Valiant

Sub-Tags: [Erythis]

   

     When Erythis Alexia Firestorm had asked her former champion for a gift, she received a lot more than she was expecting. The sorceress, even after taking an myriad of lovers in the past, was still an old-fashioned kind of woman. She wanted to be wooed, impressed, and swept off her feet. It was this internal desire that was in conflict with her logic and reasoning, even after all these years. She knew that she had to marry Vynlarion. Time was running out: if she were unable to sire a new male heir, her family's land would surely be taken from her. It was considered traitorous for a Sin'dorei woman to refrain from procreating, and Erythis knew that, even in her old age, her eggs were still viable. House Highcrest was one of the higher ranking noble houses, and she knew that her connection with Vynlarion would make it easy for the two of them to reach an agreement. Though her marriage to his uncle, Varinal Highcrest, had gone South, the two families had never fully succeeded in merging their titles and assets. The sorceress wanted to change this- no, not wanted. She knew that she had to. And so the two of them reached and agreement, and in her own selfish demeanor, the redheaded woman requested, in the pre-nuptial agreement, that the knight-lord court her. When he said he had a gift for her, she wasn't sure what to expect; but oh, did it take her by surprise. 

     He brought her to the highest point in Sunsail Anchorage, which had been reclaimed from the Wretched some time ago. They looked upon the harbor, and the coastline. Erythis couldn't help but reminisce: she adored sea travel. Adventuring upon the high-seas quenched her wanderlust in a way that even she, in all her wisdom, couldn't entirely explain. It was that thirst for knowledge that led her all around Azeroth- and in her recent days, she had forgotten about the joy she felt, traveling. She thought back to her visits to the jungles of Stranglethorn, where she used to climb up onto rocky waterfalls and watch the ships sail into the bay. Suddenly, as the two looked on from the balcony, a massive ship sliced through the waters. The sunset painted rays upon its magnificent sails: black and red and emblazoned with an emblem of a phoenix with outstretched wings, ablaze. The warship was manned by a crew displaying the same emblem and colors upon their tabards, maneuvering about the three gargantuan levels of the yacht. It was a Sin'dorei ship unlike anything the Lady Firestorm had seen- and it was hers. 

     Vynlarion, who had sought to give a gift to his soon-to-be bride, had commissioned the creation of a warship: the HMS Valiant. Not only was this gift unexpected, but it was grand. A gift grand enough for The Flame of Quel'Thalas. A display of its artillery and firepower was given, in the form an assault upon the water using its massive arcane cannons. Erythis was mesmerized. She had wondered if the knight-lord had been serious about their arrangement, and this gesture convinced her. He didn't stay for very long. Soon enough, Vynlarion departed and left the magistrix to her own devices. She stared at the ship- wondering, thinking. Lord Highcrest was most certainly not in love with her, but he cared. This much she knew. She recalled a time where she was held captive, and he saved her. The many times he risked his life for her. He was her champion for so very long, and he had already dismissed the recent events in Dalaran.Could she make him fall in love with her? It was a challenge, one that she wanted. In her glory, the sorceress knew she could have just about any man she wanted, and he would adore her so. It was that vain arrogance that made the prospect of winning the knight's heart appealing. He swore he would never love again, after his wife died. That he only desired political gain. But she knew that she reminded the lord of his late wife- she had heard him say it, heard even Mirava say it.
     As Erythis pondered such thoughts, she made her way down to the harbor, and to her new vessel. She boarded the ship, striding upon the deck and admiring its features. Thoughts continued to antagonize her. She knew that she herself didn't love Vynlarion. She climbed up to the crow's nest, step, by step, by step. When she reached the top, she stood and looked out over the ocean. Could she grow to love him? And if she did, would she be in love with him? She thought of another, then. Of the lover she had hoped to find, upon her return to Quel'Thalas. The lover she had abandoned. Regret swept over her like one of the waves, causing her knees to buckle as she slumped down against the wooden mast. He begged her not to go, not to take matters into her own hands. If she had only listened to him, if only she hadn't lost her mind. She could have gone with him to his home, been with him there. She remembered his whispers, his pleas. The way he kissed her skin and soothed her, and asked her to stay. Why didn't she listen to him? Why did her rage get the better of her? She was angry at herself, distraught. Had he forgotten her? Did her choice cause her to lose him forever? For the first time in a long time, The Flame of Quel'Thalas was crying. Tears spilled along her cheeks and she pressed against the wood, giving a soft sob. Despite all of her posturing, Erythis wanted to be in love. She knew that it was too late- that it was too unlikely, in the world that she lived in. That once again, she had to do what she needed to do. Cursing herself for not listening to him, for taking such rash actions, she stood and looked upon the ocean once more.

     I'm so sorry, Aheon. 

     She looked to the sails upon her ship, emblazoned with the new Highcrest-Firestorm emblem. Vynlarion, The Dragon of Quel'Thalas, had given her a mighty vessel; and she intended to use it. She didn't know where she was going to go, or what might lay in store for her. But she was going to go for a ride and follow the winds, until she was ready to face her fate.