Remembering the Lost

All around the world the war against the Legion raged. Towns, villages, cities and families felt the fire and destruction from the hordes of demons descending upon the land. Up in the floating city of Dalaran the mages council were hard at work gathering power to teleport the entire city away from the on going attack.

Within it's walls, clad in gold, silver and purple crystal armor a tall Draenei woman strode to a building in the edge of town. She did not walk casually or slow, her stride was determined, fluid and quick. Those she passed stepped out of her way fearing that they may very well get pushed down or run over.  Upon entering the building age looked around till an older human woman was spotted coming her way. Short words and a hand full of gold coins were exchanged before the human led Sedeela over to stand on a rune marked circle. There was a flash of power, a flux of energy in the shop and when it all faded the draenei was nowhere around to be seen.

On a whole different world a flash was see and a flux of energy felt before the armored draenei stood out on the damp Shadowmoon Valley grass. With a sigh the Vindicator began to walk once more, though this time her hooves seemed to drag along the ground, heavy and full of emotion.

Clip, clop, clip, clop, the sound of hooves as she hit the cobbled walkway into the garrison and towards a large blacksmithing shop. The helm was removed from the body suit of armor and hung on its peg before the woman turned to the massive forge and leaned against its edge. A moment passed, eyes closed, before she slowly began to bring the fire and crystal forge to life. Softly glowing eyes stared into the belly as light reflected off the different magic containing crystals, her mind slipping into deep thought. Piece by piece Sedeela removed her armor and set it away with her helm, changing into the thick leathers and apron she wore while working at her forge.

Soon the evening would pass by slipping into the wee hours of early morn the next day and the peeking rays of sunlight would catch along the crescent moon blade she was currently working over the anvil. Often setting it back into the fire over a certain section of magic imbued crystals and then removing it to shape with mallet and tongs. The woman worked without pause, only shifting between the blade and a second project she was shaping at a second anvil. The second work was a glowing disk of various metals, its pattern being carefully hammered into its convex surface.

For hours she continued to work like this, moving between the blade and shield like disk, the setting sun marking the pass of a second day within her shop. As the third day dawned all sound had finally ceased to come from her anvils and forge. Over in a corner Sedeela rested, her lap becoming a cradle for the Bloodmoon Crescent blade she had created and her leg propping up  the disk. Its howling Frostwolf design both etched and cut out into the surface so  that the clan logo was unmistakable.

After an hour or so of rest she stood up, gathering the two pieces of work and headed into a back room of the shop. This room  was a place only she had seen, a place both warded and concealed to look like nothing but a normal wall as its door. As her hooves rang out on the stones of the floor small crystals lit up, illuminating the vast amount of items held within along all the wall of the hidden space. In some places rested bits and pieces of metal, some brand new like what she held in her hands, others: battered, beaten, broken and bloodied and some not metal but different types of armor. Under each piece was a name or number. Each piece a memory or memorial of those she had lost or failed to keep safe.

Soft hoof steps carried her over to a far wall that held fewer items, along that wall rested a mechanical rose sitting atop a hip high shelf, as she passed her tail brushed against it causing it to activate. The petals began to open as it “bloomed”, music coming from its core as the stored song crystal was revealed inside. Two more items could be seen along the same wall: a small piece of the home she didn’t remember. A color fading draenei male doll with horns in the shape of her father’s, though his armor was made with her mother’s silk. The other items was a hand sized blue crystal that when she touched it an image of two people appeared. One face was that of a young boy, perhaps five to six in age though no older. Next to him, two mech arms wrapped around his torso stood what was clearly his father, both faces smiling at her as she smiled back for a short time. Her eyes moved away as she began to set up pegs along the wall and fixed her two new items and set them in place. Task done she turned away and gathered the image crystal in her hands and wandered over to the only piece of comfort the room offered, a thick cushion in a corner.

As she settled down, tail coiling around her legs, her hands held the crystal loosely so that the images could play out with no interference. Silence came as she simply stared at the faces smiling up at her before she spoke out softly. “I put two more to rest this day...taken from this world...from me..by the demons who are invading here. These two meant something to me...a friend and someone I had been trying to get close too. Now...both are gone. I nearly joined them not long ago...and feeling the pain of loss, seeing so many hurt and injured or in pain from their own loss...I sometimes wish I had. Yet my allies and the Light did not let me go and for that I am grateful at the same time. My work is not done.”

She sighed to herself and leaned her head back against the wall, eyes closing as she continued to speak with faces. “It’s been so long since I came here and spoke to you both, trying to move on past our time and deal with my life on my own. If you could see me now Amboro, I bet you would not even know me. I would have enjoyed seeing both your eyes and  Artrem‘s eyes when I gained my rank and my runes. I miss you both, you aren’t forgotten. Still have your steel rose in my armor, bet that would make you smile.” Sedeela smiled softly before turning her hands down to take away the image of the lost family.

The evening passed once more into the dawning morning of the fourth day since she had entered the shop. Three days to craft, remember and mourn. Three days were she didn’t eat, sleep or answer the world around her. On the fourth day she left the shop, its back room once more sealed off from others. Clad in armor once more she took the portal that would lead her to the rest of the Nor Kure, her friends, allies and her family. As the fire and magic from the forge died down the fading light reflected off the back door and the words crafted into it.

“Aar-don'sha, ki kahl'dos. Krona ki cristorr.”

In the Light, we shall triumph.The Legion will fall.