World of Warcraft®

((Hey guys!! I'm back to the fabulous CC!! I have been away due to account problems, realm transfers, and so on, but now I am back home and more then happy to be. Here is a quick short story and what has happened to Talanus while he was 'away'!))

I stood upon the steps leading to the temple of Darnassus, Teldrassil. It had been a long time since I've last stepped foot upon my peoples soil. Every where I turned I saw familiar faces, new faces, and even strange faces. As I continued my steps back to the temple, images of memories began flooding my mind. The dangers I withstood, the friends I had made, and the people I had buried. But the main thought in my mind was where should I begin with my story, what happened to me that led to my mysterious disappearance. But that answer soon was found. I would start from the begging.

The sea had always been a wonder of sailors. The creatures hidden beneath the dark blue world beneath our feet. But that soon wasn't a worry, what was, was the on coming mist fast approaching our direction. The Captain of the vessel yelled to pull us away before it hit. There shouldn't have been this..mist. We were on our way to the southern shores of the Eastern Kingdoms. But yet here my eyes stared blankly into this new wonder. What lay behind it. What was to become of the next action.

Dodging the mist was near impossible. We would've had hit it sooner or later, whether we wanted to or not. As a Warden of the Kal'dorei I had been trained to not fear new things, so I took this as a foresight to something that could be peaceful. But I quickly relapsed the thought. We had now been in this mist for a couple of hours. The sun barely visible. Only with it's penetrating rays could we feel such a heat mixed with the humidity of the mist. That too also relapsed out of my mind. For now our ship came to a screeching halt in the water. In front of us lay land. But a small land.

We gathered in a small dingy as we rowed to this land. It turned out to be a small island the size of the Cathedral in Stormwind City. A few palm trees showed the only life within this tiny island. Luckily they sprouted coconuts. Some of the men raced up the trees and quickly tossed them down. While they did that the captain was telling me of misfortune, the bow of the ship had been crushed. It appeared we had drifted onto a small reef. If construction wasn't started soon. the ship would sink within two days time. Thanks to the mist, we wouldn't be seen if any Horde forces were to be traveling in this mist.

We quickly took down the palm trees to use their wood. I prayed to Cenarius, Elune, and Malorne for anything that could help, and for the revival of the palm trees in another great land. The Human crew was quick to strip apart the palm trees into pieces of planks. I was surprised they could accomplish such a great task withing hours. The next part was getting the planks to the ship. Thanks to the dingy this was possible. Within a day the whole had been patched and the sail ready for wind. We decided to go ahead and camp for the night on the Island.

By the time the waves shook for us to wake the next morning, we were surprised that the mist had finally cleared, but beyond the shore we saw land only miles away from the ship. We sure did feel foolish seeing it. But it was time to take action. We quickly gathered on ship and set sail to this land. The wind rushing, the fish swimming, and the birds flying. It wasn't soon until we had docked at this strange beach.

We quickly encountered the locals. A humanoid bear called the Pandaren. Strangely enough they new our language. They quickly told us of the land, Pandaria, an uncharted land on any map. The Pandaren said this was because of the mist directing the people away from this ancient land. What shook us was what they told us next. Prince Anduin was here. The other men quickly followed half of the Pandarens to his camp. The other half took me to the side and asked for my help defending their village from a group of beings called the Mogu.

The next few months I strayed around the land of Pandaria helping all those that sought assistance. Also I helped the Alliance defend this land against the Horde. That was until our own blood shed caused the creation of this strange creature. The Sha as the Pandarens called it. I felt over whelmed that we had come to another land and caused so much death and destruction. I quickly traveled to find Lorewalker Cho, a Pandaren historian who had befriended many of the Alliance and Horde. This did not bother me, he was a peaceful being who only sought his peoples history.

He had witnessed what had happened, the arising of the Sha. He told me that the only thing to do was to fight, survive, and to not fear. And I did that. Until I was finally struck down. A Sha the size of the Nordrassil World tree had arisen. The Sha of Anger. A group of pandaren and I tried to defeat it, but it soon lay waste to us. Luckily my companion had still survived, and carried me to the local village. There they bandaged my wounds and helped me heal. I was distraught at what I could not do. It would take a massive group to cleanse these lands from what our forces had done. And there was only one place to go gather such a group.


And here I stood with many new scars and many new stories. Something had to be done in this ancient land. I remembered the ancients telling of a tale of these pandarens and how they use to be our great friends. Maybe if we stood to help them, they would come back once more and stand side by side with the Kal'dorei and the Alliance. It was time to begin my work. To write my own present and future. The only question would be, where would it lead me.

The meeting in the barrows was something she couldn't quite get of her head. He was another relic, just like she was, but also changed, just like she was. Concerned about more than just his own people. Admirable or negligent?

"Warden!" The admiral shouted, interrupting her thoughts. Her surroundings came back into focus - the five-masted clipper and its its frantic crew that she shared the ship with returned to the front of her mind. The ear-piercing blasts of cannon became more clear- matching the claps of thunder in the turbulent night sky. She felt the cool, pouring rain alongside the feeling of warmth, seeping up through the Zealous II's interwoven elven planking as the druids continued to restore it. Gyrocopters from the admiral's escort sloops droned on through the storm. She beheld the three burning ships off the port side, and the one they had just pulled alongside, just waiting for the boarding planks to be extended. Her attention shifted, to Admiral Luniarra's expectant expression. "Well?" Her old friend demanded. "Remember, I need the enemy captain alive."

The enemy crew amassed, expectant of the coming boarding party. Orcs, trolls, some tauren. All with terrified faces - knowing that the end was near - but all equally guilty, here and everywhere else. Perhaps time would get Warden Skyfeather to see that, as she had. The burned-down villages, the dead children strewn across the streets, the wanton murder, and the spoonfed excuses in contrast - but not worse than the apathy, even from her own, thinking themselves safe.

"No promises, Admiral. For the crimes of murder, torture, destruction of entire towns and terrorism, the sentence is death."

She slid down her mask, revealing only her mouth, curled into a furious scowl. She brushed her cloak to the side and drew her brilliant umbra crescent - Skysong, freshly sharpened and eager for new blood.

"... and each one of them deserves it."

Talunus sat on the stone steps outside the Temple in Darnassus. Images and thoughts racing through his mind. He had just finished discussing his disappearance to High Priestess Tyrande. While he could see she was happy he was back, there was still an unease between their conversation. But through out the whole time he couldn't help but think of the conversation he had with the other Warden, Kyalin.

Her voice echoed in between his ears. Thoughts and ideas rushed about as he tried coming up with a conclusion to his one and only question. "Where do I begin?"

The Loque' Nahak peered to Tal' as he asked this out lowed. She swiftly laid a paw on his thigh and they looked at each other in speculation," Your'e right Luna, I will do what is best," He said in a calm manner.

The Pandarens once stood side by side with the Kal'dorei over 10,000 years ago. If he could heal what had made them leave the first time, then maybe the pandaren would come back and help purify Kalimdor from the Horde and cleanse the forest and land. But first he would need to go back to Pandaria to prove himself. He would have to face the Shas' once again.

Of course he made a promise to Kyalin that he wouldn't leave until the next arrival of the full moon. Until then he would stretch across Ashenvale to rid the Orcs, cleanse the land, and bring peace once more for his people to thrive. But he wouldn't be able to do it alone. It was time to rekindle long lost friendships. Time to begin something new.