A redraw of the first piece I made of these two as a couple. They've both been through a LOT since then. Sinafay ( @codegemini ) was reincarnated and regained her sight, and Argonas ( @argonas ) got hotter with a beard and a few extra scars <3
Overall, I'm very happy with how this picture came out. It's a pretty good feeling putting the two pieces side by side and seeing how I've grown as an artist over the years. I kind of wand to do more of these now XD
I've just finished making my way through the Underdark in Act 1 and I'm going feral over how much I loved it. The colours and the aesthetic were genuinely gorgeous, and unexpected tbh. The combat was mad and chaotic. NPCs super original. The whole experience of the Arcane Tower made me feel so cool and clever as I figured out how to break in. And the sequence of sailing the ebonlake to arrive at the Temple just felt wonderfully high fantasy epic skzhznzkjhg
Sorry, very off topic for my blog and somewhat incoherent, but I just love this game so much 😭💕 I hope others are enjoying!
[[ Co-written with @kidcatgemini, player of @sinafay1 and @sinafay-the-defiant ]]
~*~
The Kyrian’s duties in Korthia were primarily as scouts. Their air superiority gave them a distinct advantage in surveying the area. But even for a wingless Kyrian adherent like Grakkar, scouting was the best way he could contribute to the joint efforts of Death’s Advance. An eye in the sky was one thing, but without getting a sense of things on the ground, it didn’t count for much.
The orc hefted his axe over his shoulder, relaxing his stride as he stepped out onto the open road. He’d trudged and crawled through the thickets, underbrush, and cliffsides of this unforgiving land enough for one day, and now returned to the Keeper’s Respite up the hill. Today’s report wasn’t much different than yesterday’s-- fighting here happened quickly and spontaneously, and ended equally so. It made it hard to predict when and where the Mawsworn would strike. But they weren’t amassing anywhere out of the usual. For now.
Grakkar stopped, eyes shooting wide as he entered the encampment. His heart skipped a beat, swelling up in his chest! It was a face he’d know anywhere-- Sinafay’s! What was she doing here? And why was her skin so much more blue than before? Her eyes, too were--
“... Oh.”
It dawned on him, heart beating back normally again… though feeling excessively heavier now, as a result. It was Sinafay. But not his Sinafay. His wall of a Soulbind by her side confirmed it, as the two spoke indistinctly across the camp. Shared a kiss… then Argonas stepped away, approaching the Kyrian forward commanders. Likely to report in. He’d been scarce lately, but Grakkar understood why. After the Battle for Ardenweald, he finally attained what he came here for in the first place. Sinafay.
And… there she was. Standing alone now, watching her mate from afar. That same hopeful, jovial expression as she looked at Argonas that her Lightbound self back home would give Grakkar when he was around. It made him miss her all the more, seeing this facsimile here and now.
Before he knew it, his legs took off without him, closing the distance between him and Sinafay. By the time he was within talking distance of her, he realized he had no idea what to say!
“Nice body.” was his knee-jerk reaction.
He could almost taste his foot as he shoved it in his mouth.
“--Uhh, I mean… I’m glad you restored it. Your body, I mean.” he tried to correct. “Because, you know… last I saw you were a soul.”
An attempt at a save. Not a good one, but an attempt!
Sinafay visibly bristled at the voice. She recognized the gruff Orcish accent easily enough. Her eyes narrowed as she snapped an ice cold glare at Grakkar. Her tail twitched, clearly demonstrating her annoyance as he fumbled his words out.
She hadn’t yet had a chance to discuss with Argonas how he’d ended up with an Orc as a Soulbind. Either way, she at least attempted not to be immediately hostile towards him, if anything because she wasn’t aware of the specifics of how the connection worked.
“Thank you…” she replied, though it appeared to take great effort on her part, “It has served me well thus far.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her hip, brows knit as she looked him over. Old… very old. No doubt a good fighter to have reached that age. She wondered how many Draenei deaths he was responsible for…
There was an awkward silence as they both just stood there eyeing each other. She wasn’t certain why Grakkar wasn’t leaving… was he attempting to befriend her because of the link with Argonas, she wondered? Sinafay looked over towards where her husband had gone, hoping to catch his gaze and indicate he should come back, but he appeared to be in a deep conversation about the mission report. She let out a heavy sigh before returning her attention to the Orc.
“You and Argonas are… Soulbinds, yes?” she figured she might as well attempt to gather information, “What exactly does that entail?”
“It’s, uh… complicated.” he sputtered out, not entirely sure how to answer that. “The Kyrian do this ritual to connect people, so they can draw on one another’s strengths. Argonas and I share a link of sorts. Memories. Emotions. Those kinds of things we can glean from one another’s pasts.”
It was honestly about all he knew about it, for having undergone a Soulbinding ritual personally. The rest of it felt… innate. Unable to be put into words, just understood through the experience. He found a lot of shamanistic rituals were like that, too.
“--Ah! You’re a shaman, right?” he brightened, smiling as he remembered that fact! “I remember Argonas mentioning that. Or… reading it from his memories. Either way, that’s impressive! Where I come from, not a lot of Draenei have the tenacity or commitment for such a sacred calling.”
He smiled a bit. Relaxing. This was going well… he thought. He hoped.
“I… am, yes,” she replied, tail flickering behind her. She wasn’t about to mention that having a new body made it so that she had to reconnect with the elements once again. It was one of the main reasons she wanted to accompany Argonas to Korthia, what better place to reconnect than on the field of battle itself?
The idea of him gleaning memories and emotions from Argonas was… disturbing, to say the least. Especially considering she and her mate had spent the past few months doing nothing but celebrating her return in very physical ways! She couldn’t help but wonder how much of that he’d picked up. Perhaps it was the reason he was so relaxed around her. Her nose scrunched up in disgust. It was uncomfortable to say the least. This Orc already seemed to know so much about her, yet she knew next to nothing about him.
For the moment, she pushed aside the memory and emotions issue to concentrate on the other things Grakkar had divulged.
“What do you mean ‘where you are from?’” She couldn’t help but ask, noting his skin color and tattoos, “You speak of Nagrand?”
"Heh, good eye. You know your clans, it seems." he nodded.
Grakkar then spread his arms and turned slightly to further show off his Warsong clan markings. He was impressed; this Sinafay seemed as interested in Orcish culture as his was!
"I'm from a different timeline than you are, though-- the one you Azerothians returned to and saved from the Legion's devastation." he clarified, straightening up once more. "After you all left, the Orcish clans and the Draenei empire lived in peace… for a time. Before the Lightbound Crusade."
A frown crossed his features, diminishing the polite and friendly smile he had tried to maintain in her presence. Even now, the sudden betrayal of the Draenei weighed heavily on his heart. He lost so many people he cared about to that zealous treachery. Including Neelah.
"But… that isn't a very pleasant story." he shook his head, shrugging the negative memories away for now. "Regardless, it's impressive to see a Draenei cultivate an affinity to the elements."
Sinafay simply blinked as a pack of new information came rolling out of the Orc’s mouth. Draenor? Draenei and Orcs living in peace?! Lightbound Crusade? She shook her head as she tried to digest it all… except none of it made any sense!
“Wait wait wait,” her arms finally uncrossed from over her chest, to bring her fingers to rub at her temples, “You are saying that the portals to Draenor are OPEN again?! Since when?! What the fuck is a Lightbound?! What crusade?!”
So many questions filled her head. She looked towards Argonas once more. He hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort!
Fuck, she needed a drink!
Grakkar's eyes widened, brow raising. His lips grew narrow, as he began to recognize the familiar signs or panic and confused anger in this Sinafay he had learned from the true one back home. He had definitely upset her.
"--Oh, uh… no, no. The portals aren't open again. They were briefly so we could escape the Lightbound Crusade." he tried to explain simply and quickly as possible. "The, uh, the Lightbound were what the Draenei in my timeline became after the Azerothians left. Their leader grew zealous and broke the peace to try and force the Light onto us. They killed anyone who resisted, so… uh…"
Only after he expounded on the terrible incident did he realize… knowing more probably wouldn't calm this Sinafay down. Just like the feeling of shame and anger he felt learning the Orcs of the Azerothian timeline had succumbed to the Fel, he suspected this particular Sinafay might not be pleased to hear her people had become oppressors.
Whoops.
"I, uh… I'll let Argonas fill you in on the rest of that. Where'd he get off to, anyway…?"
He joined Sinafay in looking for his Soulbind… but the crowd had grown. Argonas was nowhere in sight!
She took the opportunity to get up in his face. Hands grabbing his tabard and tugging his attention back to her as she growled at him. He was right, she was upset. Tail flicked erratically behind her, and despite having not fully reconnected to the elements, static electricity and sparks of lightning became evident at her growing sour mood.
“Details, Orc,” she practically barked out the command, “Now.”
His lips almost curled into a smile. Almost. Sinafay was so sexy when she was angry and aggressive… even this Azerothian variant! It took significant willpower to keep his hands at his side, rather than grabbing at and groping the Draenei like he would do back home in a situation like this. He had to remind himself this wasn’t his Sinafay.
Hopefully she didn’t notice his erection-- the damn thing clearly couldn’t tell the difference.
“The, uh… the clans were thinned, and forced to merge into one clan and unite against the Lightbound. But even that didn’t stop them, after their empire had grown so powerful. The last of us escaped through the portal to Azeroth, right after the Ogres succumbed.” he elaborated, at her insistence. “Light drove them to madness, same as an excess of any magic would. I know things worked out differently in your timeline, so this must be hard to hear, Sina. But… your people on Draenor turned into zealots.”
He brought his hand up to gently push hers off of him. His arousal abated, after recounting the awful tragedy that ended his life on Draenor. That, and Sinafay’s rage was far less sexy when he couldn’t fight back, as it turned out...
“--Look, don’t get mad at me, alright? I didn’t raise my weapon to any Draenei who weren’t trying to kill me. After the peace, anyway…” he attempted to quell her anger further. “No, during the Lightbound Crusades, I even worked with a Draenei; the real Sinafay, actually! And later after that, Sinafay and I… well… she became my mate.”
He smiled. That would’ve surely cheered her up, to learn that her true self wasn’t one of the oppressive out-of-control Lightbound that conquered his people!
“We even had a child together-- but that’s more recent, once we got here to Azeroth. Argonas thought it was his at first, and we had a big fight over it. I won, easily, but it was still a sore point in our relationship.” he continued, filling Sinafay in on the more recent details. “But we’re past it now, and are working together! One more point of proof, if you need it, that I’m most definitely a friend of the Draenei! Married one, have one as a child-- and if I can work well with Argonas, what more proof do you need?”
With a hearty laugh, Grakkar brought his hand firmly down on Sinafay’s shoulder! He was so glad they were getting along now!
Sinafay’s head spun. She remained in front of Grakkar, hands still up in front of her, balled into fists as he recounted all the details to her. Her eyes widened as he explained the path her kin on Draenor had taken. Surely, the Orcs must have provoked them somehow! But then, she’d seen for herself how the Naaru and the Light could corrupt back on Argus. It turned her stomach that such a corrupted path had been the one Yrel had taken…
She shook her head slowly, face visibly paled and brows drawn together as she tried to make sense of it. Surely, Rurik wouldn’t have stood for something like that nor would her mother or—
—The news of her Draenor counterpart took her completely by surprise. She blinked as Grakkar updated her on her alternate self. She stared at the Orc in shock and disbelief. Part of her was pleased that the other Sinafay had both fought against and survived the crusade. It seemed their will to do what was right and their survival skills were similar.
Apparently, though, that was where their similarities ended. Her counterpart was mated AND had birthed Grakkar’s child?! And why would Argonas think the child was…
Wait.
He would only think the child was his if…
Anger returned to the forefront of her mind as she realized two things. One: her alternate self had managed to cross over and was now living on Azeroth. Two: Argonas was sleeping with her again.
The hand on her shoulder was the breaking point. Baring her fangs, Sinafay grabbed Grakkar’s upper arms and moved forward as she raised her knee, swiftly connecting hard into the Orc’s testicles.
“Fuck that bitch and fuck YOU!”
She was furious! Her eyes flared as lightning sparked around her form. Shoving Grakkar aside, she stomped off into the wilds of Korthia, tail swinging aggressively behind her.
She needed air.
~*~
Grakkar wasn’t sure how long he was on the ground. His eyes fluttered open to see his Soulbind Argonas, scowling down at him. Slowly, sound returned to him. Muffled mumblings at first, but growing more clear as his senses returned to him.
“... ere is she? Where is Sinafay?” Argonas asked, demandingly.
That’s when it started rushing back to the Orc. The memories and the pain, both. He winced, feeling the intense pain in his groin all at once.
“--A-Ancestors…” he whimpered.
Argonas, too, grimaced-- their Soulbinding translating that physical pain in Grakkar into sympathetic pain for the Vindicator. He glanced down, and briefly brushed his hand overtop the Orc’s battered bundle. A flash of Light, and the pain was suppressed. For now.
“--Hnngh… Thank you…” Grakkar managed to speak, no longer straining from the intensity of the pain. “She… kicks really hard… I didn’t expect it-- we were getting along so well!”
“Clearly not as well as you think!” Argonas resumed scolding.
He pulled Grakkar up, whether he wanted to sit up or not, and crossed his arms before him.
“I will ask again; where is she? You were with her last, and clearly upset her!”
“I… I don’t know. We were talking about Shamanism, then about Draenor…” Grakkar replied, as the memories started lining up again. “Then about the Lightbound, and the real Sina… then our child, and--”
“--Wait, you told her about the other Sinafay?” Argonas interrupted, frowning. “What exactly did you say?”
“That she and I had a child together. I told her how we fought over it, when you thought it was yours, but only to indicate that we had moved past that, yeah?” the Orc replied, grunting as he slowly stood up. “I was trying to show her I’m not like most of the Orcs you and she have encountered in your timeline. That I’m a friend. I thought that’d be best, given our circumstances.”
Argonas had stopped listening after the part about the baby. His eyes widened, skin growing a paler shade of blue. He turned, staring at the ground as a million thoughts raced through his mind. None of them good.
“... She knows, then. And she is not happy about it.”
“About what?”
“About the other Sinafay. And how we--”
He gasped, turning to Grakkar. He didn’t have to say it-- their soulbind link conveyed it well enough in the moment. Argonas was not supposed to have rekindled things with the Sinafay from Draenor. Grakkar could tell immediately.
“... It’s alright, big guy. Look, you just explain to her that you thought she was gone for good, yeah? She’ll forgive you!”
“Does she seem like a forgiving person to you!?” Argonas snapped back, brow furrowed. “They hated each other! Light, I should have warned you, but I did not expect you would speak of that in your first ever encounter with her!”
“... Second, technically.” the Orc mumbled to himself. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
The silence lingered between the two of them for a moment. Both feeling the complexity and awkwardness of the situation through their soulbind. Finally, Grakkar shrugged.
“I’m gonna go.”
“I think that would be best, yes.” Argonas nodded. “Lay low for now. I will sort this out so it does not interfere with our duties to the Kyrian.”
“--No, Argonas… I’m gonna go home.”
Argonas raised his brow, as he looked at Grakkar. The Orc nodded resolutely, as he hefted his axe back over his shoulder. Aside from a pair of bruised berries, his encounter with Sinafay had left him with one thing; homesickness. As much as he wanted to help, he was starting to realize what this time apart from his mate and daughter was really costing him. He had been able to push his feelings down until now. But seeing Sinafay? Even a copy of her? Those feelings were too much to ignore.
He didn’t have to say it, though-- Argonas could feel it. And honestly, were he in the same position, he couldn’t say for sure that he’d continue to squash the feelings for the good of the mission. It was time for his Soulbind to return to Azeroth.
“... Mm. So be it.” he replied, nodding.
He stepped forward, and extended a hand. A gesture of goodwill-- the first he’d ever made towards an Orc! Grakkar smirked, taking Argonas’ hand in his and squeezing it firmly. They grinned to one another.
“Honor and glory to you, Argonas.”
“And Light’s blessings upon you and yours, Grakkar.”
Grakkar nodded one final time, before turning to depart. He paused, calling back as he approached the portal.
“--And good luck with all that!”
His chuckle echoed across the Sanctuary, before fading away with his physical form back to Oribos.
Avehi led the trio to a small cave. The term was a generous one; it was a hole in the cliff facing, hardly noticeable from the outside. Avehi only found it thanks to a subtle rune placed over the entrance. Not by her hand, but that of a friend. She peered inside, and once it was determined to be safe, only then did the Draenei lower her guard.
Argonas brought up the rear; his hulking mortal form only barely able to slip inside the cave-- and not without a bit of scraping. Still, he managed inside without drawing too much attention to himself or the cave overall. He loitered by the entrance, not keen on delving too deep in the cloistered space. Keeping watch was as good an excuse as any. He exhaled slow, even breaths to suppress his phobia. Few things gave him anxiety like rightly enclosed spaces. But he set that aside, out of necessity.
For Sinafay.
His eyes turned to her, still unconvinced she was really there. It seemed… impossible. But he knew it was her. He could feel it, even without being able to touch her. She looked magnificent, even as a weary, time-tortured soul. Her defiance burned, an undiminishing aura that was so uniquely hers. He'd missed it so much.
Avehi was less sentimental in the moment. Of course, she didn't know this Sinafay too well. The similarities with her counterpart were strong, though; she blamed herself less for mixing them up the first time she encountered her, looking for the one she knew from Draenor. On second look… it seemed the two were inescapably linked, even across their different timelines. Curious. She shook her head, and turned to Sylaess; the provider and defender of their makeshift hideout.
"Any sign of Raetos?" Avehi asked her hooded elven friend, slinging her hammer over her shoulder once the cave opened up wide enough to allow it. "I don't know how much time we can spend looking for him."
A small shake of her head was all that was offered. The shaded hood didn’t offer much for expression, but it wasn’t really necessary in the Maw. She shifted, rummaging about the small quarry of supplies she’d netted. Two small packages bound in ebon cloth, to be fair. Food. Waterskins. Bandages. Inane things, but not to be expected of the Acherians.
She knew Argo would need these things. Hoped Raetos was good enough to find himself some forage--though it had a cost. Syl tugged the hemp straps tighter, securing them. A nasty Maw-sworn spear rested on the wall beside the entrance. Another thing she’d stolen.
She didn’t dare steal more than a few glances at Sinafay. She was glad they’d found her, but the sight of her left Syl more confused than she wanted to wade through at the moment. She knew her, but did she really? She couldn’t exactly recall anything determinate about her, other than that she was Argonas’ mate and that she had caused the unlikely friendship between her and Argo. But there was more!
She smoothed her hands on her greaves a moment and stood up, shaking her head again. “I can guarantee this place for but a few hours. They move fast on very little intel. Resources are not a concern of theirs.” Picked up the spear and stood quietly at the edge of the cave, watching outward.
“I see groups moving up the pathways, but none returning yet. That may be our best bet. Won’t be easy.”
“Nothing worth doing is easy.”
Argonas moved just a bit further inside as Sylaess joined him at the cave’s entrance. He pressed his back to the wall, and exhaled a weary sigh. The Maw was taxing; he expected as much. But he had thought it would be taxing on his soul alone, not his body. And yet moving in this place felt like a chore. His body was an encumbrance, unfit for such a place. The Death Knights and Sinafay had no such burdens upon them; the former eternally strong and used to the feeling of willing their corporeal forms around. And Sinafay clearly didn’t have one to slow her down. Despite his physique, he felt fatigue deeply in this wretched place.
His soul was lifted, at least, as he looked to Sinafay. Getting this far was such a boon! Inspiring! He knew he would find a way to save her from this place. With her free from the Tremaculum, their journey was halfway done! He smiled at her, finding the fortitude to see this through.
Sinafay, for her part, seemed oblivious to everything around her. Everything but Argonas, anyway. Her tail swayed, eyes never leaving him. She didn’t know how many years she’d been in the Maw for, or even what it corresponded to on Azeroth. Argonas certainly looked older… or perhaps it was the beard? She noted some new scars on his features, and the longer hair! Her hand reached forward, but the ghostly limb simply moved through him.
She sighed. What she wouldn’t give to have her body back right now. Despite her disappointment in now being able to touch him, she returned his smile. That sight alone was enough to wash away the weariness of her soul.
“We shouldn’t stay long, regardless. We need to find Sinafay a vessel of some kind, otherwise we won’t be able to pull her from this place.” Avehi replied to Sylaess, tail swaying in unease. “First, however, we’ll follow the group up the pathways you mentioned. Hopefully, it’ll lead to a way out of this place. In searching for both… maybe we’ll get lucky and find Raetos, too.”
This place was grating. It was the longest Avehi had spent beyond the veil, and it wore on her. The whispers were far too reminiscent of the Lich King’s reign. Worse, somehow. She hated it.
“What do you think, Sylaess?”
“Yeah.” She side-eyed Argonas a moment. Offered him one of the neatly wrapped packages. She could be empathetic to his situation. It mustn't be fun. Wrapping her gauntlet around the spear, she slipped out into the bleak air. Quiet, despite wearing so much armor, and rather light on her feet. Seems she had recovered enough dignity to look professional.
A single glance back was all she gave before she struck out. Scouting ahead.
It wasn’t until the hooded figure came near and handed Argonas a package. Sina tilted her head, taking a closer look at the figure.
“Syl?”
She glanced back, but hurried herself out. Nope. At risk of looking like she had just legitimately run away from a ghost, she tugged her hood and stepped it out. Aimed to melt into the motley grey and bleak of the landscape.
Not much use--anyone living stood out here. At least, in her own perspective. The dead carried a very certain...
What was it, exactly? Aura? No. It was something else. She just bloody knew.
The eyes on her back raising the fine hairs at her nape was really making her begin to grind her teeth.
“The Jailer will have--!”
She didn’t hear the rest of it. Took a mace to the head. Her stolen spear went skittering across the stones as if borne by a flood of spiders. Watched it skitter from her descending view.
Well, fuck.
The runes along her armor exploded into that terrible light. Pale blue, like her eyes had once been. Blaringly bright in this place. A massive spike of ice shot up under the scout--was it a scout? Who cares.--and through it’s oddly fleshy body. Syl stood up, roughly brushing herself off with a grunt.
Scooped her spear.
“I think we need to go now.”
The mild displeasure in her voice was clear as the sun. Vicious self mocking at its best. These ... people? Whatever. Assholes, more like, came from thin air it seemed. Sometimes.
Sinafay couldn’t help but smile to herself. Yes, this was most definitely Sylaess. She’d fought along side the Kal’dorei long enough to recognize her movements in a fight.
It was a bad sign that they’d been found already, though Sinafay wasn’t all that surprised. She stood up and walked over to the mouth of the cave to stand next to Argonas. Instinctively, her hand reached out for his… and of course passed right through.
“She is right. We are out of time. Where is our escape located?”
Sunrise in Stormsong Valley woke a nameless peace in Grakkar. Perhaps it was the verdant, rolling landscape that reminded him so much of Nagrand. The human settlements on the horizon notwithstanding, it felt like home. He wondered if that was why he enjoyed his station there so much. The partial familiarity, interwoven with the excitement of the new experience, gave the Orc this feeling of contentment he couldn’t quite name. And yet… it was that same familiarity that ushered in a taint of sorrow. Nagrand was gone, now - the Draenei had taken it.
The tinge of sorrow he felt had multiplied with each passing Stormsong sunrise. He knew every day spent here was one more day his beloved Sinafay had to spend in enemy hands. And as tenacious as he knew the Vindicator to be… he wasn’t sure exactly how many days would be too much. Each sunrise he saw here could’ve been the last she’d see there on Draenor.
He grunted, brow furrowed as he turned from the sight of the sun cresting over the rolling hillscape. He didn’t feel like worrying about such things anymore. The time for it had passed; now was the time for action.
The first steps towards saving Sinafay started now.
“--Lissah.”
He called out, descending from the hilltop back down into the small cavern at Windfall. The outpost the two of them had built together had flourished. Horde troops, quartermasters, and wyvern tamers moved in to utilize the encampment as a full-fledged reinforced Horde foothold. They had everything they needed there. And anything more they could possibly want was only a short trek down the hill to Warfang Hold. Windfall Cavern was fully operational.
It was the perfect time to leave.
“You said you had something that could take us directly to your city, yes?” he inquired, eying his violet-skinned scouting partner over. “Today’s the day. We shouldn’t waste time.”
Aelissah’s silver adorned ears flickered, and she looked up from the inventory list as Grakkar addressed her. She’d left him to decide the best time for them to travel to Suramar. A test. She was curious to see if he would chose to abandon their post out of impatience, or if he’d wait for the proper troop numbers to arrive and help secure the foothold. She was pleased to discover he chose to do the later. It showed her he could make proper decisions, even when faced with an emotional dilemma.
She knew he wasn’t being entirely honest with her. There was no way someone would risk such a complicated, dangerous and near impossible mission for a ‘good friend’. Going back to the very place he’d barely escaped with his life? No. That was love. Whether Grakkar believed it so or not didn’t matter. That was how Aelissah read the situation.
And that was why she wanted to help him.
The inventory list was handed off to an ugly little goblin as she got up and pulled a clear crystal from her pouch.
“This will create a portal to my home in Suramar,” she explained, “I live alone, so it should be vacant. From there, we will travel to visit a friend of mine, much better versed in the arcane. I have been corresponding with her, and I believe the only thing she will require of us will be to gather the necessary reagents.”
She held the crystal up, palm open and recited an incantation in her native language. Immediately, the crystal began to glow in an arcane light, before the magic it contained spilled out in front of them, forming in the familiar shape of a portal.
“It will close once I step through, so I will wait for you to go first.”
The Orc grunted affirmatively as he stepped up to the portal. His eyes stayed on Aelissah for a moment, as he gave her a firm nod. Grakkar had only met a few elves since arriving on Azeroth. Aelissah was an honorable one; years of experience told him so. He hadn’t expected anyone to be kind - or foolish - enough to help him in this seemingly impossible task. But her assistance made the endeavor seem that much more attainable.
His eyes turned then to the portal, watching it’s arcing, shimmering magics pull the two points together as one. The distortion made it hard to see clearly, but he could make out the basic outline of a room, presumably in the Nightborne’s home. He drew in a breath, and stepped through to the other side.
The journey felt like minutes, but took mere seconds! Grakkar tensed, grimacing at the surreal sensation of being translocated in such a way. He wasn’t used to it at all, even through his service to the Horde thus far exposing him to a myriad of portal usage. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t comfortable either. To think some people utilized this mode of transit regularly! He growled as he stepped through to the other side, taking a moment to regain balance and bearing. He blinked his eyes, as details started to slowly come into focus. He hated this sensation - a momentary helplessness in disorientation.
He’d take saddle sore over that any day.
The magical doorway vanished as Aelissah stepped through the portal behind Grakkar. The home was dusty, evidence that it had been some time since the Shal’dorei had lived here. It was rather simple looking, with an ornate table and mirror, along with a chair in the corner. A glowing arcane marking on the ground where the portal had manifested was the only thing illuminating the room.
She stepped passed her partner, opening the door to a lovely hallway, lined with paintings and family pictures. Her mother, father and many siblings, it appeared. Some were of a younger version of herself next to a man. Clearly a spouse or romantic partner, though there appeared to be no sign of anyone else living there.
She didn’t pause to glance at anything, as though she had completely detached herself from the setting. Straight to the main door she went, only taking pause before leading them into the city.
“While the Horde are allies here, not everyone out there is used to seeing other races. Many will stare and ask questions, but no one will attack you. Try to be polite, and let me do all the talking. Some may test your temper, but it is imperative that you remain calm if you wish to save your friend. Understand?”
It took a moment for Grakkar to respond, as he found himself distracted looking at… well… and actual house. Dust notwithstanding, the room and hall seemed so uniform and rigid. Clean, to an uncomfortable fault. He furrowed his brow, taking nameless issue with the symmetry and manufactured perfection of it all. It reminded him a little too much of Draenei architecture… and not in a good way.
His eyes lingered at one picture in particular - clearly a young Aelissah, beside another youthful, handsome elven male. Probably a male, he guessed, still not familiar enough with Nightborne physiology to tell for certain. Still, she and he were rather familiar in the image… he nearly reached out to pluck it from the wall for closer inspection...
“--Hm?” Grakkar grunted, quickly dropping his arm back to his side. “Mm. Zug-zug… I’ll follow your lead.”
He gave Aelissah a firm nod, closing the distance to keep up right behind her before she opened the door out into the city itself.
The home was on the second story of a large building, a set or stairs leading down into the busy streets. Usually, one would have difficulty navigating during this time of day, the markets filled with denizens. However, the pair moved through the crowd rather easily, as people quickly moved aside to gawk at the large Orc. Some had never seen one for themselves, only hearing tales of the Horde army helping with the resistance. They had all left after Elisande fell. It wasn’t a sight anyone was used to. The denizens certainly didn’t try to hide their judgemental expressions. Some of the children even dared walk up to try and poke Grakkar with a stick. Orcs were recognized as allies, but rarely were these savage looking creatures seen walking the streets of their great city.
“Pay them no mind,” Aelissah walked at a quick pace. She wanted to get to their destination quickly, before Grakkar lost his temper.
After many confusing turns and archways, the buildings cleared into a courtyard of some kind, a large and ornate structure stood before them. Arcane energy permeated the surroundings, felt by even those without affinity. That’s where the pair was stopped, guards at the main door refusing to let them in.
“Let us pass. I have an appointment,” Aelissah spoke in her native tongue. She didn’t mean to be rude with Grakkar, but also didn’t want him getting angry at the words the guards were saying about him.
“You’re not entering the facility with that -thing- in tow.” The one on the right answered, pointing clearly to Grakkar with a distaste, “Ally or not, you can’t just bring it anywhere in the city! We have sensitive materials in here that can’t afford to be broken by clumsy savages.”
She huffed in impatience, “If you won’t let us in, at least be useful in bringing Circadia Dial'nieth here to speak to us. Tell her, Aelissah Ambroise is here to see her.”
She crossed her arms and looked at them expectantly. It was a long shot, but she was desperately trying to avoid a fight.
“Is there a problem?” Grakkar asked bluntly - but even without speaking the eloquent elven language, he already knew the answer.
Such puny guards; Grakkar towered over both of them, even with their clean and shiny armor, thrumming with the excess and wanton magic he felt in this maze of stone, metal, and glass. Getting here had been an ordeal on its own, between the piercing looks and not-so-hushed whispers he knew were about him. The bustling crowd the two had to cut through, albeit without too much difficulty, still left Grakkar extremely on edge. He prefered his solitude; one or two companions, tops. To be so cloistered and surrounded, especially by prying, judgemental gazes, set the Orc immediately into a defensive, disgruntled mindset.
But he held it together well, so far. He thought, anyway. All for Sinafay. It would all be worth it…
These guards weren’t making it any easier, though. He could tell by their looks that they took issue with him. With what he was. How satisfying it would be to crush their puny skulls in their little thumb-sized helmets, or rip those ridiculous ears from their heads and add them to his trophy necklace… But that would only prove them right. That would only set him back further from saving Sinafay. So he held.
For now.
One of the Guards turned from miss Aelissah Ambroise and her savage companion, drawing an enchanted crystal from his pouch. Mutterings in his native tongue were hard even for Aelissah to hear or understand, as he spoke into the enchanted item. A moment later, he turned back to the group… and sighed.
“... Arcanist Dial’nieth will receive you in the western conference room.” he informed Aelissah, glancing judgmentally to the Orc beside her. “You and that… thing… are permitted there and nowhere else. I trust we’ll have your cooperation. I’m certain I don’t need to explain what a failure to comply will bring about…”
Grakkar didn’t understand a word of it… but looked to Aelissah for the moment. He watched her closely for her reaction, fully prepared to act accordingly.
These smug elven guards weren’t going to come between him and saving his beloved.
Aelissah’s ears lowered as she looked to Grakkar. He was doing well considering, but she could tell he was like a ticking time bomb. If he started a fight here, the mission would be over before it even had a chance to begin.
“A slight altercation, but I believe we can work through it,” she assured him.
Time seemed to stretch on forever as the guard moved away to speak into the communication device. She didn’t show it, but she was getting restless herself. If they were refused, she’d have to try and sneak Grakkar in somehow… not an easy task. The thought of it stressed her out enough that she let out a relieved sigh when the guard returned with the good news. She visibly relaxed, ears lifting to their normal position on her head.
“I understand. You have our thanks,” she bowed her head to the guard before turning to her partner and explaining in Orcish, “We are being allowed in, but you must absolutely not leave my side.”
With that, she passed by the pair of sentries to take the quickest way to the western conference room.
Grakkar was quick to follow, keeping by Aelissah’s side as they entered the strange structure.
What was this place? The very air made his hair stand on end, tingling! He couldn’t shake an odd, sour taste in his mouth. His nostrils flared, feeling as if he’d snorted a breath of sand. Looking around, he saw… nothing. Strange lights, and elves observing them. Intently. He tried to do the same, in passing, curious what it was that seemed to fascinate them so. But… he couldn’t make anything out, besides a violet glow. He huffed - magic nonsense. At least it kept their eyes off of him.
Most of their eyes, anyway. A few turned and eyed Grakkar suspiciously - gasping faintly, as if he were carrying a bloodied corpse through a sacred site. It clicked-- perhaps this was a sacred site to these elves? One of their temples, perhaps? It certainly felt like it; numerous elves all dressed the same, peering into light to see visions or gain wisdom…
He frowned deeper. It was feeling FAR too much like a Draenei city all over again.
The western conference room was empty - at first. Grakkar looked around as he followed Aelissah inside, expecting… well, something. He got what he expected after a brief second, as the doors closed behind them. The center of the ceiling descended, hovering down off the ground as a large conference table. Chunks of the wall levitated out from the walls, twisting and turning until they took their places around the table as chairs.
It was an impressive display - or it would be, likely, to anyone else. The sudden movements in the room itself surprised the orc! Already on edge, he reacted quickly, drawing his axe from his back and swinging down at the nearest shape that moved towards him! One of the chairs was cleaved in half instantly as he brought his axe down, leaving only a shrill, melancholy reverb in the air behind it. Grakkar snarled, as everything finally fell into its automated place, and he realized what was happening. He turned to look at Aelissah, unapologetically.
“Hmph. At least it was just a chair, yeah?” he grunted, sheathing his axe.
More movement caught his eye, grip still tight around the handle of his axe as he watched, at the ready - as he’d proven! A shimmer of magic opened a portal, and another elf stepped through into the room across from the two of them. This one was female, Grakkar could tell - with such a lithe frame, fair face, and vibrant bronze and blue dress cut low enough to reveal what seemed to be a universal female trait shared by sentient humanoids across the worlds. She looked a lot like Aelissah, Grakkar thought - thought they all looked more or less the same. This one wore fancy adornments on her ears, and a monocle over her right eye. Tattoos of various foreign shapes and symbols were glowing brightly off what skin of hers was revealed on her face, above her chest, along her arms, and her midriff. She looked at Grakkar immediately, and smiled - seeming to be the only elf in this entire city who wasn’t surprised by the sight of him!
“--Oh, good. You made it through, this time.” she said, simply, before looking to Aelissah.
“And you made it back! Timestreams where you ever bother to come visit me here again are growing scarce…” she smirked, approaching her friend. “Welcome home, Lissah.”
Lissah smiled, taking Circadia’s hands in hers and giving them a light squeeze.
“It is good to see you again, though I am not here for long. My partner, Grakkar, has an important quest to undertake, and I will be helping him do so.”
She wondered how much Circadia already knew about her reason to visit. She clearly recognized Grakkar. An interesting feat considering she had never met him.
At least, not in this timeline.
She was a skilled chronomancer, but that came with getting timelines mixed up and confused.
“We need to return to Draenor… the timeline the Mag’har Orcs came to us from. He has a close friend that must be rescued. Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated.”
“Hmm…” Circadia hummed, idly swinging a small silver pocket watch which hung from her wrist.
She looked Aelissah over for a long moment… as if looking for something specific detail. She knew Aelissah well enough, after years of working together. Most recently (in this timeline, anyway) they worked together during the Dusklily Revolution - contributing in their own ways, of course. Circadia hardly had the finesse Aelissah did. But her arcane talents were considerable.
Still, Circadia scanned her dear friend over appraisingly, silent for a moment. ‘Does she know…?’ she wondered...
Then, her gaze turned to Grakkar. The Orc remained rather on edge, despite the unique treatment he received from this particular elf - in fact, the warm reception after a painful journey of glances, whispers, and dirty looks, Circadia’s smile and familiarity only made him that much more uncomfortable. He snarled at her as she looked his way, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth. This one reeked of magic - they all did, even Aelissah. But this one’s scent of it was as pungent as a wet clefthoof. Sickening, almost!
“Hmph. You speak as if you know me, elf.” he growled, defensively. “I don’t--”
“Grakkar Gorefang, yes?” Circadia interrupted. “Son of Grek’thar, descendant of Korhn the Spinereaver. You’re of the Warsong clan, and proud of it - though what Warsong wouldn’t be?”
The Arcanist stepped closer to Grakkar, confidently - unintimidated. Her eyes never left his… pocket watch never ceasing to sway in steady rhythm.
“You haven’t told your partner here everything about Sinafay, have you?”
Grakkar’s glare turned; a look of panic replacing it. His eyes shot wide, as his frowning lips loosened to allow his jaw to simply drop. Lineage was one thing - but this? How could she know? Quickly, the Orc looked to Aelissah, and shook his head. He had to tell her now...
“I-I… I was going to tell you when--” he started, stuttering.
“Sinafay’s no mere friend of Grakkar’s - she’s his mate!” Circadia declared, again interrupting the orc.
She followed up her revelation with a sing-song laugh, exaggeratedly tilting her head back and covering her mouth as she walked over to circle around Aelissah. Grakkar sank, a subtle sigh escaping him. He nodded slowly.
“... Yes… that.” he affirmed, looking sheepishly to Aelissah.
His eyes flickered past her to Circadia as she moved behind his scouting partner… catching the Arcanist wink as she brought a finger to her lips…
Aelissah was well used to her friend’s odd words and behaviour. Watching Grakkar’s range of emotions interacting with the Arcanist was rather entertaining. While the Informant wasn’t magically inclined, she grew up with a very rich exposure to the arcane and as well as the abilities those capable of wielding its power had. Grakkar, it seemed, had no such exposure.
She raised an eyebrow as his ‘friend’s name came up. She couldn’t help but laugh. Wondering why the orc had even tried to keep that a secret. It was obvious in the lengths he was willing to go to rescue her, that she was much more than a good friend. Her being his mate made a lot more sense.
“I figured as much,” she giggled, “Though it’s nice to have a name to go on, now.”
She turned to Circadia, “You know of the portal Grakkar came through. Are you able to connect to that link and send us there?”
Circadia hummed to herself again, thoughtfully. Her pocket watch swayed to and fro in steady rhythm - upon closer inspection, the pocket watch’s hands spun in a much more chaotic method. Circling one direction, then the other, out of sync and back and forth at random… it was odd to see it do so while the swinging was so perfect. Circadia then, abruptly, looked at Aelissah, and nodded once.
“Of course I am!” she smiled, proudly and with confidence. “And to answer your next question, I can also bring you back.”
She gave a light, melodic laugh, before she stopped the pocket watch from swinging - she held it out before Aelissah, the object sparkling with an arcane flair. She nodded once, succinctly, to her Informant friend.
“You’ll take this.” she stated, rather than offered - as if it already happened. “It’ll be your only means to return.”
With that, she stepped past Aelissah, and looked at Grakkar once more - a serious-yet-gentle expression suddenly painted on her face. Grakkar raised his brow, and narrowed his eyes, still not entirely trusting of Circadia, despite everything she seemed to know…
“She is alive. I’ve seen her.” she assured him. “Be warned, though - in all the time threads I’ve seen of her… she doesn’t have much longer. She’s being held by the Exarchs, just outside Shattrath.”
Grakkar growled. The Exarchs… Draenei elite that drove his people from their homes and left nothing in their wake but the stench of the Light. He’d already lost one love to the Draenei Exarchs… he couldn’t lose another. But hearing Circadia say she didn’t have much longer hit him hard - the Exarchs weren’t known for taking prisoners. His shoulders slumped some… until Circadia brought her hand to gently cup his face.
“Take heart, Grakkar - there is a thread where you save her.” the Arcanist told him. “And it starts right here. Right now.”
From her hand, Grakkar felt a spark of energy. As Circadia pulled away, a faint bronze shimmering image of the Orc was pulled away from him. Not his soul, or any Arcane clone… but rather an essence of his origins… of Draenor. The image floated stoically to the corner of the room, before exploding into a swirling vortex - a portal. The room filled with a familiar scent - ash, dirt, a desolate breeze of char and metal… Grakkar recognized Gorgrond immediately through the rift! He stepped towards it, almost instinctively, before looking to the Arcanist. Circadia’s eyes were aglow with a golden-bronze light, as she weaved her magic to sustain the rift through to Draenor. Still, despite the immense effort and focus it took to keep the portal open, she managed a smile at the Orc.
“Go on, Grakkar! Sinafay awaits! I’ll see you again soon.”
Grakkar nodded once to Circadia, before looking at Aelissah. He smiled, with excitement, and gratitude - she’d held up her end of the bargain, bringing him here to someone that could actually do it!
“Ready, Lissah?” he grunted. “You brought me this far… a little further, yeah?”
Aelissah watched in awe as the portal manifested. Despite living in the city her whole life, this was something she had never seen before. She was surprised… though she really shouldn’t have been. Circadia had been more prepared for their arrival than she expected.
She felt for Grakkar, hearing that his mate was still alive but didn’t have very long. She prayed they wouldn’t be too late and that she wouldn’t be beyond saving.
She hadn’t been able to save her husband...
The informant shook the thought from her head. She had never told the orc her reasons for wanting to help him. His plight resonated with her. If she could save someone else from that fate…
Her thumb moved over the strange pocket watch… their only way home. Her gaze set on Circadia, imbued with the bronze glow of chronomancy. For a moment, she considered asking her friend if she already knew the results of the mission they were undertaking, but thought better of it. Some things were better left unknown.
“Let’s do this,” she replied with a nod, tucking the vital item away in her pocket.
With a deep breath taken, she stepped through the portal into the unknown world beyond.
Grakkar turned to follow Aelissah through, with renewed determination this was it; this was happening! He looked once more to Circadia, and nodded.
“Tha--”
“You're welcome.” the Arcanist cut him off again, both demonstrating her foresight, and rushing the Orc along.
He saw it in her face; features straining from the intensity of holding the portal open. Recalling the Dark Portal they constructed during his tenure with the Iron Horde, he realized how much work and power it had taken to open that rift in the first place. Binding the Shadow Council as conduits, and fortifying a structure to hold it open. Yet here was a lone Nightborne doing the same thing by herself! The realization shook him, in that moment… and his gratitude to her grew tenfold. Another nod, and he quickly stepped through, not wanting to strain her any further…
As the orc vanished into the other world, Circadia dropped her channeling and breathed a heavy sigh. Telemancy was tough on own… but opening portals to other worlds? She only could do it for as long as she did thanks to the Nightwell. She sat down, needing a moment to recuperate. Her eyes flickered over to where the portal was… her smile dropped to a concerned frown.
“Hmm… I hope they make it back this time…”
~*~*~
(( Co-written with @thefugitivemango / @grakkar-gorefang ))
