The Drowned Phoenix - Chapter 1

     Warm evening. Elenora always loved such times, somehow she loved the night the same as the day, when the weather was good. And this was her favorite type of evening – warm with clear sky.
     “Elenora!” The voice came from nearby house. “Dinner!”
     She smiled and turned. “I’m coming!” She replied as loud as she could and ran home.
     Father was already home and already eating. Lor’themar seemed tired today. Obviously there was some boring meeting. Such things were draining his energy much more than any hunt. Watching over whole realm of Quel’thalas was sometimes too much for him. Elenora noticed that his hair, always white as snow were now darker at his head, proof that he spared a lot of time indoors. Once he finally gets back to the daylight, the color will be gone. This was fascinating for Elenora, as Lor’themar had naturally dark golden hair, but the Sun always took all the color away.
     “Hi dad,” she said and sat at the table.
     He only nodded as he had full mouth.
     “Finaly you’re here.” Syana, her mum, smiled at her and brought her the dinner too. “How was your day?”
     “Same as usual.” Elenora replied and took a bread. “Guys tried to make Rael laugh or at least smile. Tar’mel drank the ink and was speaking so funny, with blue mouth… but Rael didn’t even giggle.” She laughed.
     “Rael never smiles.” Lor’themar said calmly. “After years of starving on the streets or in the wildness it is surprising that it hadn’t taken higher toll on him. I would like to know more about him, but right now I’m thankful that he makes himself useful. And I hope that you don’t drink an ink!”
     “Of course not… a little.” She admitted under Lor’themars gaze. “It’s tasty,” she defended and showed her blue tongue to Lor’themar.
     Lor’themar made a face palm but didn’t said anything to it. Elenora noticed that he’s trying to not laugh. At here age she should not do such things, but she kept a spirit of a child in her. She was reaching an adulthood, if it could be told. A thought came to her that she might try now to ask…
     “Father… I… you promised me to help me find, who were my parents… do I have to wait anymore?”
     Lor’themar looked at her again. “Nora…” For a while he said nothing more, thinking deeply. “When you have to be in the class tomorrow?”
     “At nine, why?”
     “Be prepared early, I’ll show you something. Okay?”
     “You’re really going to tell me?” She was amazed.
     “Even if I wanted, I cannot keep it from you forever.”
     Elenora hugged him and then continued eating…

     “Love?”
     Lor’themar turned at his wife. “Yes?”
     “What do you want to show her? You know almost nothing.”
     “True, but still I can show her what all I know. I’ll show her the memorials on Quel’danas and maybe place where I found her. I didn’t thought back then that she’s half-blood.”
     “That surprised me too.” Syana admitted. “She looks like a half-human, and yet nothing like human.”
     “Yeah…”
     Both of them were surprised. They both thought that her eyebrows were cut short, but in time they realized that it was, and still is, natural length for her. But her eyes were full of magic and her ears were in length and shape of Sin’dorei. Her face felt very childish no matter that she was already grown up and her mind was childish even more sometimes, especially in moments of joy. And she was very talented with magic.
     Lor’themar smiled at memory of her as a baby, even then she smiled at him with smile that was magical. But exhaustion finally convinced him to go sleep…


     The morning was cold and foggy, but Elenora this time ignored it. She was too interested in what Lor’themar was going to show her. They moved through the portal on the isle and went to the harbor on the north. Elenora was here few times, so she really wondered what might be of importance here. They stopped at memorial, big wall full of names, whit statues of Drenai and Sin’dorei, one from each side.
     “Elenora… I told you that I found you and I believed that your parents were dead. You should know the truth. I found you in secret tunnels under Magister’s terrace. When prince Kael’thas held his last stand there, someone, obviously some of his loyal hid you there, surely in attempt to protect you from any harm. But who?” Lor’themar waved his head. “Who knows? Anyway it is highly unlike that their names are here, but one of them might. I think that you have more hope, if you have any, to find their names on mysterious memorial.”
     Then he led her to another monument, this one had stone phoenix around it and one living one was sitting on it. That was the mystery of this memorial. There was small mess in manes on it, but when they wanted to take down the desk to fix it, there was phoenix sitting on it. No one dared to change anything, which was guarded by emissary of Al’lar, the phoenix lord.
     “Truth to be told, I felt… strange when I agreed to build it, but I was convinced by our allies that it is a good thing to do. And it was.” Both looked at first name, which belonged to the fallen prince. “If there is a way to find your parents, then their names are most likely here… I doubt that there is anyone missing, who died here during that incident.”
     Elenora was silent. There was over hundred names, and even more on the other side of the wall. She looked at the name of prince again and under it. “Legolas Thranduilion? Who was that?”
     “I have no idea… and even less how that nuts, who crafted this wall, came to idea to place it there. Only thing I know that he was here and died as well during that battle… and that this all is meant to be so.” He sighted. “I must go. Don’t forget that you have duties too, Elenora…”

     Finaly Elenora reached Stillwhisper Pond and found Rael standing there. “I’m sorry, I’m…” She heard giggles from group of elves and realized that they have nothing to do with Rael. “Late?”
     Rael had fingers connected in meditative posture. He was facing the lake, but his eyes were closed. “Actually, you’re early.” She looked at him surprised, but Rael didn’t move, nor opened his eyes. “You can join me, if you want.”
     It wasn’t what she planned, but after a sight she stood next to him and held the hands in the same position as he did, watching the lake. But now she looked at him. Rael seemed very calm, while concentrating. Perhaps only time when he seemed at peace… and not that ill as usual… and ill he indeed seemed to everyone. Rael used to be wretched elf and as so, suffered from being unable to control his hunger for magic energy. He, as probably only of a kind, was able to learn to self-control in that desperate state. After time he proved himself by protecting elves from other wretched and gained honor and trust.
     However he remained pale, had weak, blonde hair and not much of them, and no eyebrows at all.  His face also had noticeable wrinkles. Elves offered him to go to Sunwell to feed on its power, but Rael refused, claiming that he might only lose control again. So he remained as he was, Rael the Wretched he was usually named, but in his case, the wretched didn’t mean anything ugly, just his obvious appearance.
     As Elenora was examining his face, she came to conclusion that Rael might be young, younger than she had thought. She knew him for very long time, and yet he was no less of mystery to her. No one knew who he was before he became wretched. Many believed that he named himself Rael, when he became one. But none knew for sure. Aura of mystery, however, was making him attractive, especially in combination with his deep, blue eyes.
     Suddenly he opened his eyes and turned his head on Elenora. “Is this meditating, what you’re doing?” He asked coldly.
     “No, I’m sorry. I just…” She evaded his gaze and looked at the lake.
     “Yes?”
     “Nothing. It was nothing.”
     “Indeed?” Elenora turned at him, finding that he still looks at her. “I thought that you’ve become one of those wanting to comfort me.”
     “No, no… I was just thinking.”
     Elenora didn’t felt comfortable under his gaze, so she looked back at the lake and tried to concentrate. Obviously there was still some time to practice before real study would begin…