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| Details |
| Author: | Luridel |
| Summary: | Aszera runs into two Lysanders in the Shrine of Seven Stars: Alaisa and Theris. Aze explains why she's there. Ally doesn't just go around telling people things. Theris learns about demon hunters. ~3k words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: The Bride Will Fall
The Shrine of Seven Stars in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms is growing more like an actual city, with new amenities coming through the portals, and new people as well. The statuary and gold-veined pillars of the city recall its older purpose, though now it is full of the sounds of merchants and innkeepers, and the conversations of defenders, refugees, and other travelers.
The ornate beauty of the place is entirely lost on the blindfolded Aszera Sunstrike, where she sits on the upper level of the interior staircase. It's not the architecture she's looking at, though, it's the people. The little swirls of life and energy, though she only knows what a fraction of it signifies. There's a draenei passing by with the familiar glimmer of Light, and the compact shape of a pandaren man with something almost misty around his paws. Aze leans on the smooth lacquer of the railing, trying to take everything in, to spot anything out of the ordinary.
Exiting through the archway behind Aze is an unarmored death knight. He's similar to Roper in build, but it isn't him - this one wears a greatsword on his back. He pauses on the landing and waits, looking back the way he came.
Aze straightens away from the railing, half-turning around with a smile before she registers the differences and that this is not someone she knows. She stays standing there, in profile to the death knight, apparently looking at nothing in particular.
The death knight nods politely to her.
A minute later, a more familiar young woman comes through the door. Her hair is a cloud of soft curls; there is a pencil tucked behind her ear. She is wearing a skirt and blouse and comfortable flats. "Aze!" Ally calls, holding her hands out.
Aze inclines her head, but doesn't answer until Ally comes through. Now that is someone she knows. The pieces fall into place, the pair here in Pandaria, and Aze's expression softens the rest of the way to a delighted smile.
Aze steps over to Ally, holding out her own hands for a welcome hug. She's in casual clothes herself, boots, trousers and long-sleeved purple blouse, with no weapon belt or swords to get in the way of an embrace. "Ally! I didn't know you were coming over to Pandaria." She tilts her head towards the death knight, "Which means you must be…?"
Ally takes Aze's hands and twirls her in a little circle, then pulls her in for a quick hug before letting go. "Hello, hello, hello! This is my brother, Theris Lysander. Theris, this is Aszera Sunstrike."
Theris bows politely. "Good to meet you."
Aze spins easily with her and returns the hug with a bright laugh before stepping back. "It's so good to see you. And to meet you, too, Theris," Aze says, turning to include him in a way that's likely more courtesy than actually helping her see him better, through her blindfold. "I've heard a lot about you. Or well, some about you. I'm Syarra's little sister — I think you know her."
"I do," Theris says, and does not elaborate.
"What are you up to?" Ally asks. "Are you waiting for someone up here?"
Aze tilts her head curiously at the terseness, but then turns back to Ally. "This is where most people from elsewhere come in and out right now, so I'm keeping an eye — well, following who's passing through, in case somebody in particular does. Detective thing. Have you been here long? Are you two staying here at the Lantern?"
"Oh, about a week," Ally says, and moves to lean casually against the railing herself - but facing inwards, towards Aze. "We are, we have a cozy little two-bedroom suite."
Theris stands there awkwardly, watching his little sister talk to her friend.
"Oh, nice. Mine's a one-room, but it's pretty comfortable," Aze nods. She seems to notice Theris's awkwardness and adds to him, "Melancholy's around here somewhere, too, I'm sure. She mentioned you as a friend. From the… library days, right?" She pauses, seeming to focus on something else for a moment, and then continues, "Have you two seen much of the countryside? Want to go somewhere, catch up where we're not uh… in the middle of a crowd?" There is no one immediately next to them, but the Shrine is a little crowded.
"We didn't actually meet until after," Theris says. "I know she's in Pandaria. That's why I came." He looks at Alaisa for help.
"Sure. Let's go for a walk." Ally links her arm with Aze's and starts down the ramp to the stairs.
Theris follows after them.
Aze happily links her arm with Ally and heads down through the center of the Shrine. She doesn't seem to mind at all that the three of them might be an unusual group. As they pass the Golden Lantern and step out into the open air, Aze directs them towards the staircase.
"It's pretty safe this far east," Aze says. "…which I realize might be more of a drawback than a benefit, for some of us here. Straight west, there's plenty of mogu, and mantid at the wall, too, if you're into that. And the Seat of Knowledge up north, if you want to do some library stuff. They've probably got some interesting ancient languages, but I don't know how much poetry they might have."
Theris follows them, a silent shadow, while Ally chatters.
"I learned how to read and write Pandaren before I came here, from the Tushui back in Stormwind," Ally says, eyes sweeping the region. She notes the positions of the patrols before looking back to Aze. "They're really big on storytelling, you know. Oral tradition - the same stories being passed down from generation to generation."
"Ooh, that was a good idea," Aze nods. "I should work on that myself. Maybe not the reading and writing, but speaking, so I can understand the stories. I'm usually pretty fast at picking up the basics, for speaking, at least. The Lorewalkers seem pretty friendly, always ready to share a story. Not really big on combat, though. When I went into this mogu place — with Melancholy, Bryn and Lena — the Lorewalker just sort of kept watch outside. There's other languages, too, though, like the ancient mogu. Lot of writing around in that language, from what I hear."
Aze leads Ally down the footpath, past golden-leafed trees and to a small pond with lily pads blooming purple flowers. The edge of the lake is lined with tiled stone, and there's a red-and-gold decorative awning to protect from the sun.
Ally steps into the shade. "Mogu I've begun learning. Mantid… there's very little documentation on. It's a shame, but not really a surprise."
"Lena's guy is over there, learning about the mantid," Aze says, moving next to Ally and leaning against a support. "A few others, too. I guess you probably knew that, because its a Cobalt thing. Maybe they'll bring back some books or scrolls or something, you never know."
"I've been tracking Cobalt Company's activity, yes," Ally says, amused. "What brought you to Pandaria, though? Are you on a case?"
"In a sense," Aze says, turning back toward her. "I wanted to come out here anyway, curiosity. But yeah, I'm watching for someone for Fallon. I'm not sure how to say this without sounding weird, but a woman with unusually large breasts. That's not, like, why. That's just her description — apparently the rest of her is hard to remember. So yeah, if you come across anyone like that while you're here, tell me?"
"Hard to remember," Alaisa repeats. "Magically? Interesting. I take it I'm not to approach her myself?"
"Yeah, I think magical," Aze confirms. "I haven't seen her though, so I don't know what kind. And I wouldn't approach, just note where she is and pass on the information. In the meantime, there's plenty to help with here. Will you be staying long?" She tilts her head toward Theris, including him in the question.
"Interesting." Ally probably has a dozen more questions, but when Aze changes the subject, she allows it. "Well, that depends. Have you heard anything about the 7th Legion's whereabouts? I've been trying to get in touch with Sintha, and she hasn't responded."
"I expect to be," Theris answers. "At least until the mogu are fully driven from the vale, if not longer."
Aze nods and says, "Melancholy'll probably be up here till that happens, given it's her you're here for. Then down with the fleet, which is where the 7th is. Or at least that's where Tyrrell's unit is, which is Sintha's, too. They've been defending the harbor site, and monitoring up the coast, if I remember what Fallon said right. I go down there every once in a while, for… uh, checking in, and social reasons. I haven't spoken with Sintha lately, so maybe she's just busy in the field?" She shrugs lightly and adds to Theris, "Since you're here, I hope that means my family can come over to visit, too. I bet Roper would love this place — full of secrets."
"Most likely they're up the coast, then," Ally says, frowning a little.
"Do they want to?" Theris asks Aze.
"I think so," Aze says, considering. "There's not a lot of war going on in the Eastern Kingdoms right now, so they're probably pretty h–" Aze pauses, and amends to, "Yara probably misses me, and I bet we can spend more time together here. She's been helping out a lot in Redridge, and I think Roper's been busy doing… Roper stuff. You know him."
"You can say 'hungry'," Theris says, looking curiously at her. "What have you heard about me, precisely?"
"Not all that much, yet," Aze says, flashing him a quick smile. "Roper and Syarra count you as an ally, and you're Melancholy's friend. Something about you were into libraries before? And then she apprenticed with your mother. Well, yours and Ally's. I'm guessing you probably like poetry, from context, but nobody specifically told me that."
"Ah. I see." Theris nods solemnly to her. "Less than I thought. I was a librarian in life, with a heart condition that limited my athleticism. I made a trip out to the Plaguelands to assist the Argent Dawn at the wrong time. I was still in the midst of my introductory training of the most basic of Death Knight basics when the Battle of Light's Hope turned. I had no death charger." His face twitches. "Syarra and Roper were instrumental in preserving my existence when I had been separated from my runeblade, and I owe them a great debt."
"Oh, damn, that's serious," Aze says in sympathy. "I knew the runeblades were important, but maybe I didn't realize quite how much. Anyway, it's good you had them around. It's always rough when something life-altering happens, if there's no one around to help you sort it out. Though in this case, from what I've heard, it's probably better that you didn't get the official training." She tilts her head toward Ally, and adds, "You know about me, right? Ally, you told him?"
"You think I just go around telling people things?" Ally teases. "He knows you're Syarra's little sister, and that we sponsored you joining the Alliance. That's it."
"Maybe not people, but maybe your brother," Aze says with a brief laugh. She unfurls a hand toward Theris and says, "My damage is fel-flavored, instead of death, as far as cosmic forces go. Demon-fused soul. I was a dancer before, not a librarian, but I do know a little poetry. I've been working with Melancholy to translate some Thalassian ones."
Theris opens his mouth to ask a question.
"A demon hunter, not a warlock," Ally clarifies.
Theris closes his mouth, nods, and very gently shakes her hand.
"Right, yes, I keep my demon inside instead of out," Aze says, with a faint smile. "If you have any questions about it, I don't mind. You think you'll ever go back to it? The library, that is."
Theris looks down. "At best I might visit. Working there… I'm not welcome any more. I'm dead. What type of demon did you fuse your soul with?"
"There's different kinds of libraries. The mogu one we went to was full of souls that attack you when you call them up. I'm not suggesting you work in the Mogu'shan Vaults, but maybe you'll run into something that fits, someday," Aze says, and for a moment that might seem like all she's going to say. Then, she tilts her head towards Ally and says with a wry smile, "You asked me that, too, Ally, when we first met. It's not exactly secret or anything, I guess… it was a felguard."
"Lysanders like knowing things," Ally says, flashing her a grin.
"Perhaps," says Theris. He does not sound very optimistic. "Does the demon gain anything? From the soul fusion?"
Aze leans a little more heavily against the pillar, considering that one, but the question doesn't seem to hurt her. "Just the same thing a warlock's demon gains from slavery, I guess, the chance to corrupt another living being to the Legion. If we fuck up, of course, which we won't. I don't think a demon would choose it, though. The goal is to not have them gain anything. To wield the strength of demons against the Legion."
"Ah. I understand. Thank you." Theris nods politely to her.
"Mostly, it just makes me stronger in a few ways, sort of like Nata — " Aze cuts herself off, remembering something. She adds, "Worgen, right. I forgot to say earlier. The woman I'm here looking for, she's traveling with a Cobalt worgen. That was another reason for not engaging, I just want to know where she is."
"Do you know the name of this worgen?" Alaisa asks.
"Gellarn Rivere," Aze supplies. "I don't imagine they record travel plans with Cobalt HQ, though, or someone would've already checked it. If anything, he may be recorded as coming to Pandaria."
Alaisa nods. "Gellarn Rivere. I know the name, at least. Gravehowl pack."
"It's the same one Ozzy and Merelda are in," Aze says, confirming. "And that one guy, Rhenardt, I think? I don't really know how big packs are."
Theris is actually the one to answer. "It varies from pack to pack. Some are dozens of people large, some can be as small as two or three."
"You know a lot of worgen?" Aze asks, with mild curiosity. "I know a few who aren't in packs at all, and then Gravehowl. They might be on the dozens side. I'd never heard of this Gellarn guy, and I know a handful of them already."
"I live in Duskwood," Theris responds.
"He was feeding off the ferals for ages," Ally explains. "Then the Gilneans came out from behind their wall and it turned out they're people, and a group of them settled basically on his doorstep to try and trap the ferals for alchemical purification."
"Yes." Theris sighs. "The kaldorei have a ritual, performed at one of their trees, to try and return worgen to their right minds. The difficulty, of course, is that the tree is on another continent, and who's going to transport a feral worgen that far? The Gilnean alchemists are trying to produce an alternative."
"Ooh, that's rough," Aze says sympathetically. "I remember hearing rumors about worgen back during the Third War, when I was over that way. Just scary stories, though. I don't think anybody could've known what they were, unless the people responsible had spoken up about it. Not until the Gilneans came out."
In thought, Aze drums her hand along the support beam, beside her leg. "I guess you could get a mage, but then that puts you dragging feral worgen through their temple via arcane magic, which you don't have to tell me how much the kaldorei would hate that. How's it going, with the alchemical cure?"
"There's a potion to bring a worgen some clarity of being, but it doesn't work on all of them," Theris says. "I'm no alchemist myself, but I've been letting them use the gardens to grow ingredients."
"At least it helps some of them," Aze says, with a faint sigh. "I'd imagine it's hard to get yourself back, once you've been lost like that. Worth the fight though, and worth helping them fight."
"Yes," Theris says quietly. He looks into the pond, points at a water strider, and asks, "What is that?"
"On the water?" Aze asks, and her long brows draw down, like she's trying to focus on it. "Some kind of… small animal, I think? They've never attacked me, while I'm out here."
"That's a water strider," Ally answers. "They can get pretty large in Pandaria."
"Ah." Theris looks at Aze contemplatively. "How much can you see, or sense?"
"I can see the… the shape of it," Aze says, resting one hand on her upper arm, crossing her chest. "And that it isn't magical, I don't think, unless it's a kind I don't know. I feel like I could make things come into better focus, if I just — " Aze shakes her head. "I can see the things that matter the most, like movement, for combat."
"The shape of it," Theris repeats. "So you would be able to identify the woman you're looking for by her… shape. I understand."
Ally smirks.
"Exactly," Aze says with a laugh, tracing out an arcing shape in front of her chest. "Honestly, I sort of hope I find her, before whoever else, just to see how notable they really are." She nods to Ally and Theris and adds, "I do recognize people I know. Ally, right off. And when I first saw you, Theris, I thought you were Roper for a second, but then I could tell."
"Even though I'm not wearing the armor," Theris says thoughtfully. "You just knew I was dead."
"Well, I knew you were — " Aze trails off, looking for the words. "You're not exactly dead, not really. You're still here, not off in the shadowlands somewhere. But… full of death magic, maybe. And not so far from Roper's shape." She turns away from the water, as if looking over the countryside, and says a little more quietly, "And maybe I miss family a little."
Ally slings an arm around Aze's shoulders and hip-bumps her lightly. "They might be hoping for a more formal invitation from the Alliance."
Aze bumps her back gently, putting her arm around her back for a moment, a quick side-hug.
"Maybe it'll actually come, you never know," Aze says with a quick twitch of a smile. "Maybe I'm just learning a little how Yara might've felt, waiting to see if I'd come up to Northrend in the end. I'm glad you're out here, Ally."
"Awwww." Ally flashes her a smile. "Me too."