Carelessness

Kyliska Sunfire lay on a plush rug that resembled some kind of animal fur. It most likely was from one of her more recent kills. A fire was ablaze keeping the room warm. She opened her eyes slowly and winced slightly at the light from the fire. Her head was pounding from drinking too much the previous night. She did not care much though, it was what she had been doing since going through the Dark Portal and making a new home in Draenor. She built her Garrison and brought some reinforcements with her from Azeroth, and also made some new recruits here. She enjoyed being the Commander of her Garrison. It was much more fun than being the Lady Sunfire. She never cared much for politics, so just commanding people to fight for her was much more her style.

Kyliska heard a low groan next to her and looked down to see Thandir Silverhawk laying beside her. She had forgotten that he was drinking with her last night and then came back to her quarters. Ever since her break up with Andithiel, she was being a little free. She was not caring about much, and even got sort of barbaric, and animalistic. She was more basic in her needs than she ever was when she was at House Sunfire. She was not living in a lavish environment and that suited her just fine. She went back to the days where she would drink until she passed out, and she would be with many different men that worked for her at her Garrison. There were not that many Blood Elves that made the trip to Draenor with her, but she took full advantage of the ones that did. None of them seemed to mind though. It seemed like it was a mutual understanding that it was all in good fun and nothing serious. She was quite happy with the elves and other races that were working for her in her Garrison. They all seemed to respect her authority and worked well for her. It was exactly what she needed after what happened.

Kyliska did feel slightly guilty leaving House Sunfire when she was supposed to be the one in charge. She did feel confident that Braeth'el would take care of any pressing issues and would somehow be able to contact her if something urgent were to happen. In truth he could probably handle anything to do with the House much better than she could anyway. He had been working for House Dayfire for years, and then for House Sunfire. He was very experienced, in all things. Kyliska smiled to herself as she remembered her last encounter with him. She blushed slightly and then looked to Thandir as he was slowly awakening. He was one of the elves that she most trusted, and he was a loyal and adept fighter. She did feel close to him, more so than others, but she was in no way looking for anything serious. She was still in love with Andithiel even though she ended things with him.

"Hello gorgeous." Thandir said as he looked lazily at Kyliska. "Have you been awake long?"

She smiled at him. "No, I just woke minutes before you. But my head sure is pounding this morning, how much did we drink last night?" she giggled.

"Quite a lot....I did not think there was anyone that could out drink me, but Kyli, you sure proved me wrong!" he laughed back at her.Thandir pulled her down on top of him. "You are absolutely wonderful Kyliska, you know that right? You are gorgeous and you are amazing to watch on the battlefield. And not to mention, you are an amazing lover as well." He gently pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply.

Kyliska slowly pushed him away. "Thandir, I do appreciate all of the nice things you say to me, but I am really nothing special." she said. "I'm just me. I have fun, and I do what I must." She closed her eyes and tried to make the pounding in her head go away. "I think I need to be alone, I do not feel well at all." Thandir started to protest but she was insistent.

Thandir got up slowly and gathered his clothing and got dressed. He had a frown on his face, expecting her to change her mind and let him stay, but she said nothing. He made a slight bow. "As you wish Lady Sunfire." Thandir left the confines of Kyliska's quarters and braved the cold snowy weather. He nodded to his friend Dralath Sunwhisper and he followed him to a remote part of the Garrison. If Kyliska was paying close attention she would have known about this little hideout that Thandir and Dralath had secret meetings at. She was too busy drinking herself until she passed out to notice. Both Thandir and Dralath had enjoyed Kyliska but they both had bigger plans in mind.

"The time has come my friend." Thandir started. "We will strike tonight."

Dralath looked to Thandir and smiled. "Are you sure we will be successful? Kyliska is quite the fighter and she has a lot of endurance and strength."

Thandir sat down at a small table and set down a pitcher. "Dralath, our secret is in this pitcher here. It is not just any ordinary alcohol. It is laced with poison, not enough to kill her, but enough to make her vulnerable." he said slyly. "Yes I know how powerful she is, but that is physical, we can remedy that. She has been drinking every single night since she built this garrison as you well know. I wanted her to think she could trust me, and she does. She will never see this coming my friend."

Dralath took a seat next to Thandir and sniffed the pitcher. "I don't smell anything, are you sure you did it right? We cannot afford for this to go wrong, she will kill us if it does not work, you know this." Dralath said shakily. He was clearly nervous about the plan and Thandir put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I assure you, this will work. She will not have a clue that we plan to overthrow her Command here. She will have no idea that the pitcher is laced with poison. Kyliska's head has not been in the game at all. Yes on the battlefield she fights well and kills swiftly, but when she comes back here, she is somewhere else mentally. She drinks too much to not even realize what is going on around her. That we are staging a coup against her. She trusts everyone here which will make this all the more perfect when we pull it off." Thandir said. "There is no need to worry my friend, trust me. I have been planning this for some time now. And tonight is the night. Soon we shall co-lead this Garrison to greatness."

Dralath still looked worried, but he trusted his friend Thandir. They had been the closest of friends since they were children. He did not think that Thandir would steer him wrong, and he followed him blindly, and without doubt. It still seemed like a tough plan to pull off though. That poison better be strong, he thought. "I trust you, you know this. I'm just nervous. I do not have a death wish, even though I do believe that we could run this Garrison better than Kyliska could. She is a mess. I have no idea what happened before she came here, but she is different than she once was. She is even more reckless than ever, almost like she has a death wish."

Thandir smiled to his friend. "I know and that will make this plan even easier to accomplish. She might even surrender power willingly, but I will not take that chance." he started. "Just make sure to not drink from this pitcher. We will all get together later like we do most nights, but I will mark this pitcher so we know this is the one that Kyli must drink from. She will feel the effects sooner, she does not even have to drink much of it for it to work. And then we will imprison her and we will rule this Garrison the way it was meant to be ruled!"

Healing Kyliska

(Written by Biara)

Kyliska limped her way down the long corridor, a frown on her face as she passed through the empty passageway. The rooms around her were silent, Biara's floor of their tower seeming to almost be abandoned. She'd checked Astariel's room first, only to find the little girl and many of her toys gone. A quick peek in Biara's sanctum showed it to be cold and unused; her sister had not been researching or casting spells recently.

Her frown deepening and the pain in her wounded ankle growing, Kyliska finally pushed open the door to Biara's private chambers. The room beyond was dark and the lingering scent of burnt ozone could be detected on the air; a telltale sign that Biara had recently used a portal spell in her chambers.

Kyliska moved slowly into the middle of the room, sighing to herself and shaking her head. She'd wanted to catch her sister before she departed, but it seemed she'd been too late. Biara's four-post bed was empty, the see-through silken curtains around it drawn open and showing the neatly arranged, plush pillows that her sister preferred. It looked soft and inviting, and Kyliska decided she needed to sit for a few minutes before she began her own preparations to depart.

Just as she was about to start forward, another door opened in the small space, a bit of steam drifting from the opening to the room that contained Biara's private bathing pool. From the steam emerged a masculine shape, the form solidifying as he drew nearer into none other than Braeth'el. Kyliska's eyes widened as she saw him, beads of water glistening on his bare chest and arms, a simple towel wrapped around his waist covering very little and leaving very little to the imagination.

"B-braeth'el? What are you doing here?" Kyliska stammered, utterly shocked.

The spymaster grinned, holding up a placating hand and shaking his head, "It is not what you think, Kyliska. I was not entertaining your sister, merely finishing some exercise and a bath now that she's departed."

"Ah, I see..." Kyliska said, her eyes roaming despite the aches and pains she still felt. "Well, she left me a note before she left and said she'd pardoned you. I never believed you were a traitor anyway, so you're welcome to do whatever you'd like in our estate my friend."

Braeth'el gave Kyliska a classic bow, or did so as much as one could when clad in only a towel, "I thank you, Lady Sunfire. May I ask though, are you quite alright? You look a bit...disheveled. Usually when you are in such a state you are also covered in the blood of your enemies."

Kyliska sighed and shook her head, "I've had a rough time, I will admit. Actually, I think I need to sit down before I fall down."

She began to shuffle across the room towards Biara's bed, the pain in her ankle shooting up her leg. She hissed in pain as her knee buckled and she began to tumble towards the floor. Before she got anywhere near to falling, Braeth'el was at her side, he strong arms wrapped around her and holding her up. Kyliska sighed, breathing in the scent of the cologne he'd put on, feeling much better suddenly. "Sorry...it's just my leg....I was taken prisoner and-"

"It's fine, Kyli, really. Here, let me help you," Braeth'el said softly. With his support she was able to stand upright, and the two moved slowly to Biara's bed before he turned Kyliska around and gently lowered her onto the soft bedspread. "There you are. No more falling down, hmm?"

Kyliska looked up at him gratefully, her lip quivering for a moment as a rush of emotions passed through her again at everything that had happened. Although it had been a little thing, almost falling had drained the last little spark from her, leaving her utterly defeated. She couldn't even walk right. Everything was a disaster! Tears began to form in the corners of her fel-green eyes.

Braeth'el sat down on the edge of the bed beside Kyliska, an arm around her and his voice comforting, "Kyli...out of all who have lived in or served with House Dayfire and later House Sunfire, you have always been the strongest. I have seen you defeat a hundred foes unscathed. I've seen you come through fire and death, through the greatest hardships and be triumphant. You're the rock of this place, the foundation that all of the others lean on. You don't always have to be though. It is okay to sometimes need another to lean on, to need your friends and allies. You are not alone."

Kyliska broke, the tears flowing forth in an instant. She leaned against Braeth'el, crying softly against hardened pectoral muscles that would have made her woozy in another time or situation. Braeth'el sat beside her, his arm wrapped around her as wracking sobs escaped her, not saying anything but simply soothing her with his presence. When she finally could speak again, Kyliska's voice was quiet and broken, "I've lost Andi. H-he...he was with another, and I had to leave him. I have to leave this place for a while. I need time away, time to just be who I am without having to think of all of this. I don't want to be the Lady Sunfire. I don't want to have to decide, to have to protect everything my sister built. It's not fair...I'm just Kyliska...I'm just me. I can't do all of this alone."

"And you won't, Kyli," Braeth'el said softly. "We are all here to support you. It is good I lingered here, for you dearly need to hear that right now. Maybe you're right and you do need time to figure things out, but we'll be here to support you when you come back. I've always looked after you, ever since you were adopted into this household, and I always will. It is what I do, what we who serve the House do."

Kyliska sighed and shuddered, the angry hurt feelings finally draining out of her now that she'd given them release. She sat up a bit, shaking her head, "I can't thank you enough for that, Braeth'el. I just wish that I didn't hurt anymore. And I'm not even talking about my emotions; I've been stabbed, gouged, my arm was broken, and now my light-forsaken leg is screwed up because I was chained up. I'm so tired of aching and hurting."

Braeth'el smiled and rose, standing over Kyliska. He pointed towards the bed and spoke with authority, "Lay down then and let me see it. If you're about to go on an adventure you'd best be in good health, and I know you're not going to wait around for it to get better."

Kyliska nodded, looking up at the spymaster before complying with his request. She laid back on Biara's soft bed, sighing as she felt the comfort all around her. Braeth'el climbed onto the bed beside her, kneeling next to her, his strong hands coming down to remove her boots so he could examine her more closely. She winced, realizing she was still filthy from captivity, but Braeth'el said nothing about it, and gave no indication that it bothered him. Instead, his hands began to kneed the flesh at her ankle, rubbing and gently releasing the pressure there.

The pain lessened almost immediately as he skillfully worked at pressure points in her foot and ankle, his hands running up her calf. He spoke softly as he worked, not looking over at her, "It was just a pulled ligament I think. It should feel better in a day or two, and I can prepare you some herbs to dull the ache in the meanwhile. I know a thing or two about these types of injuries; in my line of work you tend to pull things when you're climbing rooftops or sneaking through places you don't belong."

Kyliska nodded, her eyes closing as she felt his hands at work. He continued up her leg, the massage soothing the pain that the cramped condition of her cell had left her in. She bit her lip, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her, her thoughts drifting away from her problems and on to other, more enjoyable topics.

The massage lasted for what seemed like hours, and was likely at least an hour long. By the time he'd finished with her legs, Kyliska's aches and pains were just a memory. As he rubbed the knots out of the muscles in her arms, she lazily opened her eyes, staring into his as he looked down at her. She could feel her heart racing as he touched her, his perfect body looming close over her as he rubbed tension out of her shoulders. He leaned forward, his face a foot from her own as he worked on her right shoulder.

Impulsively she leaned up, her mouth meeting his, her eyes slipping closed as she kissed him. The spymaster responded, the kiss passionate and sending a thrill through her; it was wrong to do this, especially after she had just ended things with Andi. Especially on her sister's bed.

She didn't care.

Her arms came up and wrapped around him, and she felt his own come down to hold her, their passion-fueled kiss seemingly never-ending. She ran her hands over his bare flesh, enjoying the feel of his muscles as they tensed when he scooped her up and onto his lap, all thoughts fleeing her mind as she was finally getting something she'd secretly desired for all these years.

After a time, he broke the kiss off, holding her in his arms and staring into her eyes. He didn't ask her, seeing what she wanted in the lust written plainly over her face, knowing that a part of her wanted to just forget it all for a moment in time. He obliged her, rising up and scooping her up into his arms, and she leaned back, enjoying the feeling of letting him take her where he would.

He rose from the bed, her weight a nothing to him as he whisked her from Biara's bed, a delightfully evil grin on his face as he carried her away. Kyliska laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her, her eyes getting one last glimpse of Biara's bedroom before the steam of the bathing room overtook them both, noting that he'd left his towel behind on her sister's bed.

And then the steam was all around them, the hot water of the bath flowing over Kyliska as he carried her away to her fantasies.

Endings

Kyliska opened the door to her bedroom. It looked the same as it always did, but it was different. Too much had happened in this room for it to ever be the same again. Kyliska had seen her lover Andithiel have sex with an imposter that was pretending to be her. She could forgive that if it was only one time or if it wasn't for weeks. He did not even notice that it wasn't the real Kyli. Kyli's heart ached with so much hurt and betrayal that she was finding it hard to breathe. Her injuries from being imprisioned were also playing a role in that, but she was more focused on the emotional pain as of right now. She looked to her night stand and saw a letter and was about to pick it up to read it when her bedroom door opened and none other than Andithiel Felo'melorn walked in. Kyliska looked at him and instantly the smile on his face faded and a look of concern crossed his face. He came rushing to her side on the bed.

"Kyli, what in the fel happened to you?" he started. "I just left you not too long ago and here you are all battered and bruised and filthy! Did you go off somewhere to fight?"

Kyliska looked sadly at him. She didn't want to say what she needed to say to him but she knew she had to. She felt so many emotions and she began to cry. She just let herself feel everything that was inside of her. She took Andithiel's hand and spoke softly to him. "Andi, my dear Andi, there is something you need to know. This will be difficult to hear, but please know that what I am about to say is true." she looked to him and he nodded for her to continue. "I have been imprisioned for weeks now and you have been with an imposter pretending to be me."

Andithiel frowned and stood up and started to pace, not totally comprehending what Kyli was trying to say to him. "That just cannot be! I would have known if that was not you my love, I would have known...." his voice trailed off as he came to the realization that he was not able to tell it was not his Kyliska that he had been with. He sat back down next to Kyliska and held her hands tightly in his. "Kyli, I......I am so so sorry........"

She nodded at him, not able to say any words for a few minutes. Then she wiped some of her tears away and spoke softly once more. "Andi, this has to end. I cannot be with you, not after this. I was forced to watch you and.....her. Whoever it was, that doesn't even matter to me at this moment. " she paused and held back a sob. "All I do know is that I need time, I need time away. Away from you, away from Quel'thalas, away from it all. I was going to seek you out if you had not come here to tell you in person. You need to know that I will be away, and most likely not be able to contact me."

Andithiel took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Kyli, please, no do not leave me. I have forgiven you for your past transgressions, and you had done that knowingly, I did not know. I would never hurt you on purpose, you know this. I need you Kyli, you are my love, I would do anything for you, just please please tell me how I can fix this." he pleaded with her.

Kyliska hugged him back and then lightly pushed him away. "My love, I know you did not do this on purpose, and you know how thankful I was that you had forgiven me for sleeping with another. How ironic this is, this situation we find ourselves in now." she slowly stood up and walked over to her window and looked out at the sun shining brightly, like it was mocking her now. She looked back to Andi who was still sitting on her bed, looking defeated. "I do not know how you can fix this. Maybe time will heal me. It just hurts that you were with her for weeks and you had no idea that was not me. You, the one person who should be able to tell, you should have known, you are right." she stopped, thinking of what to say next. "Do you know that the person that saved me, she only spoke to the imposter for a short while and she knew, she knew it was not me, yet you were with her for weeks and had no idea?"

Andithiel stood up and walked to the window standing beside Kyliska. "I feel such guilt that I did not know it was you my love. I keep thinking to myself how I could not know. I have no explanation, I feel such shame, and I truly wish there was something I could do to make this up to you." Tears were forming in his eyes as he looked sadly at Kyliska.

Kyliska reached to Andithiel's face and wiped a tear that had fallen down his cheek. "This breaks my heart as much as it does yours, but this has to be done, for now at least." she leaned in and kissed him and then walked away towards her bed again, and her night stand. "Andi, I think it is time for you to go now. I must make preparations for my trip."

He looked to her and opened his mouth and then closed it, not knowing what to say next. He made an attempt to step closer to her again but she held up a hand to tell him to stop. "Kyli, I will never stop loving you, ever. Be safe in your journey."

Kyliska nodded, as more tears threatened to fall down her face once more. She put on a brave face now though.  "Be safe as well Andi." As he made his way towards the door he walked by her, ever so slightly he brushed his hand against hers and she looked to him. He did not turn around, he kept walking out of the room. After he closed the door Kyli collapsed onto her bed in sobs. She did not want to leave Andithiel but she knew she had to. Her pain and hurt was too much to handle right now. Every time she looked at him she would see him with another, and she could not bear that right now. That was why she had decided to go through the Dark Portal and help out the Horde, it was the only way she could get the time away that she needed. And also to get out some much needed aggression.

After she calmed down a little bit she remembered the letter on her night stand. She quickly read it and saw that it was from Biara and she too had decided to go through the Dark Portal as well but for other reasons. She knew of her half sister Telatha, Braeth'el had told her. He did not tell her that Kyli knew of her as well. That is probably for the best Kyli thought. Biara had no idea that Kyli was imprisoned. She wondered if she had left yet. Kyli desparately wanted to see her sister and maybe they could go through the Portal together. Kyli was determined now and hoped that it was not too late and her sister had not left yet! She made her way towards Biara's bed chambers.

A Knight in Shining Armor

 (This story was written by Biara.)

Sunlight slanted down across the dew-laden scrub brush of the plaguelands, the light reflecting back in a thousand broken sparkles in the morning's light. The beauty of the scene was lost on Avielle however as her scourged gaze swept across the ground, continuing to follow the trail of hoof-prints that a horse had left in the soft soil.

She had been tracking the path of the strange Knight from the Ghostlands all night and into the early morning, her lack of need for sleep a boon in moving quickly. Tirelessly she and her undead steed plodded onwards, moving ever further into the more wild regions of the plaguelands.

Hours had passed with nothing but the twisted dead scenery and occasional burned out building that was once a part of the mighty nation of Lordaeron before its fall. Now and then Avielle had encountered roaming undead, but they generally left her be as she herself was undead and far more powerful. Zombies were stupid, but they weren't that stupid.

As she progressed, a shape began to take form in the distance; an old watchtower that was once part of Lordaeron's holdings. Dilapidated now, it rose like a broken, crooked tooth from the brown soil and stabbed up into the sky; a would-be eyesore if any living eyes were present to take in the sight. As she drew nearer to the tower, Avielle began to realize that the trail she was following was heading directly towards it. After another half hour had passed, she was firm in her conviction that this was the case, and she yanked on the reins to halt her mount.

Across the barren, dead earth between her and the tower nothing stirred. No banners or pennants fluttered from the broken crown of the ruined building, and all was in stillness around Avielle. She stared hard at the structure in the distance, unmoving as she studied her destination.

Her patience was rewarded when she spied movement along the tower's base. Distant figures exited from one of the black openings into the structure, moving lazily away from it as if patrolling its perimeter. Even from this distance, Avielle could see the wings and red flesh of demons as they walked, and her eyes narrowed as she connected the creatures with the dead Felhunters she'd found at the battle site in the plaguelands.

With a grin, Avielle drew her horn from her belt, bringing it to her lips and letting forth a long, wailing blast. It echoed across the distance, the mournful sound a warning to all that a death knight hunted now. In the distance, the figures became frantic, pointing at her and running in her direction. She grinned wickedly, snapping the reins and letting her deathcharger begin its dash towards her prey. She reached back and drew her rune-spear, holding it before her like a lance, steed and rider gaining momentum with every thunderous fall of the deathcharger's hooves.

In her battle-lust, Avielle never noticed how the sunlight reflected from her speartip. She never realized how much like a Argent Crusader she must have looked, charging from the rising dawn, lance ahead of her to plunge into the heart of evil.

****************************************

Kyliska shifted in her cell, her manacle clinking against the cold stones of the cell's floor. She crawled as far as she was able, reaching the supplies that the imposter had left for her. She sat beside them for a moment, her eyes fixated not on the food and water, but on the hookah and blood thistle that had been left for her.

Once long ago she'd been addicted to the herbs. She remembered vividly how good they had made her feel, how powerful. That they were here now, in her lowest low when all the world had fallen down around her was a temptation she was finding it hard to resist.

What does it matter if I do it? I'm never getting out of here anyway. No one knows I'm gone, no one cares. If I'm going to die here, I might as well enjoy the one thing that can make me forget all of this for a moment.

Her hands shook as the desire to relieve the stress and lose herself in the herb took hold. She didn't care anymore and none of it mattered. If she was to be forced to watch another live her life, enjoy the company of her lover, then she was going to use the herb and go far away from it all to a place where she felt happy and content.

Slowly she took the hookah and slid it towards herself. She opened the top, placing the blood thistle inside and igniting it before closing the lid. Her hands shook even more now as she took up the pipe, preparing to lose herself in the herb's embrace. Her life was over now and it was best to just let it go.

She brought the pipe to her lips, her eyes closing as she prepared to inhale the highly addictive drug. She felt her heart racing as the old feelings for the herb flowed through her again. Just as she was about to inhale, a loud bang startled her and caused her to open her eyes in surprise.

A second bang rocked the room, the sound of something heavy pounding against the wooden door that sealed off the dungeon's cells from the hallway beyond. Kyliska stared hard at the barrier, her heart beating quickly in her chest and the un-smoked herb sending a curl of smoke up into the air from the hookah beside her.

The third bang shattered the barrier as a heavy form was thrown through it. Kyliska dropped the hookah in shock as she watched the very dead, mangled form of a Wrathguard slide across the stone floor and come to a halt against the far wall of the prison block.

The cell room was guarded, as it always was, by demons. A second Wrathguard surged to its feet from further down the line of cells, rushing towards the shattered barrier as a lithe figure entered through the opening. Kyliska took in the sight of her in an instant, seeing a strange blonde-haired elf strolling casually towards the charging demon, a glowing spear in her hand.

The Wrathguard's blades came down, one after another, and the spear-wielder reacted with cat-like reflexes. Her weapon whirled, the weapon deflecting one blow and parrying a second. The elf spun the spear around her body like a top and slammed the point into the demon's chest so hard that it burst out of its back. The creature howled, falling backwards into ruin as the spear-wielder slashed it three more times for good measure.

The intruder turned, rushing towards Kyliska's cell and causing her to cringe back against the far wall of her prison. The elf's blonde hair fell over half her face, messy from combat, but her exposed eye glowed with a foul blue light that fixed on Kyliska with an intensity that made her shudder. The elf set her spear down for a moment, reaching out and taking the bars to the cells in both hands, beginning to bend the solid steel with unnatural strength that confirmed Kyliska's fearful suspicions; there was a death knight trying to break into her cell for some reason.

From behind the intruder came the sound of a foul little giggle, and the death knight blinked in surprise as a barbed whip wrapped itself around her body. Kyliska noted that the barbs dug into the elf's flesh deeply, but only a small amount of blood oozed out of the wounds. Rather than looking pained, the elf actually rolled her eyes in irritation, even as the succubus that had been tormenting Kyliska for so long yanked the whip back and spun the death knight around.

The death knight wasted little time, reaching out and using her power to wrap dark tendrils of shadow around the succubus, dragging her close. The foul demon actually panted in excited surprise as her body was slammed against the dead elf's and she was slowly choked by an icy cold grip on her neck. The panting turned into howls as the death knight reached out and literally tore one of her wings off before spinning the demon around and snapping her neck with her bare hands.

Tossing the dead succubus aside, the death knight picked her spear up and slashed the bars of the cell, causing them to shatter from the cold of the weapon. She stepped through the opening and leveled the spear at Kyliska, her voice hollow and cold, "You. You are Kyliska Sunblade, now known as Kyliska Sunfire?"

Resigned to her fate, Kyliska brought her head up, her voice firm, "I am."

The dead elf reached out, grabbing Kyliska's arm in a firm, icy grip. Kyliska instantly felt nausea pass through her at the touch of the unholy being, and watched in surprise as the flesh on the dead elf's arm began to crack and flake from contact with her holy form. The undead elf released her grip, her voice a soft whisper under her breath, "At last..."

The death knight brought her spear up and Kyliska closed her eyes as the weapon descended, prepared for death. She was utterly shocked when the blade slammed into the manacle on her ankle, the weapon shearing through the metal and sparking as it bounced off the floor of the cell.

Kyliska's eyes opened wide as the death knight fell to her knees before her, her head bowed. She could swear she saw tears in the other's eyes as she spoke, "Kyliska Sunblade, I am Avielle Silverlight, heir of House Silverlight, allied to House Sunblade in accordance with agreements signed by both our fathers. Know that I come now to uphold the vows of my House, and that we of Silverlight have never forgotten and will never forget our oaths to you and yours. My blade, my power, is in your service Lady Sunblade."

Kyliska's mouth opened and closed, utterly shocked. She struggled to come to terms with what was happening, even as the strange elf lifted her head and stared straight into her eyes with her glowing orbs. Her next words rocked Kyliska to her core.

"Know that your father, Kelthias Sunblade, bade me tell you that he loves you. Know that these were the last words he spoke in life, and that his thoughts were ever on you and your mother Sassariel, even as he gave his life to protect the innocent of Quel'Thalas. His sacrifice, his honor, will never be forgotten by those of Silverlight for as long as I exist."

A strangled cry escaped Kyliska as emotions crashed through her, tears pouring freely from her eyes now as she began to sob. She felt elation flow through her, relief at finally knowing how her father had died, at knowing that he had thought of her before his life ended, at knowing that he had died a hero. Questions flowed through her, a thousand points she wanted to ask, beg, shout at the strange undead elf before her. Instead, she managed to croak out only a single sentence, "Thank you...thank you so much. You cannot know what that means to me..."

A look of relief flashed across Avielle's face as she rose to her feet. Her voice was soft now and soothing as she spoke to Kyliska, "Lady Sunblade...the tower is on fire. We need to get you out of here, get you to safety. Are you able to walk?"

Kyliska looked down at herself, at the filth that covered her and the blood on her ankle. She looked back up and nodded grimly, "I can try."

With that, she attempted to rise, a gasp escaping her as her injured ankle gave out on her. She tumbled back towards the floor, only to find the icy cold grip of the death knight holding her. Avielle's face was inches from hers as she spoke, "I will carry you from this place if not. No harm will come to you as long as I exist, this I swear. Come Lady Sunblade, it is time to go home."

With that Avielle hoisted Kyliska up, carrying her across her shoulder. She winced in pain as Kyliska's blessed form remained in contact with her, a soft hiss escaping her lips. For her part, Kyliska's world spun crazily around her, her weakness mixing with the touch of the unholy to make her feel sick. Her nose was filled with the strange scent of dead roses that came from the death knight as Avielle carried her from her cell. Kyliska's last sight of that place was of the un-smoked hookah, a trail of blood thistle smoke coming from its lid fading from view a moment later.

The hallway beyond the cells was long and narrow, the ruined tower's fortifications long since compromised. Beyond the end of the hall daylight stabbed through the broken opening of the tower's side, and in the dim light of the hallway Kyliska could see flames licking up the side of rotting support beams.

The hallway itself was littered with dead imps, their twisted bodies on the ground near a deathcharger. The undead horse was happily grazing on one of the imp's skulls, the sick crunching sound of bone being ground up coming from it as it chewed its meal. Kyliska felt herself being hoisted higher by Avielle's icy cold grip as she was placed gently in the saddle, the death knight leaping up behind her. A saronite plated arm wrapped around Kyliska's abdomen, keeping her in place as Avielle snapped the reins and urged the horse to a gallop.

The flaming hallway passed by them quickly, daylight suddenly surrounding them and making Kyliska squint and hold a hand to her eyes, the world spinning again as sickness stayed with her. Explosions rocked the ground around them as imps hurled fireballs at them from the tower's exterior, and Avielle wrapped her cloak around Kyliska, anti-magic wards shielding the wounded paladin as they galloped away.

Kyliska felt Avielle grunt a few times as she was struck by errant spells before they were clear of the tower's radius. Ahead of them a form rose up, a doomguard cackling as it prepared to hurl a spell at them. Avielle snapped the reins hard, her steed picking up momentum and hurtling towards a collision with the demon.

Kyliska's eyes widened and she cried out as it appeared they would slam into the demon, but Avielle shifted behind her and a spear hurtled through the air, shattering the demon's skull just as the deathcharger jumped, narrowly clearing the falling demon's body. Avielle yanked her spear from the creature's skull as they passed, and they galloped into the open plains beyond, free of their attackers at last.

In shock, exhausted and wounded, Kyliska felt her pulse slowly start to slow down. The questions in her mind continued to buzz, but a lethargy came over her as she finally felt safe for once. She found herself leaning back against the death knight behind her, her head against the solid armor that Avielle wore. The galloping of the deathcharger as they headed back towards Quel'Thalas combined with her exhaustion to slowly rock Kyliska to true, restful sleep finally.

As she drifted off, Kyliska's last thought was amusement at the fact that she heard no heartbeat through the armor of the elf that she was leaning against.

Encounter in the Ghostlands

Kenzie Dawnsea entered the dilapidated building where Kyliska Sunfire was being held prisoner. She smirked as she made her way towards the cell that she was being held in. Kenzie had kept Kyliska there for a few weeks and had been torturing her, mostly emotionally. She was being forced to watch as Kenzie slept with her beloved Andithiel Felo’melorn. She would tear apart their Houses and cause strife between them. Also hurting someone close to Biara Sunfire always made Kenzie happy. She hated that bitch and she would hurt and feel pain as long as Kenzie lived.

Kenzie made her way to Kyli’s cell. She looked weak, and tired. Her face was bruised and there was dried blood on her body. It appeared that she had tried to find a way to escape. She tried to remove the manacle that was around her ankle, but to no avail. She was strong but not strong enough, especially with no magical ability. Her ankle was very bloody and bruised. Kenzie could see that Kyliska had not been eating much recently either. There was a lot of food that was left uneaten. She shrugged and made herself visible. She cleared her throat and Kyliska looked up at Kenzie. Only to Kyliska, she was looking at herself.

Kyliska stood up slowly and walked to the edge of the cell and stared at Kenzie. “Who in the fel are you, and why did you capture me?” she asked.

Kenzie laughed. “Oh my dear Kyliska, the truth will be revealed when I am good and ready for that to happen. I do hope you like your quarters.” she smirked. “I know they are not quite what you are used to, but I think they are quite nice!” Kenzie laughed again. She was enjoying Kyliska’s pain all too much.

Kyliska spit in Kenzie’s face. “You bitch! You will let me out of here right this instant! Give me my identity back and stop sleeping with my Andi!” Kyliska raged. Kenzie could see that Kyliska was broken, even her little outburst was not at the level that it usually was. Her plan was working quite well then. Kyliska started to cry, the tears streaming down her face.

Kenzie wiped the spit from her face and reached through bars to slap Kyliska in the face. “You will do well to know your place Kyliska. You are a traitorous bitch’s daughter and that is all you are and ever will be. Biara is not truly your sister and she will never love you as much as her flesh and blood.” Kenzie said coldly. “Also, your beloved Andi, well clearly he must not love you as much as you think either. Or else he would know that he has been sleeping with an imposter for weeks now. He has never once thought I was not you. How sad is that? Your soul mate, your one true love, cannot even tell that I am not you.”

Kyliska’s face fell. The sudden realization that Andi did not know she was missing hit her. She was just focused on the torture of watching him with another woman, and did not even think of the pure fact that he did not know it wasn’t her. She fell to the floor. Her will to keep trying to escape her prison had ended. Kenzie had broken her finally, and fully. She looked up to Kenzie who was still smiling at her. “You are right. He does not even question that you are not me. I…...maybe I deserve to be here. For all of my sins that I have committed. My father would be so ashamed of me if he knew all the things I have done.”

Kenzie stared back at Kyliska and talked softly. “I have no care for what your father would have thought of you, but yes your beloved, and your “sister” do not care that you are missing. I could be you forever and they would not care or notice.” she went to leave but turned back around. “Oh and you really should eat something, you will just fade away. Oh wait, no one will really care if that were to happen. I did include some wine though and also a little something extra to help take some of the pain away if you chose to do so.”

Kyliska looked towards the wineskins and then noticed something that for some reason she had overlooked before. It was a pouch of blood thistle. Somehow this imposter must have known that she was once addicted to the drug and left it for her. Kyliska began to sob as Kenzie walked away. Kenzie left the dungeon and could not wipe the smile of satisfaction off of her face. Her plan could not be working any better. She must now head back to Kyli’s estate and see to Andithiel again. She mounted Kyliska’s horse and started to ride towards the Ghostlands.

*******************************************

The Ghostlands were dark and dreary, as they always were regardless of the time of year or even time of day. Muted sounds echoed beneath the oppressive stillness of the dead forest, the groans of distant undead and the sounds of predators taking prey as common as the crackle of dead leaves as Avielle’s deathcharger plodded along.

She had visited the city again, something that she was doing more frequently as of late, and was returning to the dark little piece of the Ghostlands that she called home. This far from the reclaimed lands in Eversong, the world was filled with danger and darkness. It was a home of sorts, and something she’d grown familiar with.

That was why the sound of a horse’s hooves echoing from the poorly paved road up ahead gave her pause. She yanked on the reins, her steed coming to a halt and giving out a little growl of irritation before she calmed it with a soothing hand. In the stillness the sounds she’d heard were growing louder, a rider approaching from deeper within the Ghostlands or perhaps the plaguelands. Whether it was friend or foe she would soon find out, for she was not of the habit of letting uninvited guests wander through the haunted forests unchallenged.

Avielle slipped from her mount, patting it and shooing it further up the trail, crouching down in the dead foliage and watching the trail ahead. She remained motionless as only the dead could, her glowing eyes the only sign of her as she waited. It took only moments for the rider to come into view; a blood elf on a Blood Knight’s charger, the figure not bearing the arms of a Knight perhaps but sitting regally as one.

Although the Blood Knights were the law of the land, it was still suspicious to see one out in the haunted wilds, and so when the rider came close enough, Avielle rose from her hiding place and stepped into the road, rune-spear held ready to gut the horse if the rider chose to advance further.

“In the name of Quel’Thalas, I command you to halt and identify yourself,” Avielle said calmly.

Kenzie slowed her horse down and looked at the elf that was talking. She smiled and spoke. “I am Kyliska Sunfire, not that it is any of your business Death Knight.”

Avielle’s mouth opened in shock, her eyes wide as her spear immediately moved to a non-threatening position, “K-kyliska did you say? But Sunfire? You have wed then, or was this always your surname?”

Kenzie stared at the Death Knight blankly. Why was she so concerned with what her new last name was? Her horse shifted slightly and Kenzie held the reins tightly. “You have not told me who you are, and also why are you so interested in my last name and who I am?”

Avielle nodded, offering the mounted elf a bow before looking back up at her, “My name is Avielle Silverlight, and if you are the Kyliska that I think you are, I have been seeking you for a very long time. I have an oath that must be fulfilled. I have sought you, or your mother, for the last several weeks.”

Kenzie looked at this Avielle with a confused look on her face. She shook her head and spoke. “Avielle, I am sorry but I have more pressing matters that need to be attended to. I cannot stay and talk about my sordid past and your supposed oaths. I must be going.”

Avielle gasped, rushing forward and grabbing the charger’s reins, her voice imploring and containing in it a hint of a banshee’s wail, “Please, I beg of you, stay but a moment and listen. As a Knight you must at least understand the need to uphold the honor of one’s name and station. It is vital that you hear me out, and that I learn of your mother as well!”

Kenzie gasped herself as Avielle ran towards her, she pulled back on the reins and the horse bucked and knocked her off. “What in the fel are you doing! Why would you charge me like that! My mother is dead and that is all you need to know, now please let me be!” Kenzie brushed herself off and attempted to get back onto her horse.

Avielle rushed to the fallen elf’s side, looking shocked. She reached out, brushing debris from the other elf’s clothing, her voice low, “I am so sorry to hear of Lady Sassariel’s death, Kyliska. Please know that I come before you not to seek revenge but to offer you hope instead. It is why I have sought you for so long; we are linked together, you and I, and you must hear me out.”

Avielle paused as the other elf got back in the saddle, a thought stirring in the back of her mind. She looked down at her hands; the hands that had just touched the Blood Knight, and then back up at the other elf, blinking a few times.

Kenzie looked at Avielle with a slightly confused look on her face. Sassariel, that was Kyli’s mother’s name! She tried to refresh the confused look and looked back to Avielle. “Maybe there is another time we can catch up on old times. I really must be going.” she looked towards the Death Knight and saw the expression on her face. “Are you alright?”

Avielle was no fool, and the look that passed across ‘Kyliska’s’ face at the mention of her mother’s name had not gone unnoticed. She stepped back a few steps, her back straightening. Although she attempted to conceal her emotions, there was a frigid coldness to her voice that had not been there a moment before, “Oh yes, of course, Lady Sunfire. I do apologize for causing you any inconvenience. I will let you be on your way now, and seek you out at a more opportune time.”

Kenzie nodded. “Yes thank-you.” she stated. “Let us meet and we can discuss these matters fully at a later date. Good day.”

Avielle bowed once, her gaze unwavering on the other elf, “Good day to you, Lady Sunfire.”

As Kenzie rode away, those two glowing eyes remained affixed on her back, the hard stare cold and unforgiving until it faded from view.

************************************

After the ‘knight’ had ridden away, Avielle called out in the Language of Death. Her deathcharger trotted from the nearby foliage, coming to her side at her call. As she mounted, her mind ran over the encounter again and again, her suspicions deepening with each passing moment.

The Knight’s touch was not unpleasant, not light-filled. She did not feel uncomfortable in my presence. Even if she’d been used to fighting the undead, my touch should have been uncomfortable unless she is used to the touch of evil creatures. And she didn’t recognize Sassariel’s name immediately. Why? Too many why’s.

Avielle snapped the reins, her steed setting out in a fast trot through the dead forest. As she thought over the encounter yet again, she directed her mount towards the direction the Knight had come from. The road was long and dark, heading towards the distant plaguelands, the broken gates of Quel’Thalas not far off.

As she rode, Avielle scanned the terrain around her, checking to ensure that the Knight had not ridden from somewhere deeper in the woods. After a few minutes of riding, she suddenly tugged on the reins, bringing her steed to a halt. Something in the woods had caught her eye.

She dismounted, her plate armor clinking lightly as she moved with purpose towards the dead undergrowth in the forest to the right of the path. She pressed through crackling dead branches and piles of leaves, her eyes affixed on a strange lump laying beneath the brush.

As she bent down, Avielle pushed some branches aside, and her eyes widened as she revealed a dead Felhunter, it’s body pierced by the thrust of an ax. Wary now, Avielle drew her own blade, stalking through the clearing around the dead beast and studying the terrain. Her investigation revealed the presence of several more dead demons, and something else as well.

She kneeled down in the leaves, her spear in one hand and her face coming close to the ground. She held out her free hand, pressing it lightly against the ground in a spot that looked burned. Instantly the skin on her arm began to crack, the flesh flaking as it dried up. Avielle’s eyes widened and she withdrew her hand in shock, the remnants of the Light left at the scene of the battle evidence that a paladin had fought in this place, and recently.

Alarmed now, Avielle rose, dashing back towards her deathcharger. She hopped up into the saddle, the beast already moving as she took her seat, sensing her urgency. She snapped the reins hard, the beast dashing further up the trail now, towards the gates beyond.

If the ‘Knight’ had come from the plaguelands, there would be a trail. Avielle would discover her origins and what she had been doing. And then she would go back and discuss it with the imposter.

Cloak billowing out behind her, Avielle dashed into the darkness of the Ghostlands, heading for the plaguelands behind, the thud of her deathcharger’s hooves warning the denizens of the haunted forest to keep their distance, for a real undead threat now hunted her prey, and when she found out everything she needed to know, someone was going to answer her questions whether they liked it or not.

A Plan set in motion

Kenzie Dawnsea looked at herself in the mirror. Gone was her long black hair and pale skin and in its place was long flowing blonde hair with small small freckles on her newly tan skin. She smiled at how well the orb of deception could make her look exactly like Kyliska Sunfire. Even now she was in Kyliska's bedroom. Her plan was starting to take form. First of course was intercepting Kyliska's letter to her beloved Andithiel, second was having poor Kyliska kidnapped, and third would be the most delicious. She would assume the identity of Kyliska and cause strife between herself and Andithiel, but not right away. She would have her fun first. The fourth part of her plan was to sway Denissia who worked for House Felo'melorn to join her in causing a rift between House Felo'melorn and House Sunfire.

Kenzie looked around Kyli's room. She had a very large and what looked like a very comfortable bed with elaborate bedding and pillows on it. She walked over and sat down on it, and confirmed that it was extremely comfortable. She stood up and looked into the bathroom and saw the big tub and the assortment of bubbles to take a nice relaxing bubble bath with. Then something caught Kenzie's eye. There was a painting on the wall. She walked slowly over to it. Kenzie's smile began to fade and a scowl formed instead. The painting was of Kyliska and Biara as kids, holding hands and smiling. Fel energy began to form around Kenzie as her rage began to take form. That was supposed to be her and Biara. They were the ones that were sisters. Kenzie had loved Biara, they grew up together and shared so many memories together. Or at least that is what she thought. That is what Biara had wanted her to think. Sadly those memories were all a lie. Biara was never her sister, she was an imposter.

Kenzie would have loved to have a sister, she thought she had. The one person she ever truly cared about betrayed her. Biara did not even care how much she changed Kenzie's life. Finding out that Biara was never her sister sent Kenzie on a path that she could never come back from. This is all your fault, she thought as she stared at the painting. For that, you and your sister and anyone you love or care for shall feel my wrath.

There was a knock on the door and Kenzie jumped, the fel energy disappearing. Her heart beating fast in her chest as she had no idea who was at the door. She took one more quick look in the mirror to ensure that she looked like Kyliska and then went to the door. She opened it to find Andithiel Felo'melorn at the door. Of course he would be there, he was coming to meet Kyli since he had no idea she had left. Kenzie smiled  at him.

"Why hello there." she smiled seductively at him. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Andithiel smiled back at her. "I know it wasn't long since we had last seen each other but I wanted to come and check on you, to make sure you were feeling better."

Kenzie thought quick, she wasn't exactly sure what Andithiel was talking about but she tried to play along as best as she could. "Oh Andi, I am feeling a lot better, thank you for asking! I just needed to come be in the comfort of my own home, that always makes me feel better!" She kept a careful eye on Andi to see if he bought it and he seemed to.

"Kyli, I'm so glad, I don't like to see you upset." he started. "You are my world. I would do anything for you, you know that right?" With that Kenzie went to him and stood close to him, their bodies almost touching and whispered to him. "Of course I know that Andi, I would do anything for you too" she smiled slyly. "Just let me show you....."

She pushed him onto the bed and began to slowly undress him. She straddled him as she stared at his very muscular chest. My, I can see why Kyli chose you, you are a very good looking elf she thought. Kenzie wanted to almost laugh at how much love she could see in his eyes for Kyli. He truly did not know that this was not his one true love.This will most definitely be fun.

A Favor for a Friend! written by Biara

A Favor for a Friend! written by Biara

*Ghostlands, early evening*

Kyliska's charger plodded along the now rarely used path, the gloom of early evening coming fast in the Ghostlands. The oddly glowing foliage and distant rustling of possibly undead creatures moving through the half-dead brush were a constant reminder that this part of Quel'Thalas was not now, and likely never would be tamed again.

Kyliska didn't care of course; that was the whole point. She was going somewhere secluded to think for a while, and if some undead slaying came her way, well that was cathartic as well in some cases. She had left behind the annoying trappings of her new role in life and even her original role in House Sunfire. Dressed in simple studded leather and taking with her little more than a pack of supplies and her trusty ax, she had even left behind the House Sunfire barding and banners that she would typically have displayed on such a trip.

The journey had taken several hours, and by now her dear Andi would be well aware of her absence. That was just as well; he would only have tried to stop her and the last thing she wanted right now as to confront the reality of the next few years. Marriage and a new life seemed like grand ideas when one looked at them from a distance, but up close they could downright cause a great deal of fear, and a ton of anxiety and she'd had enough of both for a bit.

A particularly large crackle in the nearby underbrush gave Kyliska pause, and she pulled back on the reins of her charger for a moment, the animal coming to a halt as she scanned the surrounding dead trees.

A zombie or something else crawling through the bushes, or a bat coming out of its roost and upsetting the foliage around its lair? 

The Ghostlands could be a dangerous place even in daylight, and she would not walk blindly into trouble if trouble had indeed found her. She remained perfectly still, dusk falling as she sat motionless, her glowing green eyes staring intently into the darkness.

The explosion came suddenly and so unexpectedly that it startled even the alert Kyliska. One moment she was staring into darkness, the next moment a wall of explosive flame flared to life across her path. Kyliska's charger bucked at the sudden frightening crackle of flames, the animal rearing up. Although it was trained for battle, its rider's unease had settled into the beast, and it was beyond all control. Desperately Kyliska held the reins, even as the beast began to buck her off its back. She scrambled, managing to snatch a hold of her ax's pommel and one of her packs before she was hurled from the saddle.

Another wall of flames burst to life beside her, and her startled charger nearly trampled her as it turned and fled, forcing Kyliska to roll in the dirt to avoid its hooves. The foliage around her crackled and hissed with the orange flames, but she noted that the sounds of larger creatures moving through the brush could be heard under the sound. In an instant she was on her feet, ax in hand as she turned towards the source of the sounds.

The wall of flames seemed to bend as a form surged through it, the demonic visage of a felhunter appearing from the darkness. The beast reached Kyliska in three charging strides, her ax narrowly deflecting its jaws. Behind Kyliska, another wall of flames erupted, pinning her into a narrow alley of burning fire. It was clear now she was in the center of an ambush, and her warcry echoed through the forest as she brought her ax to bear on the felhunter.

A second demon lurched from the wall of fire, the newly arrived felhunter charging at her legs and forcing her back even as she scored a minor hit to the first one's head, severing one of its tentacles. The beast howled like a wounded dog, and the howl was taken up by the second felhunter.

And then howls came from at least three more from beyond the flames.

Kyliska knew she was in trouble now as a third demonic hound lurched through the wall of fire, blocking her access to the only path clear of the flames. She battered it with her ax, forcing it back and whirling to meet the attack of a second demon, the creatures attacking her almost like a pack of wolves might. Such creatures did not belong in Quel'Thalas however, and were not native to the Ghostlands. As a result, Kyliska knew she had another foe somewhere in the darkness that she couldn't see. She pointed into the forest, shouting holy words and instantly the woods burst into clear, brilliant light.

In the distance, beyond the wall of fire a figure stood within the trees, staring at her from where it had been revealed. Kyliska pointed again and again shouted out words of power, her holy judgement flying across the distance and forcing the distant figure to duck behind a tree as her power stripped the bark from the wood.

Wicked, almost delighted laughter filtered through the forest as Kyliska was again forced to defend herself as a fourth felhunter emerged from the fires, this one snapping its jaws at her legs. She swung her ax hard, the blade connecting with the beast's head and removing said head in a single stroke, the corpse flying by her and slamming into one of her other attackers.

A felhunter jumped up, its teeth clamping down on her shoulder and causing her to cry out as the pressure from the bite pinched through her lighter armor. She slapped a hand against it, holy magic pouring into the beast and causing it to Turn. It howled, fleeing in terror from her holy form even as another of the creatures jumped at her.

Kyliska whirled, her hand coming up again and this time she uttered her most powerful of holy spells. The felhunter was struck mid-air by her exorcism, the words of Light utterly obliterating it from existence and sending it back to the nether as if it had never been. A fading howl was all that remained of it as Kyliska laughed and turned to face another of the beasts.

That was when she was struck by fel magics, the chaotic bolt of pure energy surging from the forest beyond and hitting her squarely in the back. The force of the blow spun her around and dazed her, the felhunters she had been about to fight leaping towards her to take advantage of the moment. The weight of two of the demons struck her in the back of the legs and on one arm as she was bit again, and she fell beneath them, her ax flailing wildly.

In desperation, she swung again, her blow neatly beheading another of the creatures as the last one clamped down hard on her shoulder and worried at it like a dog attacking prey. A blast of cold black fel energy slammed down upon her and the night sky spun as she was dazed again, her ax finally flying from her hands.

As she stared up, the figure she had seen earlier loomed over her, the felhunter on her shoulder sitting as the person uttered a command, its weight pinning down her entire right arm and shoulder. The figure kneeled down, putting weight on Kyliska's chest with one of her legs as she loomed close in the glow of the fire.

Kyliska found herselt staring up at a human woman with long, jet black hair. The woman grinned at her, her pock-marked face disturbing with the half-illumination coming from the inferno in the woods, "Greetings Kyliska Sunfire. A mutual acquaintance wishes to impart a message to you. It is something you will absolutely love to see I'm sure."

"I don't know any human scum, so I seriously doubt that you know anyone that I also know, bitch," Kyliska responded with a snarl. She brought a hand up, grabbing the woman's leg and shoving her off as she struggled to get the demon off her, its teeth clamping down harder and drawing blood now.

The woman grinned, her hand coming out and back-handing the prone elf, one of her plain traveler's boots coming down and firmly stepping on Kyliska's free arm, pinning it as she bent close again, "Oh, but we do, Lady Sunfire. You simply don't know who it is, that is all. Also, how very rude of me; I have not introduced myself. Given that you and I will be traveling together for a short time, it is only proper that I observe the formalities, wouldn't you say?" She grinned and laughed as Kyliska attempted to wrest her arm free from the demon's jaws.

"Your name doesn't matter, human. I'm going to tear you to pieces in about three seconds. I could put your name on whatever grave marker I make for you though," Kyliska growled, still struggling.

The woman frowned, shaking her head, "You bore me, Lady Sunfire. I had expected more wit from one such as you. Regardless, I am Serephel Delange and I will guide you to the place where you will receive your little message. You can go peacefully or not. I care little either way."

Kyliska grinned and spat up at the woman, her spittle hitting the human right in the face. The woman who had called herself Serephel frowned, bringing a hand up to wipe the spit from her face before shaking her head, "You are fortunate our mutual friend wishes you alive and well, or I would literally tear your heart from your chest you skinny little bitch. As it is, now this is going to hurt far more than necessary."

"Do your worst, bitch!" Kyliska snarled. Light flared in her hand and the felhunter whined as it was wounded.

Serephel lurched forward suddenly, a grin on her face and a sacrificial dagger in her hand. She held it against Kyliska's throat, pressing it close and forcing the other into immobility, "Oh I shall, Kyliska. I shall. And you will regret very much every word you have spoken here."

Kyliska opened her mouth to say something more, but Serephel suddenly reversed the dagger and brought the pommel of the weapon down hard on Kyliska's forehead. The blow dulled her senses, the strike hard enough to make the world spin around her. She saw Serephel looming over her, the human grinning as she brought the dagger up and hit Kyliska again.

And again, and again.

Probably by the ninth time she could have stopped, but Serephel was having fun after all. Besides, bruises weren't likely to be fatal, and the little bitch deserved what she got. After a time she grew tired and bored, and put her dagger away, signaling to the felhunter to release its victim. She stared down at the unconscious blood elf and grinned, uttering the words to a spell and opening a demonic gateway that glowed with foul green light.

With a sigh, Serephel bent down and grabbed Kyliska's legs, beginning the process of dragging her victim to her destination beyond the gate.

********************************************

Hours later, Kyliska would wake up with a throbbing headache in a dusty room dimly lit by a small fire in a nearby hearth. After her vision stopped spinning and she had assessed her aches, she could see in the minimal light that the room contained a dirty old bedroll upon which she was sitting, a table with an iron key atop it, and a pile of sacks in the corner that looked to contain some food and wineskins judging by what was sticking from the top.

Kyliska groaned and went to rise, the movement arrested by the rattle of a chain. She looked down, eyes wide as she saw her shoes had been stolen and that around one leg was a dark iron manacle that chained her by the ankle to the floor of whatever dilapidated old building she was imprisoned in.

Even as she discovered this, a shadow moved in the doorway and a female figure entered the room, the nearly naked succubus grinning at her captive and smiling, "Oh! You're awake! That's perfect as the show is about to begin soon. Please, Lady Sunfire, let me know if you need anything. I would love to serve you."

With that the demoness moved further into the room, setting a small orb down on the floor. Kyliska recoiled at being so close to a demon, and she began to utter the words to another exorcism spell. Pain shot through her like an electric shock as she began, and she looked down in horror to see glowing fel green runes along the manacle on her ankle, interrupting her spellcasting.

"Oh Lady Sunfire!" the demoness scolded. "No magic in here please! You're here to watch a few things and I'm here to tend to your every need!"

The demoness giggled and stepped away from the orb, gesturing at her, "This will show you exactly what you need to see! I'll be in the next room, so just call me if you need me 'kay? I'd love to help!"

With that the foul creature practically pranced from the room, leaving the glowing orb where it sat. Kyliska looked at it for a moment and then her mouth opened in shock as it glowed more brightly and began projecting a magical image into the air in front of her, the orb clearly having been linked to a scrying spell.

A spell that showed Kyliska's own bedroom at Sunfire Estate.

She felt her stomach dropped as she realized the orb was about to show her something horrible, and her mind raced as she tried to think about who could have done this, or who that Serephel woman knew. She curled up as best she could against the wall, her knees pressed against her chest as she watched the glowing image, waiting to see what new horror would be inflicted upon her next.

Things Change

Kyliska Sunfire sat at her vanity in her bedroom staring at herself in the mirror. She felt like she was having an out of body experience. There were blood elves all around her, tending to her hair, her make-up, and going through her closet throwing clothes all over the place. She was only half listening at all the comments that were being said to her.

"Lady Sunfire, you must start to condition your hair dear, it is SO dry!"
"No, no these clothes just will not do! You are the leader of House Sunfire now, you must look the part!"
"Lady Sunfire, just a little bit more make-up would really brighten up your face! I can get rid of those ugly dark circles under your eyes too!"
"I do think after we find a more suitable wardrobe we can get you some nice jewelry! That will also help to brighten up your look!"

It was all that Kyli could do not to roll her eyes. She was not used to being so feminine. She did like to do her hair sometimes and she put on some make-up, but really she felt like she didn't need all of that. Also when she was training or fighting, it really made no sense to look like that. Kyli was very overwhelmed at her new position at House Sunfire. She knew that her sister Biara needed a break, she had just gotten her daughter back and she wanted to spend some much needed quality time with her. And Kyli knew that if her and Andithiel were to marry they would merge both of their Houses and they would be the leaders of both. So Kyli had to start to learn how to do this now. She just wished she didn't have to change who she was so much. She was starting to not recognize herself in the mirror anymore.

Kyliska suddenly became too overwhelmed by all the snide comments and stood up abruptly. "I am sorry but I just need to get some air. We can continue my hair and make-up lessons at a later date. Please just go!"

"But Lady Sunfire! We are not nearly done!" one of the attendants protested. "We have much to teach you, and this is just about your appearance there is still much to learn about House politics and the like!"

Kyliska walked close to the attendant and had her face almost touching hers. She looked menacing and softly but sternly spoke. "I said......leave. I will call on you when I am ready." The attendant looked scared as she knew what Kyli was capable of and she quickly gathered all of the other attendants and left the room. Kyli took one look around her room and saw what a mess it was and decided that she just needed to leave. She didn't even bother to change or take her new make-up off.

She walked blindly until she came to a spot that she always seemed to find, even when she wasn't trying. It was the spot where her and Andithiel would meet in secret when they started their romance together. For some reason their spot that over looked the water in Eversong Forest would always bring her peace. She sat down and just looked out at the crashing waves. She sighed and closed her eyes. She tried to relax, but then she heard something, or someone approaching. She opened her eyes and stood up quickly, expecting an enemy since she was always on edge, but was pleasantly surprised to see her love, Andithiel.

"Andi!" she called out and ran to him and hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace warmly. "My dear dear Kyli, how are you? I just had this feeling that I would find you here."

Kyli took a step back and looked at Andi. He was smiling at her, but then he started to burst into laughter. Kyli frowned. "What is it, why are you laughing at me?"

"Oh Kyli, I'm not laughing at you, but what are you wearing? And your make-up, is so.....so, there is so much of it! I don't want to offend you but you look a little bit....gawdy." Kyliska burst into tears. Andithiel immediately felt terrible and took her in his arms and soothed her. He rubbed her back as she sobbed out a response.

"Andi. You have no idea, I hate this. I do not want to look like this. You know me, the me you fell in love with would NEVER choose to look like this. I do not feel like myself, but I feel like I am being forced to be someone I am not"

Andithiel held her in his arms and spoke softly to her. "Kyli, I know that things are changing, but they are all good changes believe me. And you will always have me here beside you. I will forever be your rock to lean on and to help you out." he said reassuringly. "I love you Kyliska. Try to relax and we will get through this. I will not let anything bad happen to you."

Kyliska laughed. "Oh Andi I am not worried about anything happening to me! I just do not know if I want this responsibility, it seems like too much!" she started. "I do not know how your sisters and mine have led our Houses for so long. I did not even start into the politics, I was just working on my outward appearance! What am I going to do!"

Andi smiled sweetly at Kyli. "I am sorry I upset you before, but you know that I would think you looked beautiful no matter what you wore. You could wear a sack and still be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Kyliska wiped away her tears and felt such love from Andithiel. He always had this way of saying just the right thing to make her feel better. "Andi, you are right. I am still quite overwhelmed but I am feeling a little bit better. I think I will head home and try to get some of this wretched make-up off of my face." she paused and then laughed. "It might take some time!"

Andithiel kissed her and then lightly pushed her in the direction of Sunfire Estate. "Yes Kyli, please do take off all of that make-up so I will recognize you the next time I see you!"

Kyliska smiled and waved after Andi and headed home. She did feel better but not fully. She just felt like she needed some time alone, some time away from all of this. She was glad to have seen Andi because she wasn't sure she could say what she was about to write in a letter to him. If she said it to his face he would look at her with those gorgeous eyes and convince her to stay. Convince her to wait it out, and try to relax. Kyli knew she could handle this new responsibility, but everything all at once was too much. She would go on a little retreat just to clear her head for a while. Then once she was away from the urgency of everything she would come back and start a new. She knew this was the right thing to do.

*                            *                                      *                                     *                               *

Kenzie Dawnsea smiled slyly as her succubus became visible and handed her a letter. It was a letter that was from Kyliska Sunfire addressed to Andithiel Felo'melorn. She held the letter in her hands an spoke a few words and it puffed up into smoke.

"Yes this will do quite nicely." she said. "Thank-you for intercepting that letter for me. Now no one will even know that Kyliska is gone. I can start my plan for revenge against House Sunfire and House Felo'melorn. They will be sorry that they destroyed House Dawnsea. No one ruins my property and gets away with it. Consequences must be felt."

Kenzie would cause a divide between House Felo'melorn and House Sunfire. They had reached an alliance after defeating Kenzie's ally Seluna Dawnsea, but they had not felt the wrath of Kenzie. She would see to it that both Houses will feel suffering like she has. She could feel the fel energy pulsing through her veins and it felt good. Yes this will be fun, she thought.

A chance encounter

*A few years ago, on Cassus*

Kristana Oxley was in her bed in her quarters at the Flammadies Estate. She could not be happier. She had a wonderful job working for the Flammadies Family, she had a wonderful man in her life, even though she was lowborn her life was shaping up to be pretty fulfilling. She knew she would never be treated the same as the Highborn, and she had made peace with that. She knew they had more and always would, she was content with her place in life. As long as she could keep her steady job that actually paid pretty decently and she could be with the love of her life. She snuggled up next to the man, Marcus in her bed. He was so handsome with his black hair that was always a little disheveled. She couldn't be more lucky to find a man that was so kind to her. He started to stir as he felt her body against his.

"Good morning dear. I do hope I didn't wake you!" she said sweetly and kissed him on the forehead.

"It is quite alright, I was just dreaming about you, but seeing you in the flesh is much better than any dream I could have!" he said with a smirk on his face and kissed her deeply. "Krist, you make me so happy, I hope you know that. We will have a great life together. I know that being lowborn is not all it is cracked up to be at times, but we will always have each other, and that is all that matters!"

Kristana could not stop smiling. Her heart could not be any more full than it was when she was with Marcus. She had never felt this way about anyone before. When he was not around, her heart ached for him. When he was around she could not get enough of him! She was very serious about her work, but Marcus could always make her laugh. She felt so carefree and full of life. There was a time when being a lowborn really affected her, and she was depressed because of it. She knew she would never amount to much, and then her life had turned around. Things were looking up and she couldn't be happier about it.

Marcus took her in his arms and continued to kiss her. Kristana almost lost her breath because the kiss was so deep. If I were to die, right now in this very minute, I would not even care she thought. What a way to go! She continued to kiss him and flipped him over so she was now on top of him, their hands roaming each others bodies, when suddenly there was a knock on her door. Kristana nearly jumped out of her skin. She was allowed to have people in her quarters, but she still felt like a little girl being caught by her parents.

"Marcus, go hide! In the closet!" Kristana whispered.

"But Krist....." he started. "No please I do not want you to get caught in here, please!" Marcus went off into the closet like he was asked. It was not an overly large closet so he had to really jam himself in there. Her quarters were much nicer than her house that she grew up in, but they were not as nice as if she were a Highborn herself.

Kristana put a robe on quickly and ran to the door to open it. It was one of the guards that she was in charge of. "Hello there, are you busy? We were thinking of doing some training a little early today if that is alright with you?"

Kristana smiled. "Of course, just let me get dressed, I will be right there!" Kristana closed the door and ran to her closet and opened the door to find Marcus, and he jumped out and scared her. "I do not know how you scared me since I knew you were there!" she laughed, and he pushed her back onto the bed.

"Do you really have to go?" he asked as he kissed her neck. "Yes dear, I must go, but I shall see you later, right?" Marcus smiled sadly. "Actually no, I have plans, but I will come to you as soon as I can, hopefully within the next few days. Do not miss me too much!" he smiled slyly and quickly dressed. He kissed Kristana one last time and left the room.

Kristana sighed happily as she lay on her bed, unable to move. She felt that if she moved, things would change. Her life would not be as perfect as it was anymore. She needed to feel this bliss for a few moments longer.

*Present Day*

Kristana slammed down her mug of beer after chugging it down. The man sitting next to her in the bar laughed at her. He was a young man and she was giving him a run for his money. They had made a bet to see who could drink the other under the table first, and she was winning so far. She could definitely hold her alcohol. Where a lot of other women liked to be more girly and dainty, Kristana liked to be one of the guys. She was not looking to impress anyone, but always somehow some poor man would become enthralled with her. She was attractive with her long blonde hair and her piercing green eyes. She didn't wear much make-up but what she did wear was put on expertly and cleanly. She did not spend a lot of time on her appearance but she always seemed to look pretty put together without really trying.

"Wow you are a lightweight! Are you gonna let a woman out drink ya?" She laughed as she chugged another mug full. The man sitting next to her snorted and chugged another mug as well. He was clearly not able to sit too well on the stool anymore. Kristana just laughed again. "I guess so! Well it was a good try, but I do think I have won our little bet! Buck up champ, maybe you can win next time!"

The man stood up unsteadily and Kristana did as well. The bar was quite crowded but the man decided to kiss her roughly, clearly not thinking too well. Kristana was taken aback but decided to have some fun, so she started to kiss him back and then bit his tongue, not too hard but enough to tell him she did not want to kiss him anymore.

"Bloody hell! The bitch bit me!" he screamed. "Well maybe you should watch your tongue and not stick it down my throat without my permission next time!" she shot back at him. This man was mistaken if he thought that she would not be able to take care of herself. He spit out some blood and made his way towards her. She just smiled as she knew what he was going to try to do. He stumbled and tripped  and fell flat onto the floor. Now there was a small group that had gathered that were laughing at him.

"She tripped me! Did you see that!" he yelled looking at the other bar patrons. Kristana just laughed and laughed. "Maybe you shouldn't drink as much next time, eh?" she said offering him her hand to help him up, but he refused. "Not bloody likely!" he tried to get up himself and failed. "I'll get you for that! Kristana Oxley is it? I will make you pay!"

Kristana continued to sneer at him. "You know, no one likes a sore loser, and also never come near me again, and try to shove that nasty tongue down my throat or else I will do more than just trip you next time." She spoke so coldly that the young man actually seemed to shiver at her voice. She turned around and walked out of the bar with a smile on her face. Yes she had changed since her time with Marcus. Maybe his betrayal was the best thing that could have happened to her. It hardened her. She was not the naive young woman she once was. She was also fun loving, but in a different way. She would not let anyone walk over her again, no matter what. No one would lie to her, and get away with it.

Sometimes all you had was yourself to count on in this world. Kristana learned that the hard way, and she was happy she did. She needed to learn that lesson. She decided to go back home and rest a little bit. The alcohol was starting to effect her and she did not want to get into anymore fights. Most days she did not dwell in the past. She tried to not think about things like that. She wanted to just have some fun. Tomorrow would be a better day.