Musings of an Azeroth Mage Book 8

Musings of an Azeroth Mage (Book 8)
:- by Archin
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==-22-==
Far too much has been happening, to the point of which I find it hard to remember the sequence of events and what exactly happened at the said events. 
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<BR>Because of this, Ive written down an outline of just what Im to speak about in this journal entry, and to help you when you get older, Archin, I will put a heading above each major point of business, to help guide your eyes. 
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<BR>The Aftermath of Prison: Tavion, Sabrial, annoying saleswomen, and Sirithil 
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<BR>It appears now, more than ever, I cannot even walk through Stormwind without being hounded or hassled by some unknown person. I remember a time when I could walk quietly throughout the city and not be paid any mind I remember those days well. 
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<BR>But now, after the Infernal incident and the ruckus that my wife caused, Im a fairly well known man in Stormwind City. Fairly well known indeed. 
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<BR>My wife and I were standing quietly in the Trade District of Stormwind minding our own business, when a man very brazenly approached us and looked me straight in the eyes and asked me if I was supposed to be confined to my house. 
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<BR>I told him to bugger off I was busy with my wife. 
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<BR>He asked again, very rudely I might add, and I obliged to tell him that one cannot stay cooped up in his house all day when there is important work to be done. It was at about this time that a girl, by the name of Sabrial, walked up behind me and began to berate me. 
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<BR>I had run into this girl before, and she was very rude and judgmental of my wife. While her and I argued with one another, Talvion spoke to my wife and it was at this time that another woman, by the name of Sirithil, emerged and joined in the argument against me. 
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<BR>If I may say, we were simply standing in the Trade District, minding our own business, when these maggots scurried up into our affairs and started to pester us. This Sirithil is a Magistrate of some sort, and she tried to goad me into offending her, but I practiced some restraint. Calithos was there to witness the entire affair, he can attest to the fact that we had done nothing wrong. 
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<BR>I decided to distance myself from the entire mess, and traveled to the opposite side of the Trade District. It was at that time that this little girl, yelling loudly about her wares, walked past us. Oddly enough, my wife was intrigued by this girl and went after her. 
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<BR>Meanwhile, I stood quietly and chatted with none other than Aelannor, a woman named Inexxa, and another woman named Rheyann. 
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<BR>After a while, I decided to pull myself from the group and see why my wife was so interested in this girl. Rounding the corner, I could the girl pinned against the wall while Yumeko had her scythe drawn and poised to gut her. 
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<BR>I wont write about my thoughts on keeping a low profile. Ive wasted enough ink on that matter. 
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<BR>Anyway 
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<BR>Just as I started to talk my wife down, that little runt Sabrial showed up again and forced her way between Yumeko and her quarry. There was an exchange, when the little girl mentioned she had tried to rob Yumeko. Clearly, if there was an attempted theft, we were in the right in terms of approaching the little cockroach. 
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<BR>While we argued with Sabrial, the little girl dashed away and fled around the corner. By the time we caught up, she was gone. Sabrial challenged Yumeko to a duel, in which my wife soundly accepted. 
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<BR>Walking out to the Gates of Stormwind, it did not take much for my wife to dispatch the little girl before her. I was so proud of my wife, she had done so well! 
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<BR>But we had work to do there were tasks in the Sunken Temple that needed to be completed, and myself, Yumeko, Elilla, Galaphile, and a friend of his delved into the Temple and succeeded in all our tasks. 
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<BR>We took our leave from the Temple and Yumeko, Elilla, and myself rested in the Jester. We sat with Lady Meris, a friend of hers, and Calithos and became embroiled in a very interesting political conversation. 
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<BR>Elilla and Yumeko took their leave, shortly after seeing that little snitch, Syddan, and I soundly told them not to get into trouble. I didnt feel safe with them out on their own and I not watching after them when those two women get together, trouble just emerges from every corner it seems. 
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<BR>While we continued our conversation, mainly discussing how intelligent I am, I grew more and more nervous about my wife being off for so long. Calithos went to watch her at which time we spoke of my upcoming trial date, or should I say Yumekos upcoming trial date, in regards to the Infernal affair. 
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<BR>I eventually took my leave, after devising a relatively foolproof plan for my trial, and went off to find my wife and her friend. I found them both on their horses, trotting into the Cathedral District. I wanted to speak to them, and as such we went to the Lamb and discussed the trial. 
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<BR>What a horrid situation. Yumeko seemed not to care about my attempts to get her out of the mess that she caused. She seemed to accept her fate and instead of getting out of it through a judicial means, sought to instead force her way out of it. Things grew worse when Calithos showed up, and the two of us tried to talk sense into her. 
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<BR>Meanwhile, Elilla was babbling rubbish about chaos and randomness, Yumeko was upset with me about siding with Calithos, and after Calithos took his leave, I took mine as well in absolute frustration. 
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<BR>She will NOT censor herself in Stormwind and conceal her Warlock activities, even when it can get us killed. She puts her masters, the Legion, in front of her family. 
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<BR>I cannot abide by such a fate. I will not. 
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<BR>I returned to the Jester and spoke with Meris, after taking a lengthy walk through Stormwind to cool off. We had another discussion regarding fate and destiny, but I was tired I must have appeared tired I must have sounded tired. I took my leave and slept quietly in the inn. I didnt think Yumeko wanted to be with me. 
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<BR>A New Day with New Fireworks: Yumeko Asks to be Killed, Calithos Shows Her a Future 
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<BR>I woke up the next day unhappy and sought to find my wife. She was helping some individuals through the Stockades, and I offered my help as well. 
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<BR>Afterwards, we went to visit our son in which her and I started to argue yet again. She called me a poor father, and that my son barely knew me because I had been away all the time. However, perhaps if I wasnt spending nights in jails and mornings trying to get out of legal matters, I wouldnt have these kinds of problems seeing my son! 
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<BR>My hand shakes as I write this it still makes me angry. Poor father indeed. 
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<BR>She grew upset, particularly that I would not delve into the darkness of the Nether as quickly as she wanted, and she claimed that because I had spoken to Felena and because I was hesitant, that I did not love her. 
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<BR>I chased after her and told her if she walked away, it would be because she could not accept me over the Nether that she could not put the Legion secondary to me and my child and that she could tell little Karkune, when he grew up, that father is not around because mother couldnt get her priorities straight. 
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<BR>She was still stubborn and finally, I just left. Maybe I am a poor husband and father maybe I cannot change for her. Perhaps I am being controlling and overbearing. My previous wife could probably say the same things about me. I know I am not easy to live with and I know it is such a challenge to live up to my great intellect maybe its just too frightening for some. 
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<BR>I left, sadly, and walked to the Jester. Calithos shortly arrived as well, claiming to have been asked by Yumeko to intervene. We talked about the situation and rapidly came to the conclusion that if Yumeko does not change her ways and straighten up, she will be killed and my son and I will either fall as well, or be left alone forever. 
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<BR>Blyde offered to sever her relationship with the Nether, but I was staunchly against that. She needs to learn for herself, and we need to teach her, and then she can live happily and safely, while practicing whatever she wants quietly. 
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<BR>Calithos suddenly left, which spooked me. I sat quietly for a moment, and then decided that it was best to head off and see my wife and try to patch up this dreadful mess. 
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<BR>I heard that she was at the Stormwind Cathedral, and I rushed off to see what was going on. When I arrived, she was knelt in front of Aelannor, who had a sword drawn as if to dispatch her. I roared and ran towards them, seeing that Calithos was present as well. They backed off, but Yumeko seemed distant and quiet. That Pamandria was present as well. 
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<BR>Calithos grabbed Aelannors collar and tore him away to talk to him, while I talked to Yumeko. She said very little and seemed stunned it turned out that she asked Aelannor to kill her 
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<BR>Calithos swore to me, quietly, that Aelannor would not harm her, and that they were going to help her. I put my faith in Calithos, for once, and Aelannor simulated as if he was going to execute my wife. She knelt, her back to him, and he produced his pistol. Placing the barrel of the gun against her head, he suddenly spun the gun around and whipped her in the back of the skull, knocking her out, and they carried her into the Cathedral. 
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<BR>Down in the Catacombs of the Stormwind Cathedral, Yumeko lay prostrate on the cool, dank floor. I feared for her, never wanting her to be hurt, but Calithos claimed he was going to show her a possible future if she continued on her path. He knelt beside her and pressed his hand against her head. His eyes clouded over and she was stricken with fear. She writhed on the ground and wailed in pain and horror. I did my best not to kick him off of her, but I felt in my stomach that whatever she was seeing, she had to see it. 
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<BR>Eventually, the ordeal was over. Calithos was rendered blind for a time and Yumeko lay shivering on the floor. I pushed past Pamandria and held my beautiful wife and tried my best to comfort her. I kissed her damp forehead and brushed her hair while she buried her face in my chest. I left my back wide open to Pamandria and Aelannor, I did not care what happened to me, I wanted to comfort my love. 
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<BR>The zealots took their leave, and I held Yumeko silently in the Cathedral. She was exhausted, and wept into my chest. I did not know what she saw, but she was terrified. We rested there, my wife and I, embracing one another as we should always. 
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<BR>I love her and I feared for her. I hoped upon hope that it taught her some sort of a lesson. 
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<BR>The night was very young, it had just begun as a matter of fact. There was far more FAR more to occur that night 
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<BR>But I grow tired. It has been such a trying few days, I cannot write any longer. I will save the rest of this entry for another evening 
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<BR>Suffice to say, the next events involved a lengthy conversation with an Orc, an assault by the Crimson Hounds, a demonic circle of summoning, and a crafty double-cross by an individual I unwittingly thought was my friend. 
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<BR>Furthermore, I learned what Yumeko saw that scared her nearly to death 
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<BR>for I witnessed it myself. 
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<BR>Archin Brey <BR>
==-23-==
Yumeko fell asleep in my arms, exhausted from the ordeal that Calithos had put her through, and amazingly enough I slumped over and rested as well. The two of us, huddled together in the Cathedral of Light, clutching one another in a fervent attempt to comfort ourselves and ease the emotional stress we had gone through. 
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<BR>It had been a few hours, when finally we awoke together, almost simultaneously. I tried to figure out just what Yumeko had seen, but she was hesitant to tell me. I dont believe it was out of fear of what I would say, but rather she did not wish to experience the trauma again. 
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<BR>This exchange was shortly interrupted by the arrival of none other than Morkris, the Orc Warlock of whom we had met with weeks earlier. Morkris, a masterful Warlock in his own right, nonchalantly sauntered down the stairs to our side, and Yumeko and I stood dumbfounded and surprised at his entry. 
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<BR>My word, are Orcs large creatures. 
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<BR>Morkris clearly picked up on the state that we were in, and Yumeko explained to him that Calithos had shown her a possible future she could experience if she remained aligned with the Burning Legion. I knew that Morkris loathed the Legion, and I hoped that upon hearing this, he would join myself and Calithos in explaining to her the futility of joining their cause, and the ultimate failure that would result in the attempt. 
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<BR>Morkris soundly objected to Yumekos involvement with the Legion and told her that the Warlocks were around to stand against the Legion, take power for themselves, and maintain their independent. Yumeko still would not listen, and she looked between Morkris and myself as we tried to tell her just what the reality of the situation was. 
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<BR>I couldnt believe that I was agreeing with an Orc. But I was! 
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<BR>This was shattered when Aelannor wandered back down into the crypt. He was stunned to see the two of us talking with an Orc and took a defensive stance. I turned and yelled to Aelannor not to call the Hounds and that everything was all right. I told him that Morkris, believe it or not, was trying to convince Yumeko to move away from the Legion and to control herself. 
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<BR>Aelannor grudgingly accepted, but would not leave and instead sat on a stone and watched us. We continued our conversation, speaking in a tongue that Aelannor could not understand. Briefly thereafter, Aelannor wandered back out of the Crypt and left us to our own devices. 
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<BR>However, no longer had Aelannor left than Calithos took his place! I again told Calithos Morkris was not here to cause any trouble. Calithos accepted this and watched us carefully, when all Hell did break loose. 
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<BR>A large commotion erupted above us, as several footsteps began to descend down into the Crypt. Turning to face the stairs, Aelannor, with approximately three Crimson Hounds and two mercenaries in tow, sauntered down the stairs with a horrid, egotistical grin. 
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<BR>The fool here we are trying to convince my wife to calm herself and STOP breaking laws, and the champion of justice is ruining it. 
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<BR>The Hounds took defensive positions, stunned and awed by the Orc before them. The Mercenaries looked at one another and then at us. 
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<BR>It had to have been a formidable sight, to see a large, masterful Orc Warlock flanked by a Former Dalaran Mage and a Warlock of the Legion. Perhaps that is what gave them pause. I told the group not to harm Morkris and railed against Aelannor for betraying us and going back on his word. The Hounds seemed reticent and not very forthcoming on their attack. The mercenaries apparently werent being paid enough either. 
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<BR>One overzealous Hound did rush in and attack Morkris, but the Orc dispatched him easily. Thankfully, no one came to aid the Hound, as everyone was in agreement that Morkris meant no harm. 
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<BR>Nevertheless, the idiot that fell screamed to the defenders of Stormwind that an Orc was present. We had to move, and we all fled the Cathedral and headed to the basement of the Jester. Aelannor must have tripped and fell chasing us out of the Crypt, for he disappeared and never reappeared. 
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<BR>In the basement of the Jester, myself, Yumeko, Morkris, Calithos, and a female Mage by the name of Rheyann remained. Together, we discussed the matter of my age, and the ritual which would grant me the longevity I wished so that I could stay with my family longer. 
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<BR>Calithos was strongly against any demonic ritual which would grant me longevity. Rheyann, the Mage, was also against it and suggested some sort of bloodletting ritual, but I wasnt about to subject myself to such a messy practice. 
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<BR>We decided, together, to find a suitable circle in which the ritual would ultimately be performed. As well, Morkris said he would seek out other Warlocks to aid in the endeavor. We decided to meet in Desolace, at a strange Burning Blade encampment. 
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<BR>We broke company there, the Humans traveling to Darnassus and then flying to Desolace, the Horde taking their own methods to meet us. 
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<BR>After finding the encampment, we met up with the Horde. Morkris was flanked by two Forsaken, one of which I recognized as a former human known as Lilithia, the other I was unsure of. We ascended a mountain and found a summoning ritual nestled there, and after dispatching the cultists in the area, Morkris surveyed the area. 
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<BR>It was irksome to hear them speaking to one another and being unsure of what they were saying. Nevertheless, we stood there and waited, until the two Forsaken took their leave and Morkris explained the situation. 
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<BR>The ritual entailed summoning a powerful demon, in which the Demonologist (Morkris) would control him and an afflictionist would steal some of the creatures life force and transfer it to me. The two other Warlocks did not seem up to the task, but Morkris claimed there were many others that might be. 
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<BR>Morkris told me that he required a certain number of ritual candles, ten demonic runes, a spellbound tome, eight felcloth, and a Priest for the Horde and the Alliance, and then the ritual could be completed. 
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<BR>Just as quickly as the Warlocks had left, they returned speaking of an Alliance spy that we at the foot of the hill, recognizing her as Sirithil. Oh what luck if that daft woman saw my wife and myself surrounded by the Horde at a demonic ritual, wed never hear the end of it. Rheyann shifted her weight uncomfortably, but Sirithil never emerged. She either decided to leave us be, or was waylaid in some way. 
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<BR>Morkris and Yumeko took their leave and went down the hill. Yumeko wished to speak to Morkris about something. Rheyann too quickly left us and returned to Stormwind, leaving me alone with Blyde. 
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<BR>The two of us stood there and chatted about various topics. I assured Calithos that I was a good man, and that I was doing these things for a good reason. He accepted this, but was skeptical of the ritual as a whole. 
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<BR>I admit now that I am afraid as well but I could not show fear in the face of these people. I reassured myself with the knowledge that the greatest minds, including myself, were working on this issue and would not fail. 
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<BR>Calithos still did not seem convinced. 
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<BR>The subject moved to Yumeko and her situation. I asked Calithos just what he had shown Yumeko 
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<BR>he offered to show me as well. 
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<BR>It was a possible future not a promised one but it terrified me all the same. 
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<BR>Calithos lunged at me and gripped my forehead with his hand, squeezing it like a vice. Reflexively my hands grabbed at his forearm to pull him from me, when a blast of energy struck my skull and I was momentarily stunned 
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<BR>My vision disappeared and I shut my eyes tight, a new image flooding my mind. One of pain, agony, and much sorrow. 
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<BR>My wife was being led through Stormwind by Wendall and Dugald, surrounded by a mob of angry citizens who screamed Heretic at her and threw objects. She was being led to a pyre, unlit at the moment, in which she was to be publicly burned. The mob continued to scream at her as my wife was tied to the stake, and as she gazed out into the crowd 
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<BR>I was there. 
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<BR>I stood there, with sorrow in my eyes, within the mob. Elilla, the Warlock friend of Yumeko, was beside me. I held my child, Karkune, in my arms and watched, Elillas arm was wrapped around my back, and she cooed at me as I watched, similarly glaring outward at Yumeko occasionally. The fire was lit, and pain shot through my body as I watched Elilla mouthed All mine to Yumeko and ran her hand down my stern back. 
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<BR>My eyes never left my wife as I watched her be burned alive. 
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<BR>In reality, I screamed and clawed at Calithos hand. My knees buckled and my mind, so strong and sure of itself, reeled against this foreign force that was twisting it. My eyes closed tight and I could feel the moisture of my tears streaming down my face. 
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<BR>There was a great darkness as Yumeko fell deep into a pit of despair and hopelessness. As she gazed around, finally landing, she was surrounded by dark, hideous creatures with gaping maws of teeth. 
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<BR>They taunted her, and told her how good of a job she had done by serving them and how she was now expendable. 
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<BR>Shrieking, a finally tore myself from Calithos and fell on my behind on the ground, panting loudly and covering my eyes. Calithos stood quietly, his eyes clouded over as he became temporarily blind, and he took a seat near a large stone. 
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<BR>He assured me that it was merely a possible future, certainly not a definite one. 
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<BR>I swore that I would not allow my wife to come to that end. Calithos was assured by this, and knew that I would not. 
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<BR>As I reconciled with this horrible vision, Yumeko and Morkris finally returned. A friend of ours (oh whom I will not mention his name) alerted us that Rheyann was spying on us, and told Sirithil where we were! That explained how Sirithil discovered our location and why Rheyann left so quickly. 
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<BR>Let her spy, she now knows why Im doing this, and she knows its so that I can be with my family longer. There is no wrongdoing in trying to achieve such an honorable end! 
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<BR>With our energy draining and the night growing old, we decided to take our leave. We bid Morkris farewell and told him that we would call upon him soon, to try to get the ritual together. Yumeko, Calithos, and myself returned to Stormwind, and there we bid him adieu and retired to the Slaughtered Lamb. 
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<BR>It was an exciting day, to say the least. I witnessed the near death of my wife at the hands of Aelannor, saw the death of my wife in a possible future, and was betrayed by someone who posed as a friend. 
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<BR>However, throughout it all, Calithos remained quite honest to our cause and I can only hope he is not betraying us. Morkris breathed hope into our marriage, that I can be with Yumeko longer, and I found out that the future is very bright yet it can be very dark as well. 
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<BR>Archin Brey <BR>
End of Musings of an Azeroth Mage Book 8
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 [<--- Book 7] [Book 9 --->]
Category:Story