Felwood

For days Kelebek ran north along the roads of Felwood. Eventually she veered west, looking for an opening in the mountains in hopes of finding a safe passage into Darkshore. She followed a rather putrid looking stream as she traveled westward, hoping that the water had at some point worked its slow magic on the stone, creating a sort of opening for her to travel through. Great haste while running down this unmade path was required, not necessarily for the sake of the inquiry that she must make of those in Darnassus, but for her own health. The waters that Kelebek found herself near smelled as if someone had poured the bowels of the Undercity into the veins of Felwood, somehow managing to magnify the stench a thousand fold in the process. It made her nauseous.

It only took her a day's journey to finally meet the mountain cliffs bordering the two lands, but the effort made that trip feel as if it had taken several haze-filled weeks. Finally though she had made it, made it to the edge of Felwood. What she arrived at was not at all what she had hoped for.

Kelebek took a tentative step towards the spot where the water seemed to - or at least once had - fallen over into Darkshore. She looked down. What she saw was disheartening: a several thousand foot drop was before her, at the bottom of which lay many jagged rocks. Much too far for her to jump and hope to land safely.

Dejectedly she slunk away from the steep drop, feeling dizzy and ill. She shifted back into her human form, hoping to ease the stress on her acute feral sense, but instead she was left feeling even more light-headed from her efforts. The fumes of the place were taking its toll on the little druid, and soon she found herself to be unconscious.

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She woke up to a wafting of the stagnant air, followed by a rather solid prod. Opening her sludge-covered eyes she saw what appeared to be a great, stony horned face peering at her. She was dazed, confused, and tried to get herself in a sitting position. She had no hopes of fleeing in her current state.

"Wha...who...who are you?" Kelebek asked of the great serpentine face that was in front of her. The winged beast replying in a low, rumbling voice.

"My name is Aeornoss, little one. I am a stone drake."

"A...a stone drake?! But...we...we're no where near the underland of Deepholm."

"That may be so, but there are stranger things in this land than a wandering stone drake. For instance, a druid who seems to have forgotten her wings." Aeornoss let out a rumbling chuckle that sounded as if two boulders were trying to mimic the music of a cricket's hind legs, albeit at a fraction of the speed.

"I am not a druid of the skies, dear stone drake. I am but a lion of the prairies, a cat of the shadows, a ghost in the forests."

"And what brings you to this putrid wasteland, little ghost?" Aeornoss' calm, yet inquiring stone face was still uncomfortably close to Kelebek's own.

"I am here on accord of a friend. Him and I have been trying to protect this lands from the demons that have taken residence here. We've been trying to heal the wounds of the wilds."

Aeornoss raised a stony eyebrow. Kelebek continued her explanation. "As you can see, our efforts have been fruitless. By day the vile waters grow even more putrid, by night the demons seem to spawn hoards anew. We are losing the battle and the war against the unnatural here. That is why I'm trying to travel to Darnassus, to seek aid from those who would hunt the demons and to hope that the city may be able to lend a few bodies who would be able to heal this land better than a couple of feral spirits."

Even this explanation was too much of a taxation on what little bit of energy that the druid had regain from her sleep-like state. With those last couple of words, Kelebek once again collapsed onto the ground into a laying position. She remained conscious, but just barely.

The stone drake smiled as only one made of stone could smile. "Your purpose is noble, little ghost..."

"Kelebek," she wheezed "my name...is Kelebek..."

"Very well, little Kelebek. Today is your lucky day, something you seem to be in short supply of at this moment." Aeornoss' face grew more serious. "I shall journey with you to Darnassus. Before we make such a journey though, we must get you to the land over yonder. Fresh air and proper rest are needed to get your strength up."

"Yes...please..." With a deep, ragged sigh Kelebek was once more in the realm of unconsciousness.

With a gravelly exhalation, Aeornoss thought to himself: Fleshlings. As fragile as a new born stone, yet to be cooled and solidified, yet as quick and determined as the swiftest of streams. This one's time is short of I do not interfere. I hope the earthen spirits forgive me. The Earth Mother shall not be claiming this one quite yet. He closed his eyes and slowly nodded his head, his mind made up. As gently as one could when having great jagged claws for hands, Aeornoss scooped up Kelebek and held her close to his large, rocky chest.

Aeornoss walked awkwardly over to the edge of the mountain side. "Time to go, little ghost." With a great push the stone drake launched them over the edge, allowing them to free fall for several hundred feet before finally opening up his large stone wings, gliding safely into the falling sunset of Darkshore.

Next Chapter: Darkshore - The Hunt