That Damn Role Player

Word spread quickly through the city that the orcs were coming. A force greater than any we had faced. They were changed as well. As if they had become part of the fel magicks they turned on us. The scouts reported that they were like man’ari. Something so evil as to be nothing like they once were.
 
We did not have to be told we had no chance against them. The decision that Velen made we all accepted with resignation. We could not all flee. They would hunt us and wipe out our entire race. Some of us would have to remain. Not to fight, though. To give the appearance that the city was fully occupied. That those left were all that remained of our people.
 
One could see the decision broke Velen’s heart. Each person, each family, that he chose to remain behind left yet another line of pain etched forever upon his face. They accepted it, those chosen to die. They would give their lives for the chance that some of our people would still live. They would fight, but we all knew it was a fight that could not be won.

 
Nauloera found Prophet Velen sitting quietly in a small meditation room off the city’s main temple. She could still see the tears upon his face, sense the emotional pain weighing upon him. She approached him slowly and knelt at his side offering comfort in silence.
 
When he spoke, his voice sounded hoarse from strain or tears. “Anchorite Nauloera.”
 
She reached out and laid her hand upon his. “Prophet Velen.”
 
“I am truly sorry for what you have been through.”
 
She shook her head. “There was nothing you could have done.”
 
In silence they sat for several more moments before he spoke again. “You should be with the others. It is nearly time to leave.”
 
“No.” She felt her hands tremble as she said the word. She knew Velen had not chosen her to stay but she was making the choice.
 
He turned to look at her, but she could not meet his ancient gaze. She knew if she did her resolve would falter.
 
“I must stay, Prophet. I have nothing. There is nothing left for me. I will stay in Shattrath with the others.” She clenched her hands together in her lap so he would not see them tremble. She spoke truth. There was nothing left for her. Nothing left of her. She would do this last thing for her people.
 
He shook his head sadly. “I did not choose you to stay for a reason, Nauloera.”
 
She bit her lip and shook her head. “There is nothing left for me. My home, my family, they are all gone.”

He reached out and took her hand gently in his. “That is one of the reasons I did not choose you.”

Try as she might, she could not keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. “How can you ask me to go on with nothing? How can I continue when all that is left for me are centuries of emptiness. At least grant me the ability to give one last thing to my people!”

His hand tightened on hers and his voice held great sorrow. “How can you ask me to deprive our people of what the Light has planned for your future? Do you believe you are the only one that has lost everything? We will need our Anchorites to help guide us. You are the last of your line and our people will need what is unique in your blood to carry on our race. If not for yourself, then for our people, I will not ask you to give them your death. Instead I ask you to give them your life. That is the greater deed you can do for our race.”

She could not speak as he squeezed her hand one last time then rose to leave. She sat there weeping until someone came and urged her to prepare for the journey to their hidden sanctuary in Zangarmarsh. She wondered if the hollowed out feeling inside her would ever ease.

I realize now the request I made was a selfish one. Even knowing that, I would make it again. I did flee with the others to Zangarmarsh but only because of the plea from Prophet Velen to do so. I did, and still do, have contributions to make to my people, and to the people of this world of Azeroth, but the emptiness, the hollow feeling in my soul, remains. I try to hide the hole within me. As an Anchorite I have a responsibility to lead others to the path of the Light. To guide them and console them when needed. But when the Anchorite is the one with the wounded soul, where does she turn?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 8:00 am and is filed under IC: Nauloera, In Character.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.