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The Ruby Sanctum is awe-inspiring. Jaina cannot help but let a small gasp escape her as they walk through the grassy plain. Trees with red hued leaves, rustling in the nonexistent wind guard the path of loose stone tiles. Black and reddened rocks jut out from the grass, but not where the trees become more sparse to reveal a large grassy field. Alexstrasza walks in front of them, casually. The hints of the intimidating nature she displayed in the Chamber of Aspects have faded, save for her grand stature. She leads Jaina and Sylvanas down the path, to her home.
It resembles a temple, from the front. Large pillars of red marble, veined with white, hold up a roof with a triangular front. Red and golden dragons twirl on its engravings. Broad stairs from the same kind of stone pave the way to the terrace in the shadows underneath the roof. A few lightly built chairs and a high, wooden table adorn the space. A green cape is carelessly slung over one of the chairs. Jaina spots Sylvanas sharply looking at it.
Alexstrasza opens the curtain barring entrance to the house, and beckons them to come inside. Folding screens with dragon motifs keep the inside pleasantly cool, while letting through enough light. Again, Jaina gasps in surprise.
The chamber is a large oval room, with another curtain to the left, separating it from a different space. Two wooden doors in the back are soundly closed, keeping the warmth out of the rooms behind them completely. To the right, a long corridor reveals a kind of gallery, with large windows and plenty of sunlight. A comforting smell, like incense and flowers, heavy and crisp at the same time, blankets the entire house. As Jaina takes in her surroundings, Alexstrasza says:
‘I ought to show where you two are staying. And it would be a good idea to take that heavy winter’s gear off.’
The character of the Dragon Queen has faded completely now. In its place, a much warmer, more casual and easygoing attitude. Every movement she makes, every gesture is purposeful. Designed to emit an aura of goodwill, but never seeming soft-minded or vulnerable. She carries an open-faced expression, yet never faltering, never falling into sentimentality or placidity. She opens one of the doors in the back of the room, revealing a spacious bedroom. Sylvanas is quick to dump her bag in a corner and survey the chamber. The Life-Binder leaves them to settle.
‘We shall talk about your proposal after you have made yourselves at home,’ she says. ‘And after that, we can have dinner. Perhaps a demonstration of the possession which Lady- which Jaina has told me about, is in order?’
‘Yes,’ Jaina brightly answers. ‘We can most certainly try that.’
Sylvanas stands unmoving by the bed, watching the Queen leave the room. Only after the door has been closed, she starts removing her armor, throwing it all in a heap onto the ground. ‘Can she just assume that we will do that? Without consideration?’
‘We owe her that, Sylvanas. And I’m willing to show her, if it helps your cause. Are you?’
The elf shrugs while kicking off her boots. ‘I suppose so.’
Like the rest of the house, the bedroom is comfortably designed. A veritable mountain of pillows is arranged around the head end, while a stack of extra blankets lie on a cabinet.
As they exit the room, Jaina cannot help but ask Sylvanas why she is so tense. ‘We have not been refuted, soon we will speak with her about a way to help you… what is on your mind?’
‘Alleria’s… stuff,’ Sylvanas starts, gesturing through the oval room. ‘- is everywhere in this house. It unnerves me.’
She points to the far end of the room, where the colorful red and yellow curtain obscures the adjacent chamber. ‘There, I see one of her bows, stacked against that drawer. Her cape was outside. On the couch seating, a tunic that is too small for that dragon-’
Indeed, a green tunic is draped over the lush pillows by the backrest.
‘On the low table in front of the couch, a goblet that she salvaged from Windrunner Spire. I recognize its engravings. And here-’ Sylvanas points out a small table in between the two doors. A vase with flowers rests upon it, and next to it, a necklace. ‘- this is a quel’dorei jewel. Her presence is everywhere. Last time I met her, I recall that she wanted to murder me.’
‘Judging by her letters, and the fact the she directed us to here, it’s safe to assume that she is beyond murderous intentions.’ Unbothered by the grumpy elf, Jaina swipes aside the curtain and joins Alexstrasza on the terrace. She seats herself besides the Life-Binder, by the table. The Queen smiles warmly and offers her a high crystal flute filled with a cool beverage. As Jaina eagerly sips the wonderful sparkly, fruity liquid, she spies a terracotta plate with what looks to be bite-sized pieces of toasted bread with some sort of spread.
‘Take as much as you like. You have come a long way,’ Alexstrasza says. ‘As for you, Sylvanas, do you want to start talking, this time?’
She has taken off her arm-covering armour, the flame-inspired vest and the greaves. Two broad leather bracelets close the somewhat poofy sleeves of her shirt above the elbow. Jaina’s gaze drops to the Queen’s lower arms. Several deep scars are set in her bronzed skin. With a frown and a shiver, Jaina recalls the stories she heard about Alexstrasza’s fight against Deathwing.
Sylvanas, whose eyes had been glued to the plate, straightens her back, nodding.
~~~~~
Yes, this was the moment. The Life-Binder’s eyes were on her, awaiting her version of what Jaina had told her. While walking through the frost-covered mountains, she had mulled over what to say, yet anxiety and bitterness had overtaken her in the Chamber of Aspects. Now, setting her worries aside, because she is too close to attaining her goal, she finally speaks the words that had formed in her mind:
‘As Jaina has told you… her presence in my life has made me painfully aware of the joys of a living body. The simple things, a heartbeat to assure yourself with, breath that rushes in and out of your lungs.’
She brings a hand to her throat to illustrate. And when she looks past her wife, who is snacking on the offered food, Alexstrasza’s golden eyes emanate a caring, warm glow. ‘It is like books. How the provide an insurmountable challenge for those who cannot read. How they make illiterate people feel like a world is locked away from them. And such is with all things in life… the so common things I see, or feel in Jaina. They are an insurmountable challenge for those unfortunate enough to… linger behind.’
‘That is very well phrased,’ Alexstrasza says, slowly nodding.
As Sylvanas represses a shiver, Jaina’s hand is laid down on her right shoulder. Her wife gives her a soft smile, her blue eyes lit up with joy. A merry little laugh bubbles from her throat, and Sylvanas feels half a smile slip onto her own face. Then the Life-Binder clears her throat, standing up from her chair and walking to the edge of the terrace.
‘Do you see this sanctum, lovers?’ she asks, spreading her arms in a wide gesture to encompass their surroundings. ‘‘T was rebuilt with the aid of many others of my kind. To give me a true place to live comfortable. A final resting place, of sorts.’
Jaina gasps sharply. ‘Final resting place? Are you in lethal danger?’ she says alarmedly.
Sylvanas frowns at the Dragon Queen’s words too. She does not seem to have any injuries, par for the many scars gained in her battle with the Worldbreaker. But she calmly shakes her head.
‘No, I am in a good state, do not fret. I merely fear that I might have… overstepped a little, when speaking to you before you turned to smoke,’ she says to Sylvanas. ‘The last time I have resurrected someone was before I struck down my kin. As you two undoubtedly know, my powers have waned since. Us former Aspects are no longer as mighty as the Titans once made us.’
She pauses, gaze resting on Sylvanas. The blue waygate shimmers in the distance behind her, and she sighs. ‘While I hold a semblance of my power still, I do not know quite how much it is. Nor do I know if resurrecting you, rekindling your breath and heart, will be easy. Or possible, even, for me. I truly cannot say if I lost that power. I don’t get a lot of practice in that regard, nowadays.’
Heavily, the silence descends on the three of them. Jaina starts fidgeting with her feet, her hand clenching on Sylvanas’ shoulder. The little grain of hope that Sylvanas held on to seems to be slowly crushed within her chest. Without thinking, she blurts out: ‘But Alleria came here-’
‘Alleria was not dead. Neither was she far from it, but healing flesh is much, much easier than breathing new life into it.’
Quietly, Sylvanas wonders if, due to her draconic abilities, Alexstrasza is being literal about the breathing. Next to her, Jaina speaks up:
‘But can you… try it?’
‘Naturally, I shall.’
Jaina breathes a deep, relieved breath. Sylvanas attempts to do so too, but succeeds in making an awkward choking sound. Words of thanks are on her lips, but the former Aspect speaks again before she can say them.
‘Your love is of a most rare kind, Jaina. I have seen it few times in my long lifetime. Yes, love without boundaries when it comes to your partner’s physical aspects, even going so far as to undertake such a journey to make her feel at peace with herself. And such love is deserving of my blessings. Of life, and all that it entails. For life must be enjoyed at its fullest, especially when one is in love.’
Somewhat embarrassed, Jaina coughs. Sylvanas sees the tips of her ears grow red. ‘It took me some time to grow into it. That kind of love. But Sylvanas is more amicable than she seems at first glance.’
Now it’s Sylvanas’ turn to be ashamed. She is about to refute Jaina when the Life-Binder laughs. Her laugh is low, but somewhat loud and full of hearty, well-meant fun.
‘That appears to be a common characteristic in the Windrunner family,’ she says.
Briefly, Sylvanas had forgotten that the woman was her sister’s partner. But as infectious as Alexstrasza’s laugh is, she soon finds herself smiling again too.
‘See?’ she hears Jaina say. ‘Her laugh is beautiful.’
At once, she feels her ears shoot up, rebuking the compliment before her mind catches up. It only serves to make the two other women laugh harder, with Alexstrasza cheekily noting: ‘Oh, Alleria does that too, the ears! Such a fun thing about elves, isn’t it, Jaina?’
(Art by dreamsofjoyfulbunnies on tumblr! )
If Sylvanas could have blushed, she would be flushed bright red, most certainly.
Still giggling, Jaina taps her on the shoulder. ‘Hey, do you want to try it now? The possession? We’ll have a nice dinner, perhaps you could even get some sleep afterwards?’
‘Ah, yes. I am rather curious to how you have made that work,’ Alexstrasza chimes in.
Now all their eyes are on her, and Sylvanas nods obligingly. It has been an insane day, so a bout of possession can be added on top as well. She gets up, waiting for Jaina to follow her inside of the house, but her wife says:
‘I think I can remain standing now.’
She reaches out to Sylvanas’ cheek with one warm, soft hand. The elf lays her own, larger hand on top of it, savouring the caress before settling her other hand on Jaina’s waist. It is nearly like they are dancing.
Sylvanas’ eyes narrow suspiciously when Alexstrasza moves closer. Instead of berating her for the glare, the Queen only smiles softly. ‘You remind me much of your sister, Windrunner. She was always so… apprehensive, the first few weeks.’
Alleria. The mention breaks Sylvanas out of her caution for a moment. Jaina’s hand creeps up to hers where it’s settled on her waist, searching for more physical contact and grasping her hand, squeezing softly, reassuringly.
Sylvanas rests her forehead against Jaina’s. ‘Are you ready?’ she softly asks.
With a hum, Jaina acknowledges her. Then she presses closer to Sylvanas, so they are entwined in a hug. The undead elf grips her wife’s hand a bit more strongly, and unshackles her soul from her body. It feels different than before. Perhaps the sanctum’s calming energies have soothed her spirit. She senses two sources of warmth this time. The fiery heat of the Dragon Queen, nearly burning her very soul, and Jaina’s much gentler warmth. Naturally, she melds with the latter, and opens her eyes with a rough gasp. A wave of sickness roils through her stomach, though not quite as intense as usual. The magic of the Ruby Sanctum really did help, and she understands why Alleria had sought out this place.
Then her knees begin to buckle, and she lets go of the hand within hers to seek out the table behind her to steady herself.
~~~~~
Alexstrasza crosses the distance between them with a single stride. She catches Sylvanas before Jaina could let go of her completely, sweeping the limp body off her feet, bridal-style into her arms. As opposed to the mage, Sylvanas is tall, but in the Life-Binder’s arms, she is small. Gently, the Dragon Queen turns her around and makes her way into her house.
‘I've picked up more than one windrunner like this,’ she says with a wink.
Jaina can feel the slight distaste bubbling up in the back of her mind. Especially when the Life-Binder lays the Warchief’s body onto the couch and gives it an affectionate little pat on the cheek. Sylvanas makes Jaina’s body shiver with dislike. As for herself, she only chuckles lightly, noting the gesture to remember for later.
‘Would you prefer to dine on the terrace or inside?’ Alexstrasza asks after propping a pillow underneath the undead’s head.
‘Outside sounds rather nice,’ Jaina says, remembering the warm atmosphere and breathtaking view of the Ruby Sanctum. ‘Do I need to help you with anything?’
‘That will not necessary. I will be with you shortly with the food, don’t worry.’
When the Life-Binder swipes the curtain obscuring the room to the left aside, the interior of a kitchen is revealed. As with every aspect of her house, it looks very homely and pleasant. Full of warm tints like red, brown and orange, with lots of little tiled surfaces. Like the counter and the walls.
Standing on the cool tiles outside, Jaina feels her chest heave with a deep breath. The smells are so pleasant here, Sylvanas says. She sounds thoughtful, fond, at peace. A feeling of relief passes through her entire body as she takes long breaths. Her own hand comes to rest in her neck, to feel the steady pulse of her heart.
‘They really are!’ Jaina beams. Then she frowns, ‘But don’t you smell them too?’
Not like this. Not so… fully. It is truly invigorating.
As she feels the warm smell of incense and herbs fill her lungs, Jaina laughs mirthfully. Despite the unpleasant sensations of the first moments of possession, she truly has come to love the instances. The moments where she can show Sylvanas the merits of being alive, and excite her for what is to come. For now, she is certain that it will.
Alexstrasza said that she was not sure, the elf’s voice sounds.
At her anxious, nearly sneering tone, Jaina sighs a little. ‘You must keep hope, Sylvanas. She is very powerful, I am sure she’ll be able to resurrect you. She just… hasn’t done it in a while, but I trust her fully in her field of expertise.’
‘That is very kind of you to say, Jaina. Naturally, I shall try my best for the pair of you.’ The Life-Binder puts a large, flat, oval plate onto the table with a pleasant tinkling of earthenware against wood.
Roasted vegetables. Bell pepper, eggplant and zucchini, all oven baked, with thick slices of soft, grilled union in between them, arranged into a colorful set of circles on the plate. The smell of the savory-sweet vegetables, and their spices, makes Jaina’s mouth water for two. As Alexstrasza returns to the house via a tiled path that apparently leads to a side door, Jaina sits down by the table and takes in the abundant meal.
‘You’re going to have fun with this, I think,’ she playfully says to Sylvanas.
Her head nods to its own accord. One of her hands flexes, the fingers uncurling and folding over one another. It looks as if Sylvanas can barely refrain herself from grabbing a slice right off the plate. As she props her right elbow on the table and rests her fist in front of her mouth, Alexstrasza emerges again. This time, she is carrying two chalices in her left hand and a large terracotta can in her right. Next to her, she balances a plate in the air with arcane. Jaina can see the blue glow in her eyes while she concentrates on putting it down onto the table.
On it is a large ham, glazed, roasted golden-brown and giving off a truly amazing smell. A small noise of excitement that’s not entirely Jaina’s escapes her throat upon seeing it. It is truly dragon-sized, being at least as big as her own head. The Life-Binder puts a small can with more glaze to the side of the bigger plate. Then she snaps her fingers, and ribbons of arcane energy cut about half of the ham into ready to eat slices.
Her arms lift to Sylvanas’ accord to stack her plate full of food. The speed of the movement makes Alexstrasza burst out in a hearty chuckle.
‘Finally you have decided to let go of that awfully restricted attitude a bit,’ she says, clearly relieved. ‘Do you see, Jaina, how much of an enabler you are for her?’
‘I am not sure how much of this is me, to be honest,’ Jaina admits. ‘Your presence might be having a comforting effect on her too.’ She is able to say the last words, despite feeling her tongue tense in her mouth at the elf’s behest.
Alexstrasza laughs lowly, looking directly into her eyes, searching Sylvanas’ conscience within Jaina. ‘Truthfully so, perhaps. Though your sister was much more… fiery, in my presence.’
Jaina doesn’t know if the blush rising to her cheeks is all her own. She pulls her mouth into a smile despite feeling that Sylvanas tries to shift it into a revulsed snarl. But both quickly fade as the savory smell of the roasted bell peppers reaches her nostrils. As long and perilous as their journey was, she hadn’t noticed just how hungry it had made her, thanks to their nerve-wracking experience in the Chamber of Aspects. The snack of toast hadn’t nearly been enough to fill her stomach. Alexstrasza herself reaches over to the plates and serves herself a truly dragon-sized portion. Yet she waits with eating until Jaina has started, curiously eyeing her.
Leaning slightly back in her chair, the mage lets Sylvanas take the reins. With true elvish precision, she cuts off perfect portions of meat, grilled eggplant and pepper. Three quick stabs with her fork later, and she has a suitable stack of food on the prongs. For a moment, her hand hovers shakily in the air, the food just before her lips. As Jaina wants to tell Sylvanas to hurry up or she will take the control of her arms again, the elf luckily puts aside her apprehension and takes a bite.
While Jaina had expected the food to be good, given the homely feel of the Life-Binder’s house and the comfort that the woman emitted, she did not think it to be quite this good. The perfectly crispy skin crunches between her teeth, complemented by the sweet of the bell pepper and the softer eggplant. As she wipes a smear of fat from the corner of her mouth, she says: ‘Tides, that is heavenly!’
Immediately, Sylvanas follows it with a Thalassian sentence that sounds highly praising. The words sound a bit awkward in her mouth, but to her surprise, Alexstrasza replies in the same language. Though this time, perhaps because Sylvanas’ conscience is melded with her own, she can understand it.
‘“Tis most befitting of a dragon to serve their noble guests a suitable meal, is it not, child of the sun?”
‘Your hospitality is truly wondrous,’ Jaina herself says. ‘How come that you speak Thalassian?’
‘I speak four dozen languages, Jaina. A third of which are largely extinct. Communicating with elves is, or used to be, in more peaceful times, simply easier in their own tongue.’
As a seasoned scholar, Jaina thinks that speaking more than seven languages fluidly is already a feat, let alone four dozen. She inclines her head in admiration before turning her attention back to her food.
They spend the rest of the meal in silence. Sylvanas’ ravenous hunger quickly dies down when she has taken a few large bites, leaving Jaina to mostly control her own hands again. The presence pressing in the back of her head makes her somehow more aware of her own breathing. Perhaps it is just the Banshee Queen’s longing for it, but she seems to breathe much deeper than usual. She is also strangely alert to the feeling of the Sanctum’s warmth on her skin.
After finishing two full plates, wiping smears of glaze off her chin and prying slivers of meat from between her teeth, Jaina, and Sylvanas possibly too, sighs contently and leans back into her chair. ‘How was that, beloved?’ she asks, voice sounding more tired than she had expected.
Her voice twists slightly, resembling Sylvanas’ lilting accent and silky tone. ‘Well… it does not quite top our first shared meal, yet it comes close.’
‘Allow me to try and do better?’ Alexstrasza says while gathering the empty plates to bring them to the kitchen.
‘How will you trump the fact that my wife made me a meal from my homeland?’ Sylvanas asks her.
At that, the Life-Binder chuckles. ‘Wait and see.’
She makes her way down the tiled path along the length of the house, to disappear around the corner and supposedly enter the side door to the kitchen. The red sash around her waist swishes happily with every step she takes.
What a tease, Jaina thinks. Maybe that’s why Alleria likes her so much. Complementing couples and such…
Jaina, Sylvanas warns. You don’t know Alleria like I do… nor do I want to know her exact reason for hooking up with a dragon. And do not turn my words against me.
Could my Warchief be jealous? Hmm?
Her head sharply jerks to the side, expecting someone to sit next to her. Precisely like Sylvanas would do if they sat next to each other. Unfortunately, the chair is empty and Jaina’s chest heaves with a deep sigh.
I am not jealous. My sister has a wife, so do I. But I do not need to know what she gets up to with hers. Think whatever you like, but keep it quiet when I am in your mind.
‘Alright then,’ Jaina says with a secretive smile. ‘But she did pick you up, carrying your bod-’
‘Jaina, by the Sun, shut it!’ Sylvanas cuts her off in the mage’s own voice.
It only serves to make her laugh, merrily chuckling while she feels Sylvanas’ presence shift and simmer in the back of her head. It sort of feels like the elf’s banshee form is swimming, twirling and curling around in her head.
Then the Life-Binder’s footsteps sound on the path, and with it comes a sweet smell that makes her mouth water. Alexstrasza puts a round dish on the table. And the contents… Jaina wants to react with a happy noise, but it dies in her throat. Sylvanas keeps her body frozen, wide-eyed and she feels tears prickle in the corners of her eyes. She lets out a shuddering breath, and a memory of the blood elf bubbles up in her mind.
~~~~~
‘Minn’da! Lif’ me!’ Sylvanas excitedly coos. She is standing on the very tips of her toes, desperately trying to reach above the marble kitchen counter with her chin.
Two strong hands grab her by the waist, lifting her up and settling her atop Lireesa’s shoulders. She grabs her mother’s ears for stability and peers into the wide metal pan on the stove. In their little holiday cottage, the Windrunners have taken no servants with them. It is just Lireesa and her three daughters.
‘Hold on tight, my Sun. Lest you fall off and become a deep-fried little runt of an elf,’ the Ranger-General says as she scoops two crispy, golden-brown doughballs out of the boiling oil. Depositing them onto a paper-covered plate until they are somewhat cooled, but not so much that the dough becomes soggy, she balances the weight of the seven summers old Sylvanas like she’s light as a feather.
In the reflecting tiles of the wall, Sylvanas sees a small shadow creep closer to the kitchen, through the open chamber. It dives underneath the table, rattling the chairs. Naturally, Lireesa notices, but only snorts, before scooping a portion of dough out of the bowl and shaping it round with two spoons. A hand clad in green shoots out, grabbing one of the deep-fried treats from the plate. Little footsteps race off through the house, halting around a corner.
‘Anar’alah!’ Lireesa calls out, quite avidly pretending to be surprised. She lifts Sylvanas off her shoulders and puts her onto the ground. ‘Go get that little thief!’
Sylvanas sprints after her elder sister, as fast as her little legs can carry her. Even though Alleria is older and stronger, she is faster. Tackling her sister to the ground, she reaches for the doughball in her hand and grabs it so forcefully that her fingers squash the treat into pulp. Something sticky drips over her hand.
‘Eewww!’ Alleria yelps. ‘It’s filled with custard! I hate that! Lemme see if mom has one with honey instead.’
She gets to her feet, leaving Sylvanas on the ground in the living room with a ruined doughball in her hand. No, she is not going to eat it either. After chucking it through an open window, she runs after Alleria again, chasing her to the upstairs. There, she has her cornered. Like a true ranger, she sneaks up on her, carefully rolling her soles in every step to avoid making noise. Turning the corner of the corridor, she sees her sister’s silhouette in the light coming through the window.
‘Gotcha!’ she yells as she throws herself onto Alleria. Yet her sister whirls around, narrowly avoiding the skinny length of elf that launches itself through the hall. She takes off into the bedroom, suddenly coming to a screeching and slipping halt.
‘Shh!’ she says to Sylvanas. ‘We mustn’t wake up ‘Rees!’
Panting slightly, Sylvanas joins her by their youngest sibling’s cot. The littlest elf is soundly asleep still, swaddled into a blue cloth, mouth open and ears twitching in her dreams. Widely grinning, Sylvanas gets the impulse to rub one of the silky ears. She has almost reached her goal when Alleria lays a hand on her elbow to stop her.
‘Nas… don’t… Mother will scold us both if she starts crying again.’
Sylvanas caves, retreating with her hand and pinching Alleria’s ear instead. ‘’Kay!’ she says, before sprinting away though the corridor, Alleria hot on her heels.
~~~~~
Jaina has placed her head in her hands, quietly sobbing into her palms. A huge, warm hand comes to rest on her shoulder, softly caressing until the tears have stopped flowing. She reaches out to the plate and picks a deep-fried doughball off it.
‘W-what’s its filling?’ she sniffles in Sylvanas’ tone of voice. ‘Custard?’
Alexstrasza frowns, retreating with her hand and grabbing one for herself. ‘Alleria very much dislikes custard, so we never have any available in the house. I made these with honey instead.’
‘Which all elves like, as I know from experience,’ Jaina cheekily says before taking a bite.
Perfect, crisp and sweet, with the deliciously warm honey spilling over her tongue as she bites into the treat. Even though she cannot completely understand their meaning to Sylvanas, because she had only seen incomplete flashes of memory from the elf. Something with the sisters chasing each other through a house. And another memory; sitting on the shoulders of an older elf, watching the dessert she is eating being deep-fried.
The conscience in the back of her mind feels happier than she ever felt before, nearly jittery in joy. After four doughballs, she stops Sylvanas from reaching for a fifth. ‘I’m quite full… one more and I’ll feel sick when I get up tomorrow,’ she says.
‘Oh… yes, tomorrow.’ Sylvanas’ anxiety returns, making her voice quiet and tight. Jaina feels the elf’s shame rise in her body. With it comes the fear, the dreadful fear of being torn from life, now that she has finally found a semblance of peace amongst the war. It is not a clear thought, but a dangerous mix of emotions that she tries her hardest to repress. Or Sylvanas tries to, fixing Jaina’s facial expression in her own blank stare.
‘If you have concerns you want to adress, I think it would be nicer to talk whilst in your own body?’ Alexstrasza suggests.
Jaina shakily nods. The cocktail of feelings swirls in her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. She is very surprised by its intensity, and deeply pities Sylvanas for having to keep it hidden for so many years.
Anger, nervousness, sickening fear. It all sounds in her sharp scream when Sylvanas unshackles their melded souls. While she is sitting down on the couch in the living room, which makes the process somewhat easier, she cannot stop her body from convulsing and her head from snapping backwards in pain as the banshee’s smoky form rises from her body. Her vision fills with black spots for a moment, only to be instantly cleared, the pain fading from her flesh. A heavy hand tilts her chin upwards, three warm fingers touching the bare skin of her neck. Three thin streams of green energy flow into her body, refreshing her and remedying her pain.
Alexstrasza repeats the process with Sylvanas, who has also sprawled herself over the armrest of the couch. One of her hands is still twitching and cramping when the Life-Binder heals her. But unlike with Jaina, where her magic melded smoothly with the human’s flesh, it sparks over the undead’s skin, only sinking in when Alexstrasza focuses, narrowing her eyes. Her irises briefly glow green. And even then, Sylvanas shakes her head quickly, getting rid of leftover pain. Jaina thinks of it as most concerning, especially for their endeavours of tomorrow.
The Life-Binder frowns, moving streams of the healing magic between her fingers, testing her own power. ‘As I was suspecting… my healing abilities are not at the level they were when I was the Red Aspect. Look at me, having trouble with healing a slight pain in an undead…’
She looks up from her ministrations, a worried look gracing her features. ‘If my other powers have diminished as much as I fear, I will have to try something much more… ancient. A ritual from far before your time. Far before humans settled on Kul Tiras. From before Silvermoon’s lofty spires were built. A ritual from the times that my kind still flew freely through the skies of Azeroth.’
Jaina looks at Sylvanas, confused and slightly apprehensive, since she does not know much about that specific kind of ancient magic. Yet the elf nods.
‘Whatever may be necessary to make breath rush into my lungs,’ she says. It looks as if she has shed her last bits of reserved attitude, now that her fateful day is approaching with rapid speed.
Alexstrasza crosses her legs and shakes her head, but not in denial. ‘While I appreciate your trust, Sylvanas, I must ask you to consider carefully. Mortality is not just a blessing. Yet neither is immortality. Both have their own advantages, and disadvantages.’
‘My curse has mostly disadvantages,’ Sylvanas mutters. ‘Unless you want me to possess Jaina forever.’ The mage can hear her spite rising in her voice again. She is sure that the Life-Binder notices it too.
‘Then I shall trust your intuition, Warchief. And your wife’s wisdom and determination to do good for you,’ she says. As she turns her head to cast a gaze outside, to the darkening skies of the Sanctum, the ornaments on her horns tinkle and light up in the sparse light. ‘Is there anything else that you want to know, before we all get some much needed rest?’
Jaina swallows a lump in her throat. As Sylvanas was finalizing her desire for life, voicing it loud and clearly to the Dragon Queen for once, something had nagged in her brain. With a shaky breath, she clears her throat. Nerves and a slight fright roil in her stomach as she asks: ‘The ritual… I do not know its nature. My studies have never paid much attention to the exact magic of the time of the ancients….’
Again she breathes out deeply, trying to calm her nerves and wiping her sweaty palms on her trousers. She looks at her wife, who stares back, unblinkingly. Concern for her beloved’s fate now rises in her mind. Tides, she thinks. It’s nearly like Sylvanas and me switch feelings every so often. First she is anxious and I’m bubbly, now I’m scared and she is finally determined enough to voice her desires.
‘So, ehm… I don’t know what you are going to do,’ she unnecessarily clarifies, before finding the courage to ask:
‘Will it hurt?’
At once, Alexstrasza’s features turn very grave. When she speaks again, it is with a slight growl in her otherwise kind voice. ‘I can assure you that it shall hurt, since she will be alive. More so than the people I have resurrected before, in the literal sense of the word. They were dead… and not undead.’
Jaina’s breath runs cold, eyes widening in fright. Yet before she can stammer another word, the Life-Binder halts her with a single raised hand. Her bronze eyes bore into Sylvanas’ red ones and her voice turns more serious, even more growly. A flicker of green magic sparks from her eyes as she turns to Sylvanas. The elf has pressed her lips together, tensely waiting for Alexstrasza to speak. The Dragon Queen takes a deep breath, then says to the banshee:
‘I cannot say whether I will be successful, nor if your body and spirit will survive the amount of magic I need to unleash upon it.’