Soulstone

The reunion

The purple foliage swayed lazily in the early evening breeze. The Watereye River a soft whisper many meters below. Übrisil was one of the tallest trees in the Oracle Glade and one of the few housing. There was no staircase leading to the broad plateau in its pantry, and the female night elf preferred it that way. Loneliness had always been her best company.

The moon rose through the foliage and always thrilled the druidess. Realizing that it was the largest of Azeroth's two moons, she bent gently and said a silent prayer to the goddess Elune. In her mind there was only gratitude. A warm breeze enveloped her body, sending a shiver down her slender limbs. She felt the power of the moon just as she felt the power of nature. It was a blessing.

While most of the Azeroth druids saw Cenarius as their patron, Thaynahra and her order turned their eyes to Elune, the demigod's mother. Something unusual and maybe that was why they were a group that dwindled every day. Either way, the Lunar Pact resisted. The archdruidess did not care that they were few, but the purpose of their union. They acted in line with the Cenarion Circle and adopted the same principles: nature must be preserved at all costs.

The green lunar silk dress was one of her favorites. Embroidered with small white flower patterns, it made her comfortable and appropriate for the occasion. Barefoot, her feet barely touching the ground, Thaynahra walked across the plateau high on the large Übrisil, finding herself in a large mirror. The artifact was a piece of glass adorned by the branches of the tree itself. All the furniture — if it could be called that — of her refuge was twigs, leaves, and cloth; very few pieces of silver were found in that elven dwelling.

The mirror image remained the same for countless ages; elven metabolism guaranteed that. The pink skin exuded the softness and freshness of the dawn of her days. Maybe with more wisdom in the look. Yes, she could tell it herself. Not superbly, but with the resignation of a survivor. The druidess had fought countless battles and lost so many friends that she had given up counting the casualties. Sadness clouded her face easily. Much had changed in Azeroth. The geography itself was no longer the same. Thaynahra remembered the cries in Auberdine, both during the Third War and the Cataclysm; she occupied the front line on both occasions. She had never lost faith, but had wavered a few times.

She had decided to wear the lunar tiara, her favorite prop. The small silver moon girded her forehead, casting a soft glow through her hair. The green tribal marks crossed her eyes vertically, giving a certain savagery to her serene face. She straightened her blue-green hair that fell straight down to her back. Fingers slid lazily through the strands for the best fit. She allowed herself one more look in the mirror and then her thin face returned a smile. The druidess felt at peace that autumn night. The prospect of meeting great friends always filled her with joy. A restrained but true joy.

The moons rose rapidly in the sky. It was almost time. From the edge of the plateau and with a small thrust, the arch druidess threw herself into the skies of Kalimdor. The seconds it hung in the air until it began to fall gave her a magnificent sense of freedom. Then, with the ease of years of experience, she let the energy revolve in her body and feel her form change. Change was rapid and no longer painful after so many centuries. Open arms cringed as her legs atrophied. Her head tapered and her magic weaved gown was tied to her body as part of the transformation. The greenish feathers protruded everywhere, covering her completely. She was a bird. A storm crow.

The metamorphosis took no more than a few seconds, though the whole process slowly felt inside. Becoming a storm crow was the last and most difficult stage in a druid's metamorphoses. After so many centuries it had become banal but still wonderful. The wind kissed her bluish feathers as she rose. She was supposed to go down, she knew it, but couldn't help feeling the heavens for a few moments.