Daedraug
03-30-2006, 08:30 AM
((Bridging the gap: http://tn.yzeens.com/modules.php?name=Journal&file=display&jid=254))
Prelude
It's not that Daedraug was spying persay; more a simple coincidence of events that led to his witnessing certain things. The fact that this seemed to happen often did little to persuade him that such happenings were anything but unintentional. Regardless, the fact that rooftops were a fine place to clear one's head, and his acquired habit of blending into the shadows whenever he stood still for more than a moment, combined to give him a view of one of Kurohane's men stumbling out of the inn they had just met in and hacking as if choking. He plowed into people as he went by, knocking a fruit vendor heels over ears and sending apples rolling down the cobblestones.
Shortly after him came the huntress herself. She sprung to her mount and gave chase, deftly guiding the agile cat from one side of the alleys to the other, leaping to and fro to avoid the pedestrians. Dae took to his feet, cursing the fact that his own Nightsaber was lounging in a stable across town, his over-cautious nature having left him without a mount to keep up with the excitement. He thought of the coughing and panic he had seen in the warlock and the thought of poison entered his mind. Perhaps he could help, or at least watch Kurohane's back as she allowed herself to be consumed with worry. This attempt to develop concern for persons outside his immediate circle was labored, but Dae felt as though it was one of the many steps he needed to take in order to survive his current trials. He caught himself pausing in this moment of ill-timed inner reflection and took to a sprint.
Roof top to roof top he sprang, feeling a bit too much like a thief. He scrambled up the sloped shingles of an armory and found his way up to the ramparts. A guard on patrol spotted him, and Daedraug began to make a move to hide. Remembering his rank, he sprinted pass the boy instead, clapping him on the shoulder and urging him to keep up the good work. The stunned lad watched in intense bewilderment as the towering night elf bounded out of sight.
Cutting across the city as he was, Daedraug managed to nearly keep pace with Kurohane in the city, but lost her as she reached the open ground outside the gate. He saw her disappear down the road and sprinted down along the ridge through Elwynn, trying to cut her off. It was no use. He had lost her.
__________________________________________________ ___________
Part I: From the Night Air
By the time he made it back to the city the sun had long-since set. The warm glow of torch and lantern light lit the gates of Stormwind like the entrance to some warrior afterlife. As he passed through the gate's arch, Daedraug stopped to scan the monolithic statues that lined the way in ivory stone. Elves, humans, even a monstrous ogre, stood side by side, heroes of the battle that saved the world. He could not help but think about the words of the Swordwaltzers when he had proposed an alliance of guilds. Words of refusal and accusations of pipedreams. The worst part was that they were right. The Alliance was full of scoundrels and mercenaries. It's morality was in shambles, and his own circle was a great part of that before they had fallen for good.
No, he thought, heroes like these are not to be found. Especially not me, with the blood my past and the stains on my soul.
He heard a cry from above, and the slow circling path of a bird of prey became visible, storm-grey wings against a midnight blue sky. Daedraug had never given the raptor a name, feeling that a bird was too free a creature to be bound to the earth by such a leash. However, it had stayed with him faithfully, responding to his calls when needed and coming to rest at his side whenever trouble was ahead. He had seen too much of his winged friend in the recent past.
The bird's circling became slower, and it descended onto one of the silent stone guardians beside the bridge. It called to Daedraug in low, short sounds. Walking to the foot of the statue he looked up, sighing as he watched. Materializing from the night air to say a few words, he thought, we are too much alike. His gaze moved to the face of the statue before him, a strong-jawed human glowing golden in the light. He did not recognize this one by site, but despite his brothers claims he had not become so much a human as to know everything about them.
The marker below the statue named him Turalyon. The raptor cried out again and took flight.
Prelude
It's not that Daedraug was spying persay; more a simple coincidence of events that led to his witnessing certain things. The fact that this seemed to happen often did little to persuade him that such happenings were anything but unintentional. Regardless, the fact that rooftops were a fine place to clear one's head, and his acquired habit of blending into the shadows whenever he stood still for more than a moment, combined to give him a view of one of Kurohane's men stumbling out of the inn they had just met in and hacking as if choking. He plowed into people as he went by, knocking a fruit vendor heels over ears and sending apples rolling down the cobblestones.
Shortly after him came the huntress herself. She sprung to her mount and gave chase, deftly guiding the agile cat from one side of the alleys to the other, leaping to and fro to avoid the pedestrians. Dae took to his feet, cursing the fact that his own Nightsaber was lounging in a stable across town, his over-cautious nature having left him without a mount to keep up with the excitement. He thought of the coughing and panic he had seen in the warlock and the thought of poison entered his mind. Perhaps he could help, or at least watch Kurohane's back as she allowed herself to be consumed with worry. This attempt to develop concern for persons outside his immediate circle was labored, but Dae felt as though it was one of the many steps he needed to take in order to survive his current trials. He caught himself pausing in this moment of ill-timed inner reflection and took to a sprint.
Roof top to roof top he sprang, feeling a bit too much like a thief. He scrambled up the sloped shingles of an armory and found his way up to the ramparts. A guard on patrol spotted him, and Daedraug began to make a move to hide. Remembering his rank, he sprinted pass the boy instead, clapping him on the shoulder and urging him to keep up the good work. The stunned lad watched in intense bewilderment as the towering night elf bounded out of sight.
Cutting across the city as he was, Daedraug managed to nearly keep pace with Kurohane in the city, but lost her as she reached the open ground outside the gate. He saw her disappear down the road and sprinted down along the ridge through Elwynn, trying to cut her off. It was no use. He had lost her.
__________________________________________________ ___________
Part I: From the Night Air
By the time he made it back to the city the sun had long-since set. The warm glow of torch and lantern light lit the gates of Stormwind like the entrance to some warrior afterlife. As he passed through the gate's arch, Daedraug stopped to scan the monolithic statues that lined the way in ivory stone. Elves, humans, even a monstrous ogre, stood side by side, heroes of the battle that saved the world. He could not help but think about the words of the Swordwaltzers when he had proposed an alliance of guilds. Words of refusal and accusations of pipedreams. The worst part was that they were right. The Alliance was full of scoundrels and mercenaries. It's morality was in shambles, and his own circle was a great part of that before they had fallen for good.
No, he thought, heroes like these are not to be found. Especially not me, with the blood my past and the stains on my soul.
He heard a cry from above, and the slow circling path of a bird of prey became visible, storm-grey wings against a midnight blue sky. Daedraug had never given the raptor a name, feeling that a bird was too free a creature to be bound to the earth by such a leash. However, it had stayed with him faithfully, responding to his calls when needed and coming to rest at his side whenever trouble was ahead. He had seen too much of his winged friend in the recent past.
The bird's circling became slower, and it descended onto one of the silent stone guardians beside the bridge. It called to Daedraug in low, short sounds. Walking to the foot of the statue he looked up, sighing as he watched. Materializing from the night air to say a few words, he thought, we are too much alike. His gaze moved to the face of the statue before him, a strong-jawed human glowing golden in the light. He did not recognize this one by site, but despite his brothers claims he had not become so much a human as to know everything about them.
The marker below the statue named him Turalyon. The raptor cried out again and took flight.