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The death of his friend, Arcfirice, had come as a soul wrenching blow to the little Gnome and his brother Microlux. For they were, in a way, the cause. And he withdrew in on himself, and the woods of Ashenvail.
Microlux however, had a duty. He was told to seek out Lady Genevra of Conclave. To deliver the news, not only of the great Magi's passing, but to inform her of his final wishes. The smaller, but none the less powerful mage had bit farewell to his brother amongst tears and hugs, then started out on his long journey back to the great city of Stormwind.

Alone in the great wood once more, Gno'jin buried the black leather armor Arcfirice had given him, wrapped in oiled leather cloths, and once more donned his old Troll-like leather garments of the past. Still a sight in little raptor claws, teeth, crockalisk hide straps and feathers, the tiny being disappeared into the dimmest reaches away from the prying eyes of the world around him.
He fell back into his old ways of shyness and curiosity of the simple things. His little pack was filling once again with the little flowers and herbs he so loved. He let his mind clear of all the things he had seen and heard while in the company of his brother and friend. And once again settled into the peace that is the way of the Monks true nature.

But dreams may not be calmed, nor so easily pushed to the back of ones mind and ignored. And his dreams were troubling. Night after night he relived the nightmare that sent him back into his simple solitary world.
He had just arrived in a place they called Draenor with his companions. And there were new and frightful things to be wary of. New dangers to watch for. But mostly there were the new Orc clans they had never encountered before. And they were truly vicious beyond any he had seen before. They were not like those back on Azeroth. They had strange colored skins and wore garb more barbaric than even his Trollish attire. They wielded wild and dangerous magic. The like of which not even the Warlocks he had encountered had dared to touch.
A time came shortly where the three had happened upon a band of these Orcs quite by accident. And finding themselves now cornered, turned to fight with all they had. Gno'jin dropped into a trancelike state and called upon the wild ancestors to lend him strength. And stood, all two and a half feet of him, as if he saw nothing and everything all at once. His hands and feet seemed guided by unnatural forces and speed as he defended himself and his little family. All the while from out of his line of sight, fire flew past him, exploding as it found it's mark in the bodies of the Orcs.
Time seemed to stop, but not so the onslaught of the Orcish band around them. Then something caught the little Gnome square in the chest, and he flew backward past the two Magi. He landed with a small thud amongst the rocks and bushes, dazed and unable to move.
"Lux, get back!" he heard Arc's voice sound in a desparate roar. The little Magi's magic was all but spent, and so did as he was ordered. And soon was kneeling by Gno'jin's crumpled form. "Get ready to port your selves out of here!" came the human's voice once again.
And then there was an enormous crack, as if the sky it's self were splitting open, and a flash of light so bright, it drove shadows in on them selves. Gno'jin could see a blue crackling dome apear over the three, as he caught sight of his friend Arcfirice's face and hands. He was pale and burned. His skin had taken on a sickly grey tint, and the light had faded from his once firey eyes. The human's shoulders slumped, his legs buckled, and his form crashed to the ground next two the two little men.
The Great Magi's voice came in a whisper now. He spoke to Microlux. Words Gno'jin could not make out. "Yes my friend, I will." came the sound of his brothers trembling voice. "May the threads of magic keep your soul safe.", and with that the last bit of life drained from the Fire Warden's eyes.
Quickly and with out hesitation, Microlux called upon what magic's he could, and just as the protective shield collapsed, the two Gnomes blinked out of sight with a POP!.
It's at this point of his dreams, the little Gnome would awake, sobbing and shaking violently. Holding himself in the darkness, once again fighting to push the images out of his mind...

One morning, very early, before the mists had completely cleared from the warmth of the sun, he found himself in a small clearing. It was covered in fragrant blue flowers and sweet grasses. He sat splay legged in the center of a patch of flowers, gently running his tiny hands back and forth across their tops. The sun beamed down on him as a gentle breaze tossled his blue hair.
He smiled just then, feeling a calm happiness he had forgotten existed. A bird started singing in the trees. A light hearted sound so sweet that it reminded him of music. Then a dark shadow grew over him and the flowers around him. A shadow not of clouds, but of a living being. Gno'jin studied it with curiosity for a moment before a deep voice chuckled behind him.
"Well now, I suppose it was time the ancestors crossed our paths once again little one." Gno'jin knew the voice immediately. Taosung, his old Pandaren friend and mentor. The Gnome turned as he stood up, a lively smile spreading across his dirty little face. And he reached up his arms as far as he could as the Pandaren reached down and scooped his little friend up in a warm hug.
"Oh little one, I am so very pleased to see you!" he said, "It has been far too long that we have been parted. Come tell me of your adventures." And Taosung carried Gno'jin with him as he crossed the clearing to a tree stump on the far side, and sat placing the little Gnome down beside him.
"Oh so much has happened Tao!" Gno'jin began. "So much to tell you!"
"Well first, little one, tell me how you have come to have blue eyes." said the great bear.
"Blue? My eyes are green." Gno'jin sounded quite puzzled. And to that, the Pandaren reached into his great pack and retrieved a small mirror. "No, my friend, your eyes are now blue, like the oceans." He informed his friends.
Gno'jin took the little mirror and looked into it, and was startled, almost dropping the little silver mirror. "Well I'll be!" he said in suprise. And he looked even deeper into the mirror, if that were even possible. He was quite confused, and had no idea his eyes had changed, nor how it had come to be. For after leaving his brother so many months ago, he had not stopped to think to even look carefully at his reflection in the rivers or lakes of the wood. It just wasn't in his nature to be even the slightest bit vain.
"Ha ha!" Came the Pandaren's great jovial laugh. "Well, then please, tell me of all your adventures, and leave nothing out. Perhaps we might find the answer in the telling."
So for the next few hours Gno'jin recounted everything he had seen and done. He told him of meeting a long lost brother, and of his friend Arcfirice. Only now and then did the great bear interupt just to clearify a detail or two. Otherwise he sat listening intently. Then the little Gnome came to the end of his tale. The Pandaren Monk shook his head in puzzlement. "Well now, so much has happened with you that I would hesistate a guess as to the change in something so perminant as the color of your eyes." He said at last. "Well, in your case, not so perminant. However, I do not know all there is to know. And I should think that you might consult with your Brother and colligues about this. Come, for now, let us walk in the sun and enjoy one another's company." And he stood, slung his pack across his massive back, and smiled down at Gno'jin.
The two shared the road for a few days more before parting. Again, Taosung advised Gno'jin to seek counsil with his brothers and friends. Advising him that the change in the color of his eyes could be nothing, or it could bespeak of something more sinister. No matter which, he would be wise to find the answer. Gno'jin promised to make his way back to the great city of Stormwind, and locate his brother. And with that, they said their farewells, and parted paths.
Along his way, long before meeting up with his old friend, Gno'jin had happened across a gravely injured Hypogryph. The Gnome spent weeks caring for the beast, nusing it back to health. And what a magnificent thing it was to behold. It's feathers were a tauny golden color with tips of irridescent green. They had formed an unbreakable bond. And once the creature was back to full health, he would give rides to the little Gnome now and again.
It was with a sharp whistle that the Gnome called upon his friend now. For the distance he must go was great, just to reach the shores of the great sea, and the town of Ratchet. Not to mention, still quite treacherous for one such as he in the lands between filled with the races of the Horde.
His friend landed in a gust of wind whipped up by it's mighty wings. It gave a trumpeting call, and a not of it's massive head in greeting. Lowering it's self down, as if in a kneel, for the Gnome to climb upon his back. As the Gnome settled in amongst the soft feathers, the creature gave a great beat with it's wings, and the two were air borne.
They headed south-east toward the Goblin City...

((A good read but hard to read to see Gnojin and Lux suffer, and sad to see Arc fall))

((Thank you for being a fan of my writings, and for giving me a home. I cherish our friendship more than you can ever know.))

Microlux left his brother at the edge of the woods. He turned to make his way across the plains of the Northern Barrens. His magic was, for the time being, depleted. The fight against the Orcs of Draenor had taken all he had, save for the burst of power it took to cast his teleportation spell out of the fray.
He wondered when, or if he would ever see his brother again. They had grown close over the past couple years. Inseparable even. So this was like walking away from a part of himself.

Watching his friend, and colleague die was almost more than he could bear. And it cut him deeply knowing that he had had to leave his body behind. No proper burial. No chance to channel his soul on to the next life, if there were to be one. What would the lost soul do? Where would it go? Would it wander lost, forever?

He couldn't stop too long to ponder those thoughts. He must carry out his friends final wishes with all haste. He must make his long way across to the other side of Azeroth. To the city of man, Stormwind. And to She who he sought out. The Lady Genevra.

Once in the small coastal Goblin town of Booty Bay, he quickly wrote out a short message to the Lady, and sent it via AAMS with all due haste. It simply stated Arcfiric's passing, his heroic death, and final wishes. But he still needed to make his way north toward his destination.
His power slowly grew once again. But heartbroken, and weary, he had not the strength of will to port himself. No, he would make his way on foot, giving himself the time he needed to heal and regroup his former regal stature. He would not let those of the Conclave see him in the state he was in now.

Once back in Stormwind, he learned that Genevra was off on other business, and would have to bide his time until her return. He also learned of another friends falling. Only this friend fell to the plague of the Banshee Queen. How had he missed so much? The Lady Gentyl, how he would miss her friendly smile.

He waited. The days passed quickly turning Spring into Summer, then onto Fall.
No word yet from Lady Genevra, nor his brother. He began to feel lost and alone in a City that he knew so well. He could stay here no longer. He would leave for Northrend and to his home of Dalaran. Maybe there he could once again lose himself in his studies and research.
He left word with the Conclave of where he would be. Both for the Lady, and for his brother.

He was numb. He felt nothing. It was as if all his cares and worries were suddenly gone. He stood there in a hazy dreamlike state. There was no sound, only fleeting glimpses of the world around him. Orcs, hundrends of them. Faces so vicious as to be those of nightmare.

Where was he? What was happening? Why did he feel nothing? He looked about himself, but everything seemed so very far away. As if looking through a tear in the fabric of time it's self. And time seemed to almost stop. It creeped along at a snail's pace. Second by second the sceen changed. Spells seemed to be captured in a spider's web.

Faces, so many vile faces, yet two stood out. Two were alone, terrified. He tried calling to them, yet no words escaped his mouth. They could not hear him. Why? And who were they? So small, almost doll like. And there beside them, a body. It lay there motionless, garbed in bloodied and burned robes of red and black. Who was this? What had happened?

For a moment all was surreal. Then sound. CRACK! He could feel once again, but only his hands. They felt as if all the power of Azeroth had somehow shot through them. The pain was almost more than he could bear, and he brought his hands up in front of his face. They were blueish, and he could see through them. The cuffs of his sleeves, they were familiar. They were those of the lifeless body laying there infront of him. And it came back to him with an audible CRACK!
Memory flooded back. He had been Fire Lord Arcfirice. This was war. And he had finally lost. Giving all he had to try and save those around him from what seemed an un-ending barrage from these savage Orcs. And his mind screamed: "Microlux, NOW!"
And in that moment, in the blink of an eye, the two tiny, terrified faces were gone. And the blue haze faded. Darkness creeped in all around him. Cold, so very cold...

10/28/2015 05:22 PMPosted by Gnojin

To be continued...

((*waits in anticipation*))

She was dismayed to hear of the mage's passing. It was unsuspecting but immediately her thought turned to those in his care: Gnojin and Microlux. She could not help but remember the Gnome's bravery as he trudged through Northrend with herself and others in Conclave's service.

Hastily she penned the following note and sent it by fast courier, hoping that the Gnome brother would be alone no longer.

Gnojin, my old friend, my heart broke when I heard of Arcfireice's death, but It is lightened to hear of you and your brother's survival. I pray that you come to the abbey at Northshire and we shall see that you are both taken care of.

Yours in friendship and the Light,

Genevra Stoneheardt

All that was left to do was wait for them, and pray that the two were safe.

The little Gnome nestled down into the soft feathers of the great hippogryph and tried to sleep as best he could. The journey was to be a long one, even by air.

Even now, so many faces haunted his dreams. Some were frightening, some were lost, and still others he longed to see once again. One shone brightly. So much so it seemed to sear his dreaming eyes. Familiar, yet so different. Who was this person? Why did he seem to shine with the light of the sun? He did not fear this face. But he could also not place it.

The great wings beat hard and the air they fanned was a roar as the beast landed. Gno'jin woke from his dozing and looked around. They were on a dock, and a sailing ship was moored in front of him. And there looking at him expectantly was a courier. "Gno'jin?" it called to him. "Yes, do I know you?" the little Gnome replied, quite curiously. "Ah, the Lady said you'd be decked out oddly. She wasn't mistaken." The courier said with a bit of a chuckle. Then, "I have a message for you." and with that, he pulled out a little envelope with a wax seal and handed it up to Gno'jin. He waited as the Gnome read the note. Gno'jin pulled out a little scrap of paper and a piece of coal, and, in his childlike print, wrote out a quick reply. He didn't have wax or anything of the sort to seal his message, so he took out a flower he had carefully placed in his pack, and wound it's stem around the little scroll. As he handed it to the courier he said "With all haste, please." And handed him also a little silver piece as a tip. "Not to worry Sir! I'll get it there safe and sound!". And with that, the courier vanished!

"Gno'jin?", he thought to himself as he climbed off the creature's back. When had he broken the word again? It was a fleeting thought as he now walked his friend over to the watering trough. He would care for his ride, as it had cared for him, with love and respect. The ship would still be there...