Once again, we reach the end of a series of mini-chapters on our way to the next “book.” Next week, we’ll start the final series (and finally going back into 3rd person! Holy hell 1st person is hard to write! It was a very nice exercise, though), and wrap this whole thing up.
For those of you who missed Parts 1 through 5, you can find them here.
I’m afraid that I already know the answer to this question, but I have to ask. At least Es is here in case Siasha decides to set me on fire again. Her temper is so unpredictable.
“Siasha, we have to go after her and we need someone with your expertise. Can you come with us?”
Siasha’s eyes are widening like I’m growing a tail right in front of her. Okay, another tail. Her face is reddening… I think she’s about to ask me if I’m insane.
“Are you INSANE?” There goes her voice pitch. I really don’t understand how something so small can be so loud.
“You have got to be out of your mind! Do you even realize what you’re asking me to DO?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“No! Not going to happen! You are not dragging me to Outland on this fool’s errand! My great-great-uncle Bombsprocket always said that you should never inflict insanity upon yourself if you intend to survive it… at least, he always said that until he tried to invent the carrot bomb the year we gave him a snowshoe rabbit for Winter Veil; that poor bunny… but that’s not the point! The point is, I’m not going to get involved! Go find Valyra! Take her along with you! I won’t be a part of it!”
Valyra? And she calls me insane? “Siasha, we haven’t seen Valyra since she went off to investigate the Greymane Wall. That was more than a year ago, and nobody has heard from her since. It’s likely that she’s dead.”
“Not my problem! You and Esmerellda are on your own! I won’t have it!”
Yep, she’s upset. She actually said Esmerellda’s name.
Before I can protest any further, a glowing green circle appears under Siasha’s feet and she is gone. Sighing, I can only hope that she won’t call in the cavalry, but it’s time for plan B.
“It’s okay, ‘Lissa. We’ll figure something out.” Esmerellda’s hand on my arm is a comfort, but a small one in the face of what I have to do. I just hope she understands.
“We will. But now isn’t the time. There’s something else that I have to do.”
“You know I’m with you. Whatever it takes, we’ll get through this and save her.”
I turn to face her, shaking my head sadly. “But you can’t go where I’m going. Not yet.”
Sighing, I tug my tabard over my head. Folding it carefully, trying to think of what to say next, I avoid Esmerellda’s gaze. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. As I’m searching for words, a Night Elf strides toward us from a nearby alley. Dammit. He’s early.
He approaches, nodding politely to Esmerellda, then turns to me. “Ready to go, Lelissa?”
Esmerellda’s face is a mixture of confusion and anger. “Lelissa, what is going on here?”
I wince. She’s angry with me, and probably rightly so; I’d hoped to explain this before my friend arrived, but there’s nothing to be done about it. Handing her my tabard, I finally decide on what to say. “If Siasha won’t help, we are doomed unless I can find a way to subdue Malyss. We can’t just rush off to the Black Temple to track her down, because if she’s there, she’ll kill us.
“You watched her in that cave. You know she’s stronger, faster, and deadlier than she ever has been, and her power only continues to increase as time goes on. I don’t know how much of it is her and how much is the fel corruption in her, but I know that we don’t have much time. I have to leave the guild.”
“So she’s more powerful, big deal! What does that have to do with you leaving Fate’s Legacy?” Her hands are crumpling the tabard… I suspect if I hadn’t handed it over, she’d be doing her best to crush my armor instead.
“Fate’s Legacy is still a part of the force that is cleaning out Naxxramas of the last vestiges of the dead. I feel that we’ve learned all we can from it, but we still find ourselves in there looking for something new.” I nod to my Night Elf friend. “Quillion has come to take me to Ulduar, but in order to do so, I have to be reassigned. There is too much to be done, and I can’t afford to wait any longer.”
It’s going to be the last time I see her for a while. I reach out, pulling her to me in a hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, but I have to do this.
“I’d go through Hell to save her, Es. She’s my sister.”
Quillion smirks. “And before anyone passes into Hell, they’ve got to do their time in Purgatory. Hate to break this up, ladies, but it’s time for us to go, Lelissa.”
