Dawdling as fast as their pint sized legs could take them, it took some hailing for the war worn dwarf to hail the King's attention, "Aye! I said Lothar but stop and listen!"
A quick pivot and Lothar looked down at his dwarven friend knelt over catching his breath, "That's King to you Bronzebeard huh?"
Giving him a disgruntled look only before for the dwarf sucked in a deep breath and regained his composure, "I say then King, what's with this meeting in the first place? Ye' ain't looking at the schedules anymore?"
"Hah-" Scoffing at his short friend the King whisked himself away. Purposely keeping a longer stride to make his comrade hustle, "You were ever one for schedules then dwarf?"
"Hold yer tongue I whipped your butt in plenty of fights before ye' were King Lothar," Bronzebeard pressed on, wise to his old friend's tricks and flaunting of his longer stride, the dwarf had no issue keeping pace with the King as they advanced towards the room where all major discussions had held dominion over in the past, "There be some circulation by the hill dwellers that a gryphon be shot down by dem uncivilized trolls in the mountains, this anything to do with it Sir King?"
Passing a look down to him, Lothar held his tongue momentarily. Down the hall it seemed the door to the room grew larger much quicker than Lothar was ready for. Behind it's study frame would be the dignitaries from all races of Azeroth ready to tear him apart for harboring not only a fugitive of the Legion but taking so long to put out the notice of Athrikus's infiltration so close to the heart of the Alliance.
"Aye boy, what's rattlin around in that head of yours huh?" Bronzebeard's gruff tone brought Lothar back to the present.
"What- Huh," Shaking his head the King blinked those tell tale green eyes and stopped, "Bronzebeard, you've been my friend in and out of battle, have you not?"
"Aye I have, you hold the heart of a dwarf with just as much tolerance for our meads," Big nose overshadowing the grin that grew on the male's face offered Lothar little assurance when he responded.
"Was I a wrong pick to take Llane's place at this throne room?" spouting without second thoughts, Lothar struggling to not seek insight on the situation. Who was there to offer a level headed answer though. The longer he thought about it, the more irrational Lothar felt coming before the other races with such a request.
Clapping his broad, calloused hand onto his counterparts forearm. The worn dwarf only spared a heartfelt smile, "There is no one as qualified as ye' dear Lothar."
Bronzebeard's pep sat well with Lothar but by this time they'd reached the door. Waltzing right in Lothar watched the dwarf take his place amongst the other races in the circular room. Camaraderie from the dwarves. Low burbling from the elves. Humans from assorted regions far and wide swapping stories from garrisons and homes. Before him stood the epicenter of Azeroth's future at the hands of all those who lived in it.
History, wars and alliances, all had been formed or sought after in this very room by men ten times as great as Lothar could ever hope to become. Stepping in sent a silencing murmur through the groups of races before the King. Pointed ears, dwarven faces, pigments surpassing any human skin tone like purples and pale pinks, all faces turned to behold Stormwind's King enter the meeting finally.
"King Lothar, glad of you to join us," One of the high elves, silver white hair hanging past their breast plates and eyebrows as iridescent to match, let his pupil-less eyes settle on the man.
"Mind tellin us what ye' think your doing at such a short notice aye King?" Beside Bronzebeard, who'd taken a seat promptly after coming in prior to Lothar, another war worn dwarf male piped up with a slight tap of his closed fist on the table to emphasize his point.
Tense, Lothar's eyes swept from one side of the room to the other. Registering everyone had in fact come. Each race and dignitary accounted for. Even hanging behind Taria in her assigned chair stood Khadgar. Brown eyes set forward on the King as the Guardian kept the composure both King and Queen had asked him to keep. Drifting from the young man Lothar still felt he could throttle, Lothar's eyes met with his sister's. Taria as elegant and poised like the first time she stood beside Llane in the same room. Taking some of his sister's confidence Lothar took in a slow breath and reminded himself of the scared woman behind the door not twenty feet away he knew needed to find a home in Stormwind like he'd promised her. Shouldering all he knew from watching Llane, Lothar took his steps into the middle of the gathering.
"First off, let me thank you all for coming on such short notice!" Turning to look directly at each part of the congregation individually, Lothar felt the eyes bearing down on him, "I wish this kind of attendance was regular with our meetings."
The joke he cracked got a snicker here and there but mostly nothing. It was plainly obvious on everyone's face that each one had a rumor that must have circulated in regards to the meeting. Defusing the tense atmosphere was pointless.
"Yes, well, I wish it was such pleasantries I could say that brings us together on this day," addressing further, Lothar made his way to the empty seat besides Taria, "It brings me gross displeasure to admit that we here in Stormwind were under attack from a suspicious band sent by Gul'dan to-"
"The Legion!"
"I told ye' trouble was-!"
"Gul'dan, here?!"
Hysterics broke within each faction calling out its suspicions all at once. The one reaction Lothar nor Taria wanted but had expected.
"Quiet now! This was an attempt- An attempted only people!" Rising from her chair Taria waved her arms out over the crowd in one foul swoop. "This was an attempt and everyone knew this was coming!"
"When was this!? Why aren't we thinking about an army instead of sitting around?!" Shrill babbling came from one of the female priests seated amongst her elven patrons.
"Ye' elves are right, when did this attack happen??" dwarves buzzed in agreement with their ruler's inquiry.
A heavy breathe left Lothar as he rose from his seat, "Settle down! This is non sense. The attempt was over a week ago and I repeat, it was failed! These wretches were wiped from Stormwind!"
"A week?!" all hell broke loose when the date hit each individuals ears. Elves, humans and dwarves alike crying for fortification to their own cities as well as their right to be presented with such knowledge way before a meeting a week after.
"What gall does Stormwind have waiting seven days?!"
"A week! A week to wait to tell us this!"
"Who's to say our cities aren't suffering the same we need-"
"ENOUGH!" crashing a closed fist to the table Lothar's voice rang out in the dribble coming from each concerned ruler. Quelling the noise into low mutters and eyes directed towards the standing King, Lothar shifted his eyes out to the group while he stood back erect before the gathering, "It is done, this meeting is not about the attack. Squabbling over resources for failed invasions we all recognize would happen during this war," Shifting verdant eyes to each single portion of the alliance solidified the silence that fell one race, the King satisfied with the quietness, "This lashing out from Gul'dan has provided more than the knowledge that we know those beasts are still out there. We have insight to Gul'dan."
Darting a look over to Khadgar, Lothar nodded to the mage who took his signal. Turning to the closed door that normally stayed locked when the council was in, Khadgar had been passed the keys to the small alcove before him and Lothar spilt ways to the meeting. Rustling with the iron metals he was able to produce a clean click and eased the door open.
From every angle the patrons of the room sought to look what was being held in the room. Dwarves too short to see past humans and elves alike, even the tall night elves strained to see what the King brought to their attention.
"We, the Alliance," Lothar moved around, watching as Khadgar emerged with it, "Have one of Gul'dan's own, a fel using warlock."
Fain could feel her bones trembling even though not an inch of her budged. Trading the silence of the small room for the glaring eyes and quiet sicken looks. Urged out by Khadgar, it taking everything in her not to grab onto the man and beg him to leave. The Guardian maintained his role and Fain knew she needed to play out hers for this all to move smoothly. Khadgar's brown eyes offer Fain the only solace to her frayed nerves as she was beckoned to step between King Lothar and Queen Taria at their places.
One step.
A second.
A thir-
"Demon!"
"In Stormwind's walls this is treason!"
"Bring 'er head on a pike we need none of this fel stank in Azeroth!"
"Hold your tongues!" barking out at his fellow Alliance members Lothar reeled in the sharp words as he saw each one cause Fain to flinch in her own skin. Instead of looking up her head hung low in defeat. Names and demands sinking into her skin searing themselves in her mind as Fain clutched her hands tight trying to hold it in, "This woman- This warlock- Is the only reason Taria and I stand before you today!"
"Lies!" an indignant dwarf roared as he slammed his fist on the table, "This wretch ye' should have put down!"
"Hold your tongue Anvilmar!" Venomous about her rebuttal, Taria shot a dark look to the outspoken dwarf.
With the dwarf shut down it wasn't long before a lord of a neighboring garrison spoke up to his human king, "King Lothar you bring into our Stormwind one of the monsters that-"
"Her name is Fain and she is nothing like the orcs Gul'dan brought from the portal!" Lothar brashly cut the other human off. Some sense of relief flooded Fain when her placed a firm hand on her shoulder. Though behind her Fain could feel Khadgar's eyes boring into her.
"She is the one who thwarted Fel'dan and that small posse he brought," Taria gestured to the woman between herself and her brother. When a murmur began she only kept speaking to keep them quiet, "She has fought against the fel that is draining her home world, she is no different than you and I suffering under Gul'dan's greed."
"She's one of them! A fel user is nothing of Azeroth!" one of the high borne elves lashed out in disgust. Fain unable to peel her eyes from the eery pupil less face that scrutinized her existence.
"This being uses fel as you or I would wield a sword and shield!" Lothar shook his head and denied the accusation, "What of the priests temple? Or the shamans totems? Or even the Guardian's arcane?!"
"But we-"
"No buts!" Lothar severed the complaint before it hit his ears. Clasping Fain behind he pushed her forward in front of him and the King hovered above and behind her, "This woman alerted our Guardian months in advance. We were just not aware enough to decode them."
"Where are the messages?!" A skeptic garrison lord sneered.
"Here!" breaking his calm composure Khadgar was fed up as he pulled his worn dream journal hidden in his robes, "All of these are dreams I've recorded or drawn in the past year nearly," spreading open the book to a random page dotted with grizzly drawings of unnamed demons and scribbles upon scribbles of dreams, Khadgar stepped beside Fain before the counsel, "This is everything she produced by scrying to me in my dreams! Reaching out to ME and exposing what she could to Gul'dan's plans."
Brave enough to glance out at the quiet crowd, Fain found her blood run cold with all eyes set on her. Some in awe. Others burning with hatred. Even those in between laced with fear and uncertainty. Glazing over as many individuals as she could, Fain's slate eyes made a full circle coming back to Khadgar who stood preaching out before her to these people he was named to protect. Somewhere along the line she'd heard only a buzzing as it all got to be too much. While Khadgar spouted, Lothar debated and Taria defended, the warlock found herself in a soundless box. Nothing to hear. Nothing to feeling. Not a sense to be accounted for. Everything muffled or underwater until Khadgar's words tapered and his passion filled eyes returned to being locked on her. Even while the mage spoke to the congregation, his eyes were stuck on Fain.
"...Fain has nothing to benefit from betraying Gul'dan. Now she's nothing but a dead man, if the Alliance finds no promise for her, then we, the Kirin Tor," Watching him speak, Fain focussed on his lips as they moved and only a few seconds later would she process his words, that mesmerizing affinity he held over her. Nothing Fain could do but stare at her mage, "She will go back to Dalaran with me, and she will be under asylum in the floating city. This woman has promised to fight with us to stop Gul'dan."
"Fain saved the King and Queen for no quarrel but because she knows what Gul'dan is doing is wrong," Lothar's voice broke through Fain's little bubble and she swiveled around to see him smiling down at her. That assuring half smirk easing into her worry. Lothar reached out and rubbed her shoulder, "She's stupid and foolish, but strong and a good fighter."
"...I...I wish to serve the Alliance," like a frog croaking for the first time Fain's voice wavered when it finally escaped her tightening lungs. Switching from the looking at Khadgar and Lothar, the female warlock stepped past them, shoulders back and head held high. Kneeling down Fain bent her head exposing the back of her neck to the ceiling and projecting her voice out as she remained knelt, "Allow me to win your trust as I have the King and Queen of this beautiful city. Things I've seen in Azeroth are parts of my world Gul'dan destroyed before I was even conceived." Pausing Fain craned her head back up and gazed out with a steady gaze to each faction before her, "To each of you. Elegant elves from the tree city of Darnassus, I have seen your magnificent gardens here in Stormwind cultivated of moon magic. As well as your dwarves," Fain shifted her slate eyes to the much shorter faction of the Alliance, "Every day I've been here I am more and more astounded by what has been created by metals, woods, anything you get your hands on. Your minds are perplexing how you idealize these contraptions. And to the rest of you," Locking eyes with assorted garrison lords and ladies, Fain offered a softened smile, "I have flown on the back of a beautiful gryphon to places I didn't know could be so green and so alive. All of you living here, in Azeroth, this world is breath taking. It's....it's something I could only read about and dream about where I come from. Please, my world was destroyed before I came into it. But not this one, this one is so pure and perfect, I don't want to see Gul'dan ruin it like he has mine."
Lull in the nittering that pursued almost the moment everyone entered the meeting. Drawn out Fain felt herself delving inward wishing she would vanish the longer nothing was spoken.
"...she must come to Darnassus and come before the moon, that is our only requirement," One male elf stood slowly from his creaking chair, "If the moon deems her ardent to her words, we would like to know more about this world and what fel really is," Each elf rose after the man started speaking, His glassed over white eyes were on Lothar as he spoke until they trailed off and his eyes landed on Fain, "We will want to know it directly from the hands that control it."
"Aye, we as well King," Bronzebeard, to Lothar's relief, rose with his declaration, "Ye' fel user come to Ironforge and come before the stone mother, once ye' come off as scot free and ye' say then we will pledge to this alliance with this dark arts."
Reprieve washed over Lothar, Taria and Khadgar all at once. Before them stood Fain who they knew would pass these testaments and earn the trust of the others just as she had them. But standing in the middle of it all Fain felt differently as each faction thrusted upon her their idea of her right of passage. Leaving the young woman fearful and lost in what they spoke of.
Each group passed their last bits of requests to Lothar before filing out. First the elves, followed by humans and lastly the dwarves passing back and forth with Lothar and Taria as they emptied the room. Left was Fain dwelling in the middle of the now vacant counsel room to look at nothing but down at her feet on the smooth cobbled stone work floor.
"...you did it," from behind Khadgar's voice was like a low whisper filling Fain's ear. Around to look at him she worn nothing but a blank expression looking up at him.
"I...I don't know what to do," her voice quivered and Fain gazed down at her hands, "Th-they said...but what if I can't-"
Enveloping Fain into her arms Khadgar didn't care to wait for her to sputter out all her insecurities. Quiet frankly he didn't want to denounce each worry she had individually and instead hugged her close to his body and spared the woman the kiss he'd been dying to give her since he opened the solitary door to see her worried expression.
Clinging to his advances Fain let him wash her away in the unanticipated kiss. Impulsive to kiss the man back just as earnestly as he'd started it. Pressing into the kiss Fain clinched her arms around his torso just as snuggly as Khadgar did around her shoulders.
"...I've wanted that the moment I unlocked that door," confessing into her lips of his selfish needs, neither pulling away as he spoke. The tingle of their lips together only spreading a shy smile across Fain's pink lips as she let him speak but quickly pushed back into him for another drawn out kiss.
"...I've wanted to do that since I saw you nearly twelve months ago," Fain grinned into the kiss, tightening her arms around his chest and leaning the weight of her body into him only to try and be as close to the man as she could.
"Oh yeah? Well...." Khadgar paused mid speech to whip up something witty to respond back, though nothing came he instead pushed back into the kiss, "Well I've wanted to do it since I saw you in the royal keep."
A little giggle against his lips didn't stop the woman from nuzzling her face against his and slowly drawing her hands up and down his back methodically, "...what if I can't-"
"You can and you will," Khadgar broke her off immediantly, not a word she was thinking was going to make it past him, "You can and you will because you are not the monster they think you are. Or the monster you think."
Swelling her breast with a deep breath, Fain kept leaned into Khadgar as she tilted her head back so their eyes could meet, "From lightness comes darkness."
"And from darkness always, comes light," Khadgar finished, one hand dropping to find her to give it a firm squeeze, "You have light in you Fain, even with dark. You can't have one without the other."
Closing her eyes she repeated the motto in her head trying to inscribe it on her thoughts and feelings. The sensation of Khadgar's warm full lips against her forehead made Fain's eyes flutter open as she saw him smiling on at her.
"I won't let anything happen to you Miss," that devilish grin sneaking on his lips as Khadgar watched Fain roll her eyes.
But instead of sassing him back, she leaned in and pressed her ear to his chest. Khadgar wrapped her in his arms and Fain pressed into him as she closed her eyes, "I will protect you, I have come this far. I will protect you from Gul'dan himself, mage."
"Hmph," a smile laugh from Khadgar and he clutched Fain close. Taking the moment before he knew Lothar and Taria would come back sweeping Fain away from him for the mage to watch afar as the King and Queen did the work he could not as Guardian. Clinging to the moment neither spoke as Fain matched her breathing to Khadgar's heart beat and Khadgar held onto her body tight. A slight rock back and forth in their goofy fashion as mage and warlock took a reprieve in each other before the trials ahead.