Black and White Wings

Act I: Druids and Shadows

"Wait, you said your surname was Thorm?", Kagha asks Zelaina. Raising a brow, Zelaina crosses her arms, "Yes? What of it?", she asks curious.

"You don't happen to be related to an elf named Ketheric Thorm, do you?", she asked. This was the first Zel had heard of another sharing the same surname as her, it intrigued her.

"I... have no clue, but it wouldn't shock me. My mother's were a half-elf cleric of Selûne and a human Selûnite. Perhaps this Ketheric is a relative of mine?", she questions.

Kagha sets her jaw, walking over to the edge of the cave they were in, pointing out the mural on the wall just across the wellspring.

"A century ago, Ketheric Thorm raised an army of dark justiciars—devotees of the goddess Shar. Ketheric sought to bring darkness and loss to the entirety of Fae'rûn, it was up to the Druids and Harper's to stop him", Kagha explained as she gazed at the mural.

Walking to the next mural, they continue the story painted on the walls. "First Druid Halsin—my predecessor—was one of the leader's during this war. He, the other Druids, and Harper's defeated him", she continues.

"Sadly, the moment Ketheric was defeated, a darkness unlike any seen before cursed and plagued the land around them. It corrupted the souls of those in the darkness, turning them into dangerous twisted beings".

"Halsin and a handful of the Harper's and Druids made it out, but there were heavy losses to both sides. Thankfully, the dark justiciars were wiped completely", Kagha ends the story.

Looking at the murals in awe, Zelaina listens to the story, wondering if perhaps the mystery woman who brought her to her adoptive parents had just escaped said darkness, saving her in the process.

"W-Wait... you said Ketheric raised an army of dark justiciars? He was a follower of Shar?", she asks as she nervously swallows.

Kagha frowns, nodding her head yes. "Yes, I was there alongside Halsin fighting against the darkness", she tells Zelaina.

Flashes of a half-elven woman with white hair and crystalline blue eyes staring down at her with a warm smile fills her mind.

"My little moon drop", the half-elven woman's voice echoes through her mind. Zelaina remembers the woman now, "Isobel... my mother...".

A hand rests on her shoulder lightly, she turns to see Shadowheart staring up at her with concern. "Zel, are you alright?", she asks her. It was then that the Aasimar realized she was crying, feeling the fresh tears on her cheeks.

"I- I need a moment... Gale, please negotiate with Kagha in my stead", she defers to the wizard, hiding her face as she walked away.

Memories of a time lost flooded her mind as she left the cave. Flashes of Isobel, and a taller, pale grey human with the whitest of irises filled her mind.

Then, memories of a house burning. She heard her own infant cries, and lying lifelessly beside her with her arm protectively over Zelaina was her mother, Isobel.

Soldiers with Sharran symbols on their armor stomped around, struggling against her other mother, Aylin. "ISOBEL!", her mother screams in agony. A bright flash of light blinds Zelaina, grunts and screams of the dark justiciars could be heard.

She then sees Aylin rush to her and her mother's lifeless body, crying as she picked her up and held her in her arm, using her spare hand to hold Isobel's cold one.

Then images of her being rushed away from the burning home in Aylin's arms played in her mind, but it felt like they were... flying?

Her memories flash to Aylin falling to the ground, using her body to protect Zelaina. She can hear her mother struggling in pain, "My sweet moon drop...".