Dreams

                Terokkar Forrest was beautiful this time of year.  Before the corruption of the Orcs.  Before everything went to shit.

                Up ahead Shadoren saw a Naaru, but why would one be in the middle of Terokkar?

                "Hello?" his voice echoed as the world around him shifted and he was in what he knew to be Karabor now, the Black Temple.

                Welcome Shadoren. the Naaru's voice echoed in his head.

                "Where am I?"

                The being merely floated there as though expecting Shad to figure it out.

                "I mean, besides Black Temple...why am I here?"

                To understand.

                "Understand what?"

                To understand that what has happened to you is not the end. The Light has not abandoned you.

                "But I'm krokul...the Light was forced away by fel energies..."

                To those you call krokul, yes.  But you were not corrupted by fel energies.  The energy that courses through you is corrupted elemental energy, shaped into a curse that would harm you most.

                "Corrupted...elemental energy?"

                The naaru simply floats there.

                Look within yourself Farseer Shadoren Wavetender of Argus.  Even in your darkest hour, the Light shines within.

                "Wait, who are you?"

                As the naaru faded into nothing, he whispered, S'ren, and the rest of the world faded with him.

                Waking up in Auchindoun still made him jump, as though the spirits of his people were going to come to embrace him.

                "Well, well, well.  Phasha said you'd be here big brother."

Decisions

               Seeing her dressed up in her formal robes made Shadoren's eyes tear up.  Four days he'd been in Shattrath to see his first born daughter become an inducted Aldori priestess and he'd never been so proud.  And now it was time to leave with that pride and her accomplishment intact.

                Moving as quietly as he could to the nearest exit he intended to go to Auchindoun.  If he was going to die, at least he'd be with his people.

                "Father. Where do you think you're going?"

                Turning around, Shadoren found himself with Phasha's accusing glare upon him, her glowing eyes never leaving his, until he had to look away out of guilt.

                "I'm going away for a while dear heart.  There's no need for me here.  Krokrul aren't needed and I'd just get in the way."

                Furiously she walked quickly to him and forced him to look into her eyes, "Now listen to me old man.  I'm not losing you for a second time.  Whatever Aselleus did to you we'll find a way to heal you."

                "With what?" Shadoren exploded, "Neither I nor Terefi can heal the would on my leg.  The Light bends away from the would when it's used, and as for being Krokrul, there's nothing that can reverse that.  Aselleus did exactly what he knew would do the most damage, cripple me and turn me into what our people fear and despise.  So forgive me Phasha if I don't want to stay in Shattrath, where I still feel alienated because I wasn't here to defend it, where at least if I had been infused with the mists then I wouldn't feel like this is my punishment for surviving Karabor when everyone else I knew and loved died."

                And with that, and Phasha's stunned expression, Shad set off for the bridge leading into Terokkar Forrest and towards the Draenei city of the dead.

                "Fath-" before she could even finish the word, with a flick of his wrist backwards a stone wall erupted from the ground stopping her progress.  By the time she went around it, he was nowhere to be seen.

                "Oh mother...what do I do?"

Dreams

                The draenei man lay there, looking as though he was asleep, shifting as though he were dreaming. Or remembering.

Argus, 25000 years ago.               

                The draenei boy ran across the field playing with the girl that was there with him.  It was a simple game of tag, but everything in the world was perfect for them.  Just two friends having fun.

                Finally tiring, both of them collapsed, laying with their heads next to each other.

                "Xana, we'll always be friends, right?"

                "Well duh Shad, we'll be friends..."

Argus, before leaving

                "Xana, I don't understand. It doesn't seem like something Elicoor would do."

                A tall draenei man sat across from a very distraught woman trying to rationalize things.

                "Shad. He killed her...he...my Zorana..."

                "Xana, are you absolutely sure?"

                "Yes fel damnit! I'm sure."

                Shadoren sighed as he looked out the window to see the city of Mac'aree, "It's almost time. Come on."

                Xana'ri nods as she follows Shadoren out the door to where the followers of Velen were to meet, the highest mountain on the longest day of the year. There they waited until the Naaru saved them, barely, from becoming man'ari. The only comfort Shadoren had was that he had seen Elicoor there amongst those that fled. Xana couldn't have been right...

Random planet 10,000 years ago.

                The draenei man paced outside the door, waiting for possibly the most important news of his life.

                "Shad.  Shad.  SHAD!" a woman was sitting, very calmly, at a chair just outside the door, "It's okay.  Merliss will be fine, as will the child."

                "How can you be sure! Light bless. She's been in there for hours Lycannon! Hours!"

                The woman chuckled, "And? It takes time Shad. The priest has to be careful. Perha-"

                The door opened, and a woman, obviously a priestess, smiled at Shad as he rushed to the door looking very anxious.

                "She is ready."

                With one last glance at Lycannon, who just urged him to go in and meet his child, he rushed into the room where his wife and newborn were. He sat there as he watched his beautiful wife hold their child. His first child.

                "Is it a-"

                "He's a boy. Want to come meet him?"

                Nodding dumbly he walked over to where his Merliss was holding his boy. A son...

                "He's so small..."

                "Well did you expect him to come out as big as you are?"

                "What's his name?"

                Smiling at Shadoren, Merliss simply stated, "Jhaedon. After your father. I thought you'd like that."

                Eyes tearing up, Shad just smiled and nodded, reaching a finger out to gently stroke his sons cheek.

                "Jhaedon..."

Draenor, first landing.

                Walking off the ship Shadoren looked at the new landscape that was to be his home.

                "Well, it's pretty." Lycannon walked off to stand next to Shad as other draenei shuffled off the ship to look at their new home.

                Smirking and looking at Lyc, "Very.  I wonder if there are native people. There seem to be animals, " a group of Talbuks ran by, eyeing the newcomers, "Though they look strange."

                "Well. No time to waste kiddies, let's see if we can find ourselves someplace to call our own." Merliss says as she rushes past the two, her children following her...

Tuurem

                "Lycannon, you're using him."

                The woman looks at Shadoren, "And?"

                Shadoren sighs and tries to get it through her head, "You're using Aselleus, and one day he's going to realize it."

                "Please, Aselleus is too oblivious to realize anything."

After the slaughter at Karabor

                The draenei man stood there, his cleric robes covered in blue blood, but not his own.

                Gone. They were all gone.

                Merliss.

                Jhaedon.

                Elsila.

                What about Lycannon and Elicoor? Or the twins Kaludra and Harpagos...

                And with those thoughts, he screamed a blood curdling scream.  The Light had forsaken his family, and now he was forsaking the Light. No more would he be a cleric.

                As these memories were flooding through his head, a single thought entered.

                They're coming.

Attacked!

            "Phasha, I know ye wanna stay outta the way fer yer father, but isn't Outland a bit ferther than this Aselleus' can reach?"

            The young draenei woman looked at the dwarf sitting across from her at the table they were seated at on the Aldor Rise in Shattrath City.

            Shattrath.  My home...and now my self-imposed exile.

            "I understand where you're coming from Kordas, and I understand father trusts you to protect me well enough, but the less of a liability I am for both father and mother the better.  And Ishanah assured me we were both welcome and safe here."

            The dwarf sighed and took a deep swig of his ale.  This girl was far too much like Shadoren, there was no way he was winning this argument.

            A smiling draenei priestess approached them, "Ishanah asked if there was anything we could do to make you both more comfortable."

            "Nay, we're fine, thank ye."

            The priestess nods, and then asks, "Well then, Master Aselleus asks if there's any last reques-"

            Before she could finish her sentence, Kordas lept into action, swinging the Stormhammer his mother's people were so known for, straight at the priestess' face.

            "Phasha, get to the gryphon!"

            Eyes wide with shock, the girl nods, and breaks into a run, headed for Kordas' gryphon.  As she looked back, she saw more cultists coming for the dwarf.  Wanting to go back and help, but knowing it would be futile in the end, she sent a small prayer.  Kordas, Light bless you.

            Before she reached the gryphon, another cultists charged at her.  Acting on instinct alone, she called down not the Light, but the Shadow, reducing the cultist's mind to mush in moments.

            "Skine! To me!" she called to the gryphon, who by now knew the girl well enough to take orders from her as well as Kordas.  As she mounted, she dared one glance back, to see the dwarf slowly being overrun by cultists.

            "To the Dark Portal Skine," and with that the gryphon took off back to Azeroth, where she would have to find Terefi and tell her what happened, and hopefully find her father and explain what she gleamed in the cultist's mind.

Caught!

            A streak, barely a whisper, ran through the forests of Feralas.  Seemingly a spirit with one single goal in mind, and whatever got in its way would not be pleased with the outcome.

            Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of its eye, the spirit changed into a tall blue man clad in rough leathers, and a massive mace, imbued with fire, swinging down to crush in the skull of the cultist, then shifting quickly back into the spirit wolf to continue his trek.

            Coming up to Dire Maul, he risks pausing to See around him.

            Cultists.  It seemed like fifteen to twenty were right behind him, and the corpse of their comrade had done nothing to stop them.  Once again shifting into the spirit wolf, the man headed towards the new Feathermoon Stronghold and carefully skirted around it as to not worry the Night Elves there.

            Not far from the stronghold he came upon the ocean.  The Veiled Sea stretched out before him, the island that once held Feathermoon Stronghold off the shore a ways, now in ruins due to the Shattering.  That seemed a good enough spot to hide and take out his attackers.  Maybe even regroup.

            Asking the Water for the ability to walk as though it were solid land, the spirit wolf headed across the sea.  Before he knew what had happened he could sense them.

            Naga.  Vile serpents from the depths, and they weren't alone.  The cultists that were after him were with them.

            Must make it to the island.  At least there I can fortify myself.  Running with renewed purpose, the wolf broke away from the naga and cultists behind him.

            At last, after what seemed an eternity he had made it to the island, just in time for the naga to catch up.

            Not wasting any time, he quickly shifted back to his humanoid form, prepared to fight off the beasts.  Wielding the mace with deadly precision, naga were felled in droves.  Of course, enhanced strength, skin as hard as stone, reflexes like the wind and the end of the mace being a fireball didn't hurt either.

            After the last naga fell, the man stood there, covered in blood and exhausted, and that's when the arrow hit.  Right in the shoulder.

            "Fel!" staring at the arrow in shock, then back to where it came from, there stood a figure amongst the trees.  Trying to get a good view to send it to Lycannon, his vision started to blur.

            Lycannon.  Captured.  Poison.  were his last thoughts.

Uldum

                The sand shifted beneath Shadoren's hooves as he walked through the seemingly endless desert of Uldum.  Why Muln wanted him to come out here to check the temperaments of the Wind elements was beyond him, but the messenger was clear that he did.

                In his endless walking his mind began to wander.  Lycannon, Phasha, McSars, Yurrel.

                "What a mess.  Lycannon kisses me, which complicates things with Phasha, McSars -and- Yurrel.  Fel damned woman..." sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose he continues his endless search of the desert trying to figure things out.

                Somewhere around the Obelisk of the Moon he realized something was off.  There was someone besides himself walking.  They were only a haze in the distance of the desert, but they were there.  Mentally checking to see if Coletharku was okay and within reach if he needed him.

                Sand shifting beneath his hooves, Shadoren slowly approached the man, and as he approached he realized this was not a friendly man.  Even from a distance he could tell he was armed, and what's more, not a member of the Alliance.  Quickly diverting his path as to avoid the man, Shadoren set forth towards what remained of Orsis, upping his pace without trying to seem hurried or panicked.

                Too late did he realize the other man also changed his path, headed straight for the shaman.

                Cole, I may nee-

                The mental connection was cut off as he felt pain from his friend, and an accompanying roar of anger was heard in the distance, and with that roar, they struck.

                There were around fifteen in all, all armed with massive swords and shoddy armor that was all too familiar.  Twilight Cultists, only this time he was outnumbered and without backup.  As the first few cultists charged him, Shadoren called down lightning from the clear sky, instantly frying the cultists dumb enough to get within the blast range.

                Well, that takes care of a few.

                Now staying out of his immediate range, the remaining cultists attempted to strike at him from as far as their long swords would allow.

                I can't keep out of reach for much longer, I need Cole.

                SLASH

                There was pain in his leg, and he realized it was bleeding profusely.  One of the cultists comes up to the shaman raising his sword, attempting to make a final blow.

                "Master Aselleus sends his fondest greetings.  And his dearest farewells." and the sword streaks down.

                Eyes flashing with fury a spout of lava erupts where the cultist was standing, leaving a charred corpse in his place, giving Shad enough time to send a rush of healing energy to the cut.

                "Thanks, but Aselleus is going to need a lot more than a few cultists to take me out."

                "ROAR" a roar of pure fury could be heard as a streak of blue death flew towards the Shaman, breathing down nether energy down upon the remaining cultists.

                "Cole!" Shad waves down Coletharku, the dragon coming in low, giving Shad enough room to jump on his back, "We need to get back to Deepholm Cole.  Phasha is in danger."

                Turning his head so one glowing eye can look into Shadoren's own glowing pair, "What's going on?"

                "I'll explain later.  Time is of the essence."

                Amongst the chaos the pair left behind, a single figure walked amongst the corpses, "Well then.  Master Aselleus will not be pleased."

Emergency

                Shadoren sighed as he pushed aside the now dead Gyreworm.

                "Fel damned thing almost killed me. Why are we down here again Yurrel?"

                A younger draenei chuckles as he walks over to help Shad up, "What's the matter old man, all this getting too much for you?  You know Muln will let you take an easier role.  You don't -have- to be out here in Deepholm."

                Shad waves his hand dismissively as he walks over to where the other worms lay.

                "Muln is a good man, and were there any need for me to take a less active role, I'm sure he would let me.  But as it is, old or not, I can still beat you from here to the Pale Roost and back if I needed to," he smirks, "Age and treachery will always win over youth and ambition my friend, always remember that."

                Yurrel just rolled his eyes as he motioned for his gryphon to come down, "Yes yes, but last time I checked you liked my youth and ambition. A lot." he grinned wickedly.

                Shadoren pointedly ignored the younger draenei as he called out to Coletharku, the Netherdrake that had been his friend and transport for years now.

                "CAW!"

                The single caw broke the playful banter as a storm crow approached them, transforming into a young elven woman clad in leathers as she reached them.

                "Shad! You need to get back to the Temple, quickly!  Your daughter's there babbling something incoherent. "

                "Terefi?  Phasha? Wha-"

                "There's no time, just get there as soon as possible, I need to get back to Hyjal, I only came because Phasha came looking for you."

                And with that the storm crow replaced the elf and was off again.

                Yurrel looked at Shad confused, "Daughter? And who was that? I didn't know you knew any druids."

                "That was Terefi Everroot.  She's a friend from Northrend.  And yes I have a daughter. I'll explain later," he sighed as he got on Coletharku, "Apparently there's just no time.  To the Temple Cole."

                Yurrel watched the dragon take Shadoren off to the Temple of the Earth, still slightly baffled.

                "A daugther?"