Above the Stars and under the Flames

1. Folly of the Lost

(( Hello, everyone! This is my first fan fiction, so I'd like to say it's very nice to meet you all. =) Thanks for choosing my story! I do hope you enjoy it. The chapters are not necessarily all even (some are seven Word Document pages, others are only one and a half). They are based not off of length, but off of consistency and content. Hopefully this doesn't pose a problem! Feedback is appreciated. P.S., I don't own WoW. Thanks again, and happy reading. ))

Bangs erupted from all sides, ringing in the ears of those nearby. Cracking sounds filled the air, followed by even more monstrous booms. The occasional noise of raging flames could be heard all around.

And so too could the joyous tunes of laughter and music and song-for fireworks were exploding everywhere, and talented men and women were breathing multicolored fire, and such a gay spirit was abound. Fierce animals roared in a zoo nearby, while adventurers shot targets or fought for prizes in an arena. Vibrant colors were flashing everywhere, and broad smiles adorned the faces of countless visitors of all races. Dancing and joking and grinning, everyone participated in the revelry.

Everyone participated in the grand festival of the Darkmoon Faire.

Everyone except one.

Sitting on a small boulder, a lithe figure rested. Her skin was pale blue, and her ears were long; indigo hair was swept back into a ponytail, with bangs falling over her forehead.

Shimmering midnight blue claw marks were tattooed across her eyes-three over each moonlit orb. Her face was buried in her hands, and it was obvious that she was extremely upset.
Garbed in a mystic's robes, an old gnoll hobbled up to place a gnarled hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Lorithiel," he began in a rumbling voice. "I know the loss of your parents is hard. They were good people, and they loved you very much."

Lorithiel looked up and sniffled a bit, wiping at her face. "Oh, Sayge," she murmured, gazing up at him with tear-clouded eyes. "They did not even die valiantly. They were murdered by a band of savage criminals in the forest. There is no honor in that."

Sayge shook his head slowly. "There is every honor in your parents' deaths. They died in the land that they loved, where they felt comfortable with themselves. They were struck down by lying manipulators; that does not make them any less worthy of respect." This only warranted a small sob from Lorithiel.

The woman closed her eyes tight, letting the tears pour down her cheeks. "I didn't even ask to come here," she whispered hoarsely. "Look at the trash.. look at how they disrespect nature. My parents insisted I join them-after three thousand years of living happily with our people."

Sayge watched Lorithiel with genuine sorrow as well as hurt. "Perhaps it wasn't so happily after all, Lorithiel. Perhaps they had their own reasons." He breathed out a small sigh. ".. Besides, I.. wouldn't say you turned out so wrong, living here, with us?" he suggested, frowning a bit.

Lorithiel buried her face in her hands again, looking exasperated with herself. "Oh, Elune... Sayge, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

Sayge held up a hand immediately. "No, Lorithiel. You do not need my forgiveness. I understand you are in pain; it is reasonable." He took a deep breath. "... Lorithiel, there is something I believe I need to tell you."

The woman looked up from her hands, peering at Sayge curiously. "What do you mean? What is it?" she inquired.

The gnoll turned his gaze out toward the ocean that sat relatively nearby. "Your parents and I were good friends, as you know. They.. told me things. I promised not to tell you, but.. I am certain it was their full intent to let you know. Were it not for this.. most recent turn of events, I am sure they would have told you themselves. But now.. it falls upon me to reveal the truth."

Lorithiel blinked and furrowed her eyebrows toward Sayge. "What...? What truth?"

"The truth that your parents were not really your parents."

Lorithiel sat in dumb shock for a moment, then shook her head. "Surely, you jest," she replied, then immediately stood up and whirled around. "How dare you disrespect the memory of my beloved mother and father with uncouth jokes?"

Sayge looked slightly taken aback, and he raised his paws defensively. "It is no mere joke, Lorithiel. You know how close I was to your parents. They told me.. told me they found you in the forests of Ashenvale thousands of years ago as an infant, and you had been with them ever since. Fortunately, you bore similarities to them, so no questions were raised." He dropped his gaze downward. "I am so terribly sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. It would have been so much better for them to have been able to break the news themselves."

Lorithiel stood there for a few minutes, not speaking. The sounds of the festival around her began to fade out, and she processed these words in her head for some time. When she looked back up again, her eyes were surprisingly striking and serious.

"Where am I from," she stated simply. It was not a question-no, there was no inclination at the end of the sentence. It was simply a statement-a flatly pronounced demand, as if the topic was not even worthy of a true "question."

Sayge sighed gently. "They say that they never found the true name of the village. They ran into a caravan of survivors during their travels; evidently, the village had been destroyed, and the men and women were fleeing. Your parents inquired as to the name of the village, and it was said to be called 'the Garden.'" He shook his head. "But when your parents journeyed all the way to Astranaar and asked about 'the Garden,' no one had the slightest of clue of what was being talked about."

Lorithiel narrowed her eyes skeptically. "How is that even possible?"

"Your parents asked the same question for some time, until they finally came to the conclusion that the villagers must have had their own name for their home, while the outside world referred to it as something completely different."

Lorithiel groaned in frustration. "Then there is almost no way of tracking down this village?"

Sayge frowned a bit. "You would have to be extremely lucky. You would need to find someone who lived there and knew the real name of the Garden, but without being able to ask the locals for any information, for they would not be able to answer. It is nigh impossible."

Lorithiel grimaced and folded her arms across her chest. ".. Then there is a way," she repeated slowly, then took a deep breath. "Well, then, I've no time to lose. I'd best be off."

Sayge looked dumbfounded. "You're leaving in search? Surely you aren't serious. There is no way-"

"There is a way, and I will find it," Lorithiel interrupted, flexing her shoulders. "And the sooner, the better. I had best pack my things. Make my excuses to Silas.. I am sure he wouldn't mind if I took a little.. vacation after such a loss as my own."
She paused, then flashed an amused grin his way. "Besides, what was that fortune you gave me on one of your little slips of paper? Hmm? 'Many a false step is made by standing still.'" She chuckled to herself, then straightened her back. "I have a family to find, Sayge, and I will not make any false steps." She turned around abruptly and began making her way toward her tent, a certain new purpose in her step.

Sayge appeared flabbergasted. He stayed silent for a moment while Lorithiel made her departure, then called to her. "Be wary, Lorithiel Shaderunner! This quest you seek to complete.. it is dangerous-too dangerous for your own good! It.. it is a folly of the lost!"