A Deeper Shade of Red

     I awoke days later in the Cathedral of Light.  The priests and priestesses that attended to me and nursed my wounds informed me that the usurper of Gnomeregan had vanished, likely obliterated by the massive explosion that rocked the stone and metal caverns of the sprawling underground city.  I could tell they sought to give me solace, but I was uneasy due to the absence of my companions.  They informed me that the druid had used her abilities to transport us to a place called Moonglade, and the Cenarion Circle then delivered us to our respective homes, but as none of the members of the Church knew of our adventure prior to the arrival of my unconscious form, no verification could be made of the well-being of the others.  By the time I was under care, they'd scattered to the four winds.

     I tried to comfort myself in my knowledge of at least two of my companions.  The druid was hardy, and capable.  If she had transported us out, she probably remained in Moonglade with her brethren.  The rogue and warrior had likely returned to Ironforge, spreading the news of our victory to the High Tinker.  That left Strycnosa.  I found my thoughts often wandering to her; the enigma she was.  She was powerful, I could sense the fel energy just beneath the surface.  She toyed with powers my Order is sworn against, but she wielded them in the defense of our lands and people.  I remember the look of glee on her face when she poured the flammable concoction on the bombs, the sparkle in her eyes.  She seemed to revel in destruction, but also she did not commit it recklessly.  Truly an enigma.  And, I say with no small amount of shame, a beautiful one.

     Days passed and my wounds mended, thanks to both my constitution and the warmth of the Light.  Some of the Paladin initiates eagerly approached me hour after hour to spar and train, and I must admit I found it welcome.  I was anxious to get back into the world, find my companions, and continue my journeys.  It wasn't until a week had passed that a missive arrived.  Four messengers, cloaked in black, hoods down, arrived at the steps of the cathedral.

     Archbishop Benedictus, a man I have always respected, but have always felt slightly wary around, welcomed the messengers in.  The leader lowered his hood, but I did not recognize him.  He wore armor similar to our own Order, but it was deep red.  He announced himself as an emissary of the Scarlet Crusade, a faction of Paladins and clergymen who remained in Tirisfal Glades after the plague in an effort to staunch the flow of undead and cleanse the broken lands.  His news was not light.

     He explained of dark things, corruption taking root in the Crusade.  He spoke with a reverence towards his Order, but also a deep fear of what they were becoming.  I listened intently.  The Archbishop seemed only partially interested, but after a short dialogue, relented in sending a small group to investigate.  The messenger asked for only one companion, as his three fellows were also to accompany him.  I immediately volunteered.  I expected some resistance from the Archbishop, I had so recently been wounded and nearly crushed in the debris of Gnomeregan, but he simply smiled and nodded.  The smile should have been warm, but it chilled me to the bone.

     As we left the cathedral and approached the gryphon masters, the emissary gestured to his companions that it was safe to remove their cloaks.  He explained that he wanted to keep the identities of his companions concealed while in the cathedral, as the Scarlet Crusade had spies everywhere.  He was very concerned with secrecy around the members of the Order, and only because his companions had vouched for me was he comfortable taking me along.  As soon as they removed their hoods, my heart leaped and I understood why.

     Tiyara, the druid, smiled at me.  It was a warm smile, the one the Archbishop had failed to produce.  She embraced me as a friend embraces another after a long journey apart, though it'd only been a week.  I was glad to have her with me.  The second figure removed her cloak, and revealed a creature I'd only heard of until now.  Her skin was blue, her hair black as night, and slender tendrils ran from behind her ears down over her shoulders.  She smiled lovingly, and a glyph glowed on her forehead.  She explained that her people, the Draenei, were of a strong affinity with the Light, and that she sensed its strength within me.  Her words gave me great comfort, down into the center of my very soul.  She said her name was Vihara, and that she followed the path of the Elements, still revering the Light, but honoring the spirits of the natural world as well.  I was fond of her immediately.

     When the last figure removed her hood, my heart soared.  It was Strycnosa.

     My resolve bolstered tenfold, my conviction a hundred times.  Whatever challenge awaited us in this Scarlet Monastery, with these companions beside me, there was no chance at all of failure.  We mounted our gryphons and took to the skies, racing across Khaz Modan and the Arathi Highlands, across Hillsbrad Foothills, and finally into Tirisfal Glades.  The lands became more and more dead and decrepit as we traveled, and I felt a pain in my soul as we neared our destination, a place so unholy, so vile, that the Light itself seemed scarred; what little was left.

     Then I saw it.  The spires of the monastery, rising above the dying trees and graying lands.  This place was wounded, and the Light within it had been battered, but we had arrived.  With us, would come retribution.