Character Brief: Katia Tien

Katia Tien was born to Altus and Naya Tien in Northshire during the First War (1), while her father was away fighting the Orcish Horde. Her mother, Naya, and older brother Nikolas lived by the Abbey in Northshire for the duration of the war. Katia saw her father for the first time when he returned to Northshire to collect his family and flee to the north: the Orcs had turned the armies of Stormwind and were even at that moment marching on the Keep (4). Despite the turbulent circumstances, Katia took a quick and particular liking to her father and his gentle nature.

The Tiens sailed north to Southshore, with the refugees of Stormwind. Katia was only four when her family was banished from Alterac by her grandfather, Caiberd Layette, and when she was five said goodbye to her father as he marched to war for the second time. During the Second War (6), she helped her mother as she made bandages to send to the front lines.

After the Horde's defeat (7), Altus took his family to live in the Hinterlands, near his dwarf friend Dobrin Wildhammer, with whom Altus had been friends for years. With her brother, Katia learned much from her parents, from daily chores and tasks to basic education like reading, writing, and other subjects. The children were also instructed by their father in the ways of the Light, in the teachings of which Katia developed a particular interest. Naya taught her children about magic and the arcane arts, but Katia paid less attention to this (conversely, Katia's brother Nikolas showed more interest in his mother's magic instruction than learning about the Light).

When Katia turned 17, she left for the Monastery in the northern Tirisfal Glades to study the Light and become a priestess (18). She was well accepted by the clerics and priests at the Monastery, in part because she displayed great talent for using the Light's power. Katia eventually became a respected student to Sally Whitemane, one of the Monastery's most highly-ranked priestesses.

Katia was relatively sheltered from the Third War and the Scourge Invasion of Lordaeron (25). While better-trained and more seasoned priests, clerics and paladins went to aid the Alliance, Katia and many others stayed behind to continue training, largely in preparation should the Monastery come under seige. The actual war with the Scourge was short, as much of the Undead went to and were defeated on the far continent of Kalimdor. But sizable Scourge forces had been left behind in Lordaeron, and fighting continued. Though initially offered a chance to flee south to escape the fighting, Katia and many others chose instead to stay, believing it to be their responsibility to defend the Light against the dark and demonic armies of the Scourge.

As what remained of Lordaeron's forces battled the Undead, a faction was born from the zeal and fervor with which some of the Alliance soldiers fought. The Scarlet Crusade began in honor and nobility, as a force dedicated to the reclamation of all that the Scourge had taken. But many of the Crusade's leaders and soldiers soon became obsessed with their goals, to the point of fanaticism. Spurred on by an increasingly-paranoid leadership, the Scarlet Crusaders began to use extreme and radical methods to both fight the Undead and to protect themselves from infiltration by the Undead. Two events, in particular, helped to solidify the Crusade's identity as an extremist and fanatical faction. First, in the city of Hearthglen, a high ranking spiritual leader of the Crusade claimed the Scourge had tried to assassinate him. Grand Inquisitor Isillien told the people the Scourge had turned his servant into an Undead spy, despite the fact the servant still looked human. Isillien claimed, and convinced many, that the Scourge had somehow developed that ability to disguise their spies as the living, and were therefore much harder to detect. His claims led the Crusade to adopt many practices that were unethical, cruel and evil, though they were seen by the Crusade as necessary to protect itself from infiltration.

The second catalyst for the Crusade's proverbial fall from grace was the death of one of the Crusade's founders, Highlord Alexandros Mograine, at the treacherous hands of his own son Renault. Mograine's death left the Crusade in the hands of those who had been consumed by madness: Renault, Isillien, and others.

Renault Mograine was assigned to command the Crusade's forces at the Monastery. Though she didn't really like him, Katia felt that duty required her obedience to him. When Alexandros Mograine's trusted friend, High Inquisitor Fairbanks, came to the Monastery proclaiming Renault's treachery, some believed him and left (these would later be the founders of the Argent Dawn, a faction who also sought the defeat of the Undead but by more just and sane methods). A small part of Katia wanted to believe that Renault was capable of such treachery, but her trusted teacher Sally, now called High Inquisitor Whitemane, convinced her that Renault was true to the Crusade's cause, and was indeed the right man to take his father's place.

Katia remains to this day (29) at the Monastery, occasionally venturing out to assist the Crusade in keeping back the Undead forces, who took over and set up base in the Tirisfal Glades just south of the Monastery. Her mother and brother know where she is and where her allegiance lies, but while Naya remains quietly supportive of her daughter, Nikolas has made no attempt to hide his disdain for the Crusade. Katia has recieved several letters from him, asking her to look closely at what the Crusade does to both living and Undead, but his pleas have fallen on quiet ears. Fueled by anger at her father's death by the Scourge, and spurred on by the subtle whisperings of her mentor, High Inquisitor Whitemane, Katia is devoted to the Crusade and to the eradication of both the Undead and those who would oppose the Crusade.

Character Brief: Naya Layette Tien

Naya Layette was born the only daughter of Caiberd Layette, a noble in the Kingdom of Alterac (-26). Early on it was determined that she had arcane potential, meaning she had gifts which could allow her to be sorceress. On her 12th birthday (-14), Naya's parents sent her to become a sorcerer's apprentice in the Mage city of Dalaran. She learned at the feet of Arra Whiteleaf, a human sorceress from the village of Brill. She learned the ways of magic, showing a particular talent with fire. Naya was on track to become an instructor for young students once she had completed her training. But shortly after she turned 22 (-4), her life took an unexpected turn.

It was at that time that she first met Altus Tien, a priest of Northshire fulfilling diplomatic responsibilities. The two became fast friends, and with subsequent visits their relationship blossomed into something much more. After only a few months, Altus asked Naya to marry him, and she readily accepted. For the sake of their marriage, Naya decided that once married, she would leave her mage training behind. Sad but understanding, Arra used the time before the wedding to expedite as much of what remained for Naya to learn and declared her to be fully taught.

Naya and Altus were married in a small, discrete ceremony in Dalaran, for Naya's father was vehemently opposed to the marriage. Caiberd placed a lot of stock in the idea of nobility by birth, and felt that for his daughter to marry anyone not of rnoble Alterac blood would be treachery to the Layette family and heritage. When he learned of his daughter's marriage, he was furious. But Naya and Altus were happy, and left Dalaran to build a life in Northshire.

When Altus went to war against the Horde for the first time (0), Naya stayed in Northshire to care for their two-year-old son, Nikolas. She was newly pregnant with their daughter, Katia, who would be born while Altus was away. As the war drew to a close, Naya joyfully greeted her husband upon his return to Northshire, only to learn they had to leave immediately. The Horde was marching on Stormwind, and Northshire lay in its path. Altus and Naya gathered their children, a few precious belongings and what provisions they could and joined the masses evacuating from Stormwind and the kingdom of Azeroth (4).

They sailed north to Southshore, a main port of the northern kingdom of Lordaeron. Against his wife's advice, Altus took his family to Alterac, to seek refuge with Naya's father. Their reception was anything but warm. Caiberd treated his daughter and her family with the cruelest derision, even striking Naya across the face for what he called betrayal to her family. He banished Naya and her family from his home and lands, and warned them not to return to Alterac at all. They returned to Southshore, where Altus almost immediately was called on by his leaders to join the forces marshaling to repel the continuing Horde onslaught (5). Naya stayed with her children in Southshore for the duration of the war.

After the Horde's defeat (6-7), Altus and Naya moved to the Hinterlands north of Southshore at the invitation of Altus' dwarf friend, Dobrin. For the next fifteen years, they raised their children in peace. Altus taught them about the Light and faith, while Naya passed on some of the learning she recieved in Dalaran. Katia showed greater interest and aptitude for her father's teachings, while Nikolas was eager to learn all he could about magic from his mother. The children learned much from living in the Hinterlands, from both the dwarves at Aerie Peak and the elves at the Quel'Danil hunting lodge.

When Altus was reassigned to Tyr's Hand (22) in eastern Lordaeron, Naya went with him, leaving Nikolas with the elves; Katia had gone to the Monastary in Tirisfal to study. When the Scourge invaded Lordaeron (25), Naya watched her husband go to war for a third time. Shortly before the battle of Darrowshire, Altus sent a letter to Naya, asking her to leave Tyr's Hand and head south. He expressed his fear that the Scourge would not be easily contained, and worried lest the Undead invaders attack Tyr's hand. Naya did not recieve her husband's letter until after his death at Darrowshire, and by the time she had made preparations to leave, much of the area surrounding Tyr's Hand was held by the Scourge. However, Nikolas, at his father's request, made his way to the city and helped his mother escape through the mountains (26).

They made their way to Aerie Peak, from whence Naya flew south to Stormwind, returning to the city for the first time since leaving it more than 20 years before. There she found her former instructor from Dalaran, Arra Whiteleaf, who had come south to study at the Tower of Azora in Elwynn Forest. Naya, too, began to study anew the art of magic and the arcane, while trying to stay in contact with her son and daughter as much as possible. Naya visits the memorial built by Nikolas in Altus' honor at Northshire three times a year- once on each of their children's birthdays, and once on the anniversary of their marriage.

Like her husband, Naya is kind and slow to anger; however, she is passionate and impulsive, sometimes acting or speaking too quickly. She has a great love for her children, and lives in constant concern for their safety. She is calm in her demeanor, but the pain of her husband's death is often evident.

Character Briefs: Altus Tien

Priest-turned-Paladin from the Kingdom of Stormwind. Born in Goldshire, in his youth he began training as a student of the Brotherhood of Northshire, a clerical order that served as the religious foundation of Stormwind. When he turned 20, he was assigned as an apprentice to Agnitius, a priest who held diplomatic responsibilities in the Brotherhood. Altus traveled with his mentor all over the continents of Azeroth, Khaz Modan and Lordaeron. On one such trip to Dalaran, the mage kingdom, he met a young sorceress in training, Naya Layette and the two quickly became friends. On a subsequent visit, Altus and Naya began courting each other, and it was only some months before Altus asked Naya to marry him. Their courtship was not without some controversy, however. Naya's father was Caiberd Layette, a noble from the kingdom of Alterac. He felt that Altus, being the son of commoners, wasn't worthy to marry noble blood of any kind, much less his own daughter. Naya defied her father, however, and she married Altus in secret in Dalaran, away from her father and family.

After Naya left her studies to focus on her family, the family moved back south to Northshire, where Altus became an assistant record-keeper. Their first son, Nikolas, was born in their second year of marriage.

The Tien's family life had barely begun when the Horde first invaded Azeroth. Altus was called to war to assist Stormwind's soldiers, while Naya kept Nikolas safe at the Northshire Abbey. It was during the war that Katia, their daughter, was born. Stormwind eventually fell to the Horde, and Altus, along with his family, evacuated their home and headed north to Lordaeron. Landing in Southshore but finding no room for quarter, Altus sought aid and shelter from his father-in-law, Lord Caiberd. Naya doubted her father's generosity, but Altus held a faint hope that Caiberd would show kindness, if for nothing else than his daughter and grandson.

Altus' faith was misplaced, as Caiberd recieved the family with coldness. In front of his whole household, Caiberd belittles Altus for crawling to him like a beggar, and berated Naya for going against her bloodline and father's wishes. He called Nikolas and Katia mongrels of mixed blood, and hit his daughter for daring to bear such children. His wrath was sharp, and his words sharper as he cast them out of his home and banished them from his lands. Altus returned with his family to Southshore, where he learned that forces of the Seven Kingdoms, now known as the Alliance of Lordaeron, were being marshaled to counter the continuing Horde threat. Leaving his wife and two children, Altus joined the army once again. This time was different, however: the head of the Northshire clerics, Alonsus Faol, sought to make more out of his order. He appointed a cleric named Uther the Lightbringer to train some clerics and priests as soldiers who wield the Light in battle. Altus became one of these knights, called Paladins, and joined the Order of the Silver Hand (the Paladin's order).

Following the defeat of the Horde, Altus returned to his family. They were invited to live in the Hinterlands northeast of Southshore by Dobrin Wildhammer, a dwarf with whom Altus had become close friends both in his diplomatic travels and during the war. Uther assigned him to be the Silver Hand's liason to Aerie Peak, home of the Wildhammer dwarf clan. The Tien family lived in relative peace there for the next fifteen years, until Uther asked Altus to relocate to Tyr's Hand. Altus and Naya moved there; Nikolas stayed behind with the dwarves, and Katia had gone to the monastary in northern Tirisfal to study to become a priestess of the Light some years before.

When the Scourge began its attack on Lordaeron, Altus went to war for the third time. He was at Stratholme when Prince Arthas Menethil disbanded the Order of the Silver Hand. Though he of course wanted to destroy the Scourge and its plague, Altus sided with Uther. The Lightbringer sent Altus to Darrowshire under the command of Davil Crockford, a paladin native to that town- Uther knew the Scourge would strike there soon. Nikolas, who had joined his father shortly before Stratholme, went with him. The battle was fierce and favored the Alliance early, but in the end the fight against the Undead was futile. Altus fell in battle defending the Alliance soldiers as they retreated from the battle. Nikolas tried to retrieve Altus' body, but the Undead overran the battlefield too quickly. It is unknown where Altus' remains lie to this day.

For the next several months, Nikolas traveled everywhere his father had lived, building small monuments in Altus' memory. The largest of them stand at Northshire and at the Tien home in the Hinterlands.

Altus was always kind, slow to anger but quick to defend. He raised treated his family with firmness and love all at once. He believed wholly in the justice and goodness of the Light, trusting to hope that the Light would help him determine his fate.

Let Me Be Brief

Starting soon (tomorrow, hopefully), I will be posting brief character histories/descriptions for the main characters in the story. "Brief" should only mean a few paragraphs. And some weeks ago, to help me visualize the characters better, I started choosing which actor/actress I would choose to play which character if this were a movie. So, if such a choice has been made for the character, a picture of the actor/actress will be included.

Sorry for the long hiatus, and thanks for sticking with me. I think the story is really about to take off.

Nikolas Meets a Troll, Part I

Okay, kind of a lame title, but I think you'll like this little vignette from Nikolas' time in the Hinterlands (where he trained with the elves):

A soft swish broke the air just behind the arrow that created it, followed by a dull thud as the point met its mark. The arrow pierced the stag's right shoulder, driving the shaft halfway into its body and piercing the heart. Some blood splashed onto the dew-moistened leaves on the ground as the large animal started at sharp pain and immediately took off running.

Nikolas watched it for a moment, trying to figure out in which direction the stag was ultimately going to head, then picked up his pack, slung his bow over his shoulder and walked toward where the buck had stood moments before. He was pleased with his shot, confident it had been enough to mortally wound the animal. But, as usual, he would have to track for some miles before finding, he hoped, the corpse. And that was assuming wolves didn't find it first.

Nikolas found the spot where his arrow had struck- a pool of blood, about the size of his palm, had gathered on the dirt and leaves covering the Hinterlands forest floor. He bent down to examine it and look for a blood trail, when something caught his eye- another pool of blood, a few feet to his left. He looked at it and furrowed his brow- this wasn't from the stag he'd just shot. It was too dark, it was on the wrong side of the body from where the arrow had struck, and it was opposite the direction in which the wounded animal had run.

Nikolas reached out and touched this pool of blood- it was cool to the touch, meaning it was likely a few hours old. He brought his fingers to his nose, breathing in its scent. A sour smell burned his nostrils and he quickly moved his hand away, wiping the blood on the ground and quickly scanning the surrounding trees with his eyes. Troll blood! He knew that scent well from the many forest trolls he had fought and slew here in the Hinterlands. Nikolas rose and drew out his hunting swords, one in each hand, turning his head this way and that, looking for any sign of a trap or ambush. But there were none.

He looked around the forest floor, scanning, searching for….there. Another small puddle of the same dark, sour blood. Drops leading out from the far side of the pool showed the direction in which the wounded troll had gone. Crouching in readiness, all senses alert and on edge, Nikolas began to look around. Imprints on the ground, torn leaves and patches of fur gave him a good idea of what had happened. Two, maybe three wolves had attacked the troll, maybe even caught him off guard, and the troll had struck back. He didn't kill the wolves, not right then at least, but had likely driven them off...yes, the tracks moved off away from the spot where Nikolas now crouched.

Turning his attention back to the blood on the ground, Nikolas scanned the area around him, searching for....there. Another small of blood. Moving over to it, Nikolas looked further along a straight line in front of him, and sure enough, there was a third spot of red. The three points made a rough line, telling Nikolas in which direction the wounded troll had set off. Deciding to track this troll and maybe find it, Nikolas moved off along the imaginary line, moving from blood spot to blood spot.

A shame, he thought as he drew his twin hunting swords, to leave such a strong and healthy buck to other predators, beasts that had no regard other than instinct for the meat. But he had different prey now, more dangerous and unpredictable.

As he moved, Nikolas thought about where he was headed and what he might find. The blood trail led to the south, away from the northern mountain range. Nikolas guessed the troll headed for the small river about two miles from here. That made sense- the water would wash the blood and hide the troll's scent from other potential predators. With luck, he would only find the troll's corpse. Nikolas didn't shy away from battle, not in the least, but he did not often invite it. But he was on patrol this morning, and if he found a troll, his job was to capture or kill it.

It helped that rain had fallen the day before- the ground was soft and the leaves were wet, dampening the noise as Nikolas walked over them. He kept a tight grip on each of his swords, ears listening intently to the forest around him. He had suspected from the moment he first saw the blood that this might be a ruse, a trap set up to catch him or kill him. But for now, there were no indicators but that the troll had been alone.

A quarter mile from the river, Nikolas slowed to almost a snail's pace. He paused after every step, looking, listening, smelling, feeling.  Still nothing alerted him to any possible danger, but until he knew there was none, he would keep his guard up.

Nikolas Leaves His Family, Part II

(Be proud of me- I typed probably two-thirds of this with one hand, on account of my bum wrist)

An hour after leaving his mother’s home, Nikolas had nearly finished packing his belongings. He had scant few things besides that which he needed for his scouting work, so it would only take a knapsack and a couple of satchels to bring what he needed.
He was in the process of packing some spare daggers and arrows when the door to his small cottage practically flew open,
“You’re leaving?”
Nikolas’ sister, Katia, had evidently just come from their mother’s house. He turned to face her and the expected look of shock/frustration on her face.
“Yes,” was his simple reply.
“Why?”
“It shouldn’t be hard to figure out,” he answered.
Katia stared for a moment. “Because of him? Because of Isillien?”
Nikolas scoffed. “Why do you and mother think it’s just because of Isillien? It’s more than that- it’s the whole bloody Scarlet Crusade!”
“But we’re winning! You can’t leave!” The passion in her voice was strong.
“Winning? Is that what you call it?”
“What else is it, then,” she spat back, glaring hard. She had been sharper than Naya in their debates with Nikolas over the Crusade and its ways. “Highlord Mograine is wreaking havoc on the undead near Stratholme, General Abbendis is advancing on the Scourge from Tyr’s Hand, and we’re getting our foothold here in the Western Plaguelands. What more do you want?”
“You really want to ask me that? You’re not winning anything. Yes, you’re gaining ground and bashing the skulls of undead left and right, but at what cost? Killing innocent people, just because they don’t agree with you, is no victory. And I’ve already been through this with Mother, so I have no desire to go over this again.” He returned his attention to packing.
“So you’re abandoning us, then?”
Nikolas remained silent for a moment, which Katia took advantage of.
“It’s just like you playing troll-slayer with the elves. If you’d stayed with us, then you’d have been there to help us fight from the start. But since you don’t like the situation, you’re running away.”
Nikolas drove the dagger he was holding into the table halfway to the hilt. He turned to face his sister again, breathing deeply to contain his anger.
“Believe what you want, little sister, but I have never and will never abandon this family-”
“Then why-” Katia began to interrupt.
“-As long as I believe we are doing the right thing. I have no objection to fighting the undead, and I believe that their complete annihilation should be the goal of every free and living man, woman and child.”
“Then why-” she tried to interrupt again, so Nikolas cut her off even louder.
“But I don’t agree with nor believe in the way the Scarlet Crusade is trying to fight this war. The Crusade and its leadership is corrupt and full of hate, vengeance, and darkness, killing hundreds and thousands who stand in their way, all on the chance that they might be collaborators. The thought of any living soul collaborating with the Scourge is insane! And I can not and will not condone or support the murder of innocent lives, just so you can say ‘better safe than sorry,’ even if it means going a separate path than you and Mother.”
Katia was ready with her answer. “If you loved Father, you’d stay and help destroy those who murdered him.” But Katia was not ready for his response.
Nikolas crossed the distance to his sister in a half a second, burning holes into her plate armor and face with his look.
“Don’t you dare accuse me like that! I loved Father more than you’ll ever know! I was there with him when he died! I saw him murdered! And I have lived with that pain every day since!”
Katia was silent as Nikolas began to pace around the room. He came back to her after a moment.
“No, I didn’t spend as much time around Father as you had. Yes, I was off learning something different than what he wanted. But he respected me and my decision enough to recognize that was what I truly wanted, that I wanted something other than the path he and you chose. He was so proud of you for following the same path he did, for following the Light! And you don’t even recognize that!”
Tears had begun to well up in his sister’s eyes. She was silent for a moment.
“We honor Father by carrying on the battle he fought and died for. And you’re running away.” There was more than a touch of resentment in her voice.
“I’m not running away, little sister.” Nikolas was consciously trying to use a soft tone- he wanted nothing less than to leave on a bitter note. “But the way you and Mother are fighting this war, the way the Crusade is fighting it, is not honoring Father. Isillien claims to teach the Light, and the Crusaders claim to fight by the Light. But if Father were alive, he’d barely recognize the “Light” they use, because their “Light” is riddled with darkness and corruption and murder.”
“How would you know to recognize the Light?” Katia was trying to hold on to her anger, Nikolas thought. “You were never around to study it.”
“I learned it by watching Father. And I know that if he were here, he wouldn’t fight with the Crusade. Not like this. Father wouldn’t want you or Mother to lose yourselves to this corruption for his sake. And you know that’s true.”
Katia turned away to hide her now-flowing tears. But her sobbing gave it away. Nikolas walked over to her and tried to hug her, but she shrunk away from him.
“You’re wrong. You’re wrong about the Crusade, Isillien, Father, everything. And running away only makes you a coward.”
Nikolas’ tone became almost pleading. “Listen to yourself- I’m your brother, Katia. I’m not running from the war, I’m choosing to fight on a different front. I will fight the Scourge, but I will do so as I see fit, as clearly you must do. I hope, I will pray daily that the Light will bring us together again. But while you and Mother choose to walk a path dictated by evil and darkness, our paths must be separate.”
He gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him, although she still looked at the floor.
“Katia, I know that you believe you are doing is right. And I know you and Mother want revenge for Father’s death- I do as well. But I believe that although the Scarlet Crusade may have started by following the tenets of the Light, I can’t help but feel that somewhere along the way they lost sight of it. They’ve let dark thoughts and deeds and motives take over, and all that’s left is a shell of the Order of the Silver Hand, one that even Father couldn’t recognize.”
Katia looked up at him finally, and Nikolas thought he saw both pain and resentment.
“You’re wrong, you know. About everything. You think we’ve forsaken the Light? We battle against the Light’s very enemies. What greater threat could there be to the Light than creatures, abominations whose masters are the element of darkness, demons of the Shadow? And we will defeat them. We will drive them from existence itself, and we will do so by whatever means. We, the Scarlet Crusade, will be the saviors of Azeroth by defeating the Scourge down to the last monster. And on that day, you will see how wrong you were, how scared you were, and how small you are.”
Nikolas stared at her in disbelief- he knew she believed in the Crusade but until now had no idea how deeply its ideology had ensnared her mind. He nodded.
“Time will tell, like you said, little sister. But I fear for you, fear for what this…Crusade…will make of you, and I fear that I won’t recognize the little sister I love and try to protect.”
“I don’t need your protection. By the Light, the Crusade has all the protection I need.”
“Except from yourself.”
The siblings fell silent, Katia staring at Nikolas with cold eyes, he looking back with pity and sadness. Finally, Nikolas spoke.
“I’m leaving as soon as I’ve finished packing. I won’t have to worry about the Crusade arresting me, will I?”
His feeble attempt at humor dispelled some of the tension. Katia shook her head, “I wouldn’t dally if I were you. You aren’t going through the main gate, are you? The Crusade will ask a lot of questions if you just ride up with a bunch of stuff on your horse.”
“Dusk is only an hour away. I’ll go during the evening service.” Part of Nikolas was wary at telling her all his plans, but he felt he had to trust his own sister not to betray him. She wouldn’t, despite the argument they’d just had. “There’s a tree near the wall I can climb. You might want to cut it down after I’m out- easy way for spies to get in.”
“Just take care of yourself. I need someone to argue with after the war is over.”
Nikolas smiled, glad they weren’t leaving on bitter terms.
“I’m not out of this war, little sister. I’ll see you yet.”
“I’ll pray for it. You do the same, okay?”
“I plan to. You take care of Mother, alright?”
Katia nodded, finally calm from their row. She surprised Nikolas by hugging him and delivering a kiss on his cheek, which he gave to her in kind. One last look, then Katia turned and left.

Nikolas Leaves His Family, Part I

The door to Naya Tien’s bedroom opened. She looked up from her task of folding clothes and saw her son, Nikolas, standing there, faintly silhouetted by the firelight from the hearth in the next room.
“You’re back,” she said, relief visible on her face. “Were you seen?”
Nikolas smiled, though a bit weakly, she noticed. “If I was, I must have been scary enough to convince them not to do anything.”
Naya smiled back at her son’s comment. Every time he left to scout the enemy positions, she worried constantly until came back safe. And he always did.
“Anything important to report,” she asked, returning her attention to the clothes.
“Not this time. The Scourge is still well entrenched at Andorhal, and they don’t show any signs that they’re planning to move anytime soon.” Nikolas walked over to the window and sat on the sill, staring out through the glass. The sun would set soon, enveloping the world in darkness.
“Anyone we know die today?” Naya asked the question casually, for long months of war, especially a losing one, had numbed her, her family, and many others in town to death.
“No, not that I know of,” came the quiet reply.
“Then what’s bothering you?” She always knew when Nikolas had something on his mind, something he wanted to get out but couldn’t without prompting.
Nikolas took a deep breath, willing himself to speak. This had been coming for some time now.
“I’m leaving.”
“Where is your assignment this time,” she asked. “Or are you allowed to say?”
“There is no assignment,” was the soft answer.
Naya stopped folding clothes again and looked at her son. He was still looking through the window into the distance, as if trying to see something far off.
“What do you mean?”
Nikolas looked at his mother. “I mean I’m leaving Hearthglen. I don’t intend to return, at least not for a while.”
She laid the half-folded shirt in her hands down on the bed and walked over to the window where he son stood.
“Nikolas, what’s wrong? Tell me, please.”
“You know what’s wrong, mother.”
“Is it Isillien again?”
Nikolas chuckled. “You say that like he’s a schoolyard bully. You say that like I’m a child.”
“But that’s what it is, though,” she continued. They had debated the High Priest often over the last fortnight or so.
“Mother, it’s the same thing it has been for the last few weeks: Isillien, the Crusade, everything.”
“I thought we were over that, Nikolas,” she said, frowning.
“You and Katia are over it. None of this was ever an issue to you or her,” Nikolas responded, his voice becoming more earnest.
Naya assumed a stern look on her face. “Nikolas, why does Isillien bother you so much? Why is he such an obstacle for you?”
“Why do you trust him so much? You don’t really know him,” he shot back.
“I know that he wants to reclaim Lordaeron from the Scourge, something we all want. I know he believes in and uses the power of the Light, something we al believe in. And I know he feels the same pain of loss that our family does.”
Naya put her hand on her son’s shoulder. “Your father’s death is still very hard on all of us. I know, Katia knows, how especially hard it is for you, since you saw him killed- you were there beside him when he was murdered by those undead monsters.” Her voice cracked, and she wiped her eyes, which had become moist from emotion at the topic of Altus Tien’s death.
“It is hard,” Nikolas admitted. “I think about it every day. But is this, what Isillien teaches, the course Father would want us to walk?”
“What do you mean?”
Nikolas stood and started pacing, clearly agitated. “I’m talking about what I always talk about, Mother: Isillien, his teaching, his ‘Scarlet Crusade.’
“Can’t you see how extreme, how dangerous his mind is becoming? He has become so bent on fighting the Scourge, he can’t even see straight.”
“We should all be so dedicated to driving back those monsters,” Naya said, the fervor in her voice rising.
“Aye, and I want them gone as much as anyone, Mother, but at what cost? Isillien’s men have started treating everyone who doesn’t share their zeal or fervor as harshly as they treat the Scourge.”
“What do you mean,” Naya asked, her bow furrowed with concern.
“Isillien and his soldiers are labeling people who don’t follow his teaching and ideas as collaborators. They say that anyone who doesn’t support the Crusade is as good as an enemy like the Scourge, and that if you’re not with the Crusade, you’re against it.”
“And you disagree?”
Nikolas was taken aback at this challenge. “You’re bleedin’ right, I disagree. Mother, we’re talking about rage and a desire for vengeance against the Scourge, and it’s so strong, the Crusade can’t see friend from foe. To them, anyone not in a red and white tabard might as well have sunken eyes and flesh falling off his bones! Innocent people are being imprisoned and even executed because they won’t ‘join the Crusade!’ I’ve seen the executions myself, and it happens away from the eyes of the public. They don’t even get a trial!”
Naya took a deep breath. “I’m sure what you saw had an explanation.”
“But it never does, Mother! Every time I come to you, concerned about what I see in the Scarlet Crusade, you tell me there must be an explanation. But there never is. I talk to soldiers, and they’re silent. I try to get in to see Isillien, but he’s always unavailable. I write my concerns to him, but they go unanswered. And my family won’t listen either- you’re too caught up in Isillien’s teaching and greatness to see that he’s made fools of you all!”
Nikolas didn’t anticipate the strike that came from his mother’s hand to his cheek. She stared into his eyes, anger burning flames behind her own eyes.
“Wanting to destroy the same abominations that murdered your father is not foolish. Wanting to reclaim the home that was ripped away from you and your family is not foolish. It is not foolish to want to banish the same demons who have ruined life itself from the world! They took everything, Nikolas, everything but you and your sister. Isillien wants to claim it back, to try and rescue some small piece of the lives we had before. If extreme measures need to be taken to visit on the Scourge the same destruction and violence and ruin that they have brought to us, then so be it!”
“And what of those who aren’t undead, who don’t want to join this mad Crusade,” Nikolas shot back. Both he and his mother were standing, facing each other and staring hard into each other’s eyes.
“If they won’t help us, they’ll just get in the way. And they’ll just as likely end up as victims of the Scourge, raised to fight against us. It’s better that they die by our hand than by that of the Scourge. We’re doing them a service.”
Nikolas’ expression turned from one of determination to one of incredulity. “Can you hear yourself, Mother? Do you actually understand what you’re saying? You’re talking madness, the same madness Prince Arthas felt at Stratholme.”
“Don’t you dare compare the Crusade to Arthas and his downfall. He fell to the Scourge, yes, because he was beguiled by demons. The only way for us to avoid the same fate is to fight fire with fire, to have the strength to stand against the demons, no matter the cost.”
Nikolas sighed. “You’re talking just like Arthas did, Mother. Father and Uther and the other paladins left Prince Arthas because he talked like that.”
“You leave your father out of this! You don’t know what he would have done!”
“I know he wouldn’t have thrown away what he believed in, all for the sake of revenge.”
There was a long pause. Both continued to breathe, their breath burdened by the heavy conversation.
“And what about me, Mother,” Nikolas began quietly. “You know I don’t believe in the Scarlet Crusade, I don’t approve of their methods and ideology, and I have absolutely no intention of joining them. Am I to be arrested and executed as a collaborator as well?”
Naya was taken aback. “No, of course not,” she said, nearly stammering.
“And why not?”
“You’re different,” came her soft answer.
“And what makes me different,” Nikolas asked. “Why do I deserve special treatment?”
“Because you’re my son- and the son of Altus Tien. The Crusade will respect that,” she said, though to Nikolas, she sounded not altogether convinced.
“Mother, I am no better than anyone out there, much less those who have been murdered in the name of the Crusade. And it’s only a matter of time before one of those…Crusaders…decides I’m not pulling my weight. You know that will happen.”
Naya was quiet for a moment. When she finally spoke, it was almost a whisper.
“So you’re just leaving, then.” It was more of a statement than a question.
Nikolas’ face almost pled for her understanding, though he didn’t expect much of it.
“We don’t share the same view of this Crusade, you and I. I’m as angry and sad and pained as you are over Father’s death. And I want to be rid of the Scourge as much as anyone. But the road you and Katia and the others are choosing to walk is a dangerous one and for me, it heads to dark places. And I will not go down that road. Yes, the Undead are monsters, and yes, we must fight them. But what good is it to fight for our homes if we lose ourselves in that fight? You know I love you, Mother, and I want to stand with you and Katia and finish this war. But you are becoming consumed by revenge and hate, and that is something I can not and will not do. If I can’t be with my family, then I will go and find the place where I am needed. If that’s against the Scourge, so be it.”
He walked up to her. “If it is somewhere else, then that is where I will be.” An embrace and he kissed her on the forehead. Naya started to cry, but did not notice the tears in her own son’s eyes as he whispered into her ear.
“Come and find me anytime.”
And with that, Nikolas turned around and left.