and, at the same time, use his shadow powers to destroy the sticks in her hands.
The constant drain on his strength prevented him from making complicated moves but eventually he managed to obliterate one stick with a bolt of lightning. To Eclipse's relief, Nylene was content with that. She shook her hand and the remaining bit of charcoal crumbled, becoming a heap of ash on the grass.
Eclipse relaxed and the transparent golden bubble of light around Darren faded. Even though the joy of wielding the Light still dominated, he felt extremely thirsty and tired.
"Very good," Darren said, pride in his voice.
"But I failed. I didn't destroy the second stick," said Eclipse, slumping down on his rump. "And before, I dropped the stick. And Nylene took it from me. How in Equestria was that good?"
"You managed to use your powers as you saw fit," said Darren with raised brows, "You didn't drop the shield around me even for a second. And you realized when to dodge and when to attack. Plus, when Nylene and I fought, you stayed out of the way."
"Oh, I see..." Eclipse muttered. "So it wasn't about the sticks? At all?"
"No. It was about you using your abilities. About self-control, balance and timing. And to show you how the rules of a fight change when your attention is divided. You can never focus on more than one, maybe two things at once."
"We also let you observe our powers," said Nylene. "But that shall be enough for today." She passed the remaining stick to Eclipse. "There you go, little pony. A well-deserved trophy."
"Thanks." Eclipse smiled. He sighed. "Wow, that was tough."
Darren let Eclipse sit on his shoulders on the way back. This time, they walked slowly. Darren had his sword and Eclipse's shield on his back and Nylene carried Eclipse's reward.
Two blocks into the city, the colt's head bobbed forward, touching Darren's head, and he began to snore.
"You think we overdid it?" Darren asked Nylene.
"No," she said slowly. "But I was surprised how much you enjoyed sparring with me."
"Frankly, so was I. We should do it again sometime," said Darren.
"Very well. But maybe we should bring Vol'Shalai along, you see, in case we lose our temper," Nylene suggested, sounding amused.
Darren raised his brows. "That would probably be a good idea, looking at it rationally," he said.
"And irrationally?" Nylene retorted with a grin.
"I wouldn't want any observers," Darren admitted, his face heating up as he imagined the scenario.
The walked on for a while, passing a canal. Nylene still smiled, seeming utterly pleased with herself, a fact that made Darren smirk, too.
A tower bell struck once. Nylene's grin faded as she noticed that Darren's aura immediately shifted from a vibrant, happy orange to dark purple and blue.
"What is it?" she asked quietly.
"The bell. It's not one of a kind." Darren adjusted his grip on Eclipse's legs. "Its twin..." He trailed off.
"Let me guess. It used to be in Lordaeron."
"Yes."
"I do not wish to impose," said Nylene immediately. "Forget I asked."
"No, it's fine. Last time I heard that bell was... when Arthas returned from Northrend. To murder his father and begin the invasion of the Scourge. The invasion during which I - during which my family was murdered. When Andorhal was burned to the ground. I bet most people here don't even know the bell of the Cathedral of Light sounds exactly like the one in Lordaeron," Darren said matter-of-factly.
"I see." Nylene trailed alongside him for a while, saying nothing. Then, a thought came to her. "Maybe it's good that at least its twin still sings for the Light."
Darren nodded but only lightly so he would not awaken the colt.
So Darren was finally opening up and the first truly personal thing he told her was this. Nylene sighed inwardly. So many ugly things had happened to him. She should have expected that a meaningful conversation with him would turn dark eventually. Yet who was she to blame him?
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Darren said. "For a while now."
"Go ahead...?"
"Back in Ratchet... you said something about a fire. What did you mean?"
Nylene froze for a second. She remembered that day well. She had told him of the fire, Darren had been clueless about it, and ten seconds later a man from his own hometown had accused him of burning people. She still saw it before her mind's eye, how Darren had let the man hit him straight in the face even though he could have killed him without breaking a sweat.
"Sylvanas Windrunner incinerated our home, the world tree Teldrassil," Nylene said slowly. "Thousands had to flee to Stormwind, including relatives of mine."
"I'm sorry," Darren said instantly.
"No, it's fine," Nylene echoed him even though her throat tightened. "You didn't know. Nor was it your fault."
"But I know what it's like to watch your home burning down," he said sharply. Eclipse hummed and moved his head. Lowering his voice, Darren added, "It's not something anybody wants to be reminded of."
Nylene sighed. "No, it's not." She looked at the sleeping Eclipse, his aura calm and mellow. "Lucky little pony. To come from a world so peaceful. We must bring them back before anything happens to them."
"Yeah."
Seeing the mood Darren was in, Nylene decided not to ask him about the accusations of the man from Andorhal. It must have been something Darren had done as an undead. And it was not her place to judge him for past deeds, not in the light of all that she had done to fight the Legion. The only way to live on, for both of them, was by going forward.
The rest of the day was uneventful compared to the morning. After lunch, Eclipse took another nap. Nylene borrowed his Hearthstone cards and browsed through them until, to her surprise, Darren suggested to play a game.
"I wasn't aware you knew the rules," she remarked as they each shuffled a deck and stacked it on the table between them.
"I payed attention." Darren split Nylene's deck, she simply tapped his pile to confirm it was well-mixed, and they began.
Nylene had to focus hard to tell the cards apart, a reason why she had let Tarik play with Eclipse more often. She could make out the letters and figures with some difficulty, well enough to know what kind of cards she had. From what she remembered, her deck was based on firing lots of spells at the opponent's hero while Darren's deck, which was Eclipse's main deck, had its focus on summoning allies. She would have to be quick before Darren could fill up the field with minions.
They made their first moves. Nothing much was happening yet; Nylene used an ability card to poke Darren's hero with a measly two damage while Darren focused on preparing portals.
"So what do we do when we find Levinia?" Nylene asked. "What if she's injured?"
Darren hummed. "Wouldn't be surprised. Anyone who can abduct a ghost sounds like a threat we need to take seriously." He summoned a troll druid. The picture on the card glared menacingly at Nylene.
Nylene shot arcane missiles at the druid and the card went to the cemetery. "Agreed. Vol'Shalai needs to be ready to heal her."
"If he can't, I'll try," said Darren. "She's undead so it might work. I can heal ghouls. Same principle."
"Are you sure Eclipse should come along? I have a bad feeling about all of this."
Darren sighed. "No. But he seems to be sure."
"Darren, he is ten years old," said Nylene. "And a pony. An innocent creature. Don't you think he'll get traumatized by seeing his friend hurt or - Moon forbid - destroyed? Do you think he has any idea what it's going to be like to fight his way through Elune-knows-what?" Her next card was - something with fire bolts. She used it to reduce the opposing hero's health by another four points.
"He knows exactly what it's like," said Darren. "We fought together against King Sombra. And Eclipse saw my memories. He felt them." He put down a card. It was Eclipse's favourite one, the archmage that could create portals. "But we should still ask Khadgar if he can provide us with some protective spells. Mainly for Eclipse."
Nylene watched as Darren used his card to summon three minions at once. She was about to lose.
"Well, you're the one responsible for him," Nylene said. "It's just hard for me to imagine the child being so familiar with suffering."
"Really?" Darren sounded surprised. "I'd assume..."
"When they are, they're not as easy-going as Eclipse, believe me. They usually shut themselves off from the rest of the world. Or, and that's not better, they develop abnormal behaviour. I've seen it happen often enough. That's one of the reasons I became a demon hunter."
"He did cry more often the last few days," Darren said slowly. "And his Void powers... well, it's a good thing he meditates."
Nylene nodded, putting her cards down. Darren's minions had overrun her defenses.
"The fact that he's still mostly alright... it might have to do with his disposition as a shadow pony." Darren stacked his cards again and set them aside.
"And he leans on us," Nylene added. "If he was alone he probably would have despaired by now, or gone mad. Especially with the shadows inside of him. You claim that his mind is stable enough. But I can still sense how fragile he is. We need to be careful. He should keep meditating and using the Light so he won't lose his balance. He needs to feel safe in order to be safe."
Darren huffed. "Right. You're right." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Damn, I wish we knew where she is. So we could make a plan. There's too many unknowns to get a clear picture yet."
"It's no use, Darren. When Vol'Shalai tracks her down, then we'll know more. The only thing we can do is prepare ourselves with practice and rest."
"I know. Usually, I'm a patient man. But this time," he sighed heavily, "waiting is driving me crazy. Another game?"
Jonathan walked down the corridors of the Crystal Palace, a wooden box in his arms. Another identical box floated alongside him, held in the violet magic of White Alloy.
"Thanks for helping out," he told the unicorn.
White nodded. "Of course. Anything to get my son back - and our friends. How's Twilight doing with the portal?"
"We'll see just about now. Better brace yourself. She tends to get a little high-strung when she's on a project like this." Jonathan set the box down to pull open a two-wing door.
As they entered, they could hear a pony pacing and muttering to herself.
"She's here alright," Jonathan stated. "Hey, Princess! How's it going?"
Twilight looked up. She stood between three whiteboards, a felt-tip pen in her magical grip. The boards were covered with formulas and diagrams. Behind them, Jonathan caught a glimpse of a familiar tall horseshoe-shaped mirror.
"Ugh, could be better." Twilight sighed. She turned around and Jonathan immediately noticed the bags under her eyes and the stray hairs that stuck out of her mane. Her purple wings unfolded a little. "Did you bring the cables?"
"The cables and everything else." Jonathan patted his crate and nodded at the one White Alloy floated over to them.
"Oh, thank you! I need them to stabilise the portal, you see." Twilight pointed at the mirror with her pen. "I've gone through the calculations again. It's clear that we'll need a fixed point on the other side to keep the portal from collapsing too soon. There's no point in setting it up if it closes again before our friends can even use it. I'm trying to compensate for the time differential, but -"
"Twilight," Jonathan interrupted her, crossing his arms, "when was the last time you took a break?"
"Er. I'm not sure. Three hours ago? Maybe three and a half. Oh, right, when we had lunch with Cadence and Shining Armor. But it's fine; this is very important. Spike isn't here to assist me, Sunburst is busy looking for a way to help Luna get her messages across the Great Dark Beyond more effectively and time is working against us, every second that passes here is half a minute on Azeroth -"
"Okay, I've heard enough," said Jonathan, exchanging a look with White. "You know that I know what's at stake here. And that is exactly why we are going to take a walk. Now."
"A walk? I can't take a walk, I need to finish this setup!"
"Ten minutes outside and then a drink. And a sandwich. No discussion. Healer's orders." Jonathan took the pen from her magic, ignoring her half-hearted protests, and gently shoved the alicorn out the door. He nodded at White Alloy who smiled generously.
"I'll unpack the boxes," said White.
Jonathan nodded. "Appreciate it. See you in a bit."
Darren knocked on the door to his own room, then he entered.
Vol'Shalai sat on the floor, cross-legged, and looked up. In his three-fingered hands he held small bits of wood, some feathers and a tiny leather bag. More small things were spread at his feet. Darren recognised about half of them.
"Hey, mon. Whaddaya think?" He held up the thing he was working on.
"That the totem?" Darren asked.
"Uh-huh. Still not finished. But getting there." Vol'Shalai took a piece of thread and used it to bind the small leather bag to the sticks. "Where's da likkle pony?"
"Karazhan."
"Mmh, I see, translating again. Good idea to keep working on da portal. We might need it soon."
"I hope so." Darren sat down on the bed and took off his boot.
"Aw, do ya have to?" Vol'Shalai complained.
"I need to air them out."
"My point exactly," Vol'Shalai grunted. "Oh, go ahead den, but please put'em next to da window. Human boots stink worse than a trogg butt. I'll never understand why ya put ya feet in dose tings."
Darren did as Vol'Shalai had asked, then he rummaged in the closet for a fresh towel. He stepped over to the small water basin to wash his upper body. Taking off his shirt, he thought back to his conversation with Nylene.
"Do you think Eclipse should come along with us? To save Levinia? After you locate her."
The troll put the totem down. He rubbed his itching bandage, then stopped. "Why da sudden hesitation? Ya were fine with it dis morning."
"Nylene and I... talked. She's concerned that he's too unstable for it," Darren explained.
Vol'Shalai chuckled. "What are ya talking about, my friend? Ya be his Thraze'fa'da. Wit you around he's gonna be just fine."
Darren scrunched up his wet face. "I don't speak Zandali."
Vol'Shalai gestured with the totem, looking for a translation. "His... his Om'riggor-Golar," he tried in Orcish.
Waving it off, Darren snorted. "No, I'm not."
"Sure ya are. Why deny it? He looks up to ya. And ya teach him da best moves. And when he's worried he comes to ya and to Nylene. Also when he's happy. Thraze'fa'da you are."
"Don't you dare tell him that," Darren hissed. "I'm not his father-in-arms. That's presumptious."
"Hey, hey, just making an observation. An obvious one, too." Vol'Shalai frowned. "Why is dat a problem? Ya be fine wit being a close friend to him but not fine wit calling it as it is?"
Darren turned around to look at him, the frozen towel crumpled up in his fist.
"As I said: That's not what it is," he repeated, pointing a finger at Vol'Shalai.
The troll raised both hands defensively. "If ya say so. I just tink it's nice. Especially with da bad tings that happened to you way back when."
Darren groaned. "I regret asking. Let's not talk about this, alright?"
"Alright," Vol'Shalai said, shrugging, and returned his attention to the unfinished totem.
Mark looked left and right, then he quickly slipped through the vault door. He locked it to make sure nobody would follow him, then he left the key in the lock, blocking it from the inside.
His mood improved as soon as he saw Levinia.
"Hello," he said as he approached her, pulling his hood down again.
"Ah," she said coolly. Her ethereal voice echoed through the vault and his mind. "My warden has returned. Come back with more bad news?"
"Er, no. I - I brought you this." Mark stepped closer to the containment ring and put a small glass jar on it, careful not to touch the runes. Blue currents of energy swirled around in the glass, illuminating the ground.
The spirit hesitantly raised her head. "What is it?" she asked, surprised.
"Anima, for you."
"Uh, thanks, I guess? What do I do with it?" She took the glass into her hoof and looked at the substance inside it.
"You open it and absorb it."
Levinia cast a doubtful look at Mark, then she opened the jar. She touched the anima with a hesitant hoof. The substance floated out of the jar and readily merged with her body. She immediately glowed a little brighter than before. A smile crept onto her face as she visibly relaxed.
Then, her face fell.
"I didn't just absorb somebody else's soul, did I?" she asked, suddenly horrified.
"No, that was actually your own anima," said Mark. "I tried to scratch as much of it together as I could after the analysis."
Levinia sighed, thoroughly relieved. "Thank Celestia." She looked at Mark. "So what now?"
He hesitated. "Well - do you remember anything that might be useful?"
"Define 'useful'," Levinia retorted. "What do you want to know anyway?"
"Do you remember how you died? Do you have any special abilities? How are you still on this plane of existence?"
She looked at him, pursing her lips. Her expressions were so very human! It was hard to believe Mark was talking to a freaking horse. Sitting down on her haunches like a cat, Levinia frowned. She looked at the glowing runes at her feet.
"The first one is easy," she said slowly. "I jumped after my daughter. She fell from the edge of... a cliff, you could say. I managed to save her but at the cost of my own life..."
"'Attempt number eight. This time, I will ask Princess Celestia for help to specify the coordinates on the other side. If our calculations are correct, we excluded areas such as water bodies and volcanoes or other ha-, hazardous environments. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee concerning the local wildlife or sentient inhabitants. I guess we'll have to trust the Stars to guide us on this matter. Note: Include a compass in the supplies to compare magnetic poles and leylines. We - we'll begin... in the supplies to compare magnetic...' Ugh, sorry, same line..." Eclipse tried to stifle a yawn.
Khadgar looked at him, worry etched into his face. "What did you do in the morning that you're so tired?"
"Training with Nylene and Darren," replied Eclipse with a sheepish smile. "I took a nap after that but I guess it was just... really..." he yawned again. "...exhausting."
"Here, drink some water." Khadgar summoned a glass of water with a quick gesture. He passed it on to Eclipse who accepted it thankfully and downed the entire drink in one swig. Khadgar looked at the pony, raising a brow. "Thank you for translating these passages for me. Is there anything else I can do for you besides the water?"
"I'm good, thanks," said Eclipse. "You sure you have enough research translated to go on?"
"Yes, definitely," Khadgar assured him. "There's no need for you to overdo it. If you want to, you can meditate a little over there," he pointed at a bench near a tall window, "and then it's time you ported back to Stormwind. Alright?"
"Okay."
Eclipse did as Khadgar had suggested. He sat down on the bench, facing the evening sun. He took deep breaths until he forgot where he was, just existing in the Now. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed that he was glowing a little. That was probably a side effect of the Light. He had seen it happening when Jonathan had meditated, too. He tried to let go of his doubts, to breathe them away. It worked partially. He just hoped that Levinia was alright.
Please, Light, send her a friend until we come for her, he thought. Then he tried to imagine that she was okay. It calmed him down a little.
Then Eclipse realized he was thinking about the future. He gently returned his focus to the red sun.
His eyes snapped fully open. The red sun! It was almost gone. He should return to the inn. Jumping from the bench, Eclipse blinked rapidly. He was still physically tired but his mind felt refreshed, less... shiver-y.
Eclipse walked over to Khadgar who had continued his writing and reading.
"Bye, Sir," he said. "I'm gonna port back."
Khadgar looked up and nodded. "Good night. Sleep well." He smiled a little as he said it but Eclipse could tell the wizard was thinking about his notes right now.
Eclipse took his saddlebag and withdrew his hearthstone from it. After putting the bag on his back, he took a breath and held the stone in both front hooves. He focused on the anchor, which was Darren, that bound the stone to the Gilded Rose. Blue lines formed on the ground around him. As soon as the magic circle was complete, the lines rose up and swallowed him whole.
There is a moment of disorientation when Eclipse does not know where he is. He cannot see anything properly, everything passes by too quickly, but he suspects that he is travelling among the stars for a split second. His stomach cramps up but before he feels sick -
- Eclipse materialized on the carpet next to Darren. The blue light faded and he blinked. Besides Darren, who sat on a chair grinding something to powder in a porcelain mortar, Vol'Shalai was also there. The troll sat on the floor, binding stuff together.
Both looked up from what they were doing and smiled at him. Surprised by the sudden attention, Eclipse grinned and tucked the stone away.
"Hi," he said.
"Welcome back," said Darren. He tilted his head a little, his mouth opening as if he wanted to ask Eclipse something. Then he closed it again, raising a brow.
"Hungry?" Vol'Shalai asked. "Allison is cooking again today. So it should be better than what da poor boy made."
Eclipse laughed. "I'm hungry, yes," he admitted. "Mostly tired but hungry, too. We translated a lot today. What are you guys doing?"
"Grinding." Darren showed Eclipse the contents of the mortar.
Eclipse leaned forward. There was a greenish powder in the mortar, along with some bigger chunks of what was probably a root of some kind.
"For the paint?" Eclipse asked.
Darren nodded. He put the pestle down into the mortar and stood up. "Better wash my hands, who knows what's in that stuff."
"I do," said Vol'Shalai, "and yeah, go wash ya hands." He grinned mischievously.
As Vol'Shalai had predicted, it took them another whole day until everything was ready for the ritual. There was still the question where to perform it. The inn was out of the question. Nylene suggested the park but Darren was against it, arguing that they could not afford any interruptions.
"What about Karazhan?" asked Eclipse. "It's far away from other people, besides Khadgar, and I don't think he'll mind."
So the next time that Eclipse teleported to the wizard's tower via the Kirin Tor Hearthstone, he had a note in his saddlebag in which Vol'Shalai asked for his permission to use a room in Karazhan for the ritual.
Eclipse was actually glad he was going to practice more Light magic with Miindra that day because the weather in Stormwind was uncomfortable. Nylene and Darren had taken him along for some training in the park, intending to keep it shorter this time anyway, but after half an hour it was already so windy that they had to stop. The rain started on their way back to the inn, falling down in a steady stream of drops and soaking Eclipse's coat.
In Karazhan, though, the weather was not an issue. After translating another passage from Twilight's notes - they were halfway through by now - the wizard told Eclipse to wait for a while. Miindra had already left some time ago.
Eclipse sat down on the bench where he had meditated the day before. He watched as Khadgar raised his hand to pluck a blue gem of arcane light from the ground. He disappeared in a flash. Eclipse was amazed. That human made magic look so easy.
Even though Khadgar had not been exacly loud, the library suddenly felt very quiet to Eclipse. As he shifted his weight, his gaze wandered across the many books. He felt tempted to pull one off the shelf just to keep himself busy but he knew better than to try and take a book in a wizard's library without their permission. It could be cursed or something like that. So he put his head on his forelegs and gazed at nothing in particular.
Vol'Shalai put the last finish on his Kaz'kah. The paint had already dried on the ceremonial mask. This was the last feather it needed to be complete. Content with the result, he tried it on. The leather strap was too long. He re-tied it, then took the Kaz'kah off again.
He almost dropped it when something hard and small hit the window in quick succession. A raven was pecking at the glass. Vol'Shalai gently put the mask on the table and quickly opened the window.
"Hey, birdie," he greeted it. Grinning, he let the raven jump inside. The bird flapped its wings and glided to the ground, at a little distance from Vol'Shalai.
"Spunky, right?" Vol'Shalai said in Orcish. "But Darren told me that ya be actually -"
The bird was gone. Instead, a human stood there. His physical age was similar to Darren's, his short hair grey. Pale blue, highly intelligent eyes looked at Vol'Shalai.
"- Khadgar," Vol'Shalai finished, smiling contently as he saw that the knight had told the truth.
"Well met," said Khadgar, nodding politely at the much taller troll. "You're Vol'Shalai, I suppose?"
"Dat's right. Ya got our message, den?"
Khadgar nodded. "Eclipse said you needed a room for the ritual. I've got a lot of them." He raised his brows. "The only question is: Are you ready?" Vol'Shalai was impressed; Khadgar's Orcish was without accent, a skill which could only happen when somebody actively spoke a language often enough.
"Just about. I think Darren and Nylene are relaxing downstairs."
"Good." Khadgar swiftly walked over to the door and opened it.
Vol'Shalai opened and closed his mouth again, then he hurried downstairs, after the wizard.
"Oh my Light," he heard a boy say.
Turning a corner, Vol'Shalai saw that three boys sat around a table, playing Hearthstone. Eclipse's new friends. They stared at Khadgar with wide eyes, their mouths slightly agape. One of them looked at the cards in his hand, then back at the real life Khadgar, as if comparing the images.
Vol'Shalai snickered. He waved at Darren who had just stood up.
A few other guests were there, too, also forgetting what they were doing and looking at the celebrity. Khadgar smiled at them politely, then he turned back to Darren and Nylene.
They exchanged a few words. Nylene also rose from her chair and they all ascended the stairs again.
After a few seconds, the conversations in the lounge resumed.
"A 'ghost step.' That is what you've got." The sarcasm in Dianne's voice cut through Mark like a knife. "And that is supposed to help us how exactly?"
"If she can walk from one place to another in an instant," Mark replied hastily, "then that means she can travel as fast as a thought. And if that's true, then we can find a way to get information from the Shadowlands if we manage to harness that power."
"But you said that she lost that ability recently."
"Well, she - ever since the Breaking of the Veil, she feels more corporeal -"
"She feels? Brother, you talked to the spirit, haven't you?" Dianne stepped closer to Mark, her gaze piercing into him. "Against my explicit order?"
Mark shrank down to half his size, at least that was what it felt like. "Yes," he said quietly. "I thought she might still be useful..."
"Her anima would be useful - as a resource! You wasted all this time having a little tea time with the spirit instead of collecting substantial information. Incredible." She rubbed her eyes, giving off an exasperated sigh. "What was the result of the anima analysis?"
"That - that she's not from Azeroth," Mark admitted.
"Then collect the rest of her and be done with it! By the Old Gods, it's just a horse. And find some undead that's actually gone and returned. Like that death knight from before. The one she talked to in the cemetery."
"Right. The death knight. Of course." Mark sighed. He had successfully forgotten he was supposed to do that.
"You seem to have forgotten why we're doing this. Maybe you should pay a visit to the memorial." Dianne put up her hood and walked away.
"If that horse is still here by tomorrow, I'm drawing the anima out myself," she said without looking back.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Mark groaned and left the hallway in the opposite direction, hurrying towards the vault where Levinia was. He had to warn her, encourage her to spill more information. Maybe they could still do an experiment with her powers. Anything to keep her in one piece. If he freed her, there would be no anima and Dianne would know that he did it. No one had a key to the vault except for the two of them.
Maybe he could take some of their stock and pretend that it was the pony's soul. Only they did not even have enough for that plan to work.
His time was running out. He had to make a decision.
Eclipse must have dozed off again because he woke up to the sound of Khadgar returning. But this time, he was not alone. Darren was there, along with Nylene and Vol'Shalai, and they all held stuffed bags in their arms.
"Oh, hey, guys." He yawned and stretched his forelegs.
"Come on, An'dorei, we need to set up everything." Nylene smiled at Eclipse.
"Uh-huh." Eclipse jumped from the bench. "So where do we do it?" he asked, mainly Khadgar.
"Follow me, please," said the mage.
Darren had always assumed that the tower of Karazhan must be tall. He had just not expected it to be this massive. There had to be something wrong with spatial dimensions here. The staircase that wound up and down into sheer endlessness, the labyrinth of rooms and hallways, everything suggested that magic was woven into the very foundations and every wall that made up the building. You could have housed dozens, maybe even hundreds of people in here and even thrown a party for them. Was Khadgar the kind of person to do that? Somehow it was hard for Darren to imagine him like that. Right now, there was nobody here except for them. So probably not.
Khadgar stopped in a vast hall. Arcades held up a high ceiling and the floor tiles were arranged in a black and white checker pattern. There was an air of extravagance; golden rims decorated the marble columns.
"This should do it," he said. "Lots of space. Do you need anything else?"
"No, thank you, honoured spellcaster," said Vol'Shalai in Orcish with a slight bow.
Darren raised his eyebrows. "Who are you and what did you do to Vol'Shalai?" he muttered to the troll.
Vol'Shalai shrugged. "Can't hurt to be polite to the most powerful mage of Azeroth, seen? Besides, we gonna owe him big time." He jerked his head forward, indicating to Darren where he wanted to draw his ritual circle.
Unpacking the powders, incense and everything else, they got to work.
Darren helped Vol'Shalai to arrange candles and salt in a perfect twelve-sided polygon. The floor tiles helped with that due to their symmetrical design. Vol'Shalai drew ancient symbols on the ground, using charcoal and the paint he had made. He told Eclipse to keep out of the circle until the ritual started. He lit the candles, careful not to spill the wax.
Eclipse could not help much yet so Vol'Shalai gave him the little tauren drum to beat on.
Nylene reached into her bag, intending to get the ceremonial mask out, but the troll quickly snatched the bag from her grip. When he saw her perplexed expression, he grimaced.
"Sorry, my friend. But I just remembered ya got fel fire inside of ya. Dat could... disturb... da ritual."
"Shall I wait outside?" Nylene asked, her tone level.
Darren stepped in. "Now wait just a minute," he demanded, his voice maybe a little louder than necessary. "What are you talking about?"
Eclipse looked up. The sound of the drum stopped as he cast a confused look at Darren.
Vol'Shalai raised a placating hand. "Look, mon, I did not make da rules. Fel magic distorts da... da tings around us. Air, earth, water, fire. And we gonna need their help. We must not piss dem off, eh?"
Darren grunted, frowning deeply.
"It's fine," Nylene tried to calm him down. "I'm not offended." She raised her brows and touched Darren's shoulder. "Really. I'm actually glad that Vol'Shalai almost forgot I am part demon." She turned on the spot and walked away, in the direction of Khadgar's library.
"Yo, Eclipse! Ya still tired?" Vol'Shalai asked.
Eclipse blushed. "Yes, but I can still help," he assured him.
"Oh no, it's good if yar tired. Makes it easier to get into a trance."
"That was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Darren asked incredulously, staring at Vol'Shalai. "You were the one who suggested the training in the park."
The troll just grinned and took off his shirt. His chest was already painted with ritual patterns, white and red zig zag lines all over his blue skin.
"We Darkspear know for a long time how to do dis," he said. "Now we gotta get ready. Darren, please put some distance between yaself and da circle. Uh-huh. A bit more. There ya go."
He stretched out his hand, inviting Eclipse to step into the circle. "Time to beat da drum, likkle pony. And don't ya stop until we finished. As soon as I put on dat mask, I am no more Vol'Shalai. I am da shaman calling for da Pony Loa. We can not stop. Undastand?"
Eclipse, the drum between his forelegs, nodded nervously. He beat the drum, trying to keep the rhythm as steady as he could.
Vol'Shalai put the ceremonial mask on. It was made of wood and paint and feathers, depicting a stylized white skull. Even though Darren had seen Vol'Shalai make it, it was different to see him wearing it. With the paintings and illuminated by the light of the candles, the troll had suddenly changed into a mythical creature, something wild and mysterious from half-forgotten times.
An involuntary shiver ran down Darren's back. Vol'Shalai had been correct. He was the shaman now, no question. The mask was not just a mask. It was like a portal - the means to get Vol'Shalai to a different place and to turn him into something else. The troll danced to the rhythm of the drum. He sang something in a language Darren did not understand, both hoarse and melodious at once. It had to be the tongue of the Darkspear trolls, Zandali. Darren knew that they did not teach it to outsiders. The Darkspear always used Orcish to talk to other members of the Horde.
Eclipse's gaze became distant. The irises of his eyes glowed in a cold blue, the whites turned black. His wings hung limp at his sides. The shadows stirred inside the pony. Yet the colt still seemed calm, always beating the drum at a constant pace.
A disturbing spasm shook Vol'Shalai in mid-step and Eclipse sang along with him, using the very same words at the very same time. It was as if there were no more two individuals but a singular creature that happened to be divided into two bodies.
Darren felt strange. It was hard not to get swept away by the sounds of the drum and the cacophony of songs that echoed through the dimly lit hall. He felt the need to either dance along or stand stock-still and not make a sound. He decided to do the latter and keep watching as the Shadow pony and the shaman kept singing.
The shaman is singing. The shadow pony is singing. The old words come to him as he forms them, reaching him from days past. He remembers his wife teaching him the songs, the ones that you do not learn as a child at the celebrations.
As he dances around the pony and as he beats the drum, he can feel part of himself rising up and spreading out. He is sinking away, woven into the stars and the earth. The currents of the ground carry him away, into the sea.
The waves welcome him like an honoured mother, like a princess of water they embrace him. He floats towards the shore, towards a large city.
Stormwind swallows him up.
The house of the Light stands tall on the hill, surrounded by the houses of the humans, like a flock crowding their shepherd. The bright stone building is taller on the inside, much like the royal palace of the Crystal Empire.
He rushes through the corridors, a cloud of smoke like he was when he fought Sombra. He sinks through the ground and finds himself in a large round chamber of stone.
There, Levinia, the spirit from the pony world. She is lying in a ring of unholy runes, magic symbols that bind her to the ground.
The Spirit of Earth weeps as they feel Levinia struggling against her unnatural bonds.
He apologizes to the spirit, promising to them that he will free his friend.
Levinia looks up and turns her head, her ears swiveling around.
"Who are you?" she whispers, fearing the answer.
A shockwave runs through him, separating him. He feels himself fading away, falling backwards, shrinking.
Eclipse gasped, inhaling as if for the first time in his life. He coughed but no water came out.
"What in Tartarus was that?!" At some point, the drum had fallen from his hooves. He stood up, his legs shaking a little, and blinked rapidly. "I f-feel heavy."
Darren quickly walked over to him and caught him before he could stumble and fall.
"Eclipse! You alright?" he asked, frowning deeply.
"I think so," Eclipse muttered. He felt dizzy as if he had been in a swing and gotten out too quickly. "It's just... I never realized how heavy my body is. The legs and the head and... whew!"
Vol'Shalai took off the mask and sat down, also exhausted. Sweat glistened on his skin. "Dat was some trip, mon," he said. "But good news, my friend! We found her!"
Darren's eyes widened. "So she's alive? I mean, unharmed?"
Vol'Shalai scratched his neck. "She's in a vault -"
"- under a big church," Eclipse finished.
"The Cathedral of Light?" Darren asked.
Both nodded. Eclipse slowly left the circle, supported by Darren. "There are corridors and big rooms below the Cathedral. And she's in one of the rooms."
"Bound by unholy runes," Vol'Shalai grunted.
"I think she noticed us," Eclipse muttered.
"So she's in the catacombs, as a prisoner," Darren summarized.
"I don't wanna do this again," Eclipse groaned. "It was so weird to fly around as a ghost."
Darren took Eclipse into his arms, holding the dazed pony against his chest. The colt wrapped his forelegs around his neck to ease the weight on Darren's arms.
"Before we go, you need some rest," stated Darren. "Perhaps Khadgar has a brew to get you back on your feet."
"What happened back there?" Darren asked, watching Eclipse slowly drinking from a brass cup.
Eclipse set the cup down on the table before him. Darren poured more of the potion into it. The vial looked old but the contents were fresh; he had seen Khadgar fill it with the brew. He had given it to Darren along with three special scrolls, each marked with a differently coloured ribbon. Then, the wizard had opened a portal for everybody to step through. Darren had been glad that he could already see the interior of his room on the other side or else he would have feared that the portal led someplace else.
"I'm not really sure," Eclipse said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hoof. "I think I was - I was one with Vol'Shalai and the Elements. We were... It's hard to describe." He looked at Darren. "You know I can be this kind of smoke cloud, right?"
As Darren nodded, Eclipse took another sip from the cup. He paused for a moment, thinking.
"It was a bit like that. I wasn't a body, I was just me, along with Vol'Shalai. I bet you he remembers it exactly the same. We were weightless and felt kinda nice but also really weird. He must have known how to find Levinia because I didn't know what to do. I mean, I did, but only because he did." He held his head, rubbing his forehead. "I swear I'm not gonna do that again. If he needs somepony for another ritual, I'm not it."
"Noted." Their eyes met again. "Glad you're alright," Darren said, a faint smile on his lips. "Even though you're now fluent in Orcish."
"W-what?" Eclipse stammered, blinking. His ears folded back. "Oh. We just talked in Orcish? I didn't even realize..."
"Maybe it's an after-effect of your joining of minds," Darren mused. "It'll probably pass."
"I sure hope so," said Eclipse with emphasis, sticking out his tongue. "It's getting kinda crowded in my head."
Darren stood in the lounge, clad in full leather armour, his sword on his back. Leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, he watched Nylene and Vol'Shalai descending the stairs, both also in fighting gear. Vol'Shalai's sea green armour looked distinctly Darkspear with its tribal patterns and bright red feathers while Nylene had added a new chestpiece to protect her vital organs. Eclipse stood up from the couch he had been sitting on. He tugged at his short blue robe and reached for his shield to fasten it to his back. Among the much taller humanoids, the little grey pegasus looked out of place. The determination on his face made up for that, though. Darren was glad he had remembered to ask Allison to clear the lounge. They needed space and privacy for what they were about to do.
"Inventory check," Darren suggested curtly, uncrossing his arms.
Vol'Shalai nodded. He pointed at his broad, patterned belt. Bottles of different shapes and sizes were tied to it. "Totems, axe, healing potions, brews for all kinds of purposes," he said.
Nylene put her hands on her hips. "Warglaives, bandages, scrolls," she continued.
They looked at Eclipse. "I've got my shield," he said hesitantly, adjusting his purple saddelbag, "and mana potions."
Darren nodded. "Runeblade right here. Nothing else. Nylene, would you pass the scroll with the blue ribbon to Vol'Shalai and ready the green one?"
She did as Darren had asked. Vol'Shalai took the scroll and looked at Darren, a confused frown on his face.
"Khadgar prepared a little something for us. Illusions to get the two of you through the cathedral. They don't take kindly to Horde or demon...ic people."
"I don't like where dis is going," Vol'Shalai said slowly. He looked like someone who was about to eat something disgusting. "But for you, my friends." He unrolled the parchment and read the runes on it. The letters seemed to glow as he did so, shining a purple light on his face.
A flash blinded them and Vol'Shalai grunted in momentary pain. When they looked at him again, he was gone. Instead, they saw an irritated Night Elf with long brown hair, clad in mail armour and armed with an elvish axe. "Thank da Loa my wife don't see dis," Vol'Shalai huffed. "I have way too many fingers." He wiggled his hands at Eclipse who giggled.
"It's definitely... different," Darren said vaguely, trying to hide a grin.
Vol'Shalai swallowed down a rant that sat on the tip of his tongue. Then, he sighed in defeat and shrugged. "It ain't permanent, I'll bet."
Nylene readied her own scroll. "Let me guess," she said, "This is going to turn me into a Night Elf, too. Oh, wait!" Her voice was drenched in sarcasm. She read the text on her scroll and twitched as another flash of light made Darren squint his eyes.
Darren felt uncomfortably warm in his armour as he saw that Nylene's wings and tattoos were gone. Her bandage was no more, either, and her burns and scars were replaced by healthy violet skin. She looked at him with eyes of silver.
"Told you so," she said, grinning wryly. Only her canines were pointy now, the other teeth back to their original shape. "How do I look?" She spread her arms.
Darren cleared his dry throat. "Even better than normally," he said honestly.
Vol'Shalai raised his night-elf eyebrows and chuckled like a troll.
Eclipse looked at Darren, then Nylene, his mouth slightly agape as if he was just realising something.
Darren nodded. "Well, we're ready to go, then," he said, trying not to stare at Nylene.
"Wait," said Nylene, "what about the third scroll?"
"Not yet," said Darren. So Nylene gave the parchment to Vo'Shalai who bound it to his belt.
The elves strode past Darren as he held the door open, Eclipse cantering behind. Darren sent a short prayer to the Light that this whole charade would not blow up in their faces.
Despite Khadgar's illusions, they still were not allowed to go to the catacombs right away. As soon as they entered the huge church, Vol'Shalai and Nylene seemingly nervous, Darren was stopped by a priestess in white and golden robes. The woman looked serious as she cast a look at his disguised friends and Eclipse.
"How may I help you?" she asked, her way of saying, "What do you want?"
"We wish to visit the catacombs," said Darren politely. "I have family buried down there."
The priestess frowned. "But fully armed?" she said sceptically. "That't a little unusual."
Darren raised his brows. "Oh, right," he said off-handedly. "We are just passing through."
"There is no point in leaving our things anywhere; we intend to leave soon," Nylene added.
The priestess looked into Darren's eyes, trying not to stare at his facial tattoo. "You're telling the truth," she said slowly. "Alright, go on, but please don't be noisy. This is a place of worship."
Darren nodded, smiling at her, and walked sedately over to the east side wing of the cathedral. Nylene and Vol'Shalai exchanged a look.
"Did you know there would be a test?" Nylene asked quietly.
Darren shrugged. "I suspected it."
"You really got family down dere?" Vol'Shalai asked in a hushed voice.
"Most likely." Darren raised his brows. "Likely enough anyway that I could believe it when I told her."
"Oh, I see," Nylene said. "It's not about a general truth but rather what you believe, then. Huh."
"This is the entrance to the catacombs," Darren said, pointing at a heavy wooden door. He pushed the iron-wrought handle down. "Unlocked," he remarked.
Right behind the door, steep stairs led downwards.
Darren sighed. He always seemed to end up in one tomb or another. They entered and Vol'Shalai, who was the last of the group, closed the door.
They were engulfed in darkness. Everybody stopped moving, staying on the step each of them was standing on. Darren drew his sword. The ragged edge scraped at the scabbard. Cold blue light from the unholy runes illuminated their faces. The staircase smelled like dust, rotten eggs and mould. The floor and walls were surprisingly clean, though, so somebody had to come here at regular intervals to look after the place.
Eclipse muttered something.
"Pardon?" said Nylene.
"I need to learn that spell with the floaty orb of light," Eclipse said. "That would be useful right now."
"Our eyes will adjust," said Darren. "The scroll. It's for Eclipse."
"Right." Vol'Shalai nestled at his belt and gave the pony the scroll.
Eclipse unrolled it and read the text on it. This time, there was no flash of light. He frowned, shaking the scroll slightly, but of course nothing fell out. "Did I do it wrong?" he asked, grimacing.
"Perhaps it's not an illusion but a different sort of enchantment," Nylene suggested. "The archmage does not seem like somebody who would get a spell wrong."
Eclipse gave the scroll to Vol'Shalai who fastened it to his belt again.
They walked down the stairs in silence, careful not to trip. There was a hand rail, making their descent a little easier. Eclipse steadied himself with the help of his wings.
The stairs ended at another door. This one was already open. In the light of Darren's sword, they saw alcoves left and right, some filled with candles, others closed, yet others holding stone crates as long as a person.
Eclipse shuddered.
"You alright?" Darren asked the colt.
"Yeah," said Eclipse. "I've never been in a tomb before. I'll be okay." He muttered under his breath, maybe a prayer.
Darren stroked Eclipse's mane for a second, then they went on.
Around a corner, there was a junction. Darren turned and exchanged a look with Vol'Shalai.
A rare sight: a Night Elf using trollish totems. Vol'Shalai muttered something, stretching out his flat hand. A spark of fire ignited in his palm. He held his hand up a little, using the contained flame to light the place up. He closed his eyes, moving his hand around as if he was looking for something. He reminded Darren of somebody using a magnet to find North.
"There," said Vol'Shalai. "Da left one."
"Left it is." Darren nodded a thanks and the warm light disappeared, getting replaced by the eerie sheen of the runes.
"This place is enormous," Nylene commented as they passed the fifth junction.
Another door. They stepped through and found themselves in a torch-lit corridor.
"Now we be gettin' somewhere," Vol'Shalai whispered.
Darren raised a hand to quiet him. He held a finger in front of his mouth. Vol'Shalai nodded, giving Darren a thumbs-up.
They tried to remain as quiet as they could as they followed the new corridor. This one was clad in white stone and surprisingly bright. Yet Darren did not sheath his blade.
Eclipse watched the knight stalking ahead like a predator. At a corner, Darren pressed himself against the wall, holding his sword at the ready. Everybody copied him; Nylene took her warglaives and Vol'Shalai gripped his axe. Eclipse quickly took his shield into his foreleg.
Footsteps became louder, nearing their position. When two robed humans turned the corner, Darren twirled around. Attacking from behind, he put his arm around the male, covering his mouth. His eyes widened in fear as Darren's blade was suddenly only an inch from his windpipe.
Nylene had seized the other human, a female, and pressed her hand onto her face. The woman's eyes turned upwards and she lost consciousness. Nylene grinned like a filly who had just gotten a huge ice cone. Greenish vapours lingered in the air.
Vol'Shalai hit the man on the skull with his fist. Darren let the human collapse, gently, so there would not be any noise.
Eclipse was impressed. He had not expected tall people to be so quiet. And they had done their best not to kill the humans, too.
Darren pointed at an empty alcove. Vol'Shalai nodded and together they heaved the unconscious into the recess. Vol'Shalai pursed his lips, thinking, then he arranged their arms in a way that made them look like mummies.
"Dis be ironic," Vol'Shalai remarked quietly. "Tellin' from their robes, they worship Death or someting dat has to do with it. Putting dem in the place of the Dead..."
Darren raised his brows. "Know what you mean. But down here, you expect something in these niches so they'll have to look twice to notice the living... bodies."
They incapacitated half a dozen patrols in the same manner, hiding them in alcoves or corners and binding their mouths and hands with bandages from Nylene's seemingly endless supply.
Using Vol'Shalai's flame, they found the way to a heavy door. It was guarded by two guards in plate armour who immediately noticed them. One of them opened his mouth to call for help.
Nylene threw her glaive. The curved blade spun around its own axis, decapitating the guard. Eclipse quickly averted his eyes with a disgusted groan. The demon hunter caught her weapon - it had not even slowed down on its bloody arc.
Vol'Shalai threw his axe at the other guard. The blade pierced his chest, denting the cuirass. His blade low, Darren ran towards the startled guard. Eclipse could not see what he did but blood splattered across the floor, mingling with that of his dead comrade.
"How do we hide them?" Eclipse asked, swallowing his bile down.
"We don't. We hurry up." Darren pulled at the doorknob. The door was locked from the inside, Eclipse could hear a key rattling as Darren shook the wooden barrier. The knight grunted, making a decision. He looked at Vol'Shalai who raised his axe.
"No, wait!" Eclipse said, raising a hoof. "I've got an idea."
"Alright," said Darren.
Eclipse had no difficulty to find the shadows inside. He was already on edge as it was, with all the tension and the murdered guards, and close to feeling sick. He took a deep breath and dissolved into a hazy cloud, then he flitted through the keyhole as a steady stream of smoke.
He was in a round chamber which he recognized at once. It was the vault he had seen in his vision. Levinia was there, held down by the circle of runes. Everything looked smaller than he remembered. There was also a human.
Eclipse quickly assumed his pegasus form and turned the key. The loud noise startled the human; the man jumped to his feet, looking at the door. When he saw Eclipse standing there, he frowned in confusion.
Levinia's jaw dropped, then she smiled hopefully.
The door sprang open. Darren, Nylene and Vol'Shalai dashed inside. Vol'Shalai raised his axe to throw it at the human, but the man raised his arms to cover his face.
"No, stop, please!" he called.
"Don't hurt him!" Levinia shouted at the same time.
Vol'Shalai's arm froze. He slowly lowered the axe.
"Levinia!" Eclipse ran past the shivering human, towards the ghost. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"Get me out of here, please," said Levinia. "The runes - I can't leave the circle..."
The man turned around, bending down to touch the ring.
Darren thrust a hand forward and threw a bolt of dark lightning at the man, pulling him into his reach. He grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back, making the man bend over to avoid injury to his joints. "You stay right here," he hissed angrily into his ear. Ice bloomed on the floor, climbing up the man's legs. His eyes widened in fear and his arms went limp as he gave up his resistance.
"You can touch the ring," the human pressed out. "Only Levinia can't. As soon as you lift it, the spell is rendered inactive."
Darren nodded at Nylene who quickly stepped over to Levinia. She touched Eclipse's shoulder, then she firmly gripped the metal ring. She winced in pain as the tattoos in her skin resisted the magical pull of the containment. The runes on it glowed brighter, then went dull as Nylene managed to lift it from the ground.
Levinia shivered, twitched, then slumped down. She slowly rose to her hooves. "Thanks," she said weakly, "whoever you are."
"Nylene," the elf whispered so the man did not hear her. Levinia's brows knit together in confusion. Nylene tossed the ring aside with disgust. It landed on the floor with a metallic clang. The runes on it glowed ominously.
"Now to you," said Vol'shalai angrily, facing the human. "I shoulda held my tongue back den. Never trust a human in prison. Eh, Mark?"
Mark, still shivering in Darren's tight grip, looked up at the Night Elf. "D-do we know each other?"
"Not really, it seems." Vol'Shalai made a fist and rammed it into Mark's stomach. Mark doubled over and retched.
Levinia squeaked and galloped over to them.
"Wh-, Vol'Shalai!" barked Darren. "There's time for this later!"
"Stop it!" Levinia said sharply. "It's not his fault I'm in here!"
"Yes," said Mark, wiping his mouth and holding his hurting belly, "it kind of is."
Darren grunted angrily. He grabbed Vol'Shalai's shoulder. "Calm down! This is getting us nowhere! Let's get out of here and deal with the fallout later."
"No!" Vol'Shalai hissed. "I wanna know why that dog sold Levinia out to dis cult. He's comin' with."
Their way back to the stairs felt like an eternity to Eclipse. Vol'Shalai dragged Mark along, his hand firmly around his captive's biceps. Mark did not really resist. He stumbled a little, apparently still nauseous.
"Let me go, I promise I won't cause you any trouble," Mark said desperately.
"Sure, right," Vol'Shalai sneered.
Levinia sighed. "Look, guys, I'm really thankful. But I think you can trust Mark."
Vol'Shalai shook his head. "Not happening."
"Well, I'm sure you'll see yourselves out," Levinia retorted, slightly irritated. "Meet me at the inn."
"Wait -," Darren began but the spirit had already turned into a wisp and shot straight up through the ceiling. Darren groaned. "Let's move it," he said, looking sour.
There was a commotion in the corridor behind them. They halted and raised their weapons.
"They found us," Nylene said dryly.
"Shit." Darren motioned Eclipse closer. "We'll have to fight them."
"Dere be six or seven of dem cultists, minimum," Vol'Shalai said calmly. He shoved Mark into a corner.
Darren seemed to consider something. Mark's hands were bound behind his back, his mouth covered with a bandage Nylene had tied around his head. Darren raised a hand and ice crept up the wall, tying Mark's hands to the stone. More ice wrapped around Mark's feet like white chains, hardening as soon as it was in place. The poor human looked thoroughly uncomfortable but he did not make a sound.
The cultists came around the corner. There were definitely more than seven of them. And these were not the surprised robed people they had seen before. They were armed with swords, staves and polearms. One of them was even equipped with a bow, nocking an arrow. A snarling dog stood next to the archer, frothing at the mouth.
Eclipse's ears folded back. They were vastly outnumbered.
With a warcry, Vol'Shalai twirled his axe but did not let it go. He raised it and summoned a gust of wind. As the startled cultists regained their balance, Darren wrapped himself in his own personal snow storm and charged at them.
The dog leaped at Darren, trying to bite his leg. Nylene threw her glaive at the animal. With only three legs left, the poor dog fell over and cringed, whimpering pitifully.
The archer cried out in anger and aimed at Nylene. As she let go of the string, Eclipse turned into smoke and took shape between the arrow and Nylene. He sang and raised his wooden shield. The arrow hit the shield that was now glowing in a golden light.
Nylene smiled, surprised by his quick thinking. Then, she raised her glaives and ran towards her first human opponent. Large demonic wings unfurled on her back, the disguise weakening as she used the fel fire inside of her to boost her speed.
Free from canine distraction, Darren carved his way through the crowd. He focused on those armed with melee weapons such as swords, disarming and immobilizing them. His eyes glowed in a cold fire, revealing the bloodlust of a death knight. The corridor grew colder with every passing second.
Vol'Shalai used his axe to deflect attacks from two halberds. He spun around one of his attackers and used his pole-arm to impale his comrade. Then he kicked against the shocked cultist's knee. An ugly crack was heard as his leg was broken and the man fell. Vol'Shalai let out an enraged and joyful shout. "Samedi!" His own disguise had also fallen away, revealing a tall, fuming troll.
Nylene had already killed the archer. As two robed cultists raised their hands in unison, her head twitched around like that of an alarmed bird. They were calling for their magic. Fireballs and arcane missiles were hurled at her and she had to do a somersault backwards to escape them. She threw another glaive but it whizzed past the mages and spun back into her hand. Nylene sighed curtly and straightened her back. The hallway seemed to shrink and turn darker as she rose to her full height. Curved horns sprouted from her forehead, green fire ignited around her. Summoning the power of her chaotic magic, she watched contently as the mages quivered in fear. She jumped at them, raising her blades. As her cloven hooves hit the ground, cracking the tiles, she made quick work of them.
They had not forgotten Eclipse, though. A warrior swung his heavy mace at the pony but Eclipse would not let him hit his target. He dodged and ducked, narrowly escaping the blunt weapon. He knew his physical strength was inferior to that of the dwarf. He also really did not want to get squashed so he summoned a golden shield of Light. Watching the confused dwarf trying to make dents in the glowing magic bubble, Eclipse quickly decided to try something else. He evaporated into smoke, let the shield bubble dissolve and rushed around the dwarf to disorient him. The warrior spun around, despairing as he realized that his mace could not hit smoke. Eclipse rematerialized behind him and smashed his wooden shield onto his head. The dwarf fell over and onto his face.
"Yes!" Eclipse cheered as he noticed the dwarf did not move anymore. He squeaked in surprise as something grazed his wing. He quickly turned his head, then ducked immediately, narrowly escaping another strike from a wooden staff. "Yikes!" he gasped, his hackles rising. An elven woman swung her staff again, this time hitting his hind leg. With a yowl of pain, Eclipse fell to the ground, letting go of his shield.
Darren must have heard his shout. He instantly turned around, moving his sword in a wide arc to finish his opponent. Covered in blood that was not his own, he ran over to Eclipse. Darren pointed his sword at the elf that stood over the pony - she bent over with a gasp. Ice flowers bloomed all over her body.
Eclipse stared in horror as the tall lady stiffened, her mouth slightly open, her eyes glazing over. The tip of Darren's blade pointed at Eclipse, coming out of her chest.
The elf fell to the side, revealing Darren with his bloodied runeblade in his hand. He stretched out his hand to help Eclipse up.
"I can't - I think my leg's broken - I c-can't move it," Eclipse panted. Stars danced before his eyes.
Darren frantically looked around. He was sweaty and panting heavily, Eclipse realized, and his anger only hid the truth: Darren was scared for him. Eclipse had to get back on his feet.
He closed his eyes, confident that Darren would protect him. He tried to count his breath, then he called for the Light. A wave of warmth, love and peace washed over him. His leg warmed up. Eclipse opened his eyes again. Golden light enveloped the leg, mending the broken bones. He smiled. His first proper healing spell had worked. But now he was tired.
"What are you -?" Darren looked at Eclipse who quickly rummaged in his saddlebag. There, a bottle with a blue liquid inside. He uncorked the bottle and drank the mana potion in big gulps. Darren nodded, raising his sword again.
Eclipse tried to stand up which turned out to be pretty hard on the slippery frozen ground. It was suddenly very quiet, except for the breath and dismal groans of everyone still alive.
Vol'Shalai had just defeated the last cultist. He pulled the axe from his skull and pursed his lips.
"Ya hear dat?" he asked, raising a brow.
Nylene, still engulfed in green fire and also out of breath, turned her horned head. Wow, she looks creepy, Eclipse thought. She nodded, turning her head towards the noise.
"More of them," she confirmed, her voice sounding like a crackling fire. "And too many this time. We must flee. Now."
Vol'Shalai snatched Eclipse from the ground, pressing the shaking colt against his chest. "The human -" he began.
Darren interrupted him. "No time. Go, go go!" He snatched Eclipse's shield and tucked it under his arm.
They ran.
As soon as they found the staircase - thank the Light they had memorized the path - Vol'Shalai gently put Eclipse down. He asked Nylene for a bandage and quickly wrapped it around his hand. Vol'Shalai set his jaw, taking a deep breath. Then, with a cry of rage, he hit the wall next to the door with his fist. The ground shook. Stones dislodged from the wall, blocking the doorway.
"Thank da Loa and da Spirit of Earth," Vol'Shalai muttered, rubbing his knuckles. He let Eclipse climb on his back and picked up his axe. "Dat should buy us some time."
Darren urged Nylene and Vol'Shalai to use their scrolls again. As they read the spells, both scrolls caught fire and crumbled to dust. They quickly let go of the paper fires. But the spells had worked once again - two Night Elves stood there, one of them with a shivering pony on his shoulders. Thankfully, the illusion also hid the blood that stained their armour and weapons.
They climbed the stairs as fast as they could, their heavy breaths the only sound that echoed through the staircase. When they reached the door, Nylene went first. Darren sheathed his sword and wrapped himself in his cloak and hood to hide the blood on his armour and white hair. They slipped through the door, trying their best to fake calmness as they entered the cathedral.
They made a beeline for the nearest exit, just slow enough not to draw any attention to themselves. Thankfully, nobody stopped them.
Passing the portal, they let go of all restraint and ran down the broad stairs to the plaza. They jogged on for a few blocks, then Vol'Shalai halted, his hand against a wall.
"Levinia," Darren said curtly.
Vol'Shalai groaned. "I know, jus' a minute," he panted. Then, his breathing slowed down a little and he nodded. "Alright, let's keep going."
Allison jumped when the door to her inn opened and three people entered. A Night Elf set Eclipse, who trembled like a leaf, down on a couch and collapsed onto the cushion right next to him. A woman that looked like Nylene if she were not corrupted by fel magic slumped onto a seat, setting her warglaives down on the table before her.
And then there was Darren. The knight just walked past them and went upstairs to his room.
Allison slowly approached Eclipse.
"Are you alright?" she asked carefully.
The little pony nodded, looking thoroughly exhausted. "Yeah, we're good," he said, smiling for a second. But his legs were still shaking and his fur bristled.
The Night Elves looked at each other, then at Allison. The female spoke. "Mead, if you please. The strong kind." Her voice was that of Nylene. Allison suspected some kind of illusion magic.
"Make dat two," said the other elf with a trollish accent.
"Uh..." Eclipse thought for a moment. "I'll take a jar of milk. A b-big one. Ice cold if that's okay."
"Be right back," Allison said. She rubbed her neck as she made her way to the kitchen.
When Allison returned, the male Night Elf was gone, replaced by Darren's troll friend. Nylene was back to her demonic self. They still looked exhausted, though. And there was blood all over their armour and weapons.
Allison stiffened, sweat running down her back. "Where in the world..." she muttered. Steeling herself, she went over to the dangerous guests and set her tray down on the table. "Mead," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, "and milk for the pony."
"Thank you kindly," said Nylene. "Don't worry about the stains. After our drink, we shall retreat and clean ourselves up."
"Yeah, mon." Vol'Shalai said. "We lookin' pretty savage, eh?" He grinned at Allison.
Eclipse reached for the milk without making eye contact with anybody.
Allison took the tray, sans drinks, and escaped to the kitchen again. This was something she did not want to deal with.
Darren staggered upstairs, his steps much less steady as soon as he was out of sight. He fumbled with the key, unlocked the door and gently shut it behind himself. Leaning against the wood, he exhaled slowly. Scenes of the fight flashed before his eyes. He had killed roughly a dozen people. It had been necessary, granted, but he hoped to heaven that Levinia was safe. Darren slid down into a sitting position, closing his eyes.
He wanted to keep sitting there, just for a moment. Then he would wash himself and look for -
"Darren?"
"Agh!" Darren exclaimed in surprise, his hand reaching for the hilt of his blade as his eyes snapped open.
He relaxed and dropped his hand as he saw who had spoken.
Levinia sat next to him, on her haunches, and reached for him with a tentative hoof. She looked worried.
"Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to startle you." Her wings folded at her sides.
"It's alright," Darren rasped, closing his eyes again. "Just need a minute."
"Uh... sure. I'll... just sit here, then," Levinia said uneasily.
After a while, Darren opened his eyes again. "Thanks," he said. He stood up, slowly making his way to the basin. There was a small mirror on the wall behind it. He looked at his reflection.
Wow, there were bags under his eyes. He looked a little crazed if he was honest with himself. Brown spots were on his cheeks, on his forehead and in his hair. Blood. He looked down on his armour. More of it. Darren sighed and turned around.
"You alright?" he asked Levinia.
"I think so," she replied slowly. "Thank you for getting me out of there. I was so scared," she admitted, her voice shaking.
Darren smiled sadly at her. They hugged. Levinia cried. There were no tears. Levinia's ethereal body was cold but that did not bother Darren. He held her but she also held him. He had not been aware how much he needed comfort after this... relapse.
They let go and he pushed a strand of mane out of her face. She smiled back at him, then her smile turned into a frown.
"Eclipse was down there with us," she said slowly. "What did you do to make him come along?"
"Nothing," said Darren. "He wanted to help. Without him, we might not have made it out."
"He's a child, Darren," Levinia whispered.
"On the outside maybe," said Darren. "Inside, I'm not so sure. But I'll pay extra attention to him from now on. Make sure he recovers. And keep him from more fights. I promise."
Levinia nodded. "I'll hold you to that promise," she said firmly, raising a brow. She turned around. "I'll go downstairs and see how our friends are doing. See you later?"
Darren nodded.
Levinia turned into a wisp and disappeared through the floor.
Darren went to the closet and looked for clean clothes. Taking off his armour, he winced as he noticed the many injuries he had suffered. He had focused on making quick work of the cultists and not even bothered to heal himself by drawing life force. Not that he would have wanted to do that. Now it was too late anyway. There was a nasty bruise on his right shoulder, the rest was not so bad. Just minor cuts and bruises, actually. Darren had been lucky. Or still had enough practice.
He was sure there were still bandages in his backpack. Nylene had equipped everyone with a few. She really seemed to like those.
Nylene. Darren's stomach made a somersault as he thought of her. He had dragged her into this. Except that she had wanted to help, too. Freely. She had not taken a single second to look for her own people in Stormwind. Did she like Eclipse and Levinia that much? She had been distant at first but now she was just... kind. Soft. Beautiful. But also deadly and hard as steel when it was necessary. Someone you could trust with your life. Warmth filled his chest, a long forgotten sensation. He had not felt like this since...
Darren held the counter with both hands to steady himself. He really should not think about Grace right now.
Wash the wounds, he called himself to order. Darren gingerly dabbed at his cuts and bruises with a soaked bandage.
Nylene stood in her room, looking at the mirror. Useless. All she could see was a vague shape. Mirrors, my lone weakness, she thought, almost chuckling. Untying the straps of her chestpiece, she winced. In her furious dance down in the catacombs, she had not noticed the injuries she had suffered. Although it was not that bad. She had probably been lucky. Or maybe she still had it in her. She probably had drawn a bit of life force from the poor cultists to heal herself without even noticing.
Nylene undid the bandages around her chest and arms, also the dark one around her head. Her eyes felt sore again. She resisted the urge to scratch her eyeballs out and dipped her hands into the basin. Her wings went limp as the cool water eased the pain immediately. Nylene sighed with a shudder.
Something in the corner of her eyes made her spin around and bend her fingers into claws.
"It's me!" Levinia squeaked, raising her hooves defensively.
"I apologize. You startled me." Nylene smiled at the pegasus and lowered her hands. She took a towel to dry herself.
"I keep doing that, it seems," Levinia said guiltily. "Thanks for busting me out of that vault," she added.
"Of course." Nylene put the towel aside. "Did you see Darren just now?" she asked curiously.
"Y-yeah."
"How is he?" Nylene asked hesitantly.
"Tired, mostly." Levinia grimaced and paced up and down. "I think he's worried about something. Not Eclipse, though, I had to make him promise to keep the colt out of trouble from now on."
"Ah, good." Nylene went to the closet to find clean clothes. Maybe that flowing dress that Levinia had declared to be dark red. It would fit the occasion, even though the colour was ironic in a way. "I mean, that he promised that." She looked up. "Worried, you say?"
"He... he seems nervous. I don't know why."
"He has a lot on his plate," Nylene said slowly. "Between Khadgar working on the portal and looking for you, all the while trying to keep Eclipse balanced... Frankly, I would be surprised if he was not."
"You watched him closely, didn't you?" Levinia asked, tilting her head.
"What? Are you implying something, spirit?" Nylene retorted testily. Her wings stiffened a little, betraying her own suspicions. Did she truly have feelings for the knight?
"Far be it from me," said Levinia. Nylene could hear the wide smirk on the pony's muzzle. "Anyway," she changed the subject, "Once you're cleaned up, we should probably join the others downstairs and get something to eat. I mean, you should eat. I don't need to. Er."
Nylene had found the dress. She showed it to Levinia. "Is this the red one?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"Of course," said Levinia softly. "I think I'll go check on Vol'Shalai, too. See you later."
"See you later, little pony."
Nylene lowered her hands, feeling the soft, flowing cloth of the dress.
Darren had not been aware of the small backyard behind the inn. It was surrounded by houses all around, a refuge hidden from the streets. A single chestnut tree stood there, at least fifty years old, and a few rickety wooden benches around two tables of the same material. The rain had washed away any finish that might have covered the surfaces long ago. The yard was partly paved with uneven stone tiles, probably as old as the tree itself. A blue wisp circled the tree.
Allison had set the plates right there, along with glass cups and a gigantic water jug. Lemon slices bobbed around in the water. The air was still crisp even though it was already midday.
Darren watched as Vol'Shalai calmly stepped outside, in clean trollish clothes, followed by Nylene in a flowing red dress. His hand immediately wandered to the chair on his right, pulling it back for her. She accepted, elegantly sitting down with a smile.
Levinia assumed her pegasus form and stopped circling the tree. She sat down in the spot without a plate. "There you are," she said with a wide smile. "We're finally together again! Except for Tarik, I guess, but he said something about not staying too long, right?"
"Yes." Eclipse smiled back at her. "He went to Dalaran. But anyway, I'm glad we found you!"
"Thank you, everyone," said Levinia. "I was in real danger down there. They would have destroyed me rather sooner than later."
Darren leaned forward, resting his crossed arms on the table. "How?"
"By draining my soul. They call it anima but it's essentially the same thing, I think." Levinia pressed her lips together, thinking. "They wanted to gain knowledge about Death."
"It seems this is becoming a common occurence," said Nylene. Her wings twitched as she sighed in annoyance.
"What do you mean?" Levinia asked.
Vol'Shalai answered for her. "Ya see, we ain't the only people worried about the Other Side. There must be humans, too, and as we seen, also dwarves and elves. Well. Basically everybody."
"That makes sense." Levinia fondled with a strand of her mane, wrapping it around her hoof. "Mark said that the Veil has been broken. By Sylvanas." She turned to Darren. "Isn't she the queen of the Forsaken? Why the hay would she do that?"
"Not anymore she's not," Nylene muttered. Raising her voice to normal, she said, "Sylvanas left the Horde recently. In disgrace, I should add."
"Oh," said Levinia glumly. "I see. Well, this bunch of lunatics called themselves the 'Circle of Approaching Death'."
"Lovely," Darren commented. "Reminds me of 'Cult of the Damned'."
"There be cult for everyting, ain't there?" Vol'Shalai muttered to himself.
"In their defense, I think they're acting like that because they're scared out of their minds," Levinia said.
"Ya be talking awfully nice about ya captors," Vol'Shalai remarked. He leaned back to let Allison put a large bowl of rice onto the table. Her son Frank followed her outside with another bowl that smelled like peppers, carrots and tomatoes. Vol'Shalai reached for the dipper and for Nylene's plate to give her the first portion of rice.
"Yeah..." Levinia sighed. "It's not okay that they're hurting others, of course, and I am grateful you saved me. Even at that high cost. I just... Mark told me why they are so scared. They suspect there's something wrong in the Shadowlands."
Darren's eyes widened in alarm. He exchanged a look with Vol'Shalai.
"The Shadowlands? Is that the home of the Void Lords?" Eclipse asked.
"No, it's where you go when you die," Nylene explained.
"Oof, that's creepy," Eclipse said, his ears folding down.
"If it's true what you're saying, then there's nothing we can do about it," Darren said, rubbing his chin. "Though... we better ask Khadgar to send someone to the cathedral. We trapped them in the catacombs, we might have cut them off from fresh air. Let the authorities decide what to do about the cultists. It's not our job."
"And we should leave this world as soon as we can," Levinia said. "I, for one, have seen enough." She raised her hooves, pushing an imaginary plate away.
Eclipse grimaced awkwardly. "I haven't," he said. "I want to learn more about the Light. Miindra taught me two good spells already. And my meditation has become much better."
"Jonathan can teach you about the Light," said Darren.
"Well, he said himself that he's not actually a teacher," Eclipse countered. "Can't we make a permanent portal? Trust me, I really wanna go home. Especially after... all of that. But I also kinda want to keep visiting Karazhan and learn more magic."
Darren hummed. He remembered that Khadgar had made that suggestion, too. There was a time difference between Azeroth and Equestria, making it difficult, maybe even impossible, to establish a stable portal. But if anyone could pull it off, it was Twilight Sparkle, the Element Bearer of Magic, and Khadgar the Guardian.
"We'll talk about it," he said. "The Princesses and the... whoever's in charge here will need to agree. This is bigger than just us."
Eclipse nodded. "I understand," he said.
Darren relaxed. Good thing the boy was reasonable despite his curiousity.
Levinia fiddled with her mane again. Then she blurted out, "Look, guys, I'm really sorry I left you down there. I guess I panicked. And - and I was angry because you didn't trust Mark. Which, looking back at it, I probably would have done in your place, too."
"You're safe, that's what counts," said Darren, keeping silent about the fact they could have used her abilities in the fight.
"I didn't think it was weird you left," Eclipse added.
Vol'Shalai just shrugged. "We made it out. No hard feelings."
Levinia looked relieved. Her ears slowly rose again.
They kept eating, except for Levinia who watched them, probably trying to imagine the taste. The sauce was very good. The seasoning reminded Darren of food from Stranglethorn Valley. There was something hot in it, probably chilis. Did Vol'Shalai have a hand in this? One way or another, Darren took a second helping.
"Ow!" Eclipse cried suddenly. He held his muzzle, slightly cross-eyed. "Ngh..."
"What's wrong? Bit your tongue?" Nylene asked sympathetically.
Eclipse nodded, tears forming in his eyes. He swallowed and grimaced. "Felt like I pierced it. Ew."
"Let's see it." Darren leaned over to peer into Eclipse's open mouth. He frowned when he saw that Eclipse had really pricked his tongue - luckily, not too deeply. "Must have hurt," he agreed. "Don't worry, it's going to heal fast. Try to chew on the other side. And I'll give you a potion later."
"That a fang?" Vol'Shalai asked, raising a brow.
"Looks like it," Darren said. "I wondered if you'd get them eventually," he muttered.
"F-fansh?" Eclipse repeated, holding his muzzle again. His eyes met Darren's. "Why would I get fangs?"
"Because you're a Shadow pony," Darren said calmly. "Sombra has fangs, too, remember?"
"Oh. Right. I guess I forgot." Eclipse heaved an annoyed sigh. "But why now?"
"You're growing up, my boy!" Vol'Shalai said with a wide grin. He ruffled Eclipse's mane. The colt pushed his hand aside.
"As long as I don't get weird wings or something," he muttered, poking his food with his spoon. "But my friends at school are gonna think I'm some kind of monster." His shoulders slumped forward at the thought.
"Ya really tink so?" Vol'Shalai tilted his head.
"Well, yeah."
"Your family will understand," Levinia said softly. "And about your friends - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?"
"Mh." Eclipse nodded slowly, unconvinced.
A few days later, Darren read in the news that the city guard had searched the catacombs. Apparently, a slight tremor had alarmed the priests and paladins of the Cathedral of Light, encouraging them to check every room in the complex. They had found a cave-in at the foot of the stairs.
The guards had freed a few dozen of traumatized cultists, along with about as many of them recently injured or killed. The cause of death had been easy to identify: They had been cut with various blades, including swords and axes. They claimed that someone from outside had disturbed them and slaughtered their people but they could not give enough of a description. The only one who had been with the outsiders for a longer period of time could - or would - not make a statement. He was being cared for in a hospital due to frostbite in his hands.
As Darren read the last part aloud, his voice trailed off. Eclipse frowned and looked away, his ears down.
"No regrets," Nylene told Darren, putting her hand on the newspaper to push it down. The noise of the crowd almost drowned out her voice.
"Right." Darren cleared his throat. He straightened the printed sheets and went on. "It says that they got an anonymous tip to check for stashed anima. The Circle of Approaching Death is now officially disbanded."
"What a coincidence," Nylene remarked with a toothy grin.
"Isn't it?" Darren smirked back at her. "At least that's taken care of."
"Anonymous tips aside, what's the status in Karazhan? How goes the portal research?" asked Nylene.
"They're making progress," said Darren. "Levinia and Vol'Shalai are helping."
"Yeah, so I can train more!" Eclipse added happily. As he grinned, Darren noticed that the colt's fangs had grown a little in the last few days.
"One thing we haven't figured out yet... is how to coordinate our efforts with Equestria," Darren said slowly. He folded the newspaper and stuffed it into his bag.
They left the market and strolled towards the harbour.
"I made some calculations," Darren went on. "If they're correct, then Princess Luna can contact us once or twice a night. That means she can try again in about a week."
"I dislike this means of conversation," said Nylene. "It seems unreliable to me. We cannot even make sure we remember our dreams."
They passed the monument that overlooked the harbour. Darren greeted the guard that stood there. The man nodded back at him, smiling faintly. It was the same one that always guarded the memorial to the fallen.
Darren remembered the day of the scrying ritual.
"Vol'Shalai," he said. "He knows a lot about dreams, with his wife being a Loa priestess. Maybe he's got some voodoo up his sleeve."
"Damn it, Vol'Shalai, you bastard," Darren muttered angrily. He sat up in his bed and threw away the much too warm blanket. Then he stood up and staggered to the basin to wash off the cold sweat.
The moon shone through the window like a cool, silent lamp.
Eclipse was asleep, turning under his sheets. He appeared to be dreaming. Small traces of smoke were gathered above his head and chest.
Darren had definitely been dreaming. As he blinked, he tried not to focus on the gruesome imagery that kept replaying in his head.
He had been in Andorhal again, in Northrend, and in the catacombs. So much struggle and pain. Grace had been there, too, and Sombra. And there had been some thing or another about anima being drained from Eclipse and Nylene. It had made no sense, at least not in a rational way. But that was not what it had been about anyway.
Darren was still caught in the fear, regret and unbridled rage he had felt in his dream. It made his hands shake, feeding an urge to run or to smash something into pieces. There was nothing to dull the sensation so he tried to at least cool it with water.
The liquid was much colder than room temperature. Not a surprise, really, with his state of mind. Darren dried himself with a towel. He pressed the cloth against his face.
Better to meditate a little before he went to sleep again. At least half an hour of peace, was that too much to ask?
Darren was well aware that he had nightmares almost every night, jolting him awake now and then, but at least he usually forgot most of them until the following morning. Thanks to that dreadful concoction, he remembered every single detail of this night's terrors.
And he had agreed to take the potion each night until Luna contacted him. Which might be for a week or even more, as Darren himself had said yesterday.
"Light damn it," Darren groaned.
Luna's visit could not come soon enough.
"Wow, you look positively dreadful."
"Thanks, Levinia," Darren muttered, casting a sideways glance at her.
"Good morning," the pegasus added, looking guilty.
"Sure hope so."
"Maybe you should take a nap after lunch," Levinia suggested as she floated downstairs alongside Darren. His steps were heavier than usual.
"I probably will." Darren went over to their usual table, trying not to drag his feet.
Vol'Shalai sat there, rested and relaxed, the exact opposite of how Darren felt. His eyes widened when he saw Darren's face.
"Oof, that bad?" he said, sounding slightly worried.
"Not much different from other nights," Darren said, "except the potion made me remember everything."
"So it worked!" Vol'Shalai cheered. "But why are ya so..." He waved his hand around, meaning all of Darren.
"Well." Darren sat down and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "I was Scourge," he said with a sideways glance at Vol'Shalai, "for four years and a death knight for more than twice that long. I'd estimate I killed... one person or creature per day, on average. Many of them innocents. Some of them children. The subconscious, it mixes all of that up with events of previous days. How would you sleep?"
"Then why in da name of sanity did ya agree to use my potion, mon?!" Vol'Shalai asked, looking appalled.
"It's the best chance for all of us. Eclipse and I are the ones Luna is most likely going to contact. And Eclipse is not drinking that infernal stuff if I have to say anything about it." Darren huffed and looked at the kitchen. "Allison been here yet?"
"Makin' breakfast," said Vol'Shalai. He spread his arms, apologizing, "Darren, my man, I wasn't aware."
"I was aware, though. I agreed to do it." Darren shrugged in resignation. "So I've got to deal with it."
Vol'Shalai did not seem convinced of Darren's sanity. He raised his brows and shook his head.
Eclipse came downstairs, skipping the last steps with a big leap supported by his wings.
"Hey, guys!" he said happily. He cantered over to the table. His face fell a little when he looked at Darren. "Whoa. You okay? Did the potion work?"
Darren nodded. "Mh," he said. "Test round one has been successful."
"Er. I see." Eclipse grimaced. "You don't look very happy. You had nightmares, too, didn't you?"
Another nod. There was no point to lie.
Eclipse made a face. He seemed to be thinking fast. His face lit up as he got an idea. "Well, Nylene and I want to go to the park today. You wanna come?"
Darren had been jogging in the park every day since Tarik had left. But Eclipse looked at him with wide, pleading eyes and Darren felt the urge to make him stop. Pony children seemed to have an evolutionary advantage when it came to begging adults for something.
"Alright," he relented, smiling a little despite himself. "Sunshine will do us good."
"Yes!" Eclipse punched the air with a hoof. When he saw the amused smirk from Vol'Shalai, he cleared his throat and lowered his hoof again. "I mean, cool," he corrected evenly.
Now Levinia grinned, too.
To Eclipse's relief, Darren seemed to feel better after drinking a large pot of coffee and eating several bowls of cereals. When they walked through the city, Eclipse in front and Nylene and Darren trailing behind, he hoped that his message had arrived on time. Thankfully, the weather was fine.
His ear twitched when Darren said something. Nylene gave a short amused snort.
Eclipse shot a quick look back. Darren smirked, Nylene grinned, too; the dark rings under Darren's eyes had almost completely disappeared. Good.
They arrived at the park. As always, seeing the grass and the trees calmed Eclipse down immediately. He looked around - there was a path that led around the lake in a wide arc. If they followed it, there would be a large building he wanted to avoid. But turning left before that, there was that big beech tree. A tree with a broad crown and many leaves, perfect to have a picnic under. Eclipse grinned to himself and adjusted his saddlebag.
He waved his hoof at the people under the tree. One of them, a human grown-up, stood up, looking alarmed. His daughter jumped up, too, taking his hand and talking to him urgently. There was also a boy a few years older than Eclipse. Was it them?
The girl stopped talking and waved enthusiastically back at Eclipse and his friends, inviting them over. Yes, it was Vera and her family.
"If they're asking us so nicely," said Nylene, sounding amused.
"Eclipse," said Darren slowly as suspicion rose, "what did you do?"
Eclipse halted. Heat rose to his cheeks. He tried to sound casual as he said, "Well, Vera and Carl and I wanted to meet. To play Hearthstone. And have a picnic. We all brought snacks!" He patted his saddlebags.
"Did you know about this?" Darren asked Nylene incredulously.
Nylene nodded and shrugged. "We postponed it because of Levinia's situation. But Eclipse insisted. Humour us, please?"
Darren grunted, apparently a bit angry. Or maybe he was nervous. He made a face.
"Walking away now would look silly," he stated.
"Well, then!" Nylene smiled encouragingly. She picked up the pace, gently touching Eclipse's mane as she passed him.
Vera walked towards them until they were in earshot. She smiled at Eclipse, mostly, and spread her arms a little.
"Hello," she said. "We got your message. Really good idea with the Hearthstone game."
Eclipse gave her a short hug and smirked, suddenly a little shy. "Actually, it was Carl's idea," he admitted. "So what did you bring?"
"Oh, we've got sandwiches and fried beef and a big salad -" Vera stopped when she saw Eclipse's slightly stiff smile. "What?"
"Beef," Eclipse noted. "Guess cows aren't sapient on Azeroth?"
"Of course not!" Vera giggled.
"Good. But I think," said Eclipse, "I'll stick to the salad and the sandwiches. Oh, I brought the cookies! And my cards, of course."
"Cookies?" That was Carl. "At least someone remembered to bring real snacks." Vera's elbow hit his ribcage. He winced but he was still grinning. "Hi," he said to Darren and to Nylene, "I'm Carl."
Nylene tilted her head. "The one who plays Hearthstone?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Oh, please, no 'ma'am'. I am Nylene." She turned to Stephen. "You are their father, I presume?" she asked, her voice even kinder than usual.
Stephen had said nothing during Eclipse's reunion with his children. Cautiously, he said, "Stephen Fletcher," and stretched out a hand. Eclipse wondered if anyone else noticed it was shaking. Stephen did not quite manage to smile at them.
Nylene took his hand and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she declared.
Eclipse decided to join Carl on the large blanket. Carl had already unpacked the sandwiches and offered him one.
"Thanks!" Taking the food into his hooves, Eclipse opened his mouth widely to bite into it.
Carl's eyes widened as he saw the fangs.
"I'm a Shadow pony, that's normal," Eclipse muttered, his mouth full.
Carl shrugged and nodded, taking the news in stride. He motioned at Eclipse's saddlebag so Eclipse opened it to get the cookie box and Hearthstone cards.
Meanwhile, Darren and Stephen awkwardly stood in front of each other, none of them sure what to say.
Darren cleared his throat. "Looks like the kids met behind our backs," he said, vaguely gesturing at Eclipse who tried not to listen in.
"I didn't know," Stephen admitted. "There were just very insistent to have a picnic in the park today. So much so that something had to be up."
Darren smirked, raising a brow. "Subtlety is not Eclipse's strong suit, either."
"What the hay do you mean?" Eclipse cut in. "I was way subtle!"
"You stared at me with puppy eyes so wide as if your graduation depended on it," Darren said flatly.
"Okay, point..." Eclipse relented immediately. He offered a cookie to Carl. "But it worked, didn't it?" he asked hopefully.
Stephen sighed. He sat down on the blanket, inviting Darren with a jerk of his head to join them.
Darren had to admit that it had been smart of Eclipse to ask Stephen's children for help. Stephen obviously cared about them deeply. Seeing the children interacting with each other so casually made it hard to remain guarded. Eclipse was probably more nervous than he let on and trying to hide it for Darren's sake.
Vera sat down right next to her father, leaning onto him as she looked at Nylene. "Did you find your friend?" she asked.
Nylene nodded. "Yes, we did. And just in time, too. She was not well."
"Yeah, and Vol'Shalai's back, too!" Eclipse said happily. "By the way, he made the cookies."
Carl, his mouth filled with cookie crumbs, swallowed hard. He pointed at the paper box. "There ain't gnomes in 'em, are there?" he asked.
Eclipse stuck out his tongue. "Ew. Of course not. It's chocolate! And a bit of 'kafa' in the dark ones. He said those are for the grown-ups. I still tried one, it was kinda bitter."
"Just checking. I don't actually know anything about troll cuisine," Carl admitted. "They're good, though."
"Vol'Shalai is the best cook I know," said Eclipse proudly. Then, he looked at Darren, adding, "No offense. Your food really isn't bad, either!"
Darren snorted. "No, I agree. He's better," he said generously. "I'm still out of practice."
"You can save quite a bit of money if you prepare your meals yourself," Nylene said thoughtfully.
Stephen looked at her, trying in vain not to stare at her wings or clawed hands, then he returned his attention to Darren.
"I'm trying," said Darren, shrugging. "Sometimes I get freebies at the store, that's useful."
"What do you do for a living?" Stephen asked, getting curious.
"Working at a food market," Darren said. "Probably not going to be a permanent job but right now it pays fine. I actually managed to save enough for a house recently."
Stephen seemed both surprised and impressed. "I see," he said. "Here in Stormwind? No, wait, you said you wanted to go someplace else."
Darren fell silent. How much could he tell Stephen about Equestria? Would he even believe him? A world full of magical ponies, taking in a death knight, that sounded like a bit of a stretch. Maybe leave out the details, then, for the sake of their own safety.
"Outside Alliance territory," he said. "Where Eclipse comes from. It's a bit like Northrend - the more pleasant areas, mind you," Darren added quickly as he saw Stephen's brows rising. "Lots of snow and ice. Large meadows. A few forests, too, mostly pine and fir. The city is protected by a force field."
"You're not talking about Dalaran, are you?" Stephen said, narrowing an eye.
"No. It's called the Crystal Empire. You wouldn't find it on a regular map," Darren said cryptically.
Stephen frowned sceptically.
"I can't wait to go home," Eclipse said, looking up. He and Carl had already set up a game. Carl gave Eclipse a cloth to wipe his hooves before he touched the cards again. "I'm glad it's not so long any more."
"Hopefully." Darren took a sandwich. "We need a mage to set up the portal," he explained to Stephen, "but he's on it."
"Good luck, then," said Stephen earnestly.
"Thanks!" Eclipse smiled.
"How's Emily?" Darren asked, biting into his sandwich.
Stephen froze, then he sighed. "Excited. She still remembers your visit."
"I will respect your wish, Stephen. I only joined you just now because of them." Darren eyed Eclipse.
"Right." Stephen looked away, his eyes wandering to the lake. He seemed embarrassed.
"Vera talked to me," he said eventually. Vera nodded at that, smiling shyly.
Darren swallowed his mouthful. He waited for Stephen to go on but he was not sure if he wanted to hear it.
"She said that you just wanted to say Hello. Is that really true?" Stephen asked. "There's nothing else you want?"
Darren shrugged helplessly. "That's how it is," he confirmed. "I'm glad some of us made it out of Andorhal. That's all I wanted to know."
Stephen nodded, looking sad. "Only us, though. I always thought you died in Northrend. We mourned you, Darren," he added somewhat aggressively.
Darren felt heat creeping up his neck. His hands became sweaty and cold. The exhaustion from the previous night increased his unease even more. The ground under the blanket froze - unseen by the others, thank goodness.
"I mourned you, too," he said. "Actually thought there hadn't been any more survivors. Everything was burned to the ground. Hardly anybody got away, the ghouls made sure of that."
"How'd you know - oh. You were there," Stephen realized. "On - on whose side?" he asked slowly.
"The wrong one," Darren sighed, "unfortunately." His vision blurred. He realized he could not look at his cousin right now, with that shame burning inside of him like melted iron, twisting his stomach.
"We fled town a few days before the attack of the Scourge," Stephen said. "That's why we got away. Your kids?"
Darren curtly shook his head.
They both fell silent, still avoiding each other's eyes. The silence stretched out, only interrupted by mutters from Eclipse and Carl playing their card game. Eclipse groaned; Carl had just defeated his hero. Nylene sighed and laid down on the grass, resting her head on her hands.
"Salad?" Vera offered suddenly, bending forward to get to the bowls. "And here, we also have some orange juice for everyone, help yourselves. Cups are in the basket."
"Thanks, sweetheart," said Stephen, snapping out of his stupor. He accepted a small bowl from his daughter and briefly smiled at her.
Nylene got another bowl from Vera and so did Darren. They ate and it was quiet again.
That was a good salad. Just the right amount of dressing and seasoning, and the ingredients were fresh. Darren nodded in appreciation.
Eclipse stood up and trotted over to Darren. He took a cup, filled it with orange juice and held it close to him.
"Can you ice it, please? Like you did the other morning?" he asked.
"Ah. Sure." Darren took the cup, very aware that Stephen was watching his every move. He closed his eyes to hide the glow as he focused on the juice to freeze some parts of it. He returned the cup to Eclipse with a wink. "There you go, kid."
"Thanks!" Eclipse beamed at him and trotted back to Carl to start another game.
Stephen gaped at Darren, then at the juice in Eclipse's cup. Ice cubes bounced merrily up and down in the drink as the colt drank from it.
Darren smiled sheepishly. "Frost magic," he said quietly. "Found a constructive use for it after all."
They spent the rest of the picnic talking about all sorts of things, leaving out anything to do with the scourge, Darren's death knight abilities or lost family.
Even though the picnic with Stephen and his kids had been a success, Darren was exhausted afterwards. They went back to the inn at midday. He realized that he had only delayed the inevitable by sheer willpower. After thanking Eclipse and Nylene for their efforts, Darren excused himself to take a long nap. As he went upstairs, he heard Eclipse asking Nylene if she wanted to play another game of cards.
A gigantic yawn escaped Darren's mouth now that he was out of sight of everybody. He dragged himself to room 3, shut the door, got rid of his clothes and shoes in a haphazard manner and flopped onto the bed.
"Oof."
But though he was tired as hell, sleep would not come right away. Maybe it was those infernal cookies. They had been so damn tasty that they had eaten the whole bunch. And Eclipse had mentioned that the dark ones had been with kafa.
Or maybe he was just thinking too much about what had been said. And about what had not been said.
Apparently, Stephen now believed Darren enough not to think of him as a stranger any more. That was great. Or it would be if Darren could see them again after bringing Eclipse home.
He really should talk to Khadgar about that permanent portal. Was that selfish? On the other hand, Khadgar would not just set up a word gate anywhere, unguarded. There would be regulations and precautions, you could bet on that. And Darren was certain that the portal's existence would remain a secret on Azeroth for a long while.
Good thing that Levinia and Vol'Shalai were helping the archmage. Khadgar had kindly provided them with temporary quarters in Karazhan. One of his assistants - how many were there anyway? - teleported them to Stormwind now and then. They used their trips to get reagents and items for Khadgar and to meet Darren, Nylene and Eclipse to catch them up on their progress.
Nylene had bought a gigantic mirror in the Auction House, investing half of her entire savings to place the highest bid. Darren had tried to pay her back but she had said she wanted to do that. Nylene and Vol'Shalai had carried that monster of a thing to the Wizard's Sanctum and dragged it up the spiral ramp to the tower. The mirror, according to Vol'Shalai, was ugly as the night was dark but they had chosen it because of its size, not the way it looked. It was made of brass, completely round and large enough in diameter for the taller humanoids of Azeroth to step through.
A mirror meant experiments. And that meant that Khadgar had translated enough of Twilight's notes to start his first test runs and try some spells.
If only it had not taken Darren to recall his time in Andorhal to gain Stephen's trust. Thinking back to losing Grace and the kids still hurt, even after all this time. It would not go away, not ever. At least he had not been the one to kill them. But having to burn them so they would not be resurrected as servants of the Scourge, that had hardly been better. No wonder Darren had eventually gotten the name Childslayer. Survivors probably thought he had set the fires because he liked it. Like that man in Ratchet.
Darren dreaded the day that Nylene would ask him about it. He was also surprised she had not done it yet.
He should really try and get some sleep. Darren turned to lie on his left side and face away from the window.
The kids apparently got along just fine. Eclipse and Carl had bonded over their shared appreciation of Hearthstone cards. Vera seemed to like Eclipse simply because he was a pony - or a unicorn as Carl kept calling Eclipse. That was something that Darren would never understand: How could you confuse unicorns with pegasi? Good thing that Eclipse did not care much about that. All in all, Darren was fascinated by how resilient the colt was. After the fight beneath the cathedral, Eclipse had been shaken but he had recovered surprisingly quickly.
Nylene had not said much during their picnic but Darren had still appreciated her being there. She kept sitting just a little closer to him each time the chance provided itself. And he did not mind at all, with her being the way she was.
Maybe he should ask her if she wanted to come to Equestria? Or was it too soon? Luckily, there was still a little time to make up his mind.
Thinking about Nylene made Darren both calm and nervous at the same time. In spite what you would expect of a demon hunter, her hardships had not made her bitter but more kind and more appreciative for the little things that made up life. The way she moved was... captivating. And when she smiled, her mouth curved in a certain way that was hard to describe. Darren caught himself staring at the ceiling with a silly grin.
Darren must have dozed off at some point because he awakened to Eclipse noisily entering the room and quickly trying to be quiet as he noticed Darren on the bed. Darren sighed, grunted and sat up.
He had not done his daily exercise in the park yet.
"Hey, Darren," said Eclipse as he realized that Darren was done sleeping.
"Hey, kid," Darren rasped. "Did you have fun?"
"Uh-huh."
"Good. I'm going for a run."
"Oh, me too!" Eclipse requested.
"Alright," said Darren. Eclipse was smaller than him but the pony could gallop so fast that Darren did not even need to slow down when Eclipse came along.
"Can I try and glide some more this time?"
"Sure. But please wait until we're in the park this time."
Eclipse's ears folded down. "Sorry again I crashed into that cart," he muttered dejectedly.
"It's fine, nobody got hurt," Darren assured him. "But..."
"Yeah, only fly in the park," Eclipse finished his sentence. He grinned sheepishly, flashing his fangs. "That dwarf looked really mad. I mean, until you looked back at him with that Angry! Death Knight! Stare! but still."
Darren chuckled. Eclipse still did not fear him one bit. And since their fight in the catacombs, he looked for Darren's guidance on using the Shadow even more. Eager to gain a deeper understanding of his powers, he obediently followed any advice Darren gave him on meditation and self-control.
On top of that, Miindra showed up at the inn occasionally. She gave Eclipse a few more lessons about the Light and thus Darren had some time to take care of everyday problems - such as washing clothes or buying groceries.
Hopefully Eclipse was not actually covering up a deeper problem. Did he try to compensate for trauma by working harder on his abilities? How well did he really deal with his recent experience? He really had to bring Eclipse home to his family!
"Darren?"
"Mh?" Darren realized that Eclipse had said something.
"Are you okay?" Eclipse asked, concern in his voice.
"I'm fine," said Darren. "I'm thinking."
"Oh, okay. About the portal? Do you think they'll finish it soon?"
Apparently, the colt's thoughts often went home, too.
"Hope so. So far, it's looking good. Give them a few more days."
"The monster's here! Get out, everypony!" The scream echoes through the schoolhouse, throwing everyone into a panic.
Hundreds of hooves clatter on the tiled floor as the fillies and colts run for the exit, almost trampling each other.
Only one pony remains on his chair. As the smoke around his coat settles, he closes his eyes. Strangely enough, he can still see everything around him: the chairs that have fallen over, the board at the front of the classroom, the open door.
Eclipse stands up and slowly walks out of the room. The corridors are already empty, everyone else has been herded outside. Torches light the hallways and the alcoves left and right. Mummified ponies are resting there, along with unconscious humans.
As he follows the winding corridor, Eclipse frowns at the weird posters on the walls. They are showing all kinds of things: The Crystal Heart, a city guard standing at attention, ghouls in Andorhal, books from Karazhan for only eight bits apiece...
Eclipse steps closer to one of the posters. The ghouls are so colourful that they might jump off the paper right away. Which, after a moment, one of them actually does. Snarling and screeching, the disgusting corpse crashes to the floor. Twisting its spine in an unnatural way, it looks up at Eclipse. Its long-fingered claws reach for him, bandages are dangling off its bony limbs.
With a yelp, Eclipse backs away and kicks at the ghoul.
Kicking at his blanket, Eclipse awakened himself. He opened his eyes and stared into the dark room.
There was a pattern on the left wall and the door, formed by moonbeams shining through the glass. More shadow than light, the intersecting lines formed confusing shapes.
Eclipse sat up and looked to his left. Darren was still sleeping. He muttered in his sleep, the occasional grunt and groan escaping his lips. Dark rings were under his eyes, his face was covered by sweat. Eclipse wondered how often Darren woke up in the middle of the night. And he was afraid that he was beginning to catch up.
But there was no point in complaining, was there? And it had to be expected that fighting in the catacombs would not have left Eclipse unscathed. He had intentionally hurt people. To save Levinia, yes, but still.
He knew that was what guards did for a living, what knights did for a living. But he was still a kid. Why had he been so dumb to come along? Eclipse had thought that just because he had seen Darren's memories he had been prepared. But remembering something and actually doing it were two different things. He had heard and felt his hooves breaking things in their bodies. And Darren, Nylene and Vol'Shalai had sliced cultists into pieces. Sure, his friends had tried not to kill too many but after hearing Darren read that newspaper article, Eclipse knew better than to assume that everyone got out alright.
He let his head fall back into the pillow.
All those poor, stupid, mean people. Hurt, killed, scared to death by Eclipse and his friends.
Please, Light, let their souls be okay, Eclipse thought, tears running down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to the dark. "I'm sorry."
Darren gave off a short snore and turned under his sheets.
Pulling his blanket up and all the way over his muzzle, Eclipse tried to go back to sleep.
Nylene sat on the roof of the Gilded Rose, facing the back yard. Allison had no idea she was up here. Jumping out of the window and making a flip backwards, it had been easy for Nylene to land on the tiled surface. With these wings, stunts like this were easy as pie.
She leaned backwards and crossed her arms behind her head. A few sparrows sat on the gable, undisturbed by her presence. They fluttered away when a group of pigeons claimed the spot.
Nylene was bored. With Vol'Shalai and Levinia busy with opening the portal and Darren taking care of Eclipse, she had a lot of time for herself. The only problem was that there was nothing to do.
Of course, she could look for her uncle. But somehow she did not want to. They had not seen each other since her turning and Nylene doubted that he would recognize her. Or even acknowledge her being a relative. If she thought about it, her situation was a lot like Darren's, except she had chosen her fate voluntarily and was therefore branded a traitor.
Anger wormed its way up inside her, then it made way for resignation. No, there was no point in trying. Helping Eclipse and his friends had been a better choice than being like a dog chasing carriages.
At least Darren had made up with his relatives. That was somthing Nylene counted as a personal success. If not for Eclipse's resolve and her initiative, it would not have happened. She grinned to herself.
It had obviously been tough for Darren to talk about certain subjects with Stephen but at least his cousin had not pressed the issue. Eclipse and Vera had cleverly resolved the tension with their offers of food and the games. Nylene tried to imagine the look on Darren's face when Eclipse had asked him to make ice cubes in his drink. He had been something between embarrassed about using his powers and proud he could do the colt a favour.
If she could stay with them, they could remain friends. She liked that warm feeling in her chest when they were around. Especially Darren. She just hoped it was not too obvious how she felt. She had not even been sure about it herself for that long. Darren had claimed that he found her beautiful. A strange notion, but he had said it so earnestly that Nylene decided to believe his words. And that was not all. There was something about him that made her loosen up, feel completely at ease. She felt more like the person she was supposed to be, not the one she always had tried to be... was he aware of that? On the other hand, it did not matter whether he was or not. It was just good the way it was.
She could follow them to Eclipse's world. The colt had told her that there were no Night Elves there and hardly any demons. That could be her chance. Her quest on Azeroth was done. Sargeras, the leader of the demons, was imprisoned forever and the Legion had been decimated so much that the other demon hunters could finish the job without her.
Was that disloyal? Could she not do anything useful on Azeroth? She could let people hire her as a bodyguard. But a demon hunter as a bodyguard? She would propably have to work for some greasy goblin. Yikes.
And to join the war against the Horde? After befriending Vol'Shalai? Just no.
But what would she even do once she was in Equestria? She would have to get a job there, too. But if Darren found work as a warehouse clerk, how hard could it be for her to find something, too? She could work in the transport industry, or security, or research... there had to be something. Judging by the way Eclipse and Levinia were, the ponies would probably not let her down.
Nylene sighed. She would have to ask Eclipse if she could come along. Hopefully it was even possible to take an additional person along.
She twitched when the pigeons suddenly flew up.
It was probably time for dinner anyway. Darren had said something about baked potatoes. Nylene stood up and jumped off the roof. Spreading her wings, she spun around and glided back inside her room through the open window.
Billions of miles away, it was nighttime. Princess Luna's horn ceased glowing as she ended her moon-raising spell. Blinking, she nodded at Celestia who had just lowered the sun with her own magic.
"'Tis time," said Luna. "I have gathered enough strength to try again. How fares Twilight?"
"She prepared the mirror as well as she could," said Celestia as they slowly walked inside. "And, as you can probably guess, that means we're as ready as we'll ever be."
"Very well." Luna used her magic to close the balcony door which was made of crystal like so many things in the Empire's castle. She frowned. "Then I shall try and visit Darren in a dream. I think I can attempt it twice tonight."
As they entered the chamber where Twilight had worked on the mirror, they were greeted by a snoring alicorn. Twilight was sitting at a small desk, her head lying on an open notebook, her usually so well-groomed mane in disarray.
Next to her sat a white-haired human, also asleep, his head tilted back. Jonathan had a book on his lap. A small thread of saliva hung from his half-open mouth. Luna stifled a giggle behind her hoof. He twitched as Celestia politely cleared her throat. The book slid to the floor. His head whipped up and he blinked rapidly.
"Princesses," he said, picking up the book and wiping his mouth with a sleeve. A hint of red showed on his cheeks. Jonathan gently shook Twilight's shoulder. She shifted her weight and sat up with a little groan.
"Spike..." Twilight muttered, disoriented. As she opened her eyes fully, she tensed up. "C-celestia! Sorry!" She hectically sprang to her hooves. "I took a little nap, I didn't expect you here so soon -"
"Relax, Twilight," said Celestia with a gently smile. "It's alright. Do you think we can try and create a portal tonight?"
"Yes, as I said before, I think I did everything right. The only thing we need is an exit point, eveything else should work just fine after that." She used her magic to point at her calculations on the whiteboards with a pen.
Jonathan stretched his limbs, getting an accusing glare from Twilight, and stood up, too. He scratched his chin.
"We put your pillow aside," he told Luna, "but it's around here somewhere. Just a second."
Luna nodded. Celestia put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"I have the utmost confidence in you," she told Twilight who visibly relaxed at the statement.
"Here it is," Jonathan's voice sounded from behind a whiteboard. He approached Luna, an almost comically large pillow in his arms. With a little effort, he set it down in front of the princess.
"Thank you, Jonathan," said Luna kindly. She sat down on the pillow. "I'm ready," she said.
"Good luck," Twilight told her and Jonathan added, "Light guide you."
Luna closed her eyes. Her horn glowed as she cast her dreamwalking spell. White threads wound around her horn, reaching out, their ends fading into unknown distances.
Twilight, Celestia and Jonathan stood as quietly as they could. Celestia quickly sealed the door with her magic so nopony could disturb them. They had to be ready in case Luna needed their energy for a stronger spell.
Luna materializes in the dreamscape as herself. Dark mists are swirling around her, the usual fog that covers everything before she focuses her attention on a particular dream.
Lights over lights are appearing: the dreams of creatures, not only ponies but all other entities as well. Luna ignores them; she needs to find one that is extremely far away.
There. That is Darren. The light is flickering eratically, something that is not unusual for a violent dream. Luna sighs. He is probably having another one of his nightmares. It is a reason why Luna can contact him so easily but she still does not envy the human. Taking a deep breath, Luna assumes the form of a shadow and dives in.
Luna finds herself before a burning house in the middle of a town... that is also on fire. The flames are coming out of every window, the tiled roof is so hot that the air above is bristling. Dense, black, fetid smoke rises into a red sky. It looks a lot like the building site she has seen on a picture Darren has shown her a few weeks ago, except without the inferno.
Luna the cloud floats aside as the door of the house bursts open. A coughing Darren emerges, a motionless, black-haired human child in his arms. Darren is in full plate armour, the one made of that strange blue metal from Azeroth, and his sword is on his back.
Darren runs away from the house to get out of the scorching heat. He puts the child on the ground and checks for his pulse.
"Come on..." he whispers urgently as he compresses the boy's chest with his hands. He listens for the child's breath, then he continues the resuscitation.
The boy's eyes snap wide open. They are of a vibrant blue. Jumping to his feet, the child instantly dissolves into black smoke and tries to strangle Darren.
Luna groans inwardly. Hopefully this dream does not mean that Eclipse is losing control over his powers. Better to step in before the dream escalates even more.
With a determined shout, Luna takes her natural shape and stomps her hooves.
Thunder shakes the dreamscape, lightning splits a nearby burning tree. The entire town crumbles like brittle dust until only ashes remain.
The fires are extingushed by a stream of rain; the black smoke settles and fades away.
As the rain weakens and stops, Darren sighs. He looks at the empty spot where the boy has been. Darren nods knowingly, his hands on his hips as if he wants to assess the situation.
"Figures," he says. "I'm still worried about him." He looks at Luna. "Glad you've come. One more night and I think I would have murdered someone. Sleep deprivation is not a joke."
Luna stares back at Darren, slightly confused.
"I took a potion," Darren says curtly. "To remember my dreams. Last week has been hell."
"Darren, where are you?" Luna asks, aware how little time she has before the connection deteriorates.
"Stormwind City. But we prepared a mirror in Karazhan. Eclipse can go there and tell Khadgar to light... an arcane beacon is what he calls it."
Luna's eyes widen. "You already have a mirror? How fortunate! Twilight hoped for this. Ah, but how soon can you get there?"
"Right away," Darren says with a smirk. "I'd say in two hours maximum - after I wake up."
"I see. Darren, Twilight recommends you send an organic object through before you step in yourselves. Do you understand?" Luna adds quickly as she notices the fog is closing in on them.
Darren nods. "Send a test object, understood." He smiled. "Can't wait. See you soon, your Highness - er, Luna."
Luna touches Darren's chest with a hoof while she is already being dragged away. To Darren it must look as if she is fading into the fog.
Luna opened her eyes. She jumped to her feet with a smile.
"I did it," she cheered, "but now we must hurry. In ten minues the mirror needs to be ready."
"Ten minutes?!" Twilight gasped. "We still need to cast the spells! Jonathan, do you have my notes on the adjustment for the time differential?"
"Right here," said Jonathan calmly, handing the book that had been on his lap to the anxious pony.
"Thanks." Twilight turned to Luna. "What did he tell you?"
"They have a mirror and can prepare it in two hours of their time," said Luna. "It will serve as a magical beacon, showing us on this side where to open the portal."
"They must have found an archmage," Twilight muttered, tapping her chin.
"Yes, Darren mentioned someone," Luna said vaguely. "I do hope he is a mage."
"How can we help?" Celestia asked.
Twilight nervously flipped through her notes. "I need somepony to stabilize the spell with Light magic as soon as we can see a spark in the mirror."
Jonathan raised a hand, now holding his wand. "Ready when you are," he said simply.
Darren nearly fell out of bed when he woke up, instantly wide awake. He turned and shook Eclipse's shoulder.
"Wake up, kid, it's time," he said.
"Time?" moaned Eclipse sleepily. "Time for what?"
"Quickly, pack your things," said Darren, beginning to dress himself.
"Wha?! Oh! Right!" Eclipse jumped up, suddenly alert, and went to the closet to throw everything he had into his saddlebag. Robe, belt, card packs, mana potions, quill and inkpot, were his hearthstones in there? Yes, good. He checked under the bed and the sheets, then behind the chair to make sure he had not forgotten anything. The last thing to join his belongings was the wooden shield.
Darren, already in his boots, snatched everything else from the table and unceremoniously stuffed it into his own bag. He rolled up the trollish blanket und tied it to the bag, then he donned his armour as fast as he could.
"Please tell Nylene," he told Eclipse and the colt gallopped outside to knock on the demon hunter's door.
Checking the room once again, Darren confirmed they had not left any of their things behind. He put on his sword belt and cloak. A quick look into the mirror - his hair was a mess, he looked tired as hell - it could not be helped.
He went after Eclipse and found him standing next to Nylene. She was dressed in her blue combination, bag slung over her shoulder, her warglaives hidden under her cloak.
"I'm ready," she said.
Darren frowned, confused.
"I've been thinking," Nylene declared. "I shall join you. If you let me." She smiled. "I can explain on the way," she offered. "But if what you say is true, we need to hurry, don't we?"
Darren and Nylene each dropped a bag of money behind Allison's counter along with a note that explained what it was for.
They ran through the streets of Stormwind, the sound of boots and hooves on cobblestone echoing through the almost empty city.
It was still before sunset and only a few people walked the streets. Darren was the slowest; Eclipse and Nylene both used their powers to speed up and Darren let them be. They would quickly find one of Khadgar's mages in the Sanctum; that would save them some time. Darren just hoped that his estimation of two hours had been correct.
"There it is!" Luna said, excitedly pointing her hoof at an array of yellow and purple sparks blooming in the mirror.
"Here we go," Twilight said, lighting her horn. A drop of sweat ran down her neck as she recited the complicated spell. Jonathan put his hand on her shoulder, adding his Light magic to her Arcane one.
The surface of the mirror bubbled and twisted. Then it bent outward with a bright flash, almost touching Twilight who quickly took a step back with a gasp. The purple light of her horn faded at the same time as the yellow light around Jonathan's hands and wand tip dimmed.
The mirror hummed like an electrical power line as its surface came to rest.
"Now it's up to them," said Twilight nervously.
There was a little plop as something fell out of the mirror. It rolled across the floor. Luna quickly caught it in her magic. She raised the object into the air and smiled, slightly confused.
"An apple?"
"There's something on it," Jonathan said, pointing at the fruit.
It was a symbol: six stars. One of them, the biggest, was in the middle and surrounded by the other five. Each of the stars had six points. Twilight's Cutie Mark.
"It's them," said Jonathan firmly.
Twilight nodded. "We need to send something back," she said.
"Perhaps the same apple," Luna suggested.
"Yes, but we should add something," Celestia mused.
Luna nodded. She lit her horn and used a narrow beam of blue light to carve something into the other side of the apple. She threw the apple at the mirror and it disappeared in the liquid-looking substance.
"What did you make?" Twilight asked curiously.
Luna smiled. "Something nobody else knows over there."
Khadgar bent down to pick the apple off the ground, nervous glances of several people resting on him.
"Somebody got our message," he said slowly. "But I'm not sure I'm getting theirs."
Miindra, her arms crossed, tilted her head. She had helped with casting the spell, adding her Light to Khadgar's portal magic.
"Can I see it?" Levinia asked, stretching out her translucent hoof.
"Of course. Here."
When Levinia saw the symbol on the apple, she snorted in amusement. She turned the fruit so Darren and Eclipse could see the picture. It showed three stylized balloons.
Eclipse laughed, full of relief.
Darren smirked. "It means they're going to celebrate our return," he said. Turning to Nylene, he asked, "Are you sure about this? There may be no way back."
"Even if the Princesses decide to shut down the portal, I still wish to go," said Nylene seriously. "Lead the way."
Vol'Shalai cleared his throat. "Ya should probably hold hands," he suggested.
"Hm. Good idea," Darren muttered. He raised his voice a little. "It lowers the risk of us ending up in different places. Or times."
"A reasonable precaution," Khadgar agreed. "Please give this scroll to your Princesses. It explains how to keep the portal open, permanently. And there's a request from Lord Commander Turalyon. It took some convincing on my part but... well, we'll see how it turns out."
Darren took the scroll and carefully stored it in his bag. He turned to Vol'Shalai.
"Thank you for your help," he said.
"Please, no," said the troll, "I been the one to get ya into dis mess."
"Everything you did afterwards was your choice, though," Darren insisted. "But you better keep this a secret for now. I'm not Alliance but from what I've seen so far the Horde tends to take what isn't theirs. An entire new world might be at risk here."
"Hmm," hummed Vol'Shalai, rubbing his chin. "Leaving da Horde in da dark don't sit well wit me. I'll tink long and hard about all of dis. Ya may be right. But I don't tink da ponies will let anybody just come and invade their world. Your Princesses seem to have a good hande on everyting. And I'm sure Rokhan and our people would like someone new to trade with. I got no idea where Thrall or Baine or dat new leader of da Forsaken be. But make no mistake, my friend, sooner or later they gonna find out about da portal. Some of dem sooner than others."
"If we keep the portal open, we'll figure something out," said Levinia.
"I'm gonna miss you - again," said Eclipse, running towards Vol'Shalai to hug him tightly. "And your food and your jokes and how you keep beating me in Hearthstone."
Darren and Khadgar shook hands. The wizard seemed thoughtful.
Eclipse let got of Vol'Shalai and stretched out a hoof to bump it with Khadgar's fist, then Miindra's. She gave Eclipse a warm smile.
Khadgar nodded at Miindra. The Draenei raised an enormous pink crystal hammer and stood at attention to guard the mirror.
Vol'Shalai patted Darren on the back. "Spirits be wit you, my friend," he said with a friendly wink. He grinned at Levinia. "Ya be da best pony Loa I ever met. We could use more friends like ya around here."
Levinia nodded. "Take care. And say Hi to your wife from me when you get back, okay?"
Darren took Eclipse's bag and slung it over his shoulder, adding to the weight already on it. He bound the shield to his belt. Eclipse jumped, flapped his wings, and flew onto Darren's back. He sat down on his shoulders, holding on to the knight's head with both forelegs.
Darren offered Nylene his hand. She took it, only hesitating for a moment.
"Please let this work," Darren prayed spontaneously before they stepped into the portal.
A few seconds later, the surface of the mirror settled again, leaving Khadgar, Vol'Shalai and Miindra behind.
"So what now?" Vol'Shalai asked, tilting his head.
"We guard the portal until we get an answer," said Khadgar. "What you do personally is up to you, of course."
"Hm." The troll crossed his arms. "I tink I wanna stay," he said. "Still got lotsa months to wait until I can go home."
Khadgar raised his brows, asking a silent question.
"I got a temporary ban for summoning da pony Loa," Vol'Shalai muttered with a sheepish grin. "Can't go back to my tribe for a year."
Khadgar and Miindra exchanged a look. The paladin shrugged, the hammer on her shoulder moved.
"All right," Khadgar decided. "For now. I still have Twilight's notes; Darren left them here for further studies. I'd be willing to share my research with the mages of your tribe."
Vol'Shalai's eyes widened. "Ya sure?" he asked.
Khadgar nodded. "M-hm," he confirmed, folding his hands behind his back.
"I think dere's someting ya know and ain't telling," said Vol'Shalai slowly.
Twilight quickly stepped back as the mirror surface rippled again. Bodies fell out of the portal, piling up at the base of the mirror. Then, the heap of limbs and bags groaned and moved.
"Still hate portals," she heard Darren's voice in a language that was probably Common. A Night Elf with tattered dragon wings rolled off the pile and stretched out a claw to help Darren up.
They quickly drew their weapons and looked around, ready to fight anything that threatened them. Twilight noticed that the Night Elf's eyes were covered with a dark bandage. How could she see through it?
Darren relaxed as soon as he saw Twilight. He lowered his sword and a tired smile spread on his face. Then, he looked back at the pile. Eclipse and Levinia untangled themselves, nervously glancing around and folding their wings.
"Phew," Darren exhaled. "We all made it." He sheathed his sword and immediately staggered backwards - Twilight hugged him tightly.
"Welcome back!" she exclaimed, on the verge of tears. "We were so worried!" She patted his arm affectionately as she stepped back.
"Good to be back," Darren replied. He bowed slightly before the princesses Celestia and Luna. Then, he noticed Jonathan and his smile grew wider.
Eclipse stood up, feeling a little sick. That portal had been less shaky than the one that had pulled them to Azeroth but it was still a hole in space-time. He grimaced, holding his queasy stomach.
Levinia tapped his shoulder and pointed at the ponies that stood there to welcome them. The princesses! Eclipse quickly bowed down, almost tripping over his feet.
"Welcome back," said Princess Celestia with a kind smile. "Just wait a moment, I will fetch your parents." She lit her horn and disappeared in a bright yellow flash of light.
His parents. Eclipse was going to see his parents again! He spontaneously hugged Levinia, squeeing with excitement and grinning widely.
"Oh?" he heard Princess Luna say, surprise in her voice.
Eclipse let go of Levinia. As he still looked at her, she faded a little.
"Uh-Oh," Levinia said sadly.
"What was that?" said Eclipse. "You got more transparent."
"I see it, too," said Jonathan. "Twilight, can you still see Levinia?" he asked.
Twilight shook her head. "No, sorry. She turned invisible again."
Levinia's ears folded back. "Figures," she sighed. "Though I'm still glad I'm not in that vault anymore."
"Me, too," said Darren and Nylene nodded with a smile.
"It's so weird to talk in Equestrian again," said Eclipse, picking up his shield.
"It's hard," said Nylene. She stored her warglaives behind her back. Turning to Princess Luna, she bowed deeply. "I am Nylene," she said.
Princess Luna smiled at Nylene, motioning for her to stand up straight. "Am I right to assume you wished to come along?" she asked.
"Yes, milady. Will you allow it?"
Luna nodded. "A friend of Darren's is a friend of mine," she said simply with a kind smile. "Welcome to Equestria. Or, in this particular case, the Crystal Empire. My name is Luna - and the pony who just disappeared is my sister Celestia. We are the Princesses who rule these lands. But the Empire is under the protection of Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor. They should be here soon."
"Thank you. Princess Luna," said Nylene. Eclipse raised an eyebrow. She sounded so respectful, that was unusual. But her Equestrian was more than just a little blocky.
The doors at the far end of the room unlocked and opened. Several ponies stepped inside: Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, the latter holding their alicorn foal in his magic, Princess Celestia, the unicorn Sunburst - and Mom and Dad!
Eclipse dropped his shield and dashed towards them with an excited shout.
"Mom! Dad!" Eclipse ran towards Feather, tears of happiness in his eyes and a big grin on his face. There was something off but Feather could not tell what it was. She stretched out her forelegs to embrace her son. Eclipse all but collided with her and hugged her as tightly as he could.
"You've grown," Feather observed, leaning away a little so she could look at him. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
"We're all okay!" Eclipse declared happily. He turned to White to hug him but White simply hugged both Feather and Eclipse at the same time.
Eclipse went on, his voice slightly scratchy, "But I missed you guys so, so much." He closed his eyes for a second, his breath hitching. "I never wanna be away for that long again."
"For - for how long?" Feather asked, confused.
"Weeks and weeks," said Eclipse, letting go of them. "Darren said that time passes differently on Azeroth."
Feather looked at Darren who simply nodded with an apologetic shrug. The knight rummaged in his bag and passed a sealed scroll to Princess Celestia with a comment on who gave it to him. Then, he shook hands with Jonathan. They spoke to each other in a strange language Feather did not understand.
"Let me look at you," Feather said quietly. She held Eclipse's face between her hooves and smiled at him. Oh, he looked almost the same. But something in his eyes had changed. There was something new, a certain kind of alertness that had not been there before.
Eclipse's blue eyes looked back at her. He smiled again and this time Feather realized what else was different. "Honey, your teeth," she said slowly.
The colt's face fell. "Yeah," he said. "I got fangs. Darren says it cause I'm growing up." He blushed and looked down, avoiding Feather's gaze.
She gently forced his head back to face her. "Eclipse," she said, looking intently at him. "It's okay. We know you're a shadow pony. And I love you just the way you are. Fangs or no fangs. You got that?" That got her another hug from him. Now Eclipse shuddered, tears running down from his face.
"Thanks, Mom," he whispered in utmost relief.
"Of course," said Feather, exchanging a worried glance with White.
Feather noticed in the corner of her eye that Princess Cadence was greeting the woman with the long ears and dragon wings. The woman was slightly taller than Jonathan and spooked Feather a little. There was something strange about her. It was not her species, it was something else. Feather felt faintly reminded of Eclipse's Shadow powers. Was she a wielder of that kind of magic, too?
Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle talked to Darren. Jonathan apparently spoke to Levinia because all Feather saw before him was thin air. Sunburst just watched as happy chatter filled the room.
It was hard to believe that they had been gone for weeks. It had been only a few days for Feather. But she still saw that Darren's hair was longer than before, so was Eclipse's mane, and they both seemed tired. Darren's armour did not look new even though Feather had never seen him wearing it. And the way Eclipse clung to her confirmed the truth: He really had missed his family a lot. Her grip around him tightened. What had happened to them on that foreign world?
"It's a big relief you are all back in one piece," said Princess Cadence now. "We know that time passed differently for you. So feel free to rest in the castle. We can continue this later, over breakfast."
Everyone nodded, Eclipse still in Feather's embrace. They picked up their things and left one by one. Shining Armor was the last one to exit the room. He cast a spell and a pink shield bubble appeared around the mirror. Then, he nodded at the two crystal guards that had stood on the other side of the door. They went inside and closed the door, ordered to guard the still active portal.
Darren decided to accept the royal family's offer to rest before breakfast. It had been around midnight when they returned to Equestria and he welcomed the chance to get some proper sleep with open arms.
Talking about a heartfelt welcome: Eclipse did not leave his parents' side. His mother kept her hoof on his shoulder, reassuring both him and herself. White nodded his thanks at Darren.
Everyone said Goodnight to each other. Darren and Nylene followed Twilight and the Prince, everyone else went with Princess Cadence.
After Shining Armor had showed him to a room, Darren sat down on the blanket of the large bed. He sighed. The inn had been cozy and clean but still sort of dark. Everything in the Crystal Castle, however, was bright. The sheets, the walls, the curtains, even the flowers in vibrant colours that stood in a vase on the wooden table. It felt surreal, as if Darren was dreaming. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation.
Darren put his bag down, slowly took off his boots and armour and lied down.
It was strange to be alone after weeks of sharing a room with Eclipse. With a child around, there was usually noise around, too. Now silence greeted Darren. There was not even any noise from outside: The windows were apparently soundproof.
He still fell asleep almost instantly after his head hit the pillow.
Someone knocked at the door. Nylene woke up and blinked. The bandage over her eyes was still in place. She sat up and stretched all of her limbs. The additional six hours of sleep had been a blessing. She smiled and jumped off the bed. Snatching her bag, Nylene hesitated.
She did not need to bring anything along. Nylene put the bag back down, leaving it with her cloak and weapons.
As she left the room, she saw that a guard had waited for her. A pony guard, obviously. Four legs, a noticeably bright aura, and armed with a halberd that fit his size. It had to be a male. He asked her to follow him and his voice had a similar pitch as those of Prince Shining Armor and Eclipse's father.
So Nylene did as the little pony guard asked, following him until they arrived in a larger room. Several people were already there: Darren, Eclipse and his parents, along with a pony of similar age which was probably his sister. Also, the four princesses, Shining Armour, the slighty shy unicorn scholar from yesterday and the human Jonathan. They sat around a long, roughly horseshoe-shaped table (how fitting) and talked to each other about how their night was. Nylene stepped onto the soft ground, probably carpet, and quickly found the empty seat that was hers.
"Good morning!" Eclipse greeted her happily. "You can sit here." He patted onto the empty seat while he stated the obvious.
Nylene smiled kindly. "Thank you, An'dorei." She pulled the seat back and eyed the filly that sat on Eclipse's other side. The earth pony looked back at Nylene, her aura spiked, and then the filly quickly faced her plate again.
Darren nodded at Nylene from across the table. She gave him a small smile, then focused on Eclipse.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Sort of, I'm still kinda excited so it took a while till I fell asleep," Eclipse answered. "And you know what, it was strange to be in my own bed again! I never thought that could happen, to feel like your own bed is somebody else's."
The filly twitched, confused. "What did you say?" she asked, both shy and curious.
"Oh, right," Eclipse said, slapping his forehead. "Sorry. I'm so used to talking in Common that I didn't even notice. I told Nylene I slept okay."
"Ah." The filly returned her attention to her food.
Nylene noticed the princesses asking Darren several questions about his time in Stormwind. He began by telling them about Vol'Shalai's mishap when he had summoned them, then he went on to their journey on the ship to Booty Bay. It seemed that the royals got to know what they wanted without Nylene's help. Good, that meant she could focus on getting acquainted the ponies in the room. Nylene already felt the gaze of Eclipse's parents resting on her.
"Who are you?" she opted to ask the filly. "Eclipse's big sister?"
"Uh, y-yes," the filly stammered. "I'm Peridot. Nice... to meet... you," she added meekly.
"You, too," said Nylene. She accepted a piece of bread from a basket Jonathan was offering her. "Sorry, I don't know much Equestrian. Eclipse and Levinia teach me."
Peridot nodded. "You already sound pretty good," she said, bravely trying to cover up her nervousness.
"Thank you," said Nylene. "Eclipse looks happy to see you again."
"You bet!" Eclipse said with a grin. Nylene noticed Peridot's aura spiking again but the filly did not flinch. She was probably intimidated by the colt's fangs but tried not to show it. Maybe they had already talked about it. "You know, I never noticed how boring it can be without a big sister." He affectionately patted Peridot's shoulder, eliciting a giggle from her. "And sometimes I felt really lost," Eclipse added quietly. "So thanks for being there."
Nylene nodded and quickly ran a finger though a lock of his mane. "Now your Mom and Dad are here for you," she said. "That is better."
"Well, thank you for looking after our son," said Eclipse's father. "I gotta admit that I did not expect you to show up with Eclipse and Darren. Eclipse told us that you sacrificed a lot of your time to take care of him."
"It's okay," said Nylene, inwardly irritated that she lacked the words to say how she felt. She pursed her lips, thinking quickly. "With Eclipse, it's a good use of time. He learns a lot. And he is a good pony."
"What are you going to do now?" asked Eclipse's mother. "Why did you come to Equestria?"
Suddenly, the other conversations halted. Silence fell and Nylene became aware that Feather Rush was not the only one who wanted an answer to that question.
"I..." she hesitated. "My work on Azeroth is over. I want to do something else. New things."
"Ah," said Feather. "How come? Didn't you like Azeroth? Was it hard to make a living there?"
Thank Elune, the other conversations resumed. Lowering her voice a little, Nylene decided to take a leap of faith and tell Feather more.
"My old life was hard. I -" she sighed in defeat. "Eclipse, would you mind translating for me?" she asked in Common.
"No problem," said Eclipse seriously, thankfully realizing that this was a tough subject.
Nylene nodded. She had to make simple sentences so it would not be too difficult for Eclipse.
So she went on, Eclipse translating after each sentence, "A long time ago, there was a great evil that threatened the entire world. Some of my people decided to leave our home and fight it. We took the power of our enemies and made it our own. But our families and friends thought that we had gone too far. That we had become demons ourselves. It's true, it happened to a few of our fighters. They gave in to the powers inside of them and lost their mind.
"In the end, we won against the invaders. But I can't return the magic that I have. I must stay the way I am. I can't go back to my family because they don't want me. But Eclipse is different. He, Darren, Vol'Shalai, Levinia... they are my friends. I want to stay in touch with them. And try and make a new life in a new place, like Equestria. Eclipse told me that this world is peaceful. And peace is all I ever wanted. I'd be honoured if we could be friends, Feather."
Feather's aura had changed colours during Nylene's explanation. First sceptical and alert, the mare was now intrigued and radiated compassion towards Nylene. Feather bent forward to get a better look at Nylene.
"I'd be happy to befriend the mare who protected my son," she said warmly.
"The honour's ours," added White.
If she could have, Nylene would have blushed.
Across the table, the princesses discussed the portal with Darren. Celestia held the scroll in her magic, its seal broken.
"This is a very important decision," she said. "Your Lord Commander sounds like a good person. But all of this is way too big to make a choice without the other leaders of Equestria."
"He's not my Lord Commander," Darren clarified, his tone respectful but firm. "Turalyon is the leader of the Alliance until the king returns. Light knows where Wrynn is right now. I don't speak for anybody but myself. Khadgar asked me to give you the scroll. But, to be honest... I'd appreciate if you approved." He hesitated, then he added, "I found my cousin over there."
"I see." That was Luna. She tapped her chin with a hoof, her spoon idly stirring the coffee in her cup.
"I can contact Thorax," said Twilight. "The changelings would surely vote for keeping the portal open."
"Yakyakistan, too, probably," said Cadence. "Since Yona's attendance at the School of Friendship, diplomatic relations with her tribe have improved significantly. And the Dragon Lord will most likely agree, too. Same with the hippogriffs and griffons. I'd worry more about the minotaurs."
"Perhaps," said Darren. "It's hard to say how they'll react to the existence of tauren. They might be glad or offended, there's no way to tell beforehand."
"What about Saddle Arabia?" Sunburst asked.
Celestia frowned. "Fifty-fifty," she assumed. "We're not at odds with them. If we play this right, we might win them over with the chance of gaining new business opportunities."
"The letter says that the Alliance would like to open diplomatic relations," said Luna, "but there's not a word about the Horde."
"What do you think, Darren?" Twilight asked. "Would there be trouble if we invited only the Alliance?"
"Most definitely," Darren said without hesitation. "The Horde leaders would assume that we allied against them. It might even start a new war."
Twilight groaned, covering her forehead with her hooves. "Politics," she sighed, contempt in her voice. "If we could just exchange knowledge and goods, be friends with one another, that would be so great."
Jonathan patted her shoulder. "Don't give up yet, Twilight. I think there may be a way to stay at least neutral here."
Twilight looked up, hopefully lowering her hooves. "How?"
"Archmage Khadgar," said Jonathan simply.
Darren's eyes widened. "You're right, that could work." He raised a hand, trying to explain. "He's neither Alliance nor Horde. The Kirin Tor are a faction outside of that... conflict. More or less. Dalaran is open to both enemy factions. If the portal could be moved there it would mean that a neutral party controls it."
"Dalaran used to be a base for military operations against the Lich King, for instance," said Jonathan. "In case something goes wrong, the Kirin Tor would ensure that both Alliance and Horde would lose the portal."
"Are you saying that those factions can be kept in line if the condition for the portal is a truce on Equestria?" Shining Armor asked.
"Exactly," said Jonathan. "If Equestria doesn't play along, the portal is history. Which means that you get to make the rules. Well, most of them, anyway. And trust me, you'll want to establish a few. There are certain traps we need to avoid. I'm thinking of the goblins here, and the Forsaken, but we should be careful in general. Some resources should be off limits for Azeroth."
"Who is that Khadgar?" asked Luna. "Is he the leader of the Kirin Tor?"
"Yes. Archmage Khadgar is the one who secured the other end of the portal," Darren explained. "He's interested in keeping it open but wants to avoid conflict as much as we do. And with the power he's got, not just politically but also as a mage, people will listen well to what he has to say."
"He sounds like a reasonable guy," said Shining Armor. "Or at least someone worth talking to."
"That he is." Darren nodded. "With him on our side, we're halfway there."
"Sounds like you get to see your folks again after all," Jonathan said to him with a grin.
Darren shook his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"Eclipse? Can we talk for a minute?"
Eclipse's ears twitched when he heard the ethereal voice echoing through his head. He stopped walking.
"Mom, please wait a second, Levinia wants something," he said.
Feather blinked, surprised, and halted. White and Peridot were already a few steps ahead. Their house was almost in sight. Feather waved at them to keep going.
"Sure, honey. Do you want me to go ahead?"
"Er." Eclipse pondered that for a moment. "Can you stay here? If you go, it'll look as if I'm talking to myself," he said with a blush. He looked up and down the street. Crystal ponies everywhere - and not a single biped. Eclipse was supposed to be at home but the feeling just would not come to him. He sighed and looked expectantly at Levinia.
"I need to tell you something," said Levinia, suddenly shy. She fiddled with her long, beautiful mane. "It's about the Shadowlands."
The Shadowlands. A sinking feeling hit Eclipse in his gut. "Y-yeah? What about them?"
"Mark said that it's not clear what happens to the dead right now," said Levinia.
"Yeah, but we can't do anything about it," Eclipse said slowly. "We can't just die, too, to find out."
Feather gasped as she heard him say that.
Eclipse quickly went on, "That would be extremely stupid."
"Of course," Levinia agreed, "bit since I'm already dead, maybe I can do something after all. I want to travel all over Equestria. I want to warn everypony who dies. Maybe I can save a few souls before they get lost." She spread her forelegs. "I can't just do nothing."
Eclipse sighed. "Yeah, I understand," he said sadly. "I guess I'd feel the same way. But please, please be careful. And maybe tell the humans before you leave. And please drop by once in a while, I wanna know you're okay."
Levinia nodded. "I'll be careful," she said. "Pinkie Promise." She floated down until her feet touched the ground.
They hugged tightly. Wow, she was really cold. Eclipse shuddered even though he did not want to. He let go of Levinia. She smiled sadly at him. The sinking feeling in his gut expanded.
"Bye," he said quietly, watching the ghost fade away until there really was nothing but thin air.
Eclipse wiped his eyes. He faced Feather and made a grimace. "She left," he said curtly.
"Hm." Feather eyed her son with a frown. "Are you okay?"
"Think so," Eclipse said, his voice shaky. "Just... there's been too many Goodbyes lately. I need a break."
They resumed walking, Feather putting a foreleg across Eclipse's back.
Darren watched as the landscape passed the carriage window, his head leaned against the side of the car.
What would his house look like when they arrived? White had assured him that everything was in order. After Darren's disappearance, he had taken the key and looked after the house and the garden, whatever that meant.
Darren tilted the key in his hands. He had not even used it yet.
"Key to your house?" Nylene asked.
Darren nodded. "Imagine that: I had my housewarming party when that damn portal pulled us in."
"Maybe there's still some cake left," Nylene said dryly. She leaned forward, resting her head on her hands and her elbows on her knees. The carriage was well-sprung. Paper rustled when she put her bag onto the next seat.
"Why did the prince give us the carriage?" she asked.
"My mount is at home and so is my money," said Darren. "They're generous like that. Now that I know the date here, I can get my things in order. There's still two vacation days left."
"Convenient," Nylene commented.
"More like urgently needed," Darren corrected, rubbing his eyes.
"I said it before: I can find other accomodations."
"Nonsense. I do have a couch." Darren put the key away. "And if the cake is spoiled, we'll just make a new one."
When they arrived and got out of the carriage, one of the stallions who had pulled the car got out of his harness. Grinning, he stepped towards Darren. It was a blue crystal pony with a dark brown mane and tail and bright blue eyes.
"Abs!" Darren said incredulously.
"Yep." The muscular pony nodded at the other three guards. One of them reached into his bag and gave Abs a small stone. Then, the guards turned the carriage around and left for the city.
"So Twilight already copied the concept of a hearthstone," Darren commented. They bumped fist and hoof and Darren introduced his friend to Nylene. "This is Abrasive Paper, a City guard. We fought together against Sombra. And he didn't tell me he'd pull the carriage."
"Been in a hurry, huh? I saw you guys get in." Abs offered his hoof to Nylene who hesitantly made a fist to bump it.
"Sorry. Guess I'm just too tired." Darren made a face. He blinked, properly looking around for the first time since getting out of the carriage. The fields and forest around the small building looked the same as before. It was still hard to believe only a few days had passed here. But here he was, right back at his new house.
"I won't bother you long," Abs assured Darren. "Just came along to show you what's what. Got the key?"
Darren unlocked the house and led his two guests inside.
"So, we put all the leftovers into the fridge," said Abs, "and White came once to water the plant. What else? Oh, right, we swept the floor, dunno where the broom goes, though." He pointed at the broom that was leaned against Darren's closet next to the front door.
"Thank you," said Darren, feeling embarrassed.
"No prob. Anything you need?"
"Don't think so."
"Awesome. Well, then I'll be off. I'm on duty. I pulled a few strings to do this." Abs grinned. "See you tomorrow night?"
Darren nodded. "I'll be there."
"You can bring your girlfriend if you want to," Abs said nonchalantly, raising the hearthstone. A blue magic circle appeared at his feet. "The more the merrier."
"She's not my -" Darren began but Abs had already teleported away.
Darren felt heat creeping up his cheeks. He cleared his throat and put the broom away.
"Er," he said smartly.
Nylene chuckled. "I wouldn't mind," she said, setting her bag and warglaives down next to the couch. "Either of those things." When she noticed Darren's lack of reaction, she sighed. She took the paper bag out that Darren had given her earlier.
Darren went into the kitchen and found two plates. His guests had cleaned all the dishes, too... He returned to the table and set the plates down, along with two knives. Nylene opened the paper bag and added bread and croissants.
"Got butter around here somewhere," Darren muttered, avoiding to look at Nylene.
"What's that package at the counter?" Nylene asked curiously while they ate.
"Shelf," said Darren. "A gift from Sunburst."
"Do you need help with the assembly?"
Darren tilted his head. "Yes, please," he decided with a smile.
Nylene continued to eat. Now she was smiling, too.
"This is ridiculous," she chuckled. "You're a former death knight, I'm a demon hunter. And we're here on a pony world, sitting around and staring at each other like awkward teenagers."
"Maybe." Darren rested his face on his hand, also amused. "Beating around the bush, as it were."
Nylene wiped her mouth. The chair scraped across the floor as she stood up and leaned over to give Darren a kiss.
Eclipse sat down on his bed. He bounced a little, shaking the soft mattress. Pulling his shirt over his head, he huffed. Now that he was safe in his room, he felt extremely tired again.
Eclipse put the shirt aside, next to his belt and shield, and yawned. He froze in mid-movement. He was being watched.
"What?" he asked Peridot.
His sister fidgeted a little. She sat down on her own bed, at a distance from Eclipse. She eyed him like a stranger. Eclipse felt his heart sinking.
"What?" he repeated, trying to sound nice even though he was scared of the answer.
"What happened to you?" Peridot asked. "Where were you? Mom and Dad hardly told me anything. You're even taller than before! How can that even be? Did some weird magic give you fangs?"
Eclipse's shoulders sagged forward. "That's a lot of questions," he said, trying to play for time.
"Then pick one," Peridot snapped.
"Okay... well... I was on a different planet. On Darren's home world. For over five weeks."
"Oh." Peridot looked at him, her violet eyes finally meeting his. "Guess that's a good reason." She slid off her bed, stepping closer to him. "But what about these?" She pointed at his mouth.
Eclipse's ears folded back. "I don't know," he admitted. "Darren says it's because I'm a Shadow pony. I think he's right. I trained a lot and got a bit older. It kinda makes sense that they came out." He grimaced. "It's uncomfortable. I keep biting my cheeks and tongue. I don't even know what they're for."
"Maybe nothing at all." Peridot sighed.
"Maybe." Eclipse looked dejectedly at the floor.
Peridot slowly touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I was just scared that you're not the same pony anymore. I don't wanna lose my little brother."
Eclipse hugged her carefully. "I don't want to lose myself, either."
"What do you mean?" Peridot asked, confused.
He looked at her, his blue eyes dead serious. "It was very dangerous over there. We had to fight a lot. I was so scared that I almost lost control of my powers." When Peridot still looked at him with big eyes, he went on, "They taught me to use the Light. That created some kind of balance. But I don't think I'm the same pony as before. I did some really bad things and I don't know what to do about it. I can't apologize to the people I hurt, you know. And that... that sucks."
"Maybe there's nothing you can do," Peridot offered hesitantly. "But if you wanna talk about it, I'll be there for you. I've got to look out for you, don't I?" She smiled a little.
"Thanks," said Eclipse quietly.
"Can I touch them?" Peridot asked.
"Er, what?"
"The fangs. I've never seen any up close." Peridot grinned sheepishly.
"Uh, sure." Eclipse opened his mouth, baring his teeth.
Peridot shuddered a little. She reached out a hoof and gingerly touched the tip of Eclipse's fang.
"Wow, it's very pointy," she said.
Eclipse closed his mouth and nodded. "Yeah. Like I said."
There was an awkward silence.
Eclipse jumped off the bed. He went to his bag and searched for his Hearthstone pack.
"I gotta show you something else," he said. "Nylene bought me some really cool cards. I bet you Deep is gonna love them. I even have a card of a new friend! An actual friend," he added when he saw Peridot's face. "He's the one who made the portal. Maybe we can meet him again one day."
Three weeks after the opening of the portal, Princess Celestia recieved a letter through the worldgate. It was from Khadgar, asking her to sever the connection to Azeroth for an Equestrian day so he could transport his mirror to Dalaran.
Celestia smiled as she read the words. So they had accepted her offer.
A team of strong earth ponies and skilled unicorns were ordered to lift the Crystal Empire's mirror up and bring it to Canterlot at once. Celestia and Luna had hoped for a positive reply from Khadgar and already arranged for a quick transport. The mirror was set up in a remote building outside the city, heavily guarded by E.U.P. Guards and royal battlemages.
Celestia had sent word to Twilight and several other people but only a select few would join her today. Twilight, of course, was the Equestrian expert on Azeroth. However, they needed to send a certain message. Shining Armor would be there, along with Starlight Glimmer, to represent both the military strength and the scholars of Equestria. There would also be a single ambassador from one of the other kingdoms: Ember, the Dragon Lord. Celestia hoped that introducing a species that was sort of familiar to the denizens of Azeroth would put the humans - and whoever was also waiting for them in Dalaran - at ease.
There had been a discussion whether or not their friends from Azeroth should come along. Jonathan was strictly against it, saying that they must keep the extraordinary healing magic of Equestria a secret. Darren was quick to agree. Nylene did not care but did not want to complicate things, either. So they had decided that the humans and elf would stay put, only advising the princesses from behind the curtains.
The building to which the mirror had been relocated used to be a watermill once. It was a sturdy, squat house of wood and stone and had recently been renovated. There was a large room on the first floor and several chambers on the upper floor, making it perfect to accomodate the guards and mages. The area around the windmill had once been cleared by the ponies who had run the mill. They had used the wood to build and maintain it. Grass, flowers and small shrubbery covered the clearing now, slowly taking over. A narrow, winding path led across the hills, connecting the watermill to Canterlot. The princesses had chosen the location carefully: It was close enough to the capital to connect travellers to the entirety of Equestria - but if something went wrong, it was also remote enough to seal it off without a hassle.
Celestia appeared before the windmill in the trademark yellow flash of her sunlight magic. She slowly walked down the hill. It was a sunny day and flowers bloomed on the meadow left and right.
She was joined by Twilight and Starlight, both teleporting in with saddlebags on their backs, Twilight also wearing her enchanted chestpiece. They nodded and smiled at each other. The three ponies entered the watermill, passing a double row of guards, and approached the mirror. The chamber had been reinforced with several safeguards, including an enchanted steel cage, hidden in the walls, to prevent the use of dark magic. Crystal wards were spread all around the perimeter. Shining Armor was there, already in armour himself, and Ember sat on a rickety chair, her legs crossed, and looked surprisingly bored.
"There you are," said the blue dragon, getting up. Her golden armour glinted in the lamplight. Ember put her claws on her hips. "We're all ready for the great gig. Only thing missing is the red carpet. Hey, Twilight."
Twilight spread her forelegs, then she remembered that Ember disliked hugs so she simply bumped her fist.
"Are you going to come with us?" Twilight asked Celestia hopefully.
Celestia shook her head. "I will stay here for now. But don't worry, you won't be alone. Khadgar wrote that your troll friend will be there. The one that 'summoned the pony Loa'. There's also a knight who wants to meet you, called Tarik Aydin."
"Oh, good," said Twilight. "Darren told me about him. He's apparently already a friend. That's a relief, I actually thought we'd have to start from scratch. But with their help I'm sure we can work something out with both the Horde and Alliance. So, big brother, are you nervous?" she asked Shining Armor with a smirk. "Because I'm still about as anxious as I was greeting the delegates from Maretonia."
"Well, I'm not about to wet my armour," said Shining dryly. "I think we'll be fine."
"Alright, then," said Twilight. "Please stand back, everypony, we're casting the spell."
The guards stood at attention.
A Twilight and Celestia lit their horns, the mirror portal sprang to life once again.
