Oaksong Ch. 09: A Mother's Plan

Sudden nausea struck Delleren, from exertion and guilt. He had probably doomed this woman who, as far as he knew, had not done anything wrong. Dutybound, he had little choice in the matter, he told himself. Such thoughts were of little comfort.

"I am sorry," he whispered. "Forgive me."

He quietly left the room. "Please make her comfortable," he told the two priestesses standing outside.

🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃

A soft breeze blew through the forest. The scent of flowers filled the air. Talena breathed deeply, savoring the freshness of the evening.

A soft hoot woke her. Talena looked to her side.

Brightbeak was perched on the windowsill, flapping his wings. He gave another hoot, more urgent this time.

"What?" Talena asked. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Where's Shalendris?"

Brightbeak flew away from the window. Talena got dressed. The clothing Shalendris had worn to bed was still beneath the covers. Perhaps her friend had gone down for breakfast, but the urgency displayed by the avian spirit made her believe otherwise.

She walked out into the main room of the cottage. It was empty. She considered calling out for Shalendris, yelling her friend's name, but she didn't know who - or what - else was in the village. She was almost alone, now. The other elf's belongings had remained in the room.

Talena searched every corner of the small house. There was no sign of Shalendris.

Tears welled up in her eyes. What if something happened? What even could have happened that would not have woken her up?

The priestess slowly opened the cottage's front door, looking around. She saw nothing but the traces of wagons and boots in the dirt. Then she heard the flapping of wings.

It came from the woods. Talena ran toward the sounds, finding a trail there, at the edge of the forest, on the other side of the village from where they'd come from.

Desperate and alone, Talena tripped over a wet rock, falling face first into a puddle of mud. "Augh!" She spat out the foul liquid, wiping it from her chin, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh my, you should have told her to stay put, birdy!" came a bright, cheerful voice. Talena looked up to see a tiny floating dragon, no larger than a house cat, with colorful wings that kept it aloft.

"Who are you?" Talena asked the bright blue creature. "What are you?"

"First of all, kind of rude. But I'm a Faerie Dragon! Name's Moonflutter! And this is Seralune," said the bubbly thing, flying over to the trees from which emerged another creature that Talena had never seen, though she had heard of them.

The woman, a dryad, had the upper body of a night elven woman, with the lower body of a doe. Flowers adorned her long, green hair, seemingly a natural part of her body. The priestess glanced at the woman's chest, noting that two leaves covered the modest handfuls. Even with her particular physiology, the deer-woman stood a little under six feet tall, shorter than most Kaldorei women.

Most importantly, the dryad held a wicked looking wooden spear. "Hi!" it said, its personnality resembling that of the Faerie Dragon that had perched atop her head. "You're Shalendris's friend, right? Well, we were just heading back to the forest, so we can go find her!"

"Are you sure? You don't mind?" Talena asked.

"Not at all," the dryad replied. "We'll be happy to help."

Moonflutter landed on Talena's shoulder. "There's not much the four of us can do to fight the demons, but the Ancients have called for our aid."

Seralune smiled and said, "we've also found a few of the elves and tauren coming from the south plains. They were in pretty rough shape, but they spoke of you and Shalendris. We left them in the care of Pebbles for now."

Talena gasped, a sudden joy rushing through her. "Shalendris? Where is she?" She wiped a bit of mud from her face.

Brightbeak, Moonflutter and Seralune looked at each other and then back to Talena. A sad expression crossed their faces. "Brightbeak tells us he saw her disappear while you were sleeping."

"Disappear how?" Talena asked.

"Well, literally. She vanished. But he tells us he can still feel her presence so there is hope still. Which is why we came to find you," Moonflutter explained.

"I'm sorry, Talena. It's been a terrible day. I know she must be terribly frightened," Seralune said. The dryad reached down to help the night elf up.

A sharp pain in Talena's ankle forced her back down. "Agh!" she cried out, holding the ankle in question.

"Oh dear! Are you hurt?" asked Seralune.

Talena tried to stand again, but another stabbing sensation ran through her foot.

"Perhaps you should rest before you try walking," suggested the dryad.

"No, no. I've got it," Talena said, dragging herself to a dryer spot, the outfit she'd only recently acquired already caked in mud. Placing both hands upon her ankle, Talena closed her eyes, muttering a rapid prayer to Elune. She felt the healing magic flow into her body, silver light emanating from her hands, leaving behind a tingling warmth.

"That looks better," said Seralune.

Talena opened her eyes and smiled. "Feels better, definitely. I think I can walk now."

The night elf took a tentative step, the pain had numbed somewhat but had not left her completely. "I was afraid... for a moment. Afraid that Elune had left me."

"Now, why would she do that?" Seralune asked, offering the teal-haired elf a smile. "She wouldn't abandon her favoured children, even when other forces work against them. She watches over us, even now," added the Dryad, pointing to the full moon overhead.

Talena felt reassured and returned the dryad's smile.

Offering her forearm, Seralune whistled to Brightbeak who immediately perched upon it. She offered the avian companion a gentle scratching behind the head. "Don't worry, little one, we'll find your mistress. But first," she glanced at Talena. "I think you're going to need dry clothes."

🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃

The road ahead was far easier than it had been with Shalendris, given that Talena had three woodland guardians to guide her. The priestess suspected that her new allies used some sort of magic to transport them, given how quickly her surroundings seemed to change. They traveled without incident until they approached a massive mountain range. In front of them rose a tall peak, its summit covered in snow.

"These are the Rimefrost mountains. Arathruil to your people," said Seralune. "We're not going to be able to go around or through this. Luckily, for us, your friends are within."

Talena looked at the peaks, feeling a chill run down her spine. "How do you know about these caves?"

Seralune smiled. "My kind have inhabited the forest ever since the first elves came to be known as such," she explained, gaze following Brightbeak flying overhead. "Elune has blessed our home with many wonders. We know every tree, flower, bird and beast."

Talena nodded, impressed.

"What about the mountain giants? Do they live here too?" Talena asked.

Brightbeak landed atop a nearby rock, his wings flapping slightly to keep him steady. He pecked at some moss growing there, taking off soon after.

Moonflutter answered, "Oh, they live here in great numbers, but they aren't very friendly towards other races! They really don't like being disturbed! They're usually content to stay within their own territory, but sometimes they wander outside. If you see one, try not to provoke it. Pebbles is pretty friendly, but some are quicker to anger."

"I'll keep that in mind," Talena laughed as a chill wind passed over them.

Seralune led the way up the mountain pass, keeping her eyes open for any danger or irregularities in the stone.

Talena followed behind, watching the woods pass by. Pines that still grew at this altitude protected them somewhat from the cold. She wondered what other creatures one could find in these remote reaches.

Panicked hoots could be heard as Brightwind flew into view, only for Talena, Seralune and Moonflutter to see the ethereal avian being shot down by a flaming bolt, crashing to the ground next to them.

"SLAY THEM!" came a roar from above, a colossal doomguard diving from above the canopy towards the two women and the faerie dragon, its halberd covered in evil, glowing runes.

Talena ducked low, trying to dodge the attack. A blast of flame hit her shoulder, searing her skin. Her arm went numb, and she felt a burning sensation course through her entire body.

Moonflutter deftly avoided another flaming missile, its wings flashing with a purplish light briefly. From the sky, a beam of lunar fire shot down, ripping into the Doomguard 's wing just as Seralune parried its diving blow with her wooden spear, hopping aside. The fiend growled, pulling its weapon from the soil below, its aerial attack foiled as the lunar beam threw it off balance.

A dozen or so imps had now appeared around them, flinging searing bolts of flame their way. Those that did not hit their intended targets soon ignited fires in the surrounding woods. The two women and the faerie dragon were now surrounded.

Talena's vision began to blur, and she noticed that the pain had spread from her arm to the entirety of her body. Before she could summon the light of Elune to protect herself, a sharp pain tore through her injured ankle. The ground rose to meet her. In that accursed drunken stupor, she had twisted her ankle once more. It was as though an inferno burned through her insides and she could barely move her limbs. She watched as Brightbeak lay a few feet from her. Its eyes looked back at her. He was alive, breathing with some difficulty. Everything spun. Hot winds licked at her prone form.

"Talena!" Seralune shouted, leaping to defend the young priestess.

The Doomguard , taking note of the weakened priestess, swung its halberd down in a great arc, trying to finish her off. His weapon met the dryad's, knocking the green-haired creature off balance. The two exchanged blows, the agile dryad managing to get a few solid hits in before the doomguard managed a parry. The winged fiend's riposte came too quickly for Seralune, and the weapon slashed at her arm, cutting deep.

Talena tried to stand to cast a spell at the demon, but nothing happened as she extended her hand towards the creature.

The priestess felt dizzy, as if something was draining away her strength. She reached out to Brightbeak now instead, and her fingers touched his outstretched wing. A soft silver glow emanated from her hand, spreading through the spirit companion's entire body. "Go get help," she pleaded. It was as though the bird had woken up suddenly, looking around for a way to fly off.

Moonflutter swooped down, its wings emanating a greenish mist that soon enveloped a handful of imps. Futilely, they tried swatting the mist out of their faces. As they inhaled the magical dream-fog, their eyes closed and they fell into a deep sleep, tiny bodies hitting the ground with small thuds befitting their stature.

Using the opening created by the faerie dragon, Brightbeak flapped his wings powerfully, launching into the trees. A few remaining imps tried to aim projectiles at the spirit bird, but only managed to hit trees which soon caught on fire.

Seralune bounced out of the way of another of the doomguard 's strikes, slashing his side open with the tip of her spear. Green blood spurted from the demon's wound, sizzling as it came into contact with the ground.

The demon's eyes glowed red, and he swung in a wide arc. Talena watched helplessly, feeling her consciousness drifting. It felt like she only regained a portion of herself. Her mind seemed to be split between watching the battle and being aware of what was happening within her own body. Slipping in and out of consciousness, she followed the battle as best she could, catching glimpses of Moonflutter and Seralune fighting off an increasing number of demons of various shapes and sizes.

Smoke and sparks filled her vision. The flames had spread to the surrounding vegetation. The forest was burning.

Seralune finally managed to knock the demon off balance with a powerful lunge, sending him tumbling across the ground, an impressive feat considering the size difference between the two. His weapon rolled to the side. He landed awkwardly, and Talena saw another concentrated beam of moonlight conjured by Moonflutter pierce one of the demon's legs, eliciting a howl from it. As the creature struggled to regain its footing, Seralune dove in for the killing blow.

The spear did not connect. The doomguard 's huge, clawed hand gripped the weapon, holding it firmly as Seralune struggled to push the tip forward.

"Pathetic," it growled. "Is this the best this world has to offer?"

Seralune watched in horror as the fiend snapped her spear like a twig, causing the dryad to lose her balance momentarily, only to see a fist larger than her head coming right at her. She dodged as best she could, but the impact still connected with her torso with a sickening crunch, knocking the air out of her. The dryad flew backwards, slamming against a tree. Blood soon covered the woman's forehead.

Talena groaned impotently. The demon limped slowly towards the wounded dryad, picking up the foul halberd he had dropped. The night elf once more tried to cast a spell, any spell, that would help Seralune. She felt a calmness pass over her. Her vision dimmed as the darkness took her once more.

Shouts. Roars. Metal clanging against stone. The crashing of a tree. A cold wind blowing against her.

Talena rose with a gasp to see a Kaldorei man swinging around a gigantic stone hammer, his green hair flowing about as the weapon connected with a lunging Felhound, shattering the beast's skull and spilling its green blood all about.

Arrows whistled past. The ground shook.

An armored elven woman, twenty feet away, swung a glaive that whistled through the air, decapitating three imps before the weapon returned to her grasp. She had but a single arm.

Talena summoned what strength she had, adrenaline pumping through her.

Another elven man, with pink mustache and bald head, extended a hand towards the blaze. Cold winds blew from his palm, extinguishing the flames.

The woman shouted something Talena didn't quite understand.

The imps charged their spells, attempting to combine their fire bolts together to create a more powerful spell, aiming at their new targets.

Moonflutter swooped down with Brightbeak, both winged creatures ramming into imps. Talons dug into demonic eyes. Dream dust filled the air around their enemies. Some of the creatures screamed in pain as the spirit owl began to tear at their flesh as others fell asleep.

The hammer-wielding night elf picked Talena up effortlessly, holding her on his shoulder. The priestess then saw the trees giving way to a colossal being. Thirty feet high, the bipedal stone being reached down to gently cup an inert Seralune in his hand. Fire bolts hit his gigantic stone fingers, sputtering out harmlessly.

Talena heard the male shout something to the giant. Her eyes followed the stone giant's other hand which reached for a winged form. Its fingers wrapped around it. Its fingers closed around the brown-red creature and squeezed. Fel-green blood ran down its closed fist as it crushed the doomguard .

It was impossible to see what had become of the creature's physical form, but she preferred to avert her gaze as the mountain giant tossed the demon into the forest, far away.

"The dryad lives," Pebbles said, eyeing the immobile form he held in his open palm.

🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃

Many of the refugees in the cavern complex were unknown to Talena. It came to her attention that the demons that had ambushed her small party were the ones who had tricked so many villagers to abandon the relative safety of their homes. Elves were easier to pick off outside the relative safety of their villages, where the demons could set up ambushes. Not only that, but the Burning Legion seemed to savor the cruelty of offering hope to those they would later rip it from.

Seralune was under the care of other dryads, but Talena had apparently succeeded in healing some of the creature's wounds with a minor spell after the doomguard had thrown her against the tree, allowing her to survive long enough to receive better care.

Tau'kale and Au'lah had made it out, it seemed, though not without some additional scars. Great burns covered much of their bodies, but they managed to crack a smile when they saw the priestess visit them. The young Tauren male had recovered much of his strength, though the older Au'lah would not be able to travel for some time.

Captain Faella and Allendril had managed to escape the burning village after the demon assault, the magical sleep that had once bound the sorceror breaking during the chaos. When Talena explained to the pair that it was Delleren who had slain Tarraxis, they all concluded that it was that act which had put an end to the curse.

"And where is he?" asked the stern fighter. It was no secret that Faella had grown to appreciate the young male and she seemed worried that he was not with them.

Talena lowered her eyes briefly. "Shalendris and I had to escape."

Faella frowned, worry tainting her countenance. "Escape?"

She told them both the tale of what had happened in as much detail as was necessary, intentionally avoiding the part where they had sexually exhausted their savior to escape him.

Allendril twirled his magnificent pink mustache, contemplating the information. "Such a disappearance... with clothes left behind such as you and Brightbeak describe. Either our Shalendris has figured out a very crude form of teleportation magic or she was transported against her will. Neither make things easier for us. You say this Delleren was taking you towards Zin-Azshari rather than Black Rook Hold, as he said he would?"

The priestess nodded, hoping he'd already come to a conclusion.

"These spells typically require some great familiarity with the target - destination or individual," continued the bald elf, his gaze alternating between Faella and Talena. "You two must have grown close to him in the short time you've known him."

"Ah - you could say that, yes. He did save our lives, after all."

Allendril chuckled. "Yes, well. There is one way we could try and pinpoint the location of our purple-haired friend."

"Hm?" Faella stared at him. "Does the bird not know where she went?"

"I'm afraid not. Brightbeak can only sense Shalendris," came a great, booming voice behind them. For a moment, Talena thought it to be Tau'kale, but the way he spoke their language let her know it was another elf. She turned to see the same man who had helped rescue her in the forest, his face framed by a great beard of the same green hue as his hair. He wore a leather kilt and not much else, holding his great stone hammer on his shoulder.

"We do have a Greatseer at our disposition, Vilthen," remarked Allendril, turning to the new arrival. "Considering I do not have any scrying materials at my disposition, she is our next best bet. And... from what I've been told, your link to the girl could be of great use."

Faella smiled, nodding. "Indeed. Let's go see if she can help us locate his daughter."

🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃 🍃

It had been hours since she'd woken up. Shalendris shivered, covering herself with a blanket that had been provided to her. At least they were made of thick fur and provided some comfort. She had no other clothing to speak of. The room she was in was empty, save for those blankets and a pillow. Magical runes had been burned into the floor and she ignored their purpose.

The door to the room was barred from the other side. She tried knocking multiple times, even calling for help, but no answer came. Nauseating smells came from the other side, a foulness she had come to know as that of fel magic. The ground shook under her feet.