Growing Up

==Part One - Thusfar==
I
:::"I just want to help people. No one should have to cry."
:::"You remind me so much of my daughter."
II
:::"I know what I am going to wish for tonight. But I can't tell you, because then it won't come true!"
:::"I hope that all of your wishes will one day come true."
III
:::"Keola does not want to go with you!"
:::"She does not know what she wants."
IV
:::"I shouldn't spend so much money on all these pretty dresses."
:::"You look pretty in anything that you wear."
V
:::"She is not some object to be passed around."
:::"We will debate that later."
VI
:::"Do you ever wish for something like true love?"
:::"I don't usually wish for things for me. There are too many people who haven't had the chances that I have. True love would be nice, though. Really nice."
The last year of her life had been a whirlwind of confusion, drama and heartache. People had come in and out of her life so quickly she'd secretly spent nights in the Pools of Vision crying it all over. She'd grown into Earthsong and all of the people there, and had left them under pressures that she wished she didn't have to bear. Also, Keola had loosened her associations with Cenarion Druids in favor of the Runetotems in Thunder Bluff. She'd been accepted to Guardian on the will and power of Xethra and Seton more than anything else, but she felt that she fit in well enough. Litehoof and Hegal and both started to slip away from her. Beast Master had spirited away as quickly as he'd snuck in, and left her feeling emotionally lonely almost beyond fulfillment. Until she happened upon a chance meeting in Thunder Bluff involving flowers and a friendly smile. But even a charming friendship budding into romance wouldn't keep her from anxiety. Macanudo had not only stressed her but her dearest friends, and kept her from that final push towards completing her training as a Druid.
I: Keola, Hegal
II: Keola, Litehoof
III: Litehoof, Macanudo
IV: Keola, Litehoof
V: Geranguas, Macanudo
VI: Geranguas, Keola
== Part Two - The Gift == 
Keola was fretting finding a suitable item to gift him. The idea finally came to her one evening over discussion about Lite's situation. It was a scary idea at first, but it would be worth it. She would need the help of a warlock - a crazy one. Luckily, they were not in short supply. Although Hegal had gone off again on some crusade, Xethra was still at home in Orgrimmar. She was sure that despite the craziness of her idea, Xethra would be more than willing to help.
She had spent a great amount of time carefully weaving some of the finest dark gold strands that she could smelt in what was to be the finest piece of jewelry she had made yet. It was tightly and carefully woven, thick enough to withstand the beatings a warrior would place on the piece. Yet it was thin enough not to be a burden to him, and still be considered beautiful. The trinket to be hung from it would be much, much trickier to get.
"You want your soul in a shard." Xethra had surmised, giving Keola her usual dead stare. There was a touch of incredulity in her voice.
"Not all of it, just a little piece of it." Keola said. "It's going to a special person that I know will take care of it, don't worry."
"Ah. Hunter."
Keola felt the heat rising slightly in her cheeks. "No."
"The druid lady?"
"No, someone else."
"You seeing someone you didn't tell me about?" Xethra seemed surprised again.
"Hmmm kinda. I'm not sure that you would approve..."
Xethra snorted. "Whether or not I approve doesn't matter much. I'm not your damn keeper. "
"...but you matter to me, too."
"What makes you think I wouldn't approve?"
Keola's face turned bright red under the hard stare. "Because he's undead."
"Really. Never knew you to have a freaky side."
"He's not freaky! He was just never under the Lich King's control."
"An undead who is not Forsaken?" Xethra titled her head to one side quickly, and Keola winced with the wet cracking that emanated from the dead woman's joints. "Strange."
"To you I guess, he's normal to me."
Xethra chuckled darkly. "You speak highly of him. And you aren't using nice words. You must be in love."
If Keola's face could get any darker it would burst into flame. "You could say that."
"I would like to meet this man. I bet he's infuriating."
"He is not!" Keola squeaked. "I just need you to help me make something special for him."
Xethra squared her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. "A piece of your immortal soul is special, all right."
"I don't need you to make me question myself." Keola said softly. "I've done enough of that lately and it's not getting me anywhere."
Xethra gave Keola a rather feral grin. "I must meet this man. Absolutely. I've been waiting for you to grow balls for years!" With that the warlock dropped her head to her chest and started murmuring the channeling spell. Her hands began to glow with fel energy.
"Is this going to hurt?" Keola asked, but got no response. It was already too late, if it was going to hurt well...it was going to hurt. There nothing much she was going to be able to do about it.
Xethra suddenly thrust her hands out towards Keola's face. Pink tendrils of soul-stealing energy streaked towards her and wrapped themselves around her chest. Keola gasped as they tightened uncomfortably and labored her breathing, but there was no pain. What felt like hours passed by as mere minutes. Keola felt her energy being sapped away slowly and fatigue had started to set in behind her eyes, so she closed them.
Finally, a few taps on the shoulder prompted Keola to open them. Xethra stood before her, grinning with some delight. Held between her thumb and index finger was a dark pink, shining gem roughly the size of her palm. She could make out the purple and red magicks churning on the inside.
"Your soul piece, my dear. A nice specimen of one. Very nice. I don't know what may happen to you if something evil becomes of it." Xethra gently folded the shard into Keola's right palm.
Keola spent no time at all affixing a loop to the gem and threaded the chain through it. For safe keeping Keola dropped it around her neck, satisfied with the length between her breasts. She looked at it closely for a moment before tucking it into her tunic. "Thank you, Miss Xethra. This means more to me than you know."
Xethra waved off the thanks and turned to walk away. "Don't expect me to make another one. Your soul is one of the purest I've ever touched. That thing is more potent than you care to realize. You better hope against hope that you've made the right decision."
==Part Three - Evening Meeting== 
Keola was so predictable in her life and routines that neither she nor Lite were surprised at all when they met up at the Pools of Vision. Keola was already relaxing when Lite slowly limped up but was still happy to see her friend. Keola took an extra long look around, hoping that no one else they knew were going to drop in. Not even Geranguas. Lite gingerly settled into the pool beside Keola and after the exchanging of the usual greetings, Keola couldn’t help but say what was on her mind.
“We’re going to be doing the ritual soon. I just hope everything is going to be ok,” Keola said, absently touching the chain around her neck. Lite hoof smiled gently at Keola as she continued. “I keep thinking back to what if we do something wrong and someone gets stuck? How would we ever find our way back out? That’s the only big risk to doing it, right?”
Lite nodded and confessed, “I’m a little worried about the ritual too. I’m afraid for that same reason. I don’t want any of my friends or family to be lost. I guess it’s a risk that everyone is willing to take.”
Keola nodded and continues to play with the chain again. “You remember what Ger was saying, about maybe we could save you by capturing the feral or transferring souls using soul shards? Is that any less dangerous than the dream?”
Lite shook her head. “I don’t know about any of that, I’m not a Warlock. Playing with your soul sounds just as dangerous if not more dangerous than the Dream, and I don’t approve of it. I’d rather not get someone’s soul lost or corrupted.”
Keola looked down into the water, staring up at her own reflection. “What if you had a soul shard made, and you get stuck? Couldn’t you possibly use it to help you find your way out of the Dream?”
Lite thought for a moment and shrugged. “I’m not sure how all that works. I suppose it could. Shouldn’t you ask someone like Xethra more about all this?”
Keola nodded and pulled on the chain, bringing the shard pendant up from under her leather wraps. “I already did. I had Miss Xethra make this shard for me…just in case.”
Lite’s eyes went wide. “Keola! Why would you do something foolish like that?! I know you trust Xethra with your life but this?! Toying with your soul like that is..." Lite broke into a coughing fit and spit a bit of blood into the water, grimacing. Keola wrapped an arm around Lite’s waist comfortingly. “Why would you do something like this?" Lite asked.
Keola sighed and held the pendant up in front of the two druids. “I’m scared, Lite. Really scared! I don’t know what I would do if I get stuck. How do you live in a Dream? I wouldn’t know how to get back out and I might never see any of you ever again. If this helps…then I’m willing to do it. I’m willing to help you Lite because I really want you to get better. I want to help you! But I don’t want to be unprepared.” Keola sighs and tucks the pendant back safely into her clothing. “I’ve done too many stupid things by jumping in before I know much of anything.”
Lite sighed again. “I’m scared too, Keola. Just as much as you are. But having your soul put into a shard…I’m not sure that’s really such a good idea.”
Keola looked down into the pool again. “It’s just a little piece of it. Miss Xethra said it was special and I needed to be careful.”
“So Xethra had something to do with this? She’s not well, Keola.” Lite said, coughing again. "If something goes wrong with this, and something happens to you because of it, then I'll rip Xethra's cold dead heart out of her chest and ram it down her throat..." Lite turned as her coughing fit became worse, coughing up even more blood, and turns back to Keola shaking. 
“I know it’s probably really dangerous. But so is the ritual to save you. I can’t just do things blindly like I have before. People really do get hurt when you’re unprepared and distracted.” Keola said softly, casting a light healing spell over Litehoof. 
"I'm scared too Keola...But not for me... for everyone else... What if something goes wrong? What if the Feral knows what we're trying and finds a way to stop us? What if, it hurts you... “ Lite pauses to cough roughly, “…or anyone else that's helping? If I survive this, and if someone gets lost in the dream, I would stay there until I found them. If I don't survive... and someone gets lost, then another from the tribe will stay, and find the lost one... I would never let you get stuck Keola, I would sacrifice myself to keep you safe."
Keola gives Lite an alarmed look and opens her mouth to reply, but Lite draws her arm over Keola’s shoulder comfortingly and places a finger to Keola’s lips.
"Living in the Dream, is like living here in the waking world... with the exception that, if you spend long enough, you can master the Dream, and do whatever you want. That's why it's sometimes difficult to awaken from it... you just don't want to. If you want Keola... “ Lite squeezes Keola’s shoulders and stifles another hacking cough. “I can teach you the ritual. At least that way, you'll have an understanding of what's going to happen. Then, you'll be as prepared as I am."
Keola looks down and takes Lite’s hand.”I understand the basics. Sleep, and go through the Dreams as we do here. Take care of the feral aspect, wake up and go home. We’ll all go home, Lite.”
Lite nods and says softly. “I hope so Keola I really do…”
Keola gives Lite and tight hug and stands. “Will you be ok? Do you need help getting back to the inn?”
Lite waves Keola’s care off. “I will be fine. Are you going up to watch the stars for a while? I will come by in a little bit, once I’ve gotten some strength back.”
Keola nods and walks off, clutching the pendant against her chest, hoping. It was hard putting on a brave front.
== Part Four - Resolved==
The day had finally come and Keola could not say that she was prepared for it.
Many of her old guild family were there to help and lend their support, and some new members of that family too. Master Kouetesu was the new leader of Earthsong and although he was not new to the ranks, had still taken a huge personal interest in helping Litehoof. The rest of Earthsong wasn’t far behind him. Khalima and Lady Nysis and the bear Schwarzenbul and silly Skky and even a new Death Knight called Goutetsu had come out to help. And of course, Kohanakoi was also there. Unlike a few days before when Keola found out that Hana and Lite were happy together, she wasn’t nervous around either of them now. Keola had found her own love, as well.
As the time for the ritual to commence drew nearer and nearer, Keola felt more and more uneasy. Geranguas had said that he would be there. He offered to help Lite, and be there for Keola. Yet…there was no familiar clanking of plate mail armor to be heard. The other members of Earthsong seemed to be getting anxious as well. Lite tried her best to stall for him, and weakly went into more detail regarding the ritual. Keola closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees, trying to shake off the feeling of dread she was getting. Nysis was sent to fetch some stragglers from Nighthaven. They returned. 
Not much time had passed, or if it had she didn’t know how long it was. Lost in her own misery and worry Keola hardly noticed a gentle finger had started to poke at her left calf. Finally Keola lifted her head and was met with Lite’s tired expression. Lite gestured before her and Keola turned her head to lay eyes on one grinning, if slightly bedraggled Geranguas. Keola couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips at the sight of him. “I’m sorry I’m late,” He said, nodding at her and looking to Litehoof. “I was delayed in Icecrown.” 
Keola stood shakily and tried to look calm as she made her way over to his side. Everyone was assembled and it was time. She could only smile weakly at him as she took the offered sleeping potion from Lite, and he smiled knowingly in return, lifting his shield once again. He was tired. She was scared. There was no room for words as Keola gulped the potion down in one gulp and collapsed into the dream state. 
It felt as real as anything she’d ever done in the waking world, just as she’d been told it would. She could feel the breeze, smell the earth, and touch her arm and knew that it was her fur that she was touching. She could shift forms, she could touch her companions…and Koutetsu had even been injured in her distraction. 
Keola felt like a voyeur. She was simply a passerby in Lite’s memories, seeing a few of the more intimate details of her friends life…and it made her even more uneasy. Of course it was by choice that Lite had opened up to the ritual but it still felt like taboo to the young druid. Lite didn’t seem to want to wake up from the dream at first, either. They hopped from memory to memory, bolstering Lite’s courage and supporting her through her decisions. 
Finally, the feral aspect submitted. Lite met them back in the dream, and thanked them for helping her. Keola wasn’t sure exactly what had happened, or how she’d played a role, but she was glad it was over. She was more than ready to leave the dream, and found it was remarkably easy. She simply closed her eyes, willed herself back to the corporeal world…and opened her eyes to stare at the sky with the rock of the summit cold against her back. She sat up slowly, a bit disoriented…everyone was there, and safe. Koutetsu was grinning and showing off his battle scar, sporting a healing cut on his face where he’d been injured. She stared at a spot on the marble for a while before her ears picked up a familiar ting-ting. 
Geranguas had settled himself beside her, gloriously uninjured, and had extended his hand towards her. Keola took it and reveled in the fact that the gauntlet was hard, cold…but she could still feel his heartbeat…and he pulled her to her feet. Everything was just fine. Keola smiled gratefully and stepped forward, carefully touching Lite’s hand and temples, checking for injury. She seemed to be in much, much better health than before but completely exhausted. Keola breathed a final sigh of relief and stood back to let Hana take over as the doting partner. 
Keola stood quietly at Geranguas’ side as the group eventually went their own ways for the evening. Only once Lite and Hana stood and made their way home for the night did Keola let out a shaky sigh of relief. Everything was ok. Everyone was ok. The ritual was successful and Lite’s feral was under control. Keola let out another shaky breath and turned to smile at Geranguas. “That went well,” she said softly.
Without hesitation he reached out for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’m glad,” he said simply. They stood there for a few more moments, hand in hand. It felt good to be alive, and know that her friends were all well, and that her love was safe at her side. Geranguas gave her hand another gentle squeeze.
“Let’s go home,”
Tags: Keola, Geranguas
Category:Horde Stories
Category:Stories