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It's over
Extract from chapter 12
There was still some time left before the trial resumed. Sylvanas always reflected better in her own kingdom, in the Undercity, beneath her low skies, surrounded by the faithful Forsaken she led. She would let them and her home inspire her. She went to find Yu Fei, the mage assigned to the court, and demanded a portal from her.
She had barely finished whispering her spell when an image of the Undercity appeared in front of her. At the same time, an unknown pandaren rushed towards her.
“Lady Sylvanas,” he said. Forgive me, but I was asked to hand this over to you! He put down a roll of parchment and a small package wrapped in a blue cloth, before hastily stepping back and bowing. Sylvanas barely had time to open her mouth to inquire about the author of the message as the air began to twinkle around her and she found herself in her rooms.
The latter were austere and corresponded more to a place of passage. Sylvanas Windrunner no longer needed sleep per se, although she sometimes came to these places to be alone and think. She had little: a bed hung with heavy black draperies, a desk with candles and a writing set, an armchair, a shelf with a few books and an assortment of weapons displayed on the walls, within easy reach. In this new existence, she didn't need much more and she had kept almost nothing from her old life.
Both curious and suspicious, Sylvanas inspected the scroll carefully. She did not perceive any magic, nor a clue that might have made her fear poison. It was sealed with red wax, but had no escutcheon. Sylvanas then examined the package and noticed that the blue linen was nothing special, and easily obtainable in most major cities. She gently shook the package and heard a muffled ringing inside. She settled down on her soft mattress, took off her gloves and broke the seal with a sharp fingernail.
The handwriting was elegant, the message concise.
We used to be on the same side.
Maybe we could be it again.
Sylvanas frowned thoughtfully, trying to guess the identity of the sender to say the least mysterious. She did not recognize this calligraphy, but it was nevertheless familiar to her. The list of people who had turned against her, or challenged her, was rather long. Amused, she unpacked the fabric and opened the wooden box inside.
Her chest tightened and she let go of the object as if he had bitten her.
The banshee stared at its contents for a moment before getting up and taking a few hesitant steps towards her desk. With trembling fingers, she unlocked a drawer. There, forgotten for years, were the last pieces of his past. Barely a few trinkets: letters from a decade earlier, arrowheads that had shot down important enemies, a few other trinkets; the vestiges of a life.
And a small box.
Part of herself begged her to slip this new present with the rest, turn the key and stop thinking about it. Nothing good would come of it. However…
With the box in the palm of her palm, Sylvanas returned to her bed. With unusual gentleness, she lifted the lid and looked inside. An adventurer had discovered this object, a few years before, among the ruins of the arrow where it had fallen. He had sent it to her. At the time, the memories he conjured up had almost shattered her; this was still the case today.
It was such a small, simple gem, but to say he had such a hold on the Banshee Queen… Sylvanas grabbed the necklace, letting the cold metal nestle in her hand, and gazed at the pulsating blue stone decorating it. Carefully, she placed it next to the one she had just received.
Only the color of the gems differentiated them. Hers was a sapphire and this one a ruby. Sylvanas also knew that the inscriptions were not the same. She opened hers.
For Sylvanas. I will always love you, Alleria.
Alleria… the second Windrunner gone. First there had been their brother Lirath, the youngest in their family, and perhaps the brightest. Then Alleria, whom they had lost beyond the Dark Portal in Outland.
Then…
Sylvanas shook her head and pulled herself together. Of her relatives among the Windrunners, she knew only one who was still breathing.
Sylvanas opened the ruby clasp. She knew perfectly well what she would find inside, but needed to see it with her own eyes.
For Vereesa. With all my love, Alleria.
Good luck!
