Every once in a while, someone or something reminds me the dark reality of the path I have chosen.
Tonight was one of these times.
I was taking some much needed rest in Stormwind after days of continuous travels between the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Although I usually prefer the quiet and mystical atmosphere of Darnassus or Auberdine for my research, I do enjoy the hustle and bustle of the human capital city one in a while. It is a good reminder of what we are fighting for.
So here I was, enjoying some Ale with a few guild members at our usual place, the Blue Recluse, in the Mage Quarters. I haven’t said much of the Azure Dreamers in these pages so far. I will have to remember to change that. For now, just a few words about the guild members present that night will suffice.
Sir Solmachina was his usual quiet self, visibly still bearing the burden of his recent campaign in the Outlands. Lady Taliana was blessing our little group with her grace and her peaceful words of comforts (most of them directed to Sir Sol I might add). Sir Dremnon was there as well, listening with interest to this old gnome’s rambling about his research before we started celebrating the arrival of a new member in our organization, Lenresh, a night elf, druid, still fresh from his journey from the Emerald Dream.
So here we were, exchanging ideas and theories about Un’Goro, power crystals, the Titans and Gnomeregan… when a familiar voice came through our hearthstones. Rhellus… the draenei I met with much interest a while back. I didn’t think much of it when he expressed a wish of being here with us… like so many times before, I left my seat, reached for a soulstone deep in my bags, let it glow in my hands for a brief second before I started whispering the familiar incantations of Summon.
Predictably, Rhellus soon appeared in the room. What was less predictable was his reaction, somewhere between discomfort of being summoned that way and fury of being subject to the whim of a warlock.
If it had not been for the intervention of my friends, I wonder how quickly the Vindicator would have reached for his mace and attacked me. I should have been more cautious and more thorough in my studies of the Draenei… Vindicators especially. Following the teaching of the Light and the words of the Naaru with absolute devotion, they have nothing but repulsion for anything close to the dark arts. That would include me.
To his credit, he tested his patience by listening to my explanations about my own training and philosophy regarding the path of warlocks. I am not sure he was fully convinced, although we did apologize to each other and eventually sat at the same table. Unfortunately, the discomfort was visible well into the night. I hope we will find a way, somehow, to reconcile our choices.
I am fortunate to count the Azure Dreamers as my friends. Today was a reminder of how far they are willing to go establish a force capable of fighting the Burning Legions using every mean necessary, from the devotion of followers of the Light to scholars of the Dark Art. After all, how can you really fight an enemy you know nothing of ?
My old Master in Iron Forge predicted that my path would not be successful as long as I was alone. I can see now what he meant.