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Redemption	By : Larien Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 3589 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
It had been several days since Illidan had gifted her the glaives, and he had not been back. Were it not for their existence, Larienel would have believed the visit had been a dream. When she told Kisei about Lord Illidan’s gift, and pledge, he snorted, and continued on. The tauren still had no respect for the lord of the Illidari.
         Kisei continued to try healing her wound, but it was proving to be exceptionally difficult. The fel corruption seemed to prevent the power of the Light from working. Kisei’s apprentice, the troll shaman Zaz’tik fared a little better. The life-giving power of the element of water seemed to increase her body’s natural mending somewhat, and the wound was beginning to close, albeit very slowly. Kisei had also consulted with the druids on board the Vindicaar, but their magics proved ineffective as well. Larienel was ready to resign herself to months of recovery when Illidan suddenly appeared in the doorway of her room.
         “I’m surprised to see you here in the daylight, Master Stormrage,” Kisei said mockingly as he noticed Illidan’s presence, “I thought for sure you’d continue skulking about at night, scaring patients, or did you come to start another shouting match?”
         Illidan growled slightly at Kisei’s imperious tone, but he forced himself to not rise to the provocation.
         “I am not here to castigate you, tauren. In fact, I have come to offer assistance. As I was considering the issue of the fel influence blocking the healing, I remembered that there are several herbs that grow around Azeroth that thrive on the destructive properties of fel energy. Felwort for example. My theory is that potions created from these herbs would be able to heal Larienel’s wounds because the same energy courses through our veins.”
         “It is an interesting theory,” Kisei countered thoughtfully, “but there is still an issue of supplies. I have none of this felwort on hand, and cannot currently spare anyone to gather it.”
         “I have taken care of that already.” Illidan responded, holding out a bag of herbs to the tauren.
         “Zaz’tik and I will get started right away,” Kisei said, “Perhaps I was wrong to judge you as harshly as I did. It seems you do care somewhat about those who serve under you. Thank you for providing these supplies.” Kisei left the room calling for his assistant, but Illidan remained, his gaze lingering on Larienel’s bed-ridden form.
         “It is good to see you, Lord Illidan,” Larienel said, slightly off guard by his presence, “I thought I had said something to displease you, as you had been gone for several days.”
         “No, Lieutenant,” Illidan said, “I have been woefully behind with certain duties, and I needed time to get together the supplies that I gave to your healer.”
         “I thank you, my lord,” Larienel said bowing her head, “but where did you get so much felwort in such a small amount of time? Granted, my knowledge of herbs in the Broken Isles is little more than proficient, but from my brief time studying them, I don’t recall felwort being overly abundant.”
         “Prior to our last conversation, Altruis had expressed concern for your condition, he was only too happy to help gathering the herb.” Illidan said, smirking at some private joke. His good humor was infectious, and Larienel couldn’t help letting out a small chuckle as well.
         “I thank Altruis for his concern, I was unaware he felt any attachment to me. We’ve never been overly close.” Larienel chuckled.
         “I do not believe Altruis is particularly close to anybody.” Illidan said. Illidan smiled at her, and they both shared a small laugh. As he looked at her, visions of her lithe movements popped into his mind, replaced quickly by the memory of her head in his hand, the feel of her skin on his. The smile left his features, and he quickly became stone-faced and neutral.
         Larienel was about to ask him to stay and talk, when Illidan spoke, “I must leave now, I have pressing matters to attend to.” He proceeded to walk out without another word, leaving Larienel confused. Illidan’s behavior these past days puzzled her. Sometimes he was warm, and affectionate, other times he was colder than a blizzard in Winterspring. There seemed to be something troubling on his mind of late, but she could not figure out what it was. She desperately wished she could help him, however, she had already seen the consequences of offering her help when it wasn’t desired. For now, she decided she would focus on getting herself back to fighting shape.
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A few hours later, Kisei entered her room again looking somewhat grim. A single glance at his face told her he had failed at making the potion.
“Larienel….,” he began somberly, but before he could speak, she cut him off.
“It will be ok, Kisei, I know you tried your best. We shall just keep working like we are, as my wound slowly mends.” She said with a forced smile.
“No, you misunderstand. We were able to make a potion.” He replied, still in a serious tone.
“But that is a good thing!” Larienel explained, “Why do you look as if someone ordered your execution?”
“Because, it’s possible someone did,” Kisei began to explain, “Felwort is a highly dangerous herb, used in many poisons. It works so well because of its fel-tainted biology. We believe we’ve brewed a healing potion that should work with your unique physiology, but it could also be a deadly poison, and kill you instantly.”
“So you wanted to make sure I understood the risk to me?” Larienel asked, feeling both affection and irritation at the tauren. He knew she would take any risk to be healed.
“And to Zaz’tik and myself.” Kisei replied
“What risk to you?” Larienel asked, confounded; how would her drinking a potion pose a risk to Kisei and Zaz’tik?
“Well,” Kisei chuckled a little, “if you perish because of this potion, it is unlikely that Lord Illidan will be so forgiving. In all likelihood, Zaz’tik and myself would not be far behind you on the journey to meet our ancestors.”
Larienel snickered somewhat at that. She mentally agreed with Kisei’s assessment of the situation, as Illidan was not known for his merciful attitude. She reflected on the situation. On the one hand, she would give anything to be fully healed. She desperately wanted to return to planning raids, hunting demons, and fighting at Illidan’s side. And yet, was that worth the risk of both Kisei and Zaz’tik’s lives? These two owed her nothing, and in fact were only doing their job trying to fix her. Could she place them in danger if this potion failed? But, how many others would perish if she was not allowed to continue Illidan’s crusade against the Legion? She wished there was some way to take the potion, and protect the tauren and troll. Larienel resolved to take the potion. If she was honest with herself, she knew she was taking the selfish choice, but she believed Kisei would understand.
“I understand the risk the both of you are putting yourself in. I hope you will not think too harshly of me that I still wish to take the potion. I wish no harm upon you or Zaz’tik, so I will fight to stay alive, but I cannot keep sitting in this bed, neglecting my duties. “
Kisei looked her over solemnly, and replied, “I took an oath to heal all the wounded at any cost. I understand your dedication, and both Zaz’tik and I are willing to take this risk with you. We hold no ill will. I will do my best to make sure you live through this.” Kisei embraced her, wrapping his huge arms around her. She could feel that he truly cared about her, and she felt a twinge of regret about the danger she was about to put both him and the troll in.
“Give me the potion.” Larienel said breaking the embrace. He handed it to her, she opened the top and drank the whole thing in one go.
At first, nothing happened, and just as she was beginning to feel despair, her abdomen began to itch. The sensation quickly spread to her whole body. She twisted on the bed trying to alleviate the sensation, but it was only getting worse. After a few moments, it intensified and began to morph into a conflagration inside of her, and the pain was excruciating. Larienel let out a primal scream as an inferno roared inside of her. She thought she heard Kisei’s voice trying to calm her, and she distantly felt strong hands try to hold her down as she writhed. The flames that had replaced her eyes seemed to intensify, and everything in her vision took on a much more vivid hue, but all she could focus on was the BURNING!
She prayed for relief, or death, as she was consumed from the inside out, but relief would not come. The fire raged! She was on the verge of giving in and passing out, and yet she remembered what would happen to Kisei and Zaz’tik if she gave in. Through sheer power of will, she forced herself to remain conscious through the pain. After what seemed an eternity, she noticed the flames seemed to be reducing in intensity, and after a great deal of time, she noticed that the burning sensation was subsiding. The sensation went from a fiery pain, back to itchiness, and then disappeared altogether. She dared a look down at the wound in her abdomen. The skin was fresh and raw, but it had knitted back together. She was healed! She attempted to push herself up to a sitting position, but a wave of pure exhaustion and weakness hit her, and she fell back against the bed. She saw Kisei lean into look at her, and he seemed to be saying something, but she could not make out the words. Her vision was fading, and her last thought before she lost consciousness was that, while her physical wound was healed, the potion had stolen her strength.
Larienel awoke sometime later, to see Kisei and Zaz’tik sitting in chairs opposite her bed. She noticed a cool damp feeling on her forehead, and realized that there was a wet cloth on her head, most likely to bring her temperature down. As she stirred, the pair jumped up and approached her bed.
“Thank the Earth Mother you are awake!” Kisei exclaimed, “Don’t try to stand! Do you need anything?”
“Water…” she croaked in a raspy voice
“Ya got it, dearie!” the troll said, conjuring a miniature totem that spewed water into a small glass. Zaz’tik handed the glass to Kisei, who put it to Larienel’s lips and slowly helped her sip it. The water was cold, and the most delicious drink she had ever had, almost as if it came directly from a glacial spring. It refreshed her, and eased some of the pain in her throat.
“Thank you.”
“You gave us quite a scare!” Kisei said, “Your temperature rose so high, we thought you were going to spontaneously combust. But it looks like the potion worked. Your wound is healed!”
“Was it worth the cost, though?” Larienel replied dejectedly, “All my strength has been sapped, maybe permanently. I can barely lift my head without nearly passing out. I am no better than an invalid. How can I serve Illidan in this condition?” Larienel was distraught at the thought that Illidan would cast her out. If her eyes had not been burned out by the ritual, she was sure tears would be filling them at the moment.
“Calm down, Larienel. Don’t lose heart.” Kisei said soothingly, “It’s not as bad as you think. The potion had an unintended effect. It seems rather than healing you magically, it boosted your body’s natural recovery rate at least a hundred fold to completely mend the wound in a few minutes which would have originally taken months to fully recover from. However, that energy had to come from somewhere. The exhaustion and weakness you are feeling is because of how much of your natural energy was drained as a result of the potion’s effect on your body. The good news is that all your strength will return to you in a few days, so you will be back on your feet much sooner than you think. However, you will be somewhat weak for a little longer.”
A smile broke over Larienel’s face, as she experienced renewed hope. She had been reinvigorated. Illidan had kept his promise, and found a way to heal her. She would be back as his Lieutenant, and would prove herself to him. She would be worthy of his respect, and worthy of the trust he placed in her. Her purpose was still intact!
“Sleep now, Larienel, and rest assured that everything will be fine soon.” Kisei said smiling and patting her head affectionately. Almost as if by magic, her eyelids grew heavy, and she sank into a dreamless sleep.
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It had been several agonizingly slow days, but Larienel’s strength returned. She sat on the hospital bed excitedly waiting for Kisei to return. She knew he would discharge her today. She had grown close with the tauren and troll healer over the last fortnight, but as much as she liked them, she ached to get back to her duties. She needed to finish plans she had been working on. But, like any predator, she also needed to hunt. Her inner demon wanted blood, and she was itching to test her new blades against the infernal legion and its minions. She ached to fight side-by-side with her master, slaying the foul abominations that filled the ranks of the enemy.
Looking at the blades, she reflected on the fact that Illidan had not been to see her since his visit to drop off the felwort. Kisei had of course informed him of the success of the potion, and had received a short note in reply thanking the healer for his work, and to notify him if there were other developments. There was also a single sentence about wishing Larienel a speedy recovery.
She felt a bit disappointed that Illidan had not been back, but Larienel understood that this was a protracted military campaign, and that her master likely had much more pressing matters to attend to than one wounded soldier. But soon she would leave this infirmary.
She heard the sound of hooves on metal, and her excitement grew exponentially. Immediately that excitement turned to confusion, though, as Kisei entered the room. Larienel could tell right away that something was wrong with him. Kisei’s eyes seemed bloodshot, and he was was hunched over, moving slowly as if exhausted. He also did not acknowledge her presence as he busied about the various charts and medical supplies. There seemed to be an almost melancholy energy in the air. She figured he must have had an extremely late night, and possibly lost one or more patients. In their many talks, he explained how much care he took with all his patients, and how much it hurt whenever he lost one. She decided to try and lighten the mood.
“Kisei, I know you are sad about letting me leave, but do not worry, I can still arrange time for you and Lord Illidan to engage in a shouting match.” Larienel said in a humorous tone, hoping to rouse the spirits of the healer.
The sound of his name caused Kisei to look at her, and at first there was no recognition in those red eyes, but then they focused on her, and it seemed he was seeing her for the first time, and then his whole demeanor changed. A weary smile crossed his features.
“Ah, Larienel, please excuse my rudeness,” Kisei said, his tone heavy with sadness, “My mind is elsewhere this day. It has been a long, sleepless, night.”
“I came to tell you,” Kisei continued, “that before I release you, I wanted to run you through some simple exercises to test your reflexes and strength. I’ve booked a training room a few hours from now, but I have no doubt that by the end of it, I will be giving you a clean bill of health.” Kisei walked over and gave Larienel an affectionate pat on the shoulder. She could still sense something was off with him, and decided to try and find out what ailed the tauren.
“No apologies needed, my friend, but tell me, what has you so out of sorts. Was there a large number of wounded last night?” Larienel said with concern in her voice.
“Nothing like that,” Kisei said in an assuring manner, “No, this is a personal matter, and I do not wish to burden you with my tale.”
“We are friends, Kisei. It is no burden to listen. Besides, until you release me I have all the time in the world.” Larienel scooted as far to the other side of the bed as she could, and patted the mattress beside her, motioning to the tauren to have a seat.
With a resigned sigh, the tauren sat down beside her and pulled out a piece of parchment.
“I received this letter yesterday from,” Kisei paused in hesitation, “an old friend.” He handed over the letter to her, and she began to read.
           “Horns,
I know it has been awhile since we’ve seen each other, and our last meeting did not end with us on the best of terms. I wish to make amends. I need your help. I have finally found the beast that slew our beloved Serenia, but I fear I cannot handle him alone. I want us to set aside the harsh words we said to each other, and destroy this foul creature. Perhaps then, our dear girl’s spirit may be put to rest. I will be in Dalaran, at a tavern known as the Legerdemain Lounge for the next few days. I would ask that you come meet me, but if you do not wish to, know that I bear you no ill will.
Your friend in this life and next,
-Jarek Stonehammer

Larienel finished the letter, and read it again before handing it back to him. She noticed that as he tenderly held the letter, tears formed in his eyes.
“I take it you and this Jarek shared the same lover, and she was slain, and he needs your help. Were you all from the same tribe?”
“In a manner of speaking, I suppose. But Jarek is no tauren, and Serenia was not my lover. She was my adopted daughter.” Larienel’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Please, tell me more.” He had never mentioned any family, and she hoped he would expand upon this surprising revelation.
“It is a long story, and not a happy one.” He said, looking at her with sadness.
“As I said before, at the moment, I have all the time in the world. As you healed my physical wound, perhaps by telling your story, I can help heal your emotional wound.” Larienel replied in a comforting tone.
“Very well.” He let out another sigh, and began to tell his story.
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Many years ago, long before our current troubles, I lived in a small tribal village in Mulgore, just outside of Thunderbluff. I was a priest for the village, and would often visit other areas if someone needed healing. Other times, I would travel around just to see new things. This was a few years after the Orcs had settled and built Orgrimmar, and the humans had built Theramore.
I was out with a small patrol in the southern Barrens. Black smoke had been spotted coming from near the border of the Barrens and Dustwallow Marsh. I went along in case anyone needed healing.
As we neared it, we came across a young human girl in her adolescent years. She was slightly burned, bloodied, and wild-eyed. Rather than a meek young girl, however, she had fierce spirit, and upon seeing us, she drew a small dagger, and brandished it at us. It would barely suffice to protect her, but we were all impressed with her bravery. I approached hands outstretched to show I meant no harm. I spoke the common tongue, having spent time in Thunderbluff, and other areas of Kalimdor.
“You are safe, human. We came to investigate the smoke. What is your name?” I said as friendly and soothingly as possible.
“S-S-S-Serenia.” she said weakly. I slowly approached her, and embraced her, and she began crying into my fur. After she calmed down, and I used the light to heal her wounds, she told me her story. Her family had owned an Inn on the border of Dustwallow and the Barrens. While it seemed an odd place to build one, it had a lot of foot traffic, and her family was happy to serve any of the races. From dwarf to goblin, night-elf to orc. Not everyone was happy with that, though. Some deserters from Theramore burned down the Inn, and tried to frame members of the Horde races. She just barely got out.
We rode back with her to the site of the inn, and she was right. It had been demolished. There were several badly burned bodies, and their races were indeterminable. Serenia broke down again, and I held her while she cried. I offered to take her to Theramore, but she asked if she could come with us. After the former members of Theramore’s militia had burned the inn and killed her family, she didn’t feel safe amongst her fellow humans. This was several years before the various troubles between the Horde and the Alliance began to come to a head. We brought her back to our village, and she lived with me.
At this point, I suppose I should tell you a little about her. She had hair the color of amber grain, and eyes that were the turquoise of an ocean surf near the shore. At the time, she was around four feet tall, but she eventually grew to be over six feet. Though I taught her about the Light, and being a priestess, she chose a different path.
As I said, she had a fierce spirit, and pursued the path of the Warrior. She had a natural ability with weapons and armor, and she quickly rose through the ranks. She even trained with Baine Bloodhoof, although this was before he led our people, and Cairne, his father, was still alive. She was also very headstrong, would sometimes make foolish decisions, but always with the best of intentions. You remind me of her a great deal. It is why I took such a shine to you.
Fate often takes us down odd roads, ones we rarely foresee. It was one of these roads that led me to take in a human youngling, and raise her as my own. It was another that led her to meeting the love of her life, Jarek Stonehammer.
When she was just over 20 years old, one blustery fall day, the Darkmoon Faire had come to town. Prior to moving out to their own island, it was just a travelling faire that came to Mulgore every other month, and also visited the human settlement of Goldshire on opposite months. As she was enjoying the various activities at the faire, she encountered a young dwarf. He was an oddity at the Mulgore faire as the Alliance races tended to stay away, just as the Horde rarely visited the faire in Goldshire. It was uncommon for one to venture here. It turned out Jarek had been visiting a relative in Theramore, and they decided to journey over and see the faire.
Jarek was a member of the Wildhammer clan, those dwarves that choose to live outside of Ironforge in the peaks of the Hinterlands, tamers of the gryphons that many of the Alliance members use for transportation. His life path is that of the Hunter, exploring the wilderness, and forging bonds with the beasts of the wild. He was of average height for a dwarf, and had hair and beard the color of a roaring bonfire, which matched his fiery personality.   The two struck up a conversation at the Shooting booth. She was frustrated that she couldn’t win the game, as normally she was a fairly good shot. She angrily claimed the game was rigged. Jarek, however, proved her mistaken, and won her enough tickets from the game to get a small prize from the Faire. The pair were completely smitten with each other after that.
I can’t say Jarek and I formed an instant friendship. In fact, there was a lot of tension at first. For what father truly believes anyone is a good enough match for his daughter. Though I silently disapproved, I trusted that Serenia was following her heart, and that she would make the decision that was right for her. Not long after, they were wed and my tribe grew again.
Eventually, the various troubles that have plagued Azeroth made their way to our little corner of Mulgore. Baine Bloodhoof personally approached the three of us and asked us to join in the various campaigns. Jarek was an expert wilderness tracker, Serenia was a valiant fighter, and defender. And I provided healing energies to the wounded from my connection with the Light.   Together, we faced various threats to Azeroth. I have shown you mementos of some of the campaigns we were involved in. The Qiraji swarm in Silithus, under the command of their dark god C’thun. The invasion of Outland and toppling of your master’s stronghold the Black Temple. It’s funny to think that our paths may have crossed at that point, long before any of us knew each other.
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“If our paths had crossed then, you would not be sitting here, telling this story.” Larienel interrupted, her voice filled with mirth. Kisei smiled and snorted before continuing his story, not bothering with a retort.
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As I said before, Fate often takes us down odd roads. The three of us also participated in the raids of Northrend, where we helped defeat The Lich King, known in life as Arthas Menethil. Together, we survived numerous threats.
And yet, sometimes, fate will pull the cruelest trick. Shortly after Deathwing shattered our world with his attempted cataclysm, Serenia was taken from us. She was out on a routine patrol, examining the changes to our environment, when her unit was ambushed and captured. When their band did not check in, Jarek and I set off immediately to locate them.   Several days of tracking led us to a remote lair in Feralas. The sight that greeted us was grisly and heartbreaking. We were too late. All of the patrol, including Serenia had been murdered and desecrated. Serenia lay there, covered in blood, a brutal looking dagger still lodged in her body, left there after they cut out her heart. I will never forget the look on Jarek’s face when he found her thus-not until my dying day.. To say he was heartbroken does not properly explain the state Jarek was in. Seeing one mourn for their their love is something that would crack the ice of even the coldest of hearts. I did my best to cover her, and I prayed, trying to resurrect her, but as her spirit was missing, the spells only healed her physical wounds. She could not be brought back. There were other corpses too, with dark hooded robes As we continued to search the lair, we finally came upon one living being, and when it faced us, we realized it was a demon. The creature called itself Tyranthus. And it explained, in delight, about what had occurred. He had been the head of a group of warlocks, remnants of Cho’gall’s Shadow Council. They had captured the patrol under his leadership to sacrifice them as part of a demonic pact. Only Tyranthus neglected to tell the other warlocks they would be sacrificed as well, so that he would wield all the power, much as your master did when he served under Kurtalos Ravencrest.
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Larienel looked away, and her face turned slightly crimson. She knew, as many did, about Illidan’s past actions. He had earned the title “Betrayer” for a reason, though very few would use that title in his presence, for his temper was legendary. She willingly served him, but did not agree with all his choices.
Kisei looked over at her, and realized he had struck a chord, “I apologize for my comment, Larienel. It was out of line.” His tone was apologetic,
“I serve Illidan’s cause willingly, but I will neither condemn nor condone his past actions, regardless of my personal feelings. Please finish your story.” Larienel’s tone was neutral. She did not wish engage the tauren on the subject of her master.
“You are full of surprises Larienel, and my respect for you only grows. You are both loyal and independent. It is a strange duality, but one that you seem to have succeed it at.   But, per your wish, I will return to the story.”
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The creature laughed malevolently, as it knew we were there for one of our own. In a blind rage, Jarek and I both attacked the beast. It overpowered us, but let us live, saying we would never be able to capture him. The monster took perverse joy in keeping us alive, knowing we had failed to prevent its ascension, and failed to kill it as well.
We spent several years trying to hunt the demon, but few leads existed. Jarek was consumed with the idea of vengeance, to the point of obsession. Eventually, we parted ways after a harsh exchange of words, and I have not seen or heard from him until receiving this letter last night.
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“And that is where my story ends.” Kisei said, still looking down, tears in his eyes, folding the letter, and sticking back into his pouch.
As Larienel looked at Kisei, wallowing in misery, a look of disgust began to creep over her features. Hearing the story, she was let down by the tauren’s actions. How could he not still be hunting the demon? Her next words, she spoke in a reproaching tone.
“And so, you left him on his own? To hunt down the foul creature that killed his wife….your daughter? If it had been my child, I would not rest until the creature’s foul bones were crushed to dust. But I suppose as she was not your natural daughter, she was not quite as important you.”
Kisei whirled on her, a look of such fury upon his features, that she she backed up as far from him as she could. He had never had such a look even when arguing with her master. He advanced toward her, stomping so hard that he left a hoofprint in the floor.
“DON’T YOU DARE SAY I DIDN’T CARE FOR SERENIA! SHE WAS MY ANGEL! WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ME!?! HOW MANY OF THE DEMONS THAT SLEW YOUR SISTERS HAVE YOU PERSONALLY SLAIN? HOW RESTLESS IN YOUR PURSUIT HAVE YOU BEEN, PRIESTESS?” Kisei bellowed, snorting in rage, as he continued to step towards her. She began trying to feel for her blades, in case she needed to defend herself from Kisei’s fury.
But just as quickly as his ire appeared, it seemed to fade, and the tauren seemed to deflate some. He sat down again on her bed, and dropped his head.
“I...am sorry Larienel. Jarek voiced much the same argument to me when we parted ways, and in truth, I cannot blame him for his harsh words. In his mind, I let him down. Many of those same thoughts plagued me for a long time after I left him. But, vengeance is not the tauren way, nor was it my tribe’s. We celebrate the life of those who have passed on, not mourn their passing, or give in to hate. As hard as it was to make the choice I did, I knew Serenia would not want either of us to waste our lives in a quest for revenge.”
An intense feeling of shame overcame Larienel. In truth, she had not tracked down any of the demons that slew her fellow priestesses. She had no idea where to look. In fact, she had left to find Illidan almost immediately. Larienel moved over, and embraced the tauren as much as she could.
“It is I who should speak forgiveness. I spoke in haste with no consideration of the effect my words would have. But, why has the letter upset you so?”
“We have both spoken words we regret this evening, and we can leave it at that. Yours is a fair question. I am torn between honoring my bond with Jarek, and my duty here on the Vindicaar.”
“Surely the generals would give you leave to destroy this ‘Tyranthus’ if you asked.”
“I did ask, last night. I was told that a major assault is being sent out soon, and that all available healers will be needed as they are expecting a large number of wounded. I have been assured that I can be given time in a few weeks, but right now, they cannot afford to have me pursuing personal matters with no concrete intelligence. So, I must decide, do I aid my friend and perhaps find personal peace, or do I remain where I can do the most good? Would Serenia be proud of me for destroying her killer if my absence from the Vindicaar meant other families would deal with the same pain and loss I did? That is the decision I currently wrestle with.”
Larienel understood perfectly. Had she the chance to obtain her vengeance, would she abandon all of her duties to do so? She honestly couldn’t say. It was a choice she would not wish upon anyone, least of all the compassionate healer sitting before her. She wished there was some way she could help him, but she did not know how.
“Is there any aid I can offer you, Kisei?” she asked, her tone filled with care.
“No,” Kisei said smiling ruefully, “this must be my decision alone. Speaking with you has helped immensely, Larienel. I am in your debt. I will return when it is time for your tests, as I have other rounds to make.” Kisei gave her one final hug, and proceeded to leave the room.
When Kisei was gone, Larienel sat considering everything that she had been told. She truly felt for the tauren. They had grown very close, and he was one of the few that knew of her past. He had also worked tirelessly to heal her and keep her spirits high, and she was indebted to him for that. She wanted to pay him back. She looked around her room, and her gaze fell upon her weapons, and she stared at the blades, and it was like they were calling to her. Larienel held up the letter she had swiped from Kisei during their embrace, and read it one more time. She knew how she would repay him.
“The Legerdemain Lounge, eh?” Larienel said out loud to herself, a grin of one who had a plan spreading across her face as she gathered up her weapons, “I think I deserve a drink.”
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