Heart of the Wild

Chapter 11

Skye found herself back at Aria's cottage. She was once again human, or at least in outward appearance. She found that she was both looking at her past self yet being her past self at the same time.

In one scene she was helping her mentor tend to her garden. In another, Aria was teaching Skye the basics of Druidism and how to commune with nature.

The most peaceful times of her life after her brother left to study in Dalaran.

She saw herself grow the Moonleaf—which she now knew was a symbol of both the moon and nature—grew after she concurred her stubbornness and doubt. Even then, Elune knew this was her path, even if she never heard of the goddess before.

Then the scene changed again. The cottage door was open, everything was dark and silent, and scratch marks were carved into the door.

Skye turned to see herself holding Adoette with roots until the guards came to take the 'rebel' to the prison.

Aria stood next to her cousin, her expression shocked and furious.

Skye let go and the roots dissipated into the rocky soil. I was so afraid of losing my sense and comfort I never realized I was hurting the people I loved.

The scene changed again, this time she was back in the city. A Gilneas that she knew from many years ago, before the wall, before the Alliance was created and the orcs invaded, for learning druidism.

She found herself as a young girl, her light brown hair in pigtail braids ending in navy blue bows, and wearing a nice dress that looked like she and her family just came back from the Cathedral.

A little boy ran past her in the direction of their home. Although Skye didn't see his face, she knew exactly who it was: her brother, her twin, her other half. Her balance.

Skye ran after him, but once their parents called them back Darien returned to them, she, however, kept going until he came back for her. He always seemed much older than what his actual age was.

The scene changed to the two playing outside, he was reading a book while Skye was playing with a younger Balfour. Skye threw a ball directly at Darien's head—whether it was intentional or not, Skye couldn't remember—but he never yelled at her or threw it back at her.

In another scene, Skye was yelling at three boys—Skye didn't remember their names, faces, or even why they were picking on her; she assumed they were just boys being boys picking on an 'ewy' girl—who stole her doll. As she was reaching for it and hitting the older kids as they threw the doll in between each other, Darien came into the picture.

Darien calmly asked for them to return it, and they did.

Skye never saw those kids again.

Then they were back inside the house, the two looked slightly older. Darien has his head in their father's old spellbook while Skye was glanced over his shoulder wondering what he was reading, but then leaving when she got bored.

Skye laughed to herself quietly, then the scene changed again.

The day before Darien left for Dalaran. Darien has always been there for her, maybe not as much their for him but he always made her feel like he was the part that was missing from herself and now was leaving her.

She remembered how he used her nickname instead of the name he gave her: Star—a beautiful light, but a fiery and powerful part of nature in the skies above—a name that Skye hadn't thought too much about.

Then he came back. Winter's Veil. So much changed. Both in appearance and maturity. But even with the tranquility she had with her teaching of druidism, she still couldn't help but be angry with her brother for leaving her. Then to see him bring home another young woman who was part of his life now...

Then later that night he found her leaving for Aria's and stopped her. He was happy for her, proud of her, when she told him of what she learned.

Oh, Darien, Skye thought, you were always the better one of the both of us.

The scene shifted. The violet spires crumbled onto the orange cobblestone streets of what Skye assumed was Dalaran. Fires burned with heat and fury. Horned, devilish beings danced around the city of magi another with rotting corpses searching for mortals who remained in the destroyed city.

Skye's heart sank as the vision panned over the destroyed city, there was no sign of her brother, alive at least. His body laid near a pile of stones and building shards. Then his eyes burst open. They glowed a bone-chilling blue. Then the scene ended.

Skye was alone. With the cold dark, a burning vengeance grew inside as she now knew of her loved one's fate, undeath.

They turned my brother into a monster.

And what about you? Skye heard a voice, or rather voices, inside ask, Aren't you as well? Each voice echoed as a different person around her--her brother, mentor, cousin, parents, the Kaldorei, other Gilneans-

No.

Although there was no physical form to the voice, Skye felt its questioning gaze. It said nothing.

A scene lightened the area around Skye. The Cathedral where she turned. All she remembered was darkness, but in front of her she saw her body shift and crack until it came to be the gray-brown worgen she was. She howled in fury and hunger and attacked a woman who was not bitten or had begun to turn, and torn through her.

Skye lowered her gaze, her brow furrowed. A silent growl rose from her throat.

Behind her near the enterance, a large black worgen with white stripes stretching along his eyebrow to upper back.

Skye glanced up at the worgen, the color drained from her face. Although the Night Elves didn't give a description of the worgen in the vision when telling of the worgens' origin, Skye knew who the worgen was. Alpha Prime.

'The first worgen were night elf druids...They, however, abandoned the balance that the rest of their kind embraced and allowed the beast to take over their minds.'

With that realization, Skye let herself relax. She would not give herself to the beast.

Embrace it. The tranquility and the fury...but always remember the balance between them.

 Skye felt the White Wolf and the Moon Goddess' presence, but instead of conflict between the deities, there was harmony. Humanity. Balance.

~•~

"Father!"

"Lorna!"

Skye groggily opened her eyes, her armor fit much more loosely than it did before. She looked down at herself, no claws, no fur. Human.

"Crowley! You and your Elven allies are hereby ordered to serve along the King's army. Cursed or not, you are still bound by Gilnean law."

Skye recognized the bitter tone of Lord Godfrey before she even lifted her head to see the old man standing face-to-face with the silver worgen who was nearly a fourth his height.

"Does this gnat speak for you, Genn." Crowley said, looking past Godfrey to the Lord of Gilneas, "Do you come to our dwelling as a friend, or do you come as a tyrant?"

With that, the king's body swelled in height, fabric tore, and muscles and bones cracked and shifted. Genn Graymane, the King of Gilneas, transformed into a worgen.

"No, old friend, I come to you as an equal."

"Impossible..." Godfrey cursed under his breath.

Skye and the other worgen, some of which who returned to their human forms, starred at the king in shock. Skye gave a short breathy laugh and curt smile.

"Aye, Genn. It is not law that binds us, it is something far stronger." Crowley stated, "My men are ready to give their lives under your command."

"It is decided, then. We will unite all Gilneans and drive the Forsaken from our lands."