It was under the glare of the Dark Titan's sword that the horse eventually collapsed, not long after the destination had been reached. Amber colours were painting the sky's canvas shortly after the sun had set that evening, only making the gigantic took of destruction seem more fearsome in mortal eyes. It mattered not that distance between the Ren'dorei and Gorshalach was great as she stood at the early dunes of the blasted land, where the scorching touch of the blade had not touched. No one could miss that monstrous sight.
Ethalis heaed a sigh and locked herself into the distance. In many ways, it had been rather fitting that the appointed location had been in Silithus. During the early skirmishes which were taking place there and the discovery of azerite, the Spire had first begun to suspect Magister Ravenfall's scheming, thus resulting in planting herself as a spy among his retinue and most trusted. No one could have predicted the outcome back then, that the woman would eventually be twisted by the Void's powers physically, yet still fighting for a home to which she could never return.
She briefly looked down at the golden insignia of the Sunfury Spire with her name inscribed on the back and tightly closed her fingers around it. It had been far too long since her last report had been made, due to being unable to leave from Lord Ravenfall's side. The closest she had been to Sin'dorei had been that traitor Alendis, whose vile nature could only compete that of worms. And still, there was hope to be found in the fact that it would all be over soon. All the sacrifices had not been in vain.
A cloud of dust rose in the horizon, moving along the ruined land of Silithus and circling the sword at a distance. Ethalis' body stiffened, but she made no attempt to reach for her sword. The Sin'dorei could disguise their bright colours with dull, brown cloaks, but they could not do a lot to change the fact that their slight figures were riding flamboyant hawkstriders. Three were the mounts and three the riders, approaching steadily.
For the sake of trust, the Ren'dorei abandoned caution and watched their approach, while keeping the held insignia close to her chest. Indeed, as they drew closer, their fine characteristics revealed themselves. Green eyes on familiar faces; in spite of what the voices were whispering in her head, Ethalis knew that she was among trusted individuals now. Safe.
They dismounted in front of her and both parties bowed with the respect of kinship, for that was the case after all. Only of the three was a Spire official, the brunette in the middle. Those who flanked him were only guards, carrying heavy weaponary beneath their cloaks.
Ethalis took a step forward and raised her insignia. The man in the middle nodded.
"Agent Emberdale." he greeted calmly.
"Arcanist Trueflight."
"What news?" he asked, his gaze wandering at the dunes, where there was nothing to be found. "It has been a long time since your former report. Did Ravenfall begin to suspect you?"
She shook her head. "Quite the opposite. I managed to gain his trust, yet that could only mean that greater responsibility fell on my shoulders. If I abandoned my post, suspicion would then arise."
Trueflight nodded and gestured to the Ren'dorei. "Yet your call was one of urgency." he uttered. "What have you discovered."
Ethalis' fingers pressed against the insignia tightly as tension threatened her for a moment, a strong touch of hatred for the man she had been pretending to serve until recently. If the arcanist noticed, he made no mention of it. Her voice rose to become colder. "I managed to uncover what Lady Ravenfall was trying to for so long." she claimed, raising her chin proudly, though not without a pang of pain upon mentioning the deceased woman. "The aim of Magister Ravenfall's study."
Humming energies echoed from the once corrupted sword, now littered with veins of azerite. All was otherwise quiet in the land of Silithus, where vermin stirred unseen behind the remnants of shifting sands. All was quiet behind the dunes.
Arcanist Trueflight's eyes widened upon hearing the Ren'dorei's claim, though his initial surprise, or perhaps even sense of triumph did not last long. His eyes thinned as he was obviously intrigued. He did not say a word, allowing Ethalis to continue. And so she did.
"It had always been his intention to become a vessel of the Void's power." the agent explained. "Though that without his mind falling prey to madness in the degree of not being able to control his own actions." A light shrug of her shoulders was given, as they remained stiff. "I believe his inspiration sprang from reports regarding Mac'Aree, though I have no proof regarding the matter. As for the reason behind such decision, it was Lady Ravenfall's suspicion, as it is known, that her brother's loyalties lay with the Old Ones since the era of the Cataclysm."
"He followed Umbric not out of love for the Alliance, but given his fascination with the Void." Trueflight interjected, though in agreement. "That we know."
Ethalis nodded. "Thus imagine how fortunate it was, a blessing of fate when the ethereals became the cause of his dreams being realised. He and his own did indeed become vessels of the Void in a manner better than they could have ever anticipated. It was all thanks to a coincidence, but all he wanted had fallen right into his hands."
At that point, the woman stopped, twitching. The insignia was held close to her heart for once more. She could spot a hint of sympathy in the eyes of the Sin'dorei, but pride demanded that she ignore it.
"And still, that far from spelled out the end. He pretended loyalty to the Alliance in order to remain close to the Telogrus Rift, as well as have access to certain supplies and paths of knowledge. For a long time, he studied the Rift and the Ren'dorei, determined to find a way to replicate the conditions and see if other individuals could be turned with a higher rate of success, if not stronger." She ignored the disgust on the faces of the envoys, knowing how well the same sentiment resided within her as well. "Yet before he could see if that was possible, a first test subject was required for his experiment."
The arcanist's eyes widened, as if he could guess. He even made a vocal attempt. "Lady Ravenfall?" he asked in terror.
Ethalis nodded. "I do suspect that his sister is the one he aimed for at first, yet not before long, a finer candidate appeared. Her name is Celysiel Ashfury."
Trueflight raised an eyebrow, evidently not recognizing the name.
"The girl was Lady Ravenfall's ward." Ethalis explained, hesitating for a moment. There was one detail she had not revealed to Celysiel. "... And blood, distantly. She was also a wielder of shadow magic." Again she paused, another moment of hesitation. She did not know why she had not mentioned that curious locket. She did not bother to correct that mistake. "Being a stranger, knowledgable of the Void's powers and, as Magister Ravenfall quite likely believed, less likely to resist, she was less likely to resist. But at the same time, it would also give him the chance to secure family bonds. For one that had been severed through hatred, another would be built."
Still disgusted, the arcanist nodded. He threw his hood back to take a deep breath, that under the agent's pale gaze. "What happened to the girl?" he asked, huffing. "This Ashfury."
The Ren'dorei twitched a little. "After setting the fire which claimed Lady Ravenfall's life, thus effectively achieving the objective of eliminating that threat," she began, her hands now lightly shivering. "an agent of Magister Ravenfall removed the unconscious Ashfury from the Kingdom and set a binding upon her. Unaware and afraid, the girl thought she would be killed if she tried to Quel'thalas, which was precisely Ravenfall's aim. He approached her as an unlikely saviour, offering his ritual, service in his ritual and the Alliance. She declined repeatedly and hid herself in a neutral location, choosing seclusion."
Taking advantage of the woman's pause, Trueflight stepped forward, gesturing to her. "Emberdale." he asked calmly. "Where is the girl now? Is she a threat? Has he managed to corrupt her?"
"He has not." Ethalis answered quickly, exhaling heavily. "Nor has she been corrupted. But he is looking for her. She needs the help of her people."
"But you mentioned a binding." he pointed out.
She nodded. "I am not sure what it does, but the means of undoing it were handed to me recently by the very individual who designed it, used it and is to blame for Lady Ravenfall's death. Now those means have passed to Ashfury's hands. I need you to trust that she will reach out when the time is right and ask for aid. Until then, it is safer that her location remains unknown. We should take no unnecessary risks."
After a moment, Trueflight nodded. "Very well." he sighed. "You also mentioned this agent. I take it you know who he is?"
For once more, the Ren'dorei nodded sharply, though her composute faltered. "A dangerous man." she sheethed with hatred. "A charming nobody who has managed to reach deep into the Spire. His-"
A low sound echoed in the dunes, followed by the whistling of an arrow. Its head was easily pinned between Ethalis Emberdale's eyes, eyes wide open that would see no more.
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