Warcraft story - Chapter 8

------

“…and I’m simply requesting some insight into your plans when the war starts. We all know plans change, but it would be helpful to know our initial goals at least.” Lorien, the House Carmine representative in the Convocation, rattled off. "I've heard some worrisome rumors about trying to destroy Zul'Aman, for example."

“What would be worrying about that?” Rathuron Brightwing asked, with a fed-up voice, his head resting on the round wood table they’d gathered around, his hand idly pushing around a goblet filled with something refreshing.

"Well, the obvious loss of lives. How many of our countrymen would we risk losing in such an endeavor?" Lorien spoke in a holier-than-thou voice.

The old elf was dressed in pure crimson robes. Anasterian wondered if that was a taunt or if they really thought everyone on the Convocation was that stupid. He knew exactly why House Carmine was against it, and it wasn't just the elven lives. He was well aware that House Carmine was the puppet of the Red Dragonflight, and some of the members of the house were actual dragons. As it happened, the flight's domain was the protection of life. All life, trolls included. Only, they did fuck all to stop the trolls from raiding the elven towns, and only made political trouble for the elves when they wanted to retaliate. For thousands of years, House Carmine had stood for the status quo and would continue to do so. It irked him that he’d only recently found that out, and even Selessa had figured it out sooner.

"The reason you're not being told is because you don't need to know, and if you were told, those plans would no longer be secret." Anasterian bluntly told them.

“That’s…you’re suggesting we’re not trustworthy!” Lady Noraeen Drathir, the only female member, sputtered, and she wasn’t the only one to seem offended.

"The trouble with trusting you is that I'll, by extension, be trusting everyone you trust, and who they trust, and eventually even the stableboys in Tranquilien will know." Anasterian sniped back. "This is how leaks happen, and this is exactly the kind of information that would leak out, as people can't help but brag. I know our people are gossips at heart. You know it too. Eventually, you'll tell your wife or lover, just admit it. And eventually she'll tell his best friend, and you get the picture. And all that, just because you can't leave the war to the actual war leaders. Like I said, you don't need to know. I don't need to know. The only reason I do is because I'm the king and I have to approve those plans.”

"We could do with some reassurances…" Lorien attempted a more peaceful approach, instead of playing the offended party.

“Well, you aren’t getting any. The leaders of my choice will prosecute the war in a way that they choose with my full confidence. If that includes the complete eradication of the Amani, then that’s what will happen. If not, then it won’t.” He shrugged, as if it wasn’t his concern.

“Can we at least know who these leaders will be?” The old and venerated patriarch of the Luminaris family asked. He was one of the only visibly aged elves alive. Some said he’d been around since the War of the Ancients, though none here knew if that was true. Except maybe the dragons.

"Not yet. Partially because not all of them are set in stone. Partially because I don't need you scheming and whispering in their ear to influence their decisions. Now, if you put your mind to it, you can probably figure some of them out." He was feeling particularly belligerent today. Normally, he had more patience with the Convocation and their machinations, but he'd just about had enough of their second-guessing every decision he made.

“My king, we’re supposed to be advisors. The wisest among our kind. How can we advise if we’re kept out of the loop?” Ron’vith Salonar pointed out, not entirely unreasonably.

Anasterian grunted. “If I had faith in you actually having the good of our people first, I might be inclined to lend that some credence, but…” He shrugged again.

"It sounds like the king has something against us.” Lorien scowled.

“Alright, let’s not beat around the bush and talk frankly then.” Anasterian decided and turned towards Lorien. “House Carmine is the puppet of the Red Dragonflight. You’re just worried we’ll kill too many trolls as the supposed protectors of life.”

Lorien sputtered, and everyone was staring at him, some clearly more surprised than others. Interesting.

He turned towards Rathuron and Noraeen. "Your two houses only recently joined the Convocation, and you're more interested in winning more glory for your houses to cement your position. That your goal happens to align with the kingdom in general is a happy accident. I don't think you'd actively work against Quel'thalas, you're not that far gone, but let's not pretend you want the information for the good of the people."

Rathuron had the good sense to at least look chastened, while Noraeen just grinned like a kid caught stealing cookies.

"House Salonar is defending the interests of the magisters on the Convocation, which I can respect, and that's also why our interests often align, but you can also get a bit shortsighted in that regard. We all know that the magisters will have to carry a weighty burden in this war, but that's why you have such an exalted position in our society. That's why you're revered and honored. Don't get huffy with me when it's time for the magisters to sacrifice to earn that position." He addressed his friend, who just grimaced. They'd had this argument before, and so far Anasterian had won. He'd have to thank Selessa for providing him with the ammunition.

“As for House Solaris…well, do I even need to say it?” He just spread his arms in a wide gesture.

Melevedon Solaris, his father-in-law, actually grinned at that. “War is both good and bad for the economy. This ‘war economy’ that you created has done very interesting things. Both good and bad. You won’t get much resistance from me as long as the wheels of the economy keep turning and casualties remain within tolerable range.”

“I suppose it’s our turn next.” The patriarch of the Luminaris family said with a neutral expression.

Anasterian frowned. “I would, but I honestly haven’t fully figured out your angle yet. Until I do, I’ll reserve my judgement.”

"And what's your angle in all this?" Lorien, the now outed dragon-sympathizer, asked. Surprisingly, there was very little venom in his voice. He had likely expected to be revealed at some point.

“Three things. As trite as it is, my people. Before you laugh at it, that ties to my second goal, which would not be possible without the first. I want to turn my great-grandfather’s dream into reality. I’m not satisfied with just the kingdom of Quel’thalas. I want to build an empire. I want us to be more than we are. Call it the idealism of youth, but I think we have an opportunity to do that if we can deal with the trolls decisively enough. Thirdly, my family.” Anasterian’s smile at the mention of family was so genuine that none of the others could doubt his words.

“I didn’t think you were so fond of your sister.” Ron’vith cracked a joke almost on instinct.

Anasterian chuckled at that. “Well, I was mainly thinking of my son and my niece. I think...they have the makings of greatness, and if we can set them up properly, they can really do wonderful things.”

The moment was broken as the door flung open and a messenger slipped inside. "Your majesty." He knelt by Anasterian's chair.

"What? What's important enough to interrupt the Convocation?" He asked with a sigh. Good news wouldn’t be so urgent.

“Your majesty, the Amani have launched an attack from Tor’Watha, over Lake Erendar, against Noonstar. It seems Ranger-General Talanas arrived late in the attack to drive the trolls off.” The messenger summarized the key points.

“They dare?!” Roared Noraeen while rising to a standing position and making a sweeping gesture that did interesting things to her rather impressive assets.

"A little bit too much pathos," Rathuron commented wryly at her side. “It would sound more genuine with a little less anger.”

“Oh, thanks. I’ll need to practice.” Noraeen took the critique shamelessly and completely changed her demeanor. She was young by Convocation standards.

Anasterian's eyebrow almost convulsed at the blatant display. He was also worried, as he was well aware that Selessa was traveling with Talanas. “Anything else? Do we have any details?”

"Yes, your majesty. Talanas contacted us via a scrying orb and gave the main points. The losses among the citizens were not major, but they would've been much higher without his intervention. It wasn't a small raid. It would seem there were other factors that reduced the losses that he didn't want to discuss openly. However, the survivors mentioned that the trolls were specifically trying to capture people, not necessarily kill them. One of the locals, who could understand the trolls, said they were supposed to be used as sacrifices to the Loa. We lost one of the ships patrolling the lake, the arcane towers protecting the village, and a fair few of the defenders." The messenger reported, still keeping as brief as possible, knowing time was important for people like this.

“Right. I believe you need to deal with that. I sense a retaliatory strike in the near future.” Rathuron said, getting up. “We’ll leave you to it. I’ll gather my house troops and volunteer to join this retaliatory force.”

The others made sounds of assent while filing out of the room. Anasterian noted that his father-in-law stuck around. "You have something to say on the topic?" Anasterian asked.

Melevedon scratched his cheek a bit. “Well, we’ve heard some whispers when watching over the trolls.” He meant spying. “I didn’t give them much credence before now, mostly because they sounded too good to be true and because we can’t actually confirm any of this since we can’t go to Zul’Aman.”

Anasterian gestured for him to continue, understanding the caveat. “From what we’ve been able to gather, the Amani tribe in particular is getting a bit skittish. It seems that two of their Loa have just up and disappeared. We have no idea why or where. However, it would make sense that they're trying to gather sacrifices to either appease the Loa still there or to tempt back those that left. There have also been odd movements among the civilian population of the trolls, if you can call it that. We can't figure out what it means, but it would seem they can tell something is coming and are secretly moving the civilians out. Now, considering the Amani are also planning on waging war on us, that doesn't completely shock me, but…"

“It’s still odd.” Anasterian finished for the other man. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“No problem. And for what it’s worth, I liked how you dealt with the Convocation just now. For too long, we’ve been focused on scheming and our own interests. Perhaps it’s better that we address these issues before the war, not during it.” Melevedon nodded, clearly having said his peace and left Anasterian to his thoughts.

“Well, that was an interesting evening. I certainly hope this doesn’t get even more complicated.” He mumbled to himself.

------

Anasterian leaned back on his throne, covering his eyes with a hand, just letting the situation sink in.

“Your Majesty, I…” Talanas started, but was cut off as Anasterian lifted a hand to stop him from speaking.

Finally, the king took a deep breath, exhaled hard, before lowering his arm. “Alright. Let’s get into it.” And tapped the stack of written reports he’d received. “First things first. You spotted an Amani bat rider when in the proximity of Lake Elrendar.”

“Correct. And Selessa here took the troll down magically, because he was flying too high for even my bow.” Talanas confirmed.

“Ok. So, you then raced to Noonstar, which was the closest village, to see what was going on, and decided to engage the trolls. This is where I have my first question. You were specifically sent to escort Selessa, but decided to engage anyway. Why?” The decision wasn’t strictly speaking wrong, but he wanted the reasoning.

Talanas cleared his throat, clearly in discomfort. And Selessa decided to throw him a bone. “I told him that I was going in. And that he could either join me or fuck off.”

“Right. Those were the exact words you used in the report. The official report that gets archived, mind you. Why did you engage, though? You could've stood safe to the side, while Talanas took most of the escort to fight." Anasterian pointed out.

“Because Talanas was clearly struggling with the decision, wanting to keep me safe and help, so I helped him make the choice.” She threw Talanas under the bus anyway. “Besides, it was the right thing to do. We both know I’m not helpless, even if I’m not as strong as I might want to be.”

Anasterian turned back towards Talanas. “I can understand the choices so far. We don’t need to get into the specifics of the battle until the shore, as you all did fine until that point. What I have trouble understanding is, why you let her dive into the middle of a group of Amani raiders, basically by herself, and allowed her to slaughter…” He checked one of the official reports. “About thirty trolls, while you worked, at best, as a distraction?”

"There wasn't much 'allowing' involved in any of that," Talanas muttered.

“Look, uncle-“ Selessa was about to help again, but got interrupted.

“Quiet. Let him speak.” Anasterian leaned forward and steepled his hands with elbows on his knees.

"I assigned my brother to watch over her, but he couldn't stop her, and by the time she had acted, it was too late for me to do anything," Talanas admitted. "Besides, it was working."

“Explain in detail.” Anasterian pushed.

This time it was Selessa who spoke. "I knew, and it turned out to be true, that the trolls pay much more attention to a group of mounted Farstriders and village defenders than an unarmored girl, even if that girl is a bit stab-happy. I was probably confused with one of the captured villagers who had found a weapon somewhere.”

Anasterian only barely managed to suppress a snort of laughter at the ‘stab-happy’ part. “We’ll have words about this, but let’s set that aside for now and focus on the really crazy part. So, according to these reports, one of them being yours, and I love this part, you made contact with some extradimensional force, and it granted you access to some new kind of magical power. Power, which you've coined the Light."

“Mostly correct. I think my father is at least peripherally aware of this power, and it might be somehow related to the power House Luminaris is using, so calling it new is a little inaccurate.” She corrected. “Also, I didn’t call it Light. The force itself did.”

“Oh, we’ll talk with your father about that, but I know that House Luminaris part to be untrue. They don't like to advertise it, but House Luminaris is using the same power the Kaldorei servants of the Moon Goddess Elune do; they just pervert the power into the worship of the sun, and in return get worse results." Anasterian revealed. "And from your description, you were definitely not in contact with Elune."

Selessa considered that for a moment, in light of all that she'd figured out about her power so far. "I think the power of Elune might be a manifestation of the same power, but somehow only using a single facet of it. It’s like someone using only fire magic. It’s still Arcane magic, but you wouldn’t know it if you were used to working with just fire.”

“Either way, I have to ask, why?” Anasterian prompted.

“The villagers were in need of healing. I was offered the power to achieve that goal. I judged the power I was offered as useful beyond just the immediate purpose, and in fact think it could be a significant source of strength for our people, but that’s for another time. Something to be studied in peace.” She had big plans for Light and how the Quel’dorei could use it, if even half of what she could sense about the power was true.

“And you could trust this power and the being offering it to you, how?” Anasterian came to the crux. “I know you call it Light, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. You could call it flowers and rainbows, and that might still be a lie.”

She gave a mirthless laugh. “Oh, it’s not good. It can be, but much like Arcane, it can be used for good or evil. When I came into contact with the power and the being representing it, I also came into contact with and understood the facets that the power represents. In this case, protection, salvation, justice, retribution, self-sacrifice for a greater cause, conviction, and collective improvement. Put in a negative light, it’s also about fanaticism, self-righteousness, and cleansing those standing in your way. A practitioner of the Light doesn’t have to be good or just; it only requires the wielder to think they are. Just like Arcane can corrupt and turn its users into power-hungry tyrants, so does the Light also possess the change to make the user dogmatic and a zealot in their cause."

“And you’re not afraid this will happen to you?” Anasterian asked, confused.

She just smiled mirthlessly. “All magical power comes with that risk, you know this. The reason the being reached out to me is because of my will to help my, our, people, and because I’m so well suited to use the power. The power relies almost entirely on willpower, faith in yourself, and conviction. Sound familiar?”

Anasterian did remember the story Selessa had told them. In it, she had sacrificed herself for her people and had had enough willpower to work as a conduit for a higher power to strike down another higher power. Something none of her other people had been capable of. Willpower and conviction she had in spades. "We'll go into the details later. For now, let's continue. After gaining this new power, you healed all the injured in the village, except for crippling injuries. The next morning, you went and healed them again, this time restoring lost limbs and other injuries on a similar scale."

Selessa nodded. “Right. I’d just gained the power, so at first I was not able to heal injuries beyond a certain scale. After sleeping on it, I got a better grasp on the power and healed those I couldn’t before.” In reality, her Light skill had reached level 2, and she’d gotten a Perk that allowed her to heal crippling injuries and most diseases. The Perk had been just too good to pass.

“Thus, earning the first nicknames like Saint Princess in the process. Then your group traveled back to Silvermoon. Only, you stopped in every village and town on the way, for you to heal all their sick and injured." He pointed out. "Which is why it took you almost two weeks to get here. Not only that, you freely handed out blessings of all sorts and some kind of magic to improve the health and fortitude of the citizens, even if temporarily.”

“Funny you should mention that. The spell is called Power Word: Fortitude," She muttered. "Anyway, yes, that’s a good summary.”

“You know you started a religious movement, right?” Anasterian pointed out.

“That’s an exaggeration, surely.” She deflected.

"If anything, that was an underestimation," Talanas muttered. "You might not have noticed, but the people were enthralled. They may see Arcane magic daily, but they have little experience with the powers related to faith. And your little sermons contributed."

“Speeches. Advice at best. Not sermons.” She tried correcting.

“So you think. They thought differently." Talanas jabbed back.

“He’s right. You might not be up on the latest developments, but they’re actually building statues of you, and I think at least two towns are already building some sort of worship buildings for this Light." Anasterian shook his head. "You underestimate the persuasiveness of a cute princess who works miracles and heals people, passing out words of wisdom far beyond her years, advising and solving long-standing problems, and let's not forget about pushing back a troll raid single-handedly."

"It wasn't single-handed, though!" She protested. She didn’t want to take credit for other people’s sacrifices.

"We know that, but that's not what the rumors say." Anasterian countered. "Besides…" He gestured towards his eyes, clearly implying her eyes were another issue.

“Oh, right.” She understood right away.

“Yeah. Divine guidance is one way to explain them. Not the right one, but still viable enough for people to accept as a potential explanation.” Anasterian pointed out, and his own eyes narrowed. “Besides, you don’t fool me. You act innocent, but I’ve read some of your sermons. Don’t try to tell me you didn’t have any idea about what your words could cause.”

“Che.” She made a vexed sound after being caught.

“What I want to know is: why?” He went for the important point.

She was quiet for a moment. "You know why." She replied, finally. “What is the main weakness and the sin of our people?”

He did know. He just hadn’t been asked so bluntly before. “Tell me.” He almost growled.

"Complacency, and stemming from that, stagnation. It was the same problem my previous race had. Until we could no longer afford it. Tell me. We've lived in these lands for six thousand years. What do we have to show for it?" She asked, pressing for an answer.

"Silvermoon," Anasterian said, not convinced himself. "Some new magic. The elfgates."

“Silvermoon was mostly constructed in the few centuries after our arrival in these lands. Sure, we’ve spruced it up and expanded since then, but we haven't built another city like it. What about the other five and a half thousand years? The elfgates are nice, but if those and a few spells are all we have to show for it, that’s pathetic. We have so much potential as a race that it saddens me to know how wasted it is. And from what I've read and heard, the Kaldorei were hardly any better. Potentially even worse. I want to bring out the best in our people, and to do that, we need change. This war, and the Light, offer a chance to make that change happen." She finally explained her plan, such as it was. She was only in the early stages of the plan after all.

“I shouldn’t be surprised after you told me of the ideas you had earlier. The martial spirit and all that.” Talanas suddenly realized. “And I happen to agree. This is risky. Very risky. But everything worth doing is. You have my support.” He smacked his chest with a fist.

“You’re in luck, because I happen to agree as well. And I just had an argument with the Convocation on very similar lines. There might be more support for such changes than you think. Let’s do it. I want to build an empire, and it seems so do you. Let’s make our people into something greater.” Anasterian swore.

-----

It was kind of fortunate that she could combine her usual meditation with communing with the Light and the being that had contacted her. Every moment spent reinforcing that connection made communication easier and her connection with the power of Light within her stronger. The Light was vastly different in nature from the Arcane, both in application and in the ways you trained. Where the Arcane was all about knowledge and spell formulas, Light was about your connection with the power. That connection was like the conduit that determined how much of the power you were able to channel at once. It functioned like an upper limit on the kinds of things you could accomplish. Your conviction, willpower, and faith, in turn, determined how strong the abilities you wielded with that power were. As an example, a simple healing spell cast by her when compared to a random Quel’dorei suddenly gifted with the power would be vastly different.

The connection could be grown in many ways. Communing with the Light through meditation was the most obvious way, though you could do it through prayer or certain types of acts as well. Acting with the precepts of Light in mind was an especially effective method. There was also another purpose to the process. While you communed with the Light, the power, or in this case, the being she was communicating with, slowly suggested ways in which the Light could be used, though only when the Light, or the Naaru she was communicating with, thought she was ready. Interestingly, thanks to the System, she also had another source of information.

Light was similar to the psyker powers of her previous life in that it was also quite flexible, yet at the same time quite rigid. It was rigid in the way it drip-fed her ways of utilizing the power, but flexible in that once she was taught a technique, she had quite a bit of freedom to customize said technique. For example, she’d been using a basic holy light technique to heal people, but she’d quickly discovered that using the technique in a certain way could also heal all sorts of diseases and toxins in addition to wounds.

Much like Arcane, Light was also divided into what she was calling disciplines in her head. There were two main paths that somewhat overlapped in the middle. The first was the path of a healer or a priest. It focused more on using the Light like a mage, focusing the power to either harm enemies at range or to help allies. The other main path was the way of a warrior of Light. These warriors used the Light to empower their bodies and weapons, smiting the enemy with physical strikes empowered by Light. The Perks reinforced this division, overlapping in the middle where healing and supporting your allies were concerned.

She had already spent the first Perk point into the overlapping area, specifically into a Perk that allowed her to heal more severe injuries and ailments. She was also quite intrigued by the idea of spells that would empower her and her allies, something the Light seemed to have in abundance. Blessings, auras, and empowering spells were rife, and many of the overlapping Perks made those abilities stronger. Too bad she wasn’t exactly swimming in Perk points, and the magic attribute was a hungry, hungry beast.

As usual, her musings were interrupted as she sensed someone approaching, in this case, her father. The blue dragon was an obvious visitor. Today, he'd bucked the usual Quel'dorei trend by dressing in deep blue robes. "Father." She nodded to the dragon in an elf's form.

“Little one. Seems you’ve had a busy few weeks.” Sapphiron commented in a wry tone, before sitting down next to her on the floor, both of them staring at the forest outside the library. As expected, there had been no books on the Light among the shelves. At least not on the shelves she had access to.

“You could say that. I’m assuming the Blues have some inkling of the Light.” She asked right away.

"In a sense. We're aware of all the six fundamental forces of the universe, though our understanding of the Light is somewhat limited. We've always been more concerned with the Arcane, and the misuse of the Fel and the Void. The Reds and Greens are more concerned with Life, the Bronze focus almost exclusively on time magic, which is a facet of the Arcane, while I’m afraid the Blacks have been corrupted by the Void.” He explained. “In fact, you might be the first dragon to actively attempt to wield the Light. It would be a lie to say I’m not intrigued by the possibilities.”

“So, you won’t be of much help. Got it.” She playfully said, causing the dragon to chuckle.

“Not much, no. Sometimes you have to be the pioneer yourself. And while I am intrigued, that’s not the main reason why I’m here. Somewhat expectedly, with your newfound fame, your mother wants you to make your debut in the court.” He explained.

She scoffed. “That’s not going to happen.”

“She’s going to insist.” He pointed out.

“She can insist all she wants, but she doesn’t get to make these decisions for me. I understand why she wants it. She wants me to take my fame as this mysterious young saint and turn it into power in the court. The issue is that my goal is the opposite. I want to maintain the mystery to enhance the effect of the new, somewhat religious movement that seems to be starting. If I make a debut now, the mystery will be gone, and I'll cheapen the effect for some political brownie points. Most of which my mother will try to nab for herself anyway, claiming that it was all her influence.” She explained her point of view.

"She won't be happy," Sapphiron added.

“That’s just too bad. Her happiness isn’t my concern.” She grinned at him. “It’s yours.”

He just laughed. “On that note. There’s a chance that you might be gaining a sibling. And yes, I was just as surprised at the news as you were. Your birth was already something of a surprise.”

That caused her to frown. She was pretty sure the only reason she was born was that the System made it happen. As Sapphiron had told her, it shouldn't have really been possible. And yet, here they were. That had some implications. Ones that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to explore. "Well, it happens if it happens. Just remember, neither of you were exactly great parents."

“I recognize that, and so does your mother. I think that’s partially why she wanted another child. She feels she didn’t get the usual experience with you, and is now compensating.” He explained.

“I’m not sure how to feel about that. Getting a sibling just because my mother didn’t get the mommy experience with me feels somehow wrong, even if I don’t mind a sibling as an idea.” She let her mixed feelings slip into her voice.

“Yeah, life can be a bit complicated like that.” Sapphiron went with a platitude. “Anyway, I’ll give the bad news to your mother and explain your reasoning. She won’t agree, but…” He shrugged.

------

Selessa enjoyed the rain. She always had. Well, not always. There were the few times in her previous life where she’d been forced to fight in the muck and grime of a torrential rain on the surface of a planet, not to mention the Chaos tainted rains she’d encountered a couple of time, but in general she enjoyed rain, and part of that was because she’d spent most of her life on ships. Very little rain on ships. Rain was calming. She enjoyed the feeling of the drops falling on her skin.

Rain was also a rather rare phenomenon in Quel'thalas. The climate was heavily controlled after all. Plants needed rain, though, so occasional heavy rain was the answer. When it rained in the kingdom of the eternal spring, it usually rained enough to last. Usually, it also meant that very few Quel’dorei were outside, aside from those that absolutely had to, like guards and scouts. Which is why it was doubly odd for her uncle’s new wife to make her way through the heavy downpour to the Sunstrider Isle.

She and Queen Elessine had not met since the wedding. She wasn't consciously avoiding the queen, but she had no interest or need to interact with the woman either. And they hadn't exactly departed on the rosiest terms, considering she’d pretty much sworn to kill the queen and everyone she knew if she or her family stood in the way of their people. That was another reason why the queen’s arrival caught her by surprise.

Elessine was dressed rather simply, unescorted, and clearly moving while trying to avoid attracting attention. She wasn't skulking either. It was like she was trying to blend into the background. The queen noticed her observing from the library's door and made a beeline for her. "Lady Selessa. Or should I say Saint Selessa now?" The queen's tone seemed a little amused.

“Just Selessa. What brings you here, Elessine? You clearly picked a time and weather to stay as unnoticed as possible.” She asked directly. “I seriously doubt this is a social call.”

"It is, in a way. I have some information that you should be made aware of, and I admit, part of my sharing this information is social in nature, as I'm attempting to build the first steps in our relationship." The queen had obviously decided that direct talk was much more effective with her, which didn't surprise her, considering their last encounter.

“Well, do step in from the rain at least. Tea?” She inquired, leading them deeper into the library, where a steaming pot of tea was already prepared. On one hand, she could appreciate the utility of enchantments to keep the tea hot and fresh for extended periods. On the other hand, she easily burned her mouth, so lukewarm tea would’ve been just fine for her.

“Thanks, but I’ll be returning promptly. I don’t want my disappearance to be noted.” Elessine just stepped far enough inside to be out of the rain. Selessa recognized the way the queen’s eyes took in the entire interior. It was very similar to the way she herself scoped every space she entered, though less experienced.

"Alright. What information do you have that you seem to think I'm interested in?" She asked, remaining slightly wary.

“House Luminaris. You’re aware of their role in addition to being part of the Convocation, yes?” Elessine asked.

“Religion, temples, ceremonies, healing.” She summarized simply.

“Essentially correct. Now, I don’t think it comes entirely as a surprise that they haven’t taken the new religious movement you’ve started very gracefully.” Elessine explained.

She couldn't help a sigh escaping her lips. "Idiotic primates! There were three ways they could've reacted, and they chose the stupidest one." She couldn't help but curse. She had hoped better. A vain hope it seemed. Idiots would cling to power in all the wrong ways, no matter the universe she was in.

Elessine lifted an eyebrow at the reaction. “Rather extreme, is it not?”

"No. No, it isn't. They could've taken a wait-and-see approach, or they could've instead joined hands with me in this. They could’ve easily included the Light in their teachings and ceremonies, thus joining forces, but that would’ve meant sharing. Learning from someone else. Let me tell you a little secret. Although there are people who are more talented than others, theoretically, anyone could learn to wield the power of Light. What is required is a certain type of character. And I suspect it won't come as a surprise that being self-centered, selfish, and power-hungry are not among the qualities required. They could’ve easily combined their religious practices with serving the Light, but no. That would require them to be able to look beyond their own immediate gains.” She practically seethed.

"Huh. That's…interesting. Good to know. They will likely try to resist your aims, however." Elessine pointed out while seeming slightly lost in the possibilities of what Selessa had just revealed.

“Of course they will. And they will fail.” She made a disgusted sound.

“How can you be certain? They are one of the oldest and most powerful families.”

“Several reasons. I’ve done my research. Tell me, what has their house really contributed to Quel’thalas lately, keeping in mind that anyone can theoretically perform their ceremonial duties.” She asked.

“Honestly? Mostly power and influence. Some healing, though I know what you’re going to say. You’ve already done more healing in a few weeks than they have in decades. And if your claim about others being able to learn to do the same…I see where you’re going with this. Their power comes from an old and distorted connection to Elune, while you’re offering real power and practical benefits. And you’re a Sunstrider.” The queen had a thoughtful expression. “They’re picking a fight they can’t win. The only way to really come out ahead would be to get rid of you, but if they tried, they would enrage everyone, and Anasterian would wipe them out root and stem. They can’t even embarrass you politically, since you’re not politically active. I see, that’s why you keep pushing off your debut. Very clever of you.”

That wasn’t the reason, but she was happy to let Elessine think as much. Since the queen seemed to be convincing herself, she decided to let the woman make her own conclusions. That had worked for her countless times in her previous life; why change now? Even if Elessine were to find out, well, it wasn't Selessa's fault she'd come to the wrong conclusions…

“You still need to be careful. They might not be there yet, but eventually they’ll be desperate enough to do something stupid.” The queen pointed out.

“I know, and I’m keeping my eyes open.” She knew better than to dismiss the danger. She was always watchful. Maybe too much so.

-----

As it turned out, the queen had been correct. House Luminaris did make a move, but not a violent one. Instead, they tried to discredit her.

"…and what assurances can you provide to us that this isn't just a cynical power grab on your part?" An older man demanded in a heated voice.

Unlike what he expected, though, his question was not greeted by approval but with angry mutters from those gathered at the largest park of Silvermoon to receive healing and hear Selessa talk. Something she now did every three days. Unfortunate for the agitators, who were expecting to face a young, inexperienced girl who knew nothing. Understood nothing. They were wrong.

“And what if it was?” She asked with a clearly joking voice, eliciting some chuckles from those who knew what was coming. Her face was always covered with an almost transparent veil, leaving only her eyes and the outline of her face visible.

She stood up, theatrically spread her hands, and spun around, gesturing to the gleaming city around them. "Our society has been built on self-interest. None of the powerful houses have built their legacy on altruism. Everyone here knows family members that are fond of cynical power plays, and the court is filled with such games.” She allowed her arms to fall back to her sides as the crowd around her nodded in agreement. “And that’s what I’d like to change.” She stated with a more serious voice.

“Self-interest isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when it comes at the expense of our people, it is destructive. For too long, our noble race has languished in stagnation and refused to do what is needed. Our noble King Anasterian has started to change that, but that change is only beginning and needs the support of people who are willing to pick up the banner of change. For too long, our race has hidden like cowards, secure in the knowledge of the Ban'dinoriel protecting us. Well, Noonstar shattered that illusion. Noonstar showed us the rotten fruit of our stagnation and hubris of our complacency, when the savage trolls found a way past our protections, to capture our kin to sacrifice to their false dark gods. A determined enemy found a way around our shield, and if they can do it once…” Her voice had grown solemn and quiet, but suddenly picked up both force and emotion.

"Noonstar also showed us that we can change. That we can be better. It was only through the bravery of our Farstriders and the sacrifices of the brave people on Noonstar who were willing to both train and to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect their fellow kinsmen. The brave men and women of Noonstar fought and died to save their neighbors, their friends, their family, from a fate worse than death. They showed that we don't need to be selfish and obsessed with just our own good. They showed that we can be more when we are willing to go the extra mile for our people. And for that, they were rewarded. For them, I reached for the power to heal their wounds and was given the gift of Light.” She’d heard the Mon’keigh preachers talk and was borrowing heavily from their toolbox. The Aeldari had their own tricks as well.

"And how do we know this isn't just a ploy? Just beautiful words masquerading your desire for power?" The same old man asked, clearly taken aback by her words.

“The Light itself is my witness. Our people are the masters of the Arcane. Arcane is all about knowledge and study. It makes no judgement of your motivations, your methods, or your intent. Only your effort. The Light is different. It judges you by your actions and your intent. I may be the first, but I will not be the only one with the power, and those who come after will be able to confirm what I'm about to say. Light works on certain principles. It wants you to work for a higher cause. If you only desire personal power, you will get nothing. But if you desire power to help our people, to protect your loved ones, to aid those who are weak and in need, and to strike down those who would wish ill to your kin, then the Light will be there." She almost cracked a smile. The agitator was almost like someone she had planted in the audience, giving her the prompts she needed. She'd have to thank House Luminaris.

“I have a dream. A dream of a world where the Quel’dorei take their rightful place, instead of hiding behind a barrier. A world where we stand proud, at the forefront, on the world stage, while striking down those that would threaten us. Where we have built a glorious land of advanced magic and society where no one goes wanting, instead of being exiles hiding in the far north of a continent where we do not even originate from. A world where we can get beyond petty politics. The Light can be a benevolent power. Healing those sick or injured. It can protect those who can't protect themselves. But do not mistake it for weakness. For one of the most important facets of Light is retribution. The troll, the traitor, and the heretic. These are the ones the Light must strike down.” She was getting into it, the energy and emotion in her voice genuine. She was not blind to some of the similarities the Light had to the faith of the Mon’keigh.

There were very few things the Mon'keigh of her previous life had over the Aeldari. They were technologically backwards barbarians who treated their own worse than their enemies. But one thing that she had to admit was that their power of faith had its uses. The Aeldari had lost their willingness to believe when their pantheon was devoured by the ruinous powers. The Mon'keigh used their faith as a weapon against the ruinous powers, and it was an effective weapon indeed. As with everything else, the Mon’keigh had bungled the whole thing, but if utilized right…well, the Quel’dorei could really benefit from a cause beyond simple survival. Survival was an effective motivator, but the elves would not feel that pressure unless their lands were invaded to a degree that she was determined to prevent. So, they needed another cause to rally behind.

"The savages encroach on our borders, and Noonstar was the first to feel their wrath. The first but not the last. For our people, for the future of our children, and for the betterment of the world, these savages deserve no mercy. The same for the traitors. Those who would sacrifice our future, and your lives and happiness, for their own personal gain. The Light will show us the way and keep us on the correct path. Once the Light shines bright, these traitors have no shadows to hide behind. And finally, the heretic. Those who would seek the forbidden powers for a myriad of reasons, boiling down to personal benefit. Those who would twist our people into nothing but the complacent and stagnant people that we have become. We have already gotten a taste of that rotten fruit, and I say no more!” She lifted her fist to pump up the crowd, which had become very large indeed. And the crowd practically roared with her, much louder than she’d expected.

“Then why do you hide your face?!” Someone, not the same old man this time, shouted when the cheers quieted down. The crowd almost attacked the person, but she calmed them down.

"Do not meet questions with violence. Questions are always welcome, for they are a chance for us to show we do not hide from those seeking knowledge. And to answer, for two reasons. The first reason is, as you know, I'm young. I haven't had my debut yet. My identity is not a secret. Several people have seen me without the veil. I frequently train in public, and I don't veil myself then. But it would not be appropriate to make public speeches unveiled before my debut. The second reason is that this isn't about me. I may be the first, but before long, I will not be the only one. I was the first because my nature and ideas are uniquely well-suited, but there will be others touched by the Light. This is a new power. New to us, that is. I'm slowly finding my way, and those who come after me may learn from my mistakes, but I have faith. I believe that as Quel'dorei, we will master this power like we have mastered the Arcane. It is in our blood. And when we do, it will not be about me, but our people. That is why I veil myself." She explained to the obvious approval of those gathered.

As if to emphasize her words, one of the most fervent women kneeling nearby suddenly glowed with the golden power of Light, an obvious outward manifestation of her forming a connection with the power. ‘Heh. It seems the Light also has a sense of dramatic timing.’

And once there was one, there eventually were others. In a couple of weeks, a further five Quel’dorei had made a connection with the Light. She’d started giving them some tutoring in its use, which, combined with the battle in Noonstar, pushed her skill Squad Leader to level two, and earned her the Perk she’d been eyeing earlier, Sensei. The Perk improved her ability to teach and train others. The skill dumped information on her on how to best engage her students, how to present things in a way that they were easy to understand and pick up, and it also somehow helped her understand the strengths and weaknesses of her students better. The six students, three men and three women, came to the Sunstrider Isle on most days, and spent as much time meditating as she did.

"This religion of yours is really starting to pick up," Anasterian commented as they’d once again gathered on the island to make plans. What made this meeting a little awkward was the presence of the queen and Sapphiron, meaning certain topics were not spoken of.

“I can confirm that. Your frequent healing and sermons in the park have enhanced the momentum you gained before from Noonstar and all the things you did on the way back. Now that you have verifiable apprentices that can also perform basic healing and strengthening spells, people know this is something to be taken seriously.” Elessine explained while reading a pile of reports. Everyone present here already knew she was the new master of intelligence, so she didn’t bother hiding behind a façade of an innocent girl.

“Healers will be useful in the upcoming war. In fact, we should do everything to encourage more. You’re going to need every single one.” Sapphiron added his input. He was here as a representative of the magisters.

"On that note. Many of the new Light users come from the less well-to-do portion of the populace. Spending days on the island training isn't doing wonders for their economic situation, especially if they have a family to feed." Selessa pointed out. "I recommend giving them a stipend for their efforts. Not a large one, as we don't want to encourage people to do it for money, but enough to replace lost earnings from their previous job. It's a small investment with plenty of upsides."

“Approved.” Anasterian declared immediately. He was massively in favor of this plan. “I’ll pay it myself if necessary.”

“You might have to with how badly House Luminaris is taking this whole thing.” Talanas grimaced. “On the upside, your reputation will undoubtedly improve even further as the patron of this new movement.”

‘I would imagine basically starting a new religion is doing wonders for my still hidden Charisma attribute.’ She thought to herself and was surprised to get an answer.

[To say the least. You’ve honed in on two things that are perhaps the most effective ways of improving the attribute. Especially considering you're still not benefiting from the effects of the attribute or the skills. On a completely unrelated note, we should brief you on the maximum values an attribute can have.]

‘Completely unrelated, eh?’ She thought, highly amused.

[Entirely unrelated. All attributes have a racial maximum value. The System uses humans as the base, who have a maximum of 10 in all attributes. Quel’dorei have higher maximum in some and theoretically would have lower in others, but as it happens, due to the partly magical nature of their bodies due to the Sunwell, they only have higher maximum values. When you hit the maximum value, it signifies the peak of what that race is capable of. If you want to improve the attribute further, you’ll need to find a way to improve that maximum somehow. Incidentally, you were born with one of those, specifically to your Charisma.]

‘My eyes.’ She didn’t have to think about that very hard. Her eyes were unnatural, and explained some of why Anasterian and the others were taking her seriously despite her age, even before knowing about her past.

[Correct. You may or may not have other such advantages, which will become apparent when you fully unlock the System. Some attribute maximums can be improved by Perks, but I'd keep your eyes open for other such methods.]

‘Out of sheer curiosity, what is my maximum for Charisma?’ She asked, half expecting the System not to answer.

[As it happens, and while many other races would not admit this, Quel’dorei are widely considered to be the most attractive race on Azeroth. There’s a reason why the dragons keep choosing it as their Visage, the vain bastards. The normal maximum for the race is fifteen, and your eyes increase that by two, for a total of seventeen.]

‘That’s a lot, considering humans only get up to ten.’ She commented in her mind.

[Even more so when you realize that after ten, the attributes don’t scale linearly. The difference between sixteen and seventeen is larger than between five and ten.]

Despite her little discussion with the System and the important information she'd just gained, she was still paying attention to the discussion the others were having, and decided to interject when it came to the battlefield use of those connected to the Light. “The new Light users would be better off kept off the direct battlefield for now.” She stated firmly. “I’ve been focusing their training towards healing and buffing. While there will be battle uses for the Light, you have to understand that we’re figuring this whole thing out as we go. I don’t think we have time to train them both in the Light and the ways of battle before the war if we don’t want them to die. And of the six I’m training, only one has the mentality suited for the battlefield anyway. The others just want to help our people, preferably by healing and supporting them from behind. We could train some warriors of the Light with enough time, but that requires years, and with Noonstar…”

“A bit of a shame but understandable.” Anasterian nodded.

"I note you didn't include yourself in that assessment," Elessine interjected, looking up from her report.

"Well, I'm communing directly with a Naaru, and the being has been somewhat forthcoming on some possibilities related to the battlefield. It all depends on how much time we have until full war. I'm trained in the arts of battle and strategy anyway, so adding Light into that mix is not hard, just time-consuming." Her days were getting rather busy with training the Light and the Arcane, physical training, planning, and whatever bullshit Thelion came up with for shield training. Her archery lessons were already on hold, and she was spending less time with Onyx than she liked. The whole religion business was time-consuming.

“Is that why you’re refusing to make your social debut?” Sapphiron asked playfully.

“Yes, when do we get graced with your presence in the court?” Anasterian joined in on the teasing.

“When the time is right.” She stated firmly. There was very little point in doing it until the System unlocked after all.

“Returning to the previous topic, we’ll likely need their services, and at least your services soon, when we deal with Tor’Watha.” Talanas pointed out.

“Indeed. We can’t let their attack on Noonstar go unpunished, and we would need to remove that blight on our kingdom soon enough anyway. Perhaps a show of force will deter the trolls and buy us more time.” Anasterian agreed with a nod.

"We need a plan, though. We can't just pull our forces from the towns and villages in Outer Quel'thalas. Their sudden disappearance would be noted and exploited.” Elessine pointed out, and as the one in charge of intelligence, her words were taken seriously.

“On that note, I do have some ideas…” Selessa suggested.

Anasterian leaned forward expectantly. “I’d be really disappointed if you didn’t.”