Shay's Recording Logs

The recording device is an odd little machine. It's about the size of two hands cupped together, with a slot in the front for what look like punch cards under the speaker. A blending of mechanical marvels and Arcane magic. The cards aren't labeled by date, or number, but rather with odd Demonic markings, clearly Shay has her own personal filing system.

A soft coughing sound comes from the machine's speaker as Shay cleared her throat. Her voice is surprisingly 'delicate' for someone in her position, a slightly soft, feminine, voice that sounds more meant for singing about Elune than shouting in Demonic.

"This thing working?" She asked, a tapping sound dominating the speaker. A smaller voice, Gnomish, was in the distance. "Yes! It works! It won't if you keep jabbing it like an idiot, though! Now you gonna buy it or not?"

There's a shuffling sound, followed by the sounds of some coins jingling, before the machine is picked up and carried with Shay as she walks, still recording.

"My name is Shayolath Shiningsong," she says in a rather calm tone, walking and continuing her recording. "I figured I needed a journal, it seems many of my new companions keep them, but writing can be difficult for me. I typically use enchanted quills, but that feels rather...impersonal for some reason for this. So, I've decided to go more technological. I am a demon hunter, of the Illidari. I've recently joined up with the Servitors of Lothar after my imprisonment...I won't be talking about that today..."

There's a long pause as she walks, seemingly thinking.

"What am I talking about?"

"Ah," she finally settled. "I would like to talk about recent events I think. Wow...lots of those to talk about...The Legion is back, but I assume anyone hearing this knows that."

"We were right...by the by...Just feel I should put that in here, a nice clear record...we were right...I wish we weren't, but we were. The Legion came back, and they left a trail of blood and destruction behind them. I joined the Servitors because I felt as if my people's isolation is why we're here in the first place. If we weren't so adamant, if we weren't so...stupid...maybe they wouldn't have exiled us, maybe we could have stopped this...No, we haven't been good members of this 'alliance' for a while now. Maybe that's what I'm doing, trying to make amends."

"More than that, though, I'm here to learn. I want to learn from the other races. I've already found the wonders of the Dwarfs and Gnomes to be breathtaking...Did you know they have a city IN the mountain? I know, right? Who does that? It goes right into the core, you can stand in the center and feel the magma around you...Amazing really. The Gnomes are also impressive. Brilliant creatures, the only finer magicians I've seen before were the Highborne themselves. The humans are no slouch themselves, of course...and did you know we accepted the cursed in at some point? As well as an odd, but amusing, race of friendly bears called 'Pandaren'...We also accepted the Draenei, but I was aware of that before...The Illidari have bridges to build there, still."

"This alliance...it's amazing. So many banners united under one grand one...It was what the Illidari always were meant to be. Warriors of all backgrounds coming together to face a common threat. These Servitors are such an amazing example of it. This invasion..." Her voice goes more quiet at that, a soft sigh escaping her.

"This invasion has taken a lot from them. I saw one of them fall. They kept fighting, though. They were split up, ragged, exhausted, and mourning, but they fought to unite again, and to join forces together to protect their homes. This is what we're supposed to fight for, right? To help the people of Azeroth, to join with them and fight with them. Still, we went through so much to be ready for this battle...and here are these 'un-initiated' warriors enduring so much to keep the fight up." She laughs at that, a soft laugh, almost dreamy.

"What was the point of even letting us out if this is the breed of warrior Azeroth forges?"

There's a few clicking sounds before the sound of the recorder being set down on a wooden table.

"I told you don't touch that," Shay's voice comes, sounding a bit too far away to be the one fiddling with the recorder. "It's delicate and I just put a fresh card in there."

Another voice, closer to the machine, comes in response. A low, masculine, chuckle coming before speaking properly. "Sorry, don't mean to fiddle with your toys, it's just an odd little thing. What is it, gnomish?"

"Mhm," Shay responds with a soft yawn. "I think it has a crystal in it powering it that comes from those Draenei? But yea, it's gnomish in design."

"How are you liking Dalaran?" The man's voice responds, changing the topic. He sounds older than Shay, but not much, his accent much like hers, a heavy Kaldorei one that almost seems to add a slight rumble when he speaks. A skilled ear in the matter could pick up his accent is a bit more 'lower class' than hers, especially now when they can be compared directly.

"It's an interesting city for sure." Shay laughs softly, a gulp coming from her, drinking something as she speaks. "Imagine if our people had a city where magicians were nurtured and praised like this."

The man chuckles again. "Mhm, maybe things would have gone different for your lot."

A loud snort comes from Shay at that. "My kind, please, I'm a generation removed from the 'highborn' thank you. Mom married a 'common' artisan and spat out some halfbreeds."

"There's that Shayolath romantic streak that was so popular in the temple," the man says with an audible smirk. "Speaking of your people, or your mother's people at least. Got any family in the isles?"

"If I do I don't know em," Shay answers as she takes another drink. "I probably have an aunt or uncle or something around, mom had a fairly big family, but I've never met any of them."

"Well maybe this is a chance to." There's a rather long pause, just the sound of the occasional gulp or breath before he speaks again. "You see her yet?"

Shay remained quiet for a moment before answering in a softer tone. "Yea, when my team's boat first arrived. I wanted to visit her so there wasn't an awkward surprise."

"How'd it go?"

"As well as it could have. I don't know if she knew I could see the disgust on her face or what but she was polite at least."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Before I left. I left a bit after the burial."

There's another long pause before the man speaks up. "I'm sure she understands at least. Maybe she just needs time."

"I don't want to bother her any more. I said my greetings, we checked in, we're fine."

"She's family."

"I was engaged to her sister. We haven't spoken in years."

"We were locked away for years."

"Before that, we were never super close."

"Don't lie, Shay, you never were good at it despite your Imp side." The man's voice was harsher at that. "We got let out, this is our second chance, you're an idiot if you throw that away. I'm not saying be the woman's best friend, I'm just saying don't pull your hand away because the first time you've met in years after both losing someone you loved dearly was a bit awkward. We were given this chance for a better life than what Illidan promised us."

"LORD Illidan didn't force us into service, don't blame him for your unhappiness," Shay shot back, the low glass 'thunk' of a wine bottle being set down punctuating that. "Don't give me this better life trash. We chose our lives. Just because you're having second thoughts now that the war is actually at our door again..."

"I'm having second thoughts because I'm sick of watching people die! I'm sick of watching people suffer! Is that so damned wrong, Shay? I can't want a break from the suffering and pain just because I made a vow when I was young and angry?"

"You're nothing if you can't keep your sacred vows. You're just that scared little brat who I constantly beat in sparring if your words are so meaningless. We made our choices, and Lord Illidan has guided us well."

"Oh yes, fantastic job guiding us now isn't it? We're scattered to the winds, Shay. Half the people we served with are peppering Azeroth doing their own thing, the few in our squad left are stuck in the exact same fight we're having where they can't even decide who to trust with their future...The Illidari are dead, and if you want to wear the banner of a dead order that's well and good but don't guilt me into it with talks about oaths and vows."

"If we just walk away now then what, all we did was for nothing? Everyone we love who died died for nothing? If your wife could see you now she'd be sick at what a coward her husband turned into."

"And if yours could see you she'd be disgusted to see the magician she loved with the bright future damned herself because she was too weak to stop the demons from killing her!"

Another long pause, the sounds of heavy breathing filling the room as the two hunters glared at eachother with flaming green eyes.

Then, laughter. Shay's voice first, followed by her companion, starting as a weak chuckle eventually coming to loud rolling laughter fits.

"Look at us," Shay laughs still. "What even ARE we..."

"We're lost dogs," her companion answered, laughing as well. "Our master ran away and now we're wandering around helplessly, snapping at each other..."

"I'm probably going to die on these islands, and when I do the woman I love will be as repulsed by me in the next life as her sister was in this one..."

"I was ready to take on the entire Legion alone in training, but now that everything's cooled I'm terrified of facing them again. Worse, I'm terrified of losing even more people I care for, because I know I can't do my job well if I'm obsessed with this fear..."

More laughter comes before Shay speaks again. "We're just...absolutely broken aren't we? I'm too much of a lapdog to even blame Lord Illidan at all for it, and you're too bitter and scared to accept any of the blame for yourself..."

"Hey, put us together and maybe we make one mostly functional hunter..."

"Yea, maybe together we can survive...Elune help us if we're ever alone again, though."

"Come on, I'll show you the good places to drink here. Maybe if we keep trying to pickle ourselves we can just bury each other and pretend to be kimchi. I think the Legion doesn't care for kimchi..."

Footsteps gradually fade away as the recorder continues to work away. The rest of the card is silence for hours, until footsteps once again approach. Shay's soft, careful steps are rather harshly contrasted with heavy, metal covered, ones.

"Come on girl," a female Dwarf voice says, grunting softly as she pushes Shay onto her bed right by the recorder. "I always warned ya that you long ears couldn't handle proper Dwarf brew..."

"I'm sorry," Shay's voice weakly comes, almost unable to be heard if it was anywhere but right by the table. "I'm sorry," she repeats.

"Not the first time I've carried your drunk arse home, don't apologize, girl."

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," Shay kept repeating, the sound of a choking sob cutting off her next one.

The Dwarf simply sighs softly at that. "It's alright, come on let it out."

"I just miss her so much...And seeing you...you look just like her..."

"Her tattoos were better than mine," the Dwarf corrects.

"Yea...the eagle on her face...the dragon on her arm...she was beautiful..."

"Aye, she was..."

"Do you think she hates me? Do you think she's repulsed in the afterlife because of what I did? When I die...do you think she'll be waiting for me?"

The Dwarf takes in a breath to answer, but whatever came next is lost as the card runs out of space.

The machine begins to record with a low *click* as usual

"Recording Experiment Log Alpha-1. I've been advised by a few Gnomish friends that I should record my experiments, so, here we are. Today I'll be tapping into the demon soul within me, seeking answers for a few pressing questions and a greater understanding of its nature in general. I have locked my door and set up a...I guess crude ritual circle. It's good enough..."

There's some scuffing and grinding as she seems to push around a few heavy things on her floor.

"Yea, this is fine. Alright, meditation to tap into the infernal begins now."

She takes in a rather deep breath before she begins to chant in a surprisingly soft and feminine voice, singing an ancient hymn to Elune before it transitions almost seamlessly into Demonic calling out to the soul within her.

The voice that speaks next is..smaller...Hardly the grand booming demon lord some would expect from a ritual like this. Still, it has a great deal of malice in its voice. Harsh, raspy, words dripping in barely contained venom as it speaks.

"Singing like that, you should be in a temple somewhere...Oh wait, they don't really let your kind in anymore, do they?"

Shay's voice comes through as well, as if the creature was separate from her in the room.

"Ignarzez, charmer as always. I assume you know what I want. Any chance you'll be helpful for once?"

"Aw, you hurt me. I'm very helpful. Who gives you the tricks you use? Who lets you phase in and out of this world like you're swimming down a river? Who lets you summon felfire from your eyes or around your entire body? Who gave you those lovely horns? If anything you're the sponge here..."

"I suppose you're right. Better break the bond then, hm? I'll go join the temple and you can go back to the nether. I'm sure they'll be eager to see the Imp lord who was so eager to help an Illidari out. Do you think they saw that you actually let me beat you during our ritual?"

A low growl comes from the other voice, like a caged animal upset that the prey it wants is on the other side of things.

"Yes and that deal is going swimmingly for me. I bonded with you because you had a lot of big talk about 'shattering the legion', and then you go and get locked up...Now you're out and you're, what, having tea with humans?"

"These bonds help me fight, yes. I'm a better fighter when I'm fighting for something rather than against something. Besides, the people here genuinely accept me, that's a rare thing."

"Mmmhmmm...Careful, little girl. Remember last time you had someone that accepted and loved you to fight for...Didn't do a great job of that did you? Do they know you're a failure? You think you'd be as appealing an attack dog for them if they knew?"

This time the reaction is Shay's, taking a deep breath, focusing herself again.

"I spoke to a few about Mathara, yes. I'm not the only person here who's faced loss, no. You can't needle me with her memory anymore. There are people here who have shared my pain. We're stronger when we suffer together."

The demon's laugh is harsh and sudden, breaking through Shay's forcibly calm tone harshly.

"Look at you, all grown up and spouting the same trash that your lord did. You think you'll even merit the same fate as him? I'm sure he's being held as a trophy somewhere at least. Your bones will be scattered to the winds and forgotten."

"I'm prepared to, if I must, face death as well."

"LIAR! You can fool the rest but not me, not when I live in your soul! You're as terrified as ever, you KNOW the only way your path ends is death and that chills you. You're not stupid enough to think this story ends well for you. You're not childish enough to believe this is the last war. There's always more battles, always more prey...Until the one that gets you. Isn't that why you followed this path to begin with? Isn't that why you're going against everything you were taught and SPEAKING to me? Ask it, ask the question and admit your fears..."

"The Legion...How much worse will it get?"

A low, hoarse, laughter fills the room, much more 'real' than the original harsh burst...

"We haven't even begun to fight. All this? Everything you've seen? This is an appetizer, and look how many champions are breaking. Even other Illidari are being crushed. We are eternal, we are infinite, and you are still a mortal."

"How can I fight what's coming?"

"Well...you'll need more than little old me...won't you?"

"Make me a list. I'll hunt them."

"No no, little girl. You can't just 'hunt' what you need. You'll need to forge it, nurture it...feed it..."

"I won't make any pacts or bindings with any more demons."

"Pathetic. You come all this way, damn your soul, twist your body, spill so much blood, and you're going to chicken out at the finish line? Do you really think you're better, different? Look in the mirror, we're the same. There's no Shayloath and Ignarzez. There hasn't been since the temple. There's both of us, bound as one. If you still think you're 'above' anything I think then you haven't understood that!"

Shay's voice grew harsher at that, snapping angrily.

"This isn't a negotiation! Tell me what I need or go back in your cage!"

"Just open the door and let me out, let me show you what real power is. Let me show you everything you could be...Everything you could have been to save her..."

Something is barked harshly in Demonic by Shay before the other voice fades away, leaving her panting softly.

"Experiment Alpha-1 Concluded...Results...Success. There's something greater I can use, something he feels is leverage over me to dangle out of my reach. I'll find my answer and carve a bloody path through anything Demonic that tries to bargain or block me. I am a hunter...not a tool to be used, or an attack dog. I won't let any more of them into my soul."

The machine switches off with the same low *click* as always, the faint sound of something sizzling can be heard once Shay quieted down to turn it off*

The recording is clear, but behind Shay's voice there's the sounds of winds blowing and owls hooting. She's clearly outside recording this.

"I'm on...shoot I forgot the human-y word they used for it...I'm on a break. Not suspension, not retirement, just...a break. Apparently it's tradition to be given time off around these holidays to allow soldiers to regroup and focus themselves again. This is a new experience for me. The Illidari did not take breaks. Maybe that's why so many of us have issues now."

"One of my fellow Servitors reminded me that we aren't machines, that we need to take times off to keep our mental state healthy. Again...new experience."

"Does that sound whiny? I wasn't being sarcastic, I'm genuinely not used to a group where mental wellbeing takes the form of something other than 'train your mind to keep the demon in check'. I've had a lot of time to think about the differences between my two lives. It really does feel like two lives at this point."

"My first life is over, that much can't be ignored any more. My sister died. She fell in the isles. With that death I'm the last of my line. The last Shiningsong is a Kaldorei twisted by Fel magics. The line is, effectively, dead now. What does that mean? Am I the scion of a family of crypts? Am I free from the pressures, or are they heavier than ever?"

"I always loved the snow. It has a fantastic transformative quality to it. No matter who walks through it, one person or an army marching, snow falls and wipes their tracks away in time. Traces of them are removed until vast white blankness returns to the lands. I travelled nearly entirely across the land to see that the desert is the same. The forest isn't, though. It seems to revel in death. They claim it's accepting the natural order of things but...I never really bought it. Dead plants, dead animals, dead towns. They all remain there, rotting, exposed. Maybe that's a difference between us. People like to pretend all Kaldorei are the same, but we aren't. Where we're from matters a lot. Maybe Winterspring makes us, for lack of a better word, colder."

"I didn't cry when I heard she died. I asked if she died in battle. She did. I was proud of her. I was proud that my little sister was killed by some savage creature under a mountain, because she died fighting. Am I broken? Did I trade that part of my soul away to get this power? Does me knowing this is bad make it better because at least my morals haven't been that twisted, or does it make it worse to know my problem and be unable to fix it?"

"I cried for Mathara. I know I can. I spent days crying for her, dwelling in that pain. I wanted the pain to end, but I didn't want it to never return."

"The snow wipes things away so new things can begin. Maybe that's the reason? The Shiningsong legacy may be over but maybe my own can begin. I love Winterspring, this place will always be dear to me, but this is no longer my home. I say that with no sadness or anger, just as a fact. I think I should go back to my actual home, I'll travel a little more, but now I feel the same eagerness to return to the fort as I did to get here in the first place. I find myself just thinking that Dog will enjoy the mint I found, wondering if the commander may like this little owl statue I bought, eager to try to force some of my more squeamish friends to try some spider cakes I made with the spices from here...The Servitors are my home now. That's not a sad thing, because I truly do love them, but it's a change. I'm less Kaldorei now, not just from the Fel influence either. That's what I wanted, though, isn't it? I wanted to see the world, join the greater alliance, embrace that side of things after being rejected by the one I used to be part of."

"Still, the actual doing of it is hard. There's a sadness I didn't expect, not one of loss or grief, but of...I don't know the word. I'm sad that I'm not as sad as I thought I'd be. I feel as if somehow I should feel shame in this, I should feel sorrow. That itself is making me sad. These are odd emotions. Even still, I spent so long suppressing everything but rage, I'm almost...amazed? There's a complexity to emotions like sadness that I had lost."

"In the temple we were taught that Elune guides us through all things equally. Her light guides us and shows us the beauty in even dark times. I don't think I ever really understood that fully until now. Maybe this break is a good thing after all."

"I've been thinking of an old story I was told as a child."

"Once upon a time there was a great dark forest, and next to it was a small town. None from the town ever went into the forest, for there were great beasts and horrors within that gobbled up anyone who entered. The people in the town, though, grew restless. They felt the forest was theirs as much as anyone else's, and they sought to fight the beasts and horrors to take it."

"A group of great warriors was assembled. The greatest magicians, fighters, archers,  and tacticians was called upon, and the town cheered, because surely these paragons could battle mere beasts. The party marched into the woods to cheers and flowers thrown at their feet, but soon the cheers faded, and the ground under them crunched and cracked, and they found themselves deep in the great dark forest."

"The beasts fell upon them, snarling and roaring. This was their forest, they demanded. Intruders, those who would steal their forest they have birthright to, they must be slain. The party fought for what felt like days. Every beast they slew was replaced by another, and one by one the greatest guardians of the town found themselves alone, surrounded only by beasts, and then there was silence in the forest."

"The town waited for their heroes for weeks before they accepted the truth. There was wailing and crying, there was raging and roaring, and a war party was called to avenge their fallen defenders. They marched into the forest in their anger, armed with torch and blade. How dare these beasts and horrors spill the blood of heroes, how dare they strike without speaking like civilized things, how dare they jealously hold the forest that the town had birthright to. There was roaring and raging, and fire and gnashing, and one by one the avengers found themselves alone, surrounded only by beasts, and then there was silence in the forest."

"Again the town waited, and again there was great wailing when the truth was accepted. This time a group of druids and priests came, claiming that the forest must be tainted, and only their bond with the most sacred and revered could fix it. The healers marched into the forest, singing prayers and chanting hymns. Who were either they or the beasts to selfishly fight for the forest? The forest belongs to nature, and we are merely allowed to touch it. The beasts, however, were not pleased with this. Who were these strange things to speak for nature? Who were they to speak for heaven? What gives them right to declare themselves so powerful? The hymns and prayers were drowned out by roars, and one by one the healers found themselves alone, surrounded only by beasts, and then there was silence in the forest."

"The town remained silent then, for there was none left to mourn the fallen. The forest spread, now full of even greater beasts and horrors, and overtook the bones of the town, and there were roars of joy, and howls of triumph, and great unknowable sounds of victory, and then all was silent."

"I don't know why, but that story has been running through my mind lately."

"It's here." Shay's voice is calm, almost medicated sounding in its flatness.

"Argus, it's...here. I've heard rumors about how but...I will not speak of them. I will not acknowledge that foolish rumor, it can't be true."

"It is," a raspy, mocking, voice came from Shay's own throat.

"You're nothing," Shay's voice responded, a low, ragged, breath coming from her. "You're a dark impulse and nothing more, I've beaten you countless times before."

"Never on my own terms, though. You can feel it too, the pull of Argus, the call of the master. You feel the electricity roaring through you. Have you ever felt this powerful?"

"I'm in control, I'm in control," Shay repeated to herself, switching between her native tongue and common, the sound of pacing coming along with it.

"I've been medicating myself," she says finally after another breath. "It's a brew that I've experimented before. It comes from a variety of herbs, brewed and treated into a nice serum. It...calms me. It's better than the Arcwine even. It dulls his voice, it slows the...electricity. I'm sure the commanders wouldn't approve, M herself forbade drinking explicitly and this is...quite a bit more. I can't slip, though. I can't afford to. She'd understand, it's better to be a bit hazy than to lose control of my other side, especially now. They need me, they need me and I have to be ready. I've been standing watch most nights, my Fel sight helps scout demons..."

She takes in a low breath again. "Argus is like a second sun to me. It burns. There's so much Fel energy there...Goddess there's so much. I knew Argus had been taken over, I had no illusions that some noble resistance force had captured entire swathes of land but...I see nothing but fire and pain. I've been praying every night that there are forces there. The Draenei I've met have been kind, noble, people, even most able to reach their hand out to me in friendship despite our painful past. They...they deserve their home back. It can't undo the Illidari's role in oppressing them, but we owe them this debt and more. When the time comes, we will stand with the people of Argus to take their home back."

There's the sound of glass tinkling lightly before she lets out a sigh. "That's why I need this. I'm not just killing demons because it gives me a rush, because it makes me feel useful, wanted...No, we're going to have to fight The Legion in their home, and we're going to have to try to take the survivors of Argus' home back. For the first time it feels like I have more than a grand purpose, I have a goal. I have something to point myself to. I can't lose control at the finish line like this. I just need to maintain a bit longer..."

"I've returned to active duty, I've even been given an assignment to lead from M. I was welcomed home warmly, trusted with responsibility, treated like a sister again. I needed that, I think."

"Argus was...harrowing. I left my detachment to join up with a small strike force of fellow Illidari. We took up the task of hunting as many Legion leaders as we could, softening the army up for the proper assault. We were joined by countless other soldiers in our travels, denizens of Azeroth and Argus alike who fought and died for the cause as bravely as any true Illidari. Again I found myself humbled by the force behind the Alliance, these mortals who fought as if they had Fel souls as well. They were noble, brave, fighters."

"I failed."

Shay takes a deep, shuddering, breath, refocusing herself.

"My demon took control. The stress of the mission, the presence of Argus' corrupted soul, other emotions...I slipped, I fell. I don't know how long I was out of control, but it was a while. I hurt people. I killed them. I turned on my allies and fled into the wilds to hunt like a primal beast. As shameful as it is, I had more power than ever before. I tore through demonic foes with ease. I was more danger than I ever was before."

"I took control back from the demon, eventually. I had to convince my allies it was so but eventually they realized I wasn't lying. I spent a month in meditation in the Hammer to be sure this would never happen again, but I was able to shore up my defenses thankfully."

"That experience taught me a lot, in all its tragedy. When I left the meditation chamber my first thought was to return to the Servitors. I've frankly never valued a group that much. I knew I liked them, they were my friends, of course, but not since I left my people behind to follow Lord Illidan have I thought of a group besides the Illidari as family. In fact, I think of them as my home. The temple never felt like home, but the Servitors' keep does. I suppose that's why I was fine making this deal with that miserable Ethereal. She wanted Fel soul fuel from the hammer's stores. Not much, not enough to be noticed, but something I never would have traded before. The Illidari come first, that was my view of things. I gave everything up for them, I cast my soul into the pit for them. I broke my family name for them."

"For the first time, looking at this vat of infernal fuel I smuggled into the keep, I find my mind drifting to a thought about those choices that I've fought from countless other initiates and hunters alike..."

"Should I have?"

"My home is on fire."

Shay's voice is ragged, like she's been screaming.

"They set the tree on fire, we couldn't get close...Ro went in...I don't know if she's going to come out. I think M's waiting to court martial or me or whatever the mercenary version is if I step out of line. I don't blame her, I was an idiot. I still am. I still want to go in, I want to just fly along the coast killing anything in Horde colors I see. I'm not sorry, but I understand her job was to prevent more from dying, and I made that harder, so I do regret that."

"They have to pay for this, though. This is unforgivable. It's one thing to do this invasion at all, but to fire on a city full of civilians, to destroy one of our few proper 'homes' we have left...This has to be answered, with blood and fury. M and Jo didn't like me talking like that. Again, I understand, but again I'm not sorry. Of all people M should have understood. She lost her home too! Did she really just accept 'wait and see' from others during that? I'm starting to feel Stormwind just doesn't care. Maybe I was right about this alliance nonsense. Humans will never understand this, maybe they don't care as long as we stay on our side of the world. Maybe they will when refugees are flooding their streets, and they have to look us in the eye when they tell us 'wait' and talk about the virtues of peace..."

"They forget my people's history. They forget we're warriors. We're not just nature loving priests and wise ancient druids. We fought for our homes, we carved them out of empires. The Horde won't scare us, we've survived far worse, most times alone. If the lion won't stand with us maybe we should do it again."

She laughs bitterly at that.

"Listen to me, suddenly a patriot. I was locked away by my people, condemned twice for the gifts that made me strong, but here I am, filled with hate to the animals that attacked us. I wallowed in anger so long but now, with the Legion broken, I thought wounds could heal. I was finally starting to feel comfortable in my peoples' lands. I finally felt like I could once again be who I was before all this."

"Then the fire came, and again I feel rage and pain. The demon is louder now, louder than even on Argus. He knows I want more power. He knows I want to make them die for this. He knows for the first time I actually want to say yes to him. I need my medication to mute him, I'm genuinely afraid of what could happen if my control slips."

"I feel nothing."

There's a long pause before the sound of a glass hitting a table comes.

"No, that's wrong. I feel a lot. Rage, sorrow, hate, fear. I feel all those. I feel no relief, though."

She sighs angrily.

"We took their city. That lunatic bitch doused it in blight to keep us from holding it but they're just as without a home as us. I don't feel better, though. My home isn't back. My people aren't fixed, we lost too much taking the city. War doesn't fix things. War won't heal anything. Just like with the legion, every victory is paid for in blood. Every win leaves orphans and mourning lovers. There's no winning."

"What now, then? Where do we go? Is this just what the life of Azeroth is? War leading to war leading to war? This eternal cycle of two snakes wrapped around each other, so wound up that even if one dies the other is left trapped with the corpse? I've put my medicine away. I can't keep using it. I can't keep feeling numb. I need to cry, I need to scream, I need to do something. This is just the beginning, I know that much. My dreams are coming back to me...I haven't had them since I was small, since before my vows. Maybe the death of the legion means some of the fel chains on my soul are slacking. In my dreams I see two great beasts rising from the sea, clashing with each other as the oceans churn with blood. I don't know what it means, but I know it's a warning. This war isn't going to stop soon. We're both too deep in, we're both too far in. We've showed our cards, everyone knows our goal is destruction of the other side. We can't just turn around and go home after this."

She sighs again, softer this time.

"Izzy was a good woman. The 'natural' types and I usually don't get along, but she was always kind. She didn't deserve to go like that. Heroic or not, that's a horrible way to die. Still, it was on her feet, protecting us all. I don't know how her people view the afterlife, but I hope that those who die with honor are rewarded right in it. I hope she's at peace at least, it's all any of us can hope for."