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“Thalyssra, please, sit,” Lor’themar said, gesturing with his hand to a red, velvet seat across the table.
“What do you call this, Lor’themar?” Thalyssra asked, a small smile creeping across her face as she glanced over the table. Laid upon the table were various foods. Some that seemed rather familiar and others that were excitingly new. It was a grand feast for so early in the day, with many meats, pastries, and fruits laid out perfectly on the redwood table. Amongst them were two wine glasses as well as two mugs. She could only assume they were placed there in the unlikely circumstance that she believed it was too early for a glass of wine.
“I call it breakfast. I felt it was right to offer you an opportunity to sit and talk in my city, after you so graciously insisted I visit Suramar. Later, I will show you the city, if you would-”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said, taking a seat. “I look forward to seeing more of your city than this… spire, and perhaps we can get to know each other better in the meantime.”
Lor’themar shook his head gently, though he did not seem displeased. “Sunfury Spire is the heart of the city, Thalyssra.”
“And what better place to start than the heart of something so beautiful?” she mused. She plucked a berry from a bowl in front of her and inspected it closely.
“My thoughts exactly.” Lor’themar hummed. “Is something wrong with your berry, First Arcanist?”
“No, not at all.” She gracefully popped the blue berry in her mouth. “Rather the opposite. It is interesting to see how despite our isolation and your freedom, some things in the outside world have not changed at all.” Then, she looked directly at him. “And I believe we are well-acquainted enough that you may call you by my name rather than my title.”
“And yet our city is red, Thalyssra.” He took a delicate bite of a pastry, cleverly concealing his smug grin.
“And ours is purple,” Thalyssra teased. “I never said nothing had changed. You call yourself Sin’dorei and you no longer associate with the Kaldorei. It is obvious much has changed during our isolation.” She popped another berry in her mouth before taking a sip of wine before making a somewhat surprised face. “I am here to learn your culture and get to know our new allies better, and so far all I have learned is that your wine is far too sweet and your buildings are coated in red. I would hardly call that culture.”
Lor’themar chuckled. “Well, my Lady, if you insist, let me show you culture.” He stood up and took her hand, carefully pulling her from a seat with an easy, subtle spin.
She gave a melodic laugh as she steadied herself with one arm on his chest, gratefully taking his arm when he held it out to her. “And what culture do you intend to show me, Regent Lord?”
“Please, Thalyssra, call me by my name rather than my title.” Lor’themar threw a small smirk in her direction as he guided her out and down the steady incline that led the pair into the vibrant city. “I intend to show you everything that makes us who we are. We, Sin’dorei, have suffered much but our suffering has never been our downfall. Instead, we, as people, are like a phoenix. We rise from the ashes again and again.”
“Ah, so that’s what that crest is.” She smiled playfully as she leaned towards a guard’s tabard, pretending to get a closer look. “It looks a mess from a distance.” Lor’themar tensed, only to be relieved when she gave his arm a gentle nudge. “I am kidding! The tenacity of your people is something to be proud of. A phoenix is a beautiful creature, as are you.”
“I… assume you mean as are my people.”
“If that is what helps you sleep at night,” she said, patting his shoulder. “What else do you have to show me, Lor’themar?”
“Thalyssra, as you walk through the City, what do you notice?” Lor’themar asked.
“I see children playing in the fountain. Bards singing in the street and your people join in, dancing to their melody. Merchants proudly selling their goods, which are of… impeccable standard. I may have to buy a new robe later.”
“Nonsense. Any robes you may wish to buy here are on me but other than that, you are correct. What you see is a civilisation that despite everything, proceeds as normal. Children laugh and play. Merchants sell their goods proudly but ah, those bards are just regular folk. Sin’dorei love to live the lavish life and that means enjoying music. We have many talented individuals who make their talents known.” Lor’themar waved at the group dancing, causing a wave of excited giggles to overrun the area until he was out of hearing range. “Despite this, we have many scars. There is one particular Scar I would like to show you.”
“I would assume it is not the one on your face but one of the many other scars you hold?” she asked, glancing up at him briefly.
“Yes.” He paused. “No. It is not my scar. It is but it is not a scar on my body. It is… a scar that all the Sin’dorei bear proudly. It is our first rebirth and a symbol of our strength. We call it the Dead Scar.”
“This Scar must be a long way off then. Everything here is stunning. I do not understand how you could have made arrangements for travel on such short notice.”
“My Lady, as Regent Lord I could make arrangements instantaneously.” Lor’themar stopped in front of a large, white stone building. He turned her to admire the ivy that crawled up the walls and the various vibrant flowers across the base of it. It stood strong and proud as if it had stood for a thousand years prior but the longer she looked, the more she realised it was different. As were all the buildings on this stretch. “This is where many of our people spend their days,” Lor’themar started. “They have taken the ashes found along the Dead Scar and built a home for their memories in its place.” With her arm in his, he led her around the building. Behind it was a giant stone monument surrounded by stone benches where many sat talking quietly, sharing flowers of all varieties and memories of those who had passed away. “We did not have the names of everyone who fell that day but the names we do have are recorded here, in the very place where they fell.”
Thalyssra looked up to see his stern exterior slowly melting away. “This is truly incredible, Lor’themar. Yet another symbol of your resilience. Though our traumas may be different, I feel that our cultures share an inherent ability to thrive despite all we have lost. I can only hope that the Shal’dorei will take an opportunity to learn from your society.”
“Thalyssra,” Lor’themar turned to face her and placed a hand on her cheek momentarily, “with you as their leader, I am confident that they will do more than thrive. They will flourish as Dusk Lilies do. Now, what do you say we return to the Spire where we can finish our breakfast?”
“I say all good journeys make their way back to the heart eventually. Shall we?” She held her arm out for Lor’themar to take, and with that, they returned to their morning feast.