World of Warcraft®

((My first story post : / This is Taiva's backstory written from her perspective some time later. I an always open to comments/feedback, especially since I am fairly new to RP and the Lore. ))

First Memories

I’ve decided to start keeping a journal. With all the memories I have lost I don’t want to forget any more. How I wish I had started one before the crash, but would it have survived the Exodar’s arrival in Azeroth? I barely made it through myself, I have no memories of the Exodar or the crash, the first things I remember are…

Pain….Silence….I opened my eyes but it was just a blur of colors. I couldn’t stay awake.
Conscious again I could hear moaning and smell smoke, and then a blurred face appeared above me.

“Can you hear me?” asked a deep voice, and as I tried to answer I realized the moaning was coming from me. Though I tried to focus my vision began to darken again as the voice addressed someone else. “We have to get her to a healer.”

“You can’t move her.” A soft voice admonished, “Her injuries are too severe.”

“By time we came back she’d be dead.” The deeper voice retorted curtly, and I could tell that the face moved closer to mine. “If you can hear me, hold on….and I’m sorry.”

The pain had been everywhere before, but it stabbed viciously under my shoulders and knees as strong arms slid under me. Then everything exploded as I was lifted off the ground, my entire body limp and on fire. I think I screamed before the darkness took away the pain.

The next time I regained consciousness the intense pain had been replaced by a dull ache and as I blinked my vision cleared. Someone was speaking and as I turned my head towards the sound I could see that I was lying on a cot in an infirmary that was mostly empty. There was an Anchorite at the other end of the room, calling to someone through a doorway. I tried to focus on what he was saying and could only catch the end of the sentence, “finally awake!”

He was speaking as he approached the cot, probably to me, but my mind had wandered as my eyes drifted around the room. (What happened to me?) I wondered.

“How are you feeling?” The healer’s question broke through my thoughts. Looking at him again I tried to answer, but my throat was so dry. “Here” There was a cup in his hand and I moved my arm to take it. At least, I had tried to move my arm, but my body refused to cooperate. He lifted my head and after a few sips I was able to talk.

“I’m very sore…and I can’t move.” I added as I tried and failed to move anything other than my head. Nodding as I spoke he responded, “Considering how long you have been unconscious you’ll probably be weak for some time.”

Before I could ask how long I had been unconscious another voice boomed from the doorway, “Taiva!” A large warrior, he strode quickly into the room, “We were beginning to think you weren’t going to wake up.”

(Taiva?) Puzzled I looked from the warrior to the Anchorite. The name wasn’t familiar. It was then that I realized not only did I not know how I had been injured; I couldn’t remember who I was. My heart raced as I began to panic.

Apparently sensing something was wrong the Anchorite lay his hand on my arm, “Taiva, is something wrong?”

Swallowing in apprehension I finally asked, “Taiva. Is that my name?”

The warrior scowled, “Of course that’s your name, why would you ask that? And I suppose you don’t know who I am either?” As I stared at him blankly the sincerity of my question seemed to sink in and he stared back at me.

“Yes, your name is Taiva. And this is your brother Raakiv.” The healer provided. “What do you remember about the crash?”

I looked hopelessly from the healer to my brother (?), “Crash? What crashed?” The sorrow threatened to overthrow me. (I’ve lost my entire life!) I closed my eyes as tears began to stream from their corners. I heard the Anchorite asking Raakiv to leave for awhile to “give her some time”, and felt a hand on my cheek as Rakiv promised to come back soon.

As the tears subsided the Anchorite – Neresh – sat next to me on the cot and slowly explained about us fleeing Draenor aboard the Exodar and how we had crashed. He told me who I was, or who I had been. That I was a warrior, born on Draenor. How I had protected our people as we fled. That I had nearly died in the crash, and that despite having the physical injuries healed I did not wake for a long time. He admitted that they were puzzled by my slumber, I should have awakened much sooner.

Neresh helped me sit up on the cot, and as I leaned against the wall for support he reassured me, “You’re memories may return in time, and even if they are lost forever you still have the opportunity to make new memories and a new life here.”

(A new life.) Put that way it didn’t sound so bad. “You said I was unconscious for a long time. Exactly how long?”

“Forty-three of the days here.” Neresh answered solemnly, “We were able to give you some fluids, you swallowed reflexively, or you wouldn’t have lasted so long. You were still slowly wasting away and I doubt you would have lasted much longer in that condition.” He paused thoughtfully, “Perhaps that is why you are awake, your body sensed it couldn’t last much longer.”

“Forty-three days?” I glanced down at my thin arms and legs, “No wonder I am so weak.”

Nodding in agreement the priest rose to his feet, “Do you think you can eat?”

The question made me acutely aware that I was starving, quite literally. “Yes, that sounds great.”

While Neresh was gone Raakiv returned, and seeing me upright softened some of the concern that was obvious on his face. I asked him to fill me in on all that had happened since the crash, and I could feel his excitement at the new world as he talked. Neresh returned with food and drink; and Raakiv continued to talk as I ate and drank what little I could. He spoke of the damage the crystals had caused to the land and animals, the blood elves that had continued to pursue us. But also of our new allies, the night elves in particular caught my interest.

After my meal I was exhausted again, and though Raakiv was reluctant to see me lying there again (I think he worried that I may not wake again) he listened to Neresh and left. As I drifted into dreams of a new life, Neresh used the Light to continue my healing and I felt content and secure in its warmth.

Great stuff! Keep going.

((Part Two))

Recovery:

Returning to what would be considered “good” health took a long time. At first I was not able to eat much, after so long without food my body would only accept very small potions. Eventually I was able to walk again and for the first time explore the world around me. The Exodar is amazing and I loved it from the start. Beautiful and majestic, it feels so “otherworldly”. I spent most of a month regaining my footing and getting to know the Exodar.

During that time Rakiv visited as often as he could and continued to tell me some of our past, but spoke more about the world outside of the Exodar. Our parents and most of our friends and family had been killed early in the war on Draenor, unprepared for the Orcs’ sudden violence. The rest had died in the following years and during the flight to the Exodar. Hearing our history always makes me feel as though I am breaking apart inside, but nothing triggers any memories of that time… Perhaps that is for the best.

Neresh was always around, doing what he could to aid in my physical and mental healing. Not having any real sense of who I was left me feeling lost, and he often found me wandering aimlessly. The only times that I felt secure and at peace were during healing sessions with the Anchorite. The Light…felt like home, and still does. Over time I could sense the song and found that I could summon the Light on my own. I made the decision then to devote myself to the Light and follow the path of an Anchorite healer. I am not gifted in my capabilities to heal and wield the Light. It has been a long slow process of growing and learning and while I was recovering I had plenty of time and Neresh took on the added task of teaching me.

As part of my Anchorite training I often aided Neresh in healing those with less severe injuries. On one such occasion I was assigned to a young Vindicator who had a minor training wound, it required little more than to have a dressing applied. Her name was Dkaidra, and as there were no more patients that day she and I got to talking. Like my brother and I, she had lost her family to the war and managed to survive and escape. I remember being amazed at her strength and determination for one so young. She was surprised that I had barely been outside of the Exodar(at that point I had stepped outside a few times, but had yet to really look around the Isle) and practically demanded that I come and see Azuremist Isle with her the next day, and I agreed.

We met outside the Exodar shortly after dawn, I could tell the young Draenei enjoyed the opportunity to be my guide. After climbing up herself she helped me onto her elekk and we set off. First we traveled to Azure Watch, the settlement was doing well. This was Dkaidra’s home and she was proud of the ways she was contributing to the settlements survival. She told me of her experiences with the tainted plants and wildlife, and how they were working on restoring the land. There was still work to be done, and after seeing the beauty of the land as it was I offered to come and help when I could.

After spending some time in Azure Watch and enjoying a mid-day meal with the others there we headed to Ammen Vale. The night before I had asked Rakiv where I had been found after the crash and he told me that I had been with the part of the ship that had crashed in Ammen Vale. He had been with the main part of the Exodar and still didn’t know who had brought me to the healers after the crash. I had hoped at the time that it might trigger my memories to see the place I had been found…it did not. We didn’t stay there long, Dkaidra pressed for us to move on quickly. I think even then she could easily tell what I was feeling and didn’t want me to be upset.

We rode back to Azure Watch and then north to Stillpine Hold. I know I have seen species other than my own, the Orcs and Blood Elves, but with no memory of that and no similar reference meeting the Stillpine furbolgs for the first time was….strange. Dkaidra had obviously spent time with them; she was able to converse with them easily and introduced me as a friend who would be working with her to cleanse the land. She interpreted for me as I expressed my sympathy at the damage that had been done to the land upon our arrival, and my desire to learn their language. One Stillpine in particular was very eager to share their language and tried speaking with me for the rest of our visit there.

As the evening drew near I admitted to Dkaidra that it had been a long day and I was growing tired. We said our goodbyes to the furbolgs and mounted the elekk to return to the Exodar. As we journeyed back I thanked my new friend for showing me the Isle and we spoke some more of our lives since the crash.

I did return with her often to Azure Watch and Stillpine hold, and Dkaidra and I have been fast friends ever since.