The World as it Should Be

Treris allowed herself to relax and go limp, trying to show that she was not resisting Sejova. Her older sister did not relax her hold over her though and she found that the fierceness in her eyes was almost alien to her. It had been well over five years since Treris had seen her but she felt like she was staring into the eyes of a stranger. She had to find a piece of Sejova still in there, somehow.



“I came looking for you,” she said, keeping her voice as calm as possible, “I just want to talk.”



“Where's that Blood Elf you've been fucking?” her voice a stinging accusation.



Treris wasn't sure if she should lie, be vague or tell what she knew. Sejova wouldn't appreciate the first two she realized.



“He didn't tell me exactly, but he doesn't want to hurt you, he just doesn't want you to kill the Tauren.”



“Bullshit,” Sejova practically spit, “he's Horde, just like the rest of them, he can't be trusted.”



“Sejova,” Treris said quietly, “You have to stop this, Tarn is favored by the Taurens, if you kill him, they will want revenge.”



Sejova laughed, a bitter and heartless laugh. She leaned in close to Treris and said in a harsh whisper, “let them try.”



“This isn't just about you,” Treris allowed her voice to raise a little, “they'll come after me, or any Night Elf who they come across. They won't care. Is that what you want?”



“I don't care, so long as I get his blood on my blades.”



“Well maybe I care!” she had to fight from keeping her emotion out of her voice, but it was becoming harder, “if they kill you, then will I be taking revenge on them? This has to stop now!”



“You can fuck them too for all I care,” Sejova's voice was angry, her arm pressed down onto Treris' throat, “I saw you with that Blood Elf in Stranglethorn, and talking to the orc, did you fuck her too? After what she did?!”



“I didn't know,” Treris gasped out, it was becoming hard to breathe and she had to struggle to not struggle. Her eyes were starting to water though, and soon she was going to have to fight back or pass out.



“It wasn't enough that she was with the Horde?! They are the enemy little sister! Savages and beasts all of them!”



“No...” everything was beginning to take on a brighter glow, she couldn't focus on anything.



“He was joking about it! Proud of what he had done,” her sister raved, “they didn't just kill her...they desecrated her! She would have helped them if they had needed it, she didn't see them for what they were, and they destroyed her completely. Savages! All of them! I-I....Treris?”



Slowly, she lifted her arm off her sister's throat. Treris didn't move, her eyes closed and there was no sign of her breathing. Sejova leaned in closer, listening for some hint of breath, a slight sense of panic starting to well up in her.



“Treris?” she asked again, her voice small and somewhat lost.



Treris jerked her head up suddenly, connecting with Sejova's, sending the rogue flailing back. A second later she was back on her feet but stopped short when she saw that her sister was on her hands and knees, coughing and trying to get her breath back.



“I'm sorry,” she said quietly, after a moment she said with more resolve, “You should not have come here, this doesn't involve you.”



“How?” Treris coughed, “You're my sister! Of course this involves me!”



“I can take care of this myself-”



“I have no doubt of that,” Treris slowly picked herself up, her vision clearing, “but you shouldn't be. If you kill Tarn, he'll never face justice. He'll die a hero to his people, killed by a Night Elf rogue on some crazed rampage.”



“The Horde would not bring him to justice,” Sejova snorted, “he's one of their heroes!”



“They didn't know what he had done,” Treris countered, hoping to keep her talking for as long as possible, “and if you kill him, no one will care.”



“I don't care about justice!” Sejova's voice had regained its edge of insane rage, “I want him dead.”



“Is that what Vishina would have wanted?” she asked quietly. She could tell that her words had stung Sejova who looked for the first time doubtful, “Sejova, I know you've done a lot of things that I don't know about, and I know some of them weren't good, but if Vishina was as good as you say, she wouldn't want you to go down this path. She was your friend right? She must have cared for you.”



Sejova looked straight into her eyes, and in an instant, Treris understood. It wasn't just a friendship, it had been love. She hadn't realized just how intense her sister's relationship had been with the murdered paladin till this moment, though she had suspected since Sejova wouldn't go on a revenge campaign for just anyone.



“You can still come back from this, but if you finish this, they'll hunt you down. It will never stop. Vishina wouldn't have wanted that would she?”



She could tell Sejova was trying to keep her resolve in tact, but was beginning to falter. Treris could see there was still some of her sister left in there and she felt relief. It was short lived however, as there was a sudden burst beneath her and an explosion of vines reached up from the ground and entangled her quickly. Sejova snapped out of her reverie and tried to help her, but in an instant she was entangled in her own set of roots.



“I thought you would come here looking for me,” a familiar face boomed. Treris looked and saw that Tarn was there, surrounded by green energy. A bright light appeared above Sejova's head, looking somewhat like the moon, before it cascaded down towards the tangle of roots.



Sejova was already gone though.



The Druid tensed and readied his staff, looking about him. Suddenly he spun around and struck into the air, barely missing Sejova who had jumped back into view. She knocked his staff away from her when it came rebounding back with her daggers and they stood, facing each other, each one ready.



“Come,” he snarled, “Let us finish this.” He blurred from view for a moment and then he was a large cat with horns. He rushed towards her and she quickly stepped to the side and slashed at him with her daggers. One of them hit home and a thin line of blood began to appear on his side. He turned quickly and raked at her with his claws, gouging her across the knee as she tried to evade him. Her response was immediate, and she swung her blades up, catching him on the side of his face and on the arm. He howled and bit at her, but only to gain some distance between them and he took a step back. Sejova was back on him again, not giving him room to maneuver or heal himself. She swung her main blade across his face, missing him barely as he dodged it. However, he had fallen for her trick and dodged right into her other blade which was coming down. It embedded itself in his shoulder and he let out a great howl of pain as he reformed into his Tauren self.



He was on his hands and knees, panting. Blood welled up from his wounds, and a familiar sick look was on his face. Sejova looked pale and also breathed heavy, and she stood awkwardly on the damaged leg. They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity to Treris, who was just now getting free of her bonds. She carefully walked over to them, afraid that a sudden noise would make someone move suddenly and then it would be all over.



Tarn stared up at his foe, and snorted through his nostrils.



“Well? What are you waiting for? Take your revenge.”



Sejova didn't move, she stared at him, her daggers ready in her hands, but something was holding her back.



“Sejova,” Treris said, “don't. “



“Do it!” he boomed, causing Treris to jump slightly, even Sejova flinched a little. “I helped kill that human, I helped put her in the cauldron. Avenge her and be done with it!”



Treris felt an inkling of understanding. He wanted her to kill him, whether it was because he felt guilt, or because he wanted to die with honor she wasn't sure. Sejova was beginning to shake, there was rage in her face, but there was also doubt and sadness.



“Sejova!” Treris said, “If you kill him, he dies a hero with honor. Don't do this, let the Horde punish him for what he did.”



Tarn briefly turned his eyes to her, and they were full of rage and hate. He quickly turned back to Sejova to egg her own some more. Treris said nothing, but quietly walked to her sister and put her hand on her shoulder. Instantly she could feel the tension in Sejova's arms fade as they dropped to her sides. Her daggers slipped from her fingers and hit the sand with a thud.



“Sejova,” she said quietly, “I love you.”



Sejova began to shake, hanging her head, and let out a tortured wail. Treris put her arms around her as they both sank to the ground and her sister clung to her desperately. Sobs racked her body as she released all her pain, anger and sadness of the last few years. Treris held her close and felt her own tears sliding down her cheeks, but she had to remain alert, and she watched the Tauren sitting nearby.



Tarn stared at them with a mix of surprise and anger, which only grew as Treris looked at him defiantly. His breath started to become heavier as his nose snorted and suddenly he sprang to his feet with a great howl. Treris and Sejova both looked up and moved to get away from him, but before anyone could move, he was entangled in a set of chains that had sprung up from the ground. They were icy chains, freezing his skin and fur where they contacted and it was clear that they caused him great pain.



“I think that will do thank you,” a disjointed, harsh voice declared.



They all turned and saw the speaker was a Forsaken male, wearing dark clothing and armed with daggers. He stood casually, or as casually as he could, looking at the Tauren with contempt. Next to him was Deydis, who had drawn his daggers, but was now sheathing them back, looking relieved. A second blood elf was there, in robes, looking incredibly bored by the whole thing.



There was also a Death Knight. She stood with one hand out, from when she had cast the spell that entangled Tarn, and in the other hand, resting against her hip, was her helmet. She was a human, with short dark hair and a face that would have been sweet, if not for the cold stare she focused on the Tauren. Treris felt her sister stiffen next to her, and she tore her eyes from the Death Knight to look at her. Sejova had gone completely pale, her eyes staring wide and her hand on her mouth in disbelief.



The Forsaken ignored all this and stepped towards the Tauren, “Well Tarn, I've been hearing some rather unpleasant things about you. Mind you I admire the cold blooded way you and the others took credit for Araj's demise.”



The Tauren stared up at him with unconcealed anger, and the Forsaken came in close and said in what was an even harsher voice, “However, adding to the numbers of our enemy is something I cannot abide.”



“You have no proof Javis,” Tarn said, but there was a bit of doubt in his voice and he kept looking at the Death Knight worriedly.



Javis looked back at the Death Knight and then back at Tarn with a bemused look, “Oh you don't recognize this young lady? I can assure you,” his voice went from sickly congenial to dripping with threat, “she recognizes you my friend.” His voice went back to casually conversational, “ Although I admit, we can't use her as a witness. Not because she's dead mind you, but with the Alliance, however,” he said, making sure to let it sink into Tarn, who had begun to look hopeful, “we should have no problem convincing Thrall of it. After all, did I not just hear you admit to the crime in question?”



Tarn blanched, and real fear began to show on his face. Javis continued to twist the knife, “Not only that, but there are so many helpful people in Everlook who are now willing to tell us what Cernack was blabbing about when he was killed. But even if that were not enough, I have a written confession, which Janarra had had sent to the War Chief, shortly before her death.”



Tarn bowed his head, defeated, even as the chains wore off, he didn't make an attempt to move.



“As for you,” Javis said, turning his attention to Treris and Sejova, “while I like a story of bloody revenge, I cannot let the death of four of our people go. However, in the interests of good relations during these troubled times, between the Horde and the Alliance, I have been given permission to allow your own people meet out a just punishment for your crimes. We sent them a message shortly before we opened the portal, and if I'm not mistaken...” He turned as several of the Sentinals were coming over the hill and down the beach towards them.



“Ladies,” he said with a vicious grin, and an overly flourished bow. He then turned and went back to his group to Tarn, who were now being watched by Deydis and the other Blood Elf. He barked something in Orcish, and she raised her arms, summoning a portal. Tarn stepped through, followed by Javis and the female. Deydis however, lingered for a moment, and looked at Treris, giving her a smile and a wink before disappearing.