The Day the Stars Fell

~~~

"We'll be safe here for the time being," Vir announced, landing gently on a tucked-away section of Nagrand. Aruen slid down from his back, keeping a hand on his shoulder as she peered around them warily. Just over the hill was Forge Camp: Hate; beyond that stretched endless miles of grass, hills, and trees.

Aruen sighed, smiling at Vir wearily as he shape-changed back into his blood elf form. "Right. Dash can't spend any length of time out here, or anywhere in Outlands, for that matter."

"Precisely." Vir nodded, tucking an arm around her shoulders as he led her towards the little house set snugly against the cliff wall.

Aruen sighed as they approached the house. "Random house in a random patch of Nagrand. I always loved coming out here on my trade routes. It's so quiet."

Vir chuckled, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. "When all of this is said and done, we'll come back here and find a nice place where we can stay, permanently." He met her gaze for a long moment, words unspoken passing between them. It would be a long time before anything was said and done and even longer still before the situation was calm enough for them to even consider settling down.

The Draenei set down her backpack inside the doorway, frowning thoughtfully over her shoulder at Vir. "Still, what's to stop him from sending one of his 'associates'? He could send that wannabe assassin out here or even that other crazy Blood Elf chick that follows him around."

"Sephora is hardly a threat, my dear." Vir turned to face her, brushing a tendril of hair from her face. "I won't let anything happen to you. You'll be safe here. I promise." He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he murmured the last two words. "Now," he said briskly, turning away from her to glance around the little house. "I'm going to go do some scouting, see what I can find as far as provisions are concerned." And make sure there are no spies nearby. He didn't have to say that part. Aruen could see it in the tension of his face, could hear it in the tightness of his voice.

Vir turned and stepped outside into the warm Nagrand sunlight, Rue close behind him. "Vir," she said his name passionately, walking over to stand in front of him, pressing her palms against his chest. "Be careful."

"I will." He brushed a kiss across her mouth, lingering there for a moment. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and squeezed.

Aruen pushed away from him a bit, looking up at him with worry. "Dash is crazy, Vir. You don't know what he's capable of. I--..."

"I know," Vir broke in gently, patting her shoulder as he walked away. He turned to face her, smiling reassuringly. "I'll be back soon."

In a fluid motion, he shapeshifted back into his draconic form. He hesitated, turning his head to gaze at her with faceted blue eyes. "I love you, Aruen."

Rue managed a smile, albeit a watery one. "I love you too, Vir. Come back soon, and stay safe."

"Always." He flashed her a toothy grin and leapt off the cliff in an impressive spin.

~~~

Several hours passed with no sign of Vir. Aruen had attempted to keep herself busy, but those attempts had failed miserably and she found herself pacing outside in front of the house. Despite her anxiety with the situation, she found comfort in the fact that Dash wouldn't pass up the opportunity to come swaggering up, bragging about what he did to Vir. She would know if something happened.

The silence had been about to drive her nuts when a shadow fell across the ground at her feet. The shadow grew at an alarming rate, and Aruen swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked up.

A massive blue shape was spiraling down from the sky at dizzying speed. Ragdoll physics had nothing on him; the force of wind created by the speed of his descent contorted his limbs into odd positions until finally, Aruen realized with a sickening sense of dread, he wasn't landing. He was going to crash.

She leapt out of the way, barely in the nick of time, falling to her side and rolling out of what she hoped was harm's way. "Vir!" She cried out, pulling herself up to her knees.

"'Vir, oh Vir'!" A voice called out from above her in a mocking tone. Dashade hovered before her a few feet off the ground, arms crossed over his chest. He sneered at her, landing delicately on his feet. "You have much bigger things to worry about than your dear dragon."

Behind Dash, a massive cloud of dust blew up as the dragon slid into the ground and continued to slide for another ten feet.

Aruen wrote:

Several hours passed with no sign of Vir. Aruen had attempted to keep herself busy, but those attempts had failed miserably and she found herself pacing outside in front of the house. Despite her anxiety with the situation, she found comfort in the fact that Dash wouldn't pass up the opportunity to come swaggering up, bragging about what he did to Vir. She would know if something happened.

The silence had been about to drive her nuts when a shadow fell across the ground at her feet. The shadow grew at an alarming rate, and Aruen swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked up.

A massive blue shape was spiraling down from the sky at dizzying speed. Ragdoll physics had nothing on him; the force of wind created by the speed of his descent contorted his limbs into odd positions until finally, Aruen realized with a sickening sense of dread, he wasn't landing. He was going to crash.

She leapt out of the way, barely in the nick of time, falling to her side and rolling out of what she hoped was harm's way. "Vir!" She cried out, pulling herself up to her knees.

"'Vir, oh Vir'!" A voice called out from above her in a mocking tone. Dashade hovered before her a few feet off the ground, arms crossed over his chest. He sneered at her, landing delicately on his feet. "You have much bigger things to worry about than your dear dragon."

Behind Dash, a massive cloud of dust blew up as the dragon slid into the ground and continued to slide for another ten feet.

"What did you do to him?" Aruen gasped.

"The more appropriate question is 'What are you going to do to him' or something equally as ominous." Dashade quipped, glancing over at Vir as the dragon slowly morphed into his humanoid form. Vir moaned softly, fighting the urge to lose consciousness. Aruen slipped her hand behind her back, slipping on her fist weapon before grabbing her mace with her other hand and running at Dash. The only reply Dash gave her was a simple word.

"No." Dashade said, glancing at her over his shoulder and kneeling down before the groaning Vir. She froze in place, much to her dismay, as Dash held his open palm at Vir, stood up and backed away. Vir levitated slowly into the air a few feet off the ground, and Dashade followed suit. A glowing sphere of energy appeared around Vir.

"Vir!" Aruen screamed. Dash left his hand in the air, pointed towards Vir, and turned his head to Aruen, no emotion on his face at all.

"This is no longer Vir. You can call him..." Dashade started. He turned his head back to Vir, and the cloak and leggings Vir wore stretched, morphed, contorted and expanded, wrapping themselves around Vir in various spots. Vir cried out in pain as bones broke and extended. Dashade once again turned his head back to Aruen. "You can call him Strahd."

Dashade dropped to the ground delicately as the sphere around Vir dissipated, and he likewise dropped to the ground, unconscious. He turned to Aruen and made a dismissive wave at Vir, who vanished.

"What have you done to him?!" Aruen demanded. Dashade chuckled softly.

"I have begun a cycle. The only thing you can do is either exact revenge on him, or follow my lead." Dashade said. He pointed an open palm at Aruen and beams of red light shot from his fingertips into Aruen as she continued to struggle against the invisible bonds that held her... and began to win.

"Congratulations, Aruen. You now lead the life of an Eternal." Dashade said. Aruen broke free of the invisible stasis that Dashade had placed her in and charged him... and he simply vanished.