The Cruelty of Choice  

{picture in comments at the end}

Druidic art is an interesting school of magic from our past, for it allows one to become like a beast! However, this doesn't come without risk, for if one is not careful, they may end up like the Worgan! Cursed forever to wander the world in madness! A fate not too similar to our own, as we blood Elf's tinker with magic beyond our understanding! But I digress, now if only Illidan actually had the patience to learn from our once powerful demigod, then perhaps he wouldn't have lusted after fel- magics!

But then again, I simply can't fully blame the man! After all, our all-powerful demigod Cenarius died at the hand of some ill begotten green skin monkey of an orc! So much for the most powerful druid in the world! He couldn't even protect himself! Let alone the forests of old.

→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Excerpt from the biography of Blood mage Drazial

[Hehe!] laughed Azael as he threw Lanthios back into that pit!

Growling, Lanthios shook off the sand and dirt off his pants, as he waited to see what this psycho had planned next.

[Good! Good! It's great to see you with so much energy at this late hour! Now it's time to continue your combat training!] said Azael with a smile as he clapped his hands

With the start of his clap, a few blood knights came up to the hole while escorting the most beautiful night elf girl, Lanthios had ever seen!

{So that's how they look in real life… well fuck me! hot dam! I mean sure the dark cloud covering her eyes needs work, but I'm sure that just some lame brain washing magic anyway! The key in this fight is going to be beating her without killing her… wait… fight? OH! This is going to hurt!} thought Lanthios to himself as he stared at the night elf, for he feared that she may be like those Elfs describe in the lore.

Seeing Lanthios so enthralled by the night elf, Azael yelled with much mockery:

[Oh! What's is this! Is the mut already in heat! HA! You're barely five years old, but then again you are a dog!]

But while Azael was having the time of his life, Layla who was watching form the side thought:

[Dummy! You belong to me! Why are you wagging your tail for another!]

But as she thought that she didn't truly understand why she was feeling a little jealous.

As the night elf jumped into the pit, a moon suddenly appeared above Lanthios head! While looking up Lanthios thought:

{This… is going to hurt!}

With painful thoughts, the moon above his head shot down a beautiful white beam of concentrated heat right on top of Lanthios precious fur!

While watching Lanthios scream from the sudden pain, the night elf transformed into the classic bear form that Lanthios was all too familiar with. Readying himself as his fur burned, Lanthios allowed the animal within to take over, for what better weapon to use when fighting another beast, but a beast of oneself! But as their claws met, Lanthios was pushed back! Instinctually knowing he was no match in terms of strength.

Lanthios switch to hit and run tactics, for the bear was too slow to do sharp turns, as Lanthios clawed at its side or from behind. Annoyed that it couldn't hit its more agile foe, the night elf swaps back to her normal body to land another moon-fire, while at the same time changing into its feral form!

With the change, the fight became more of a brawl, for both sides used the walls around to jump at each other's throats! As they hugged one another, they aggressively clawed out chunks of flesh or chewed it through their fur! But while covered in bite marks and bleeding, Lanthios took a moment to catch his breath, for now he realized his one advantage was gone! Knowing he had to change the way he was fighting; he began to frantically calm his mind to retake control.

But as he was trying to retake control, his opponent noticed a momentary lapse in his movement! Taking advantage of the opportunity presented, she quickly jumps on Lanthios while transforming back into her bear form! Now on his back, trying very hard to not get his throat bitten out! He mustered all the strength he could to try to throw her off of himself, only to fail for his strength just wasn't up to par with a half-ton bear! While losing strength, his heart deep within his chest drummed to its beat!

Bum…BUM! With each beat from his fragile heart, Mana would course through his veins! With eyes glowing in frantic light, Lanthios grabbed shut the mouth of the bear! While the bear's mouth was held tightly in his grasp, a hammer of light came down from the sky, but before the hammer hit home, a beautiful strike of blue lighting came down and fused with the hammer, transforming the glorious yellow hammer into a pure white light!

Seeing the hammer was about to strike like a thunderbolt, the bear suddenly covered herself in white flames! Unfortunately, her makeshift flame shield didn't consume the hammer like she thought it would! Shocked that the gift Elune had given her failed! She screamed and spasmed from the pain as the hammer slammed onto her back! As blood escaped her lips and nostrils, the cover in her eyes faded, as she shifted back into a normal elf! While looking at his unconscious foe, Lanthios began to cast lesser healing waves on himself that took him all day to learn.

But as he was healing his wound, Azael who was watching the entire fight, was both annoyed and interested that the mut was able to fuse both light magic and nature magic into one! But more importantly he was interested in the corpse of the night elf… for he wanted that white flame power for himself! The only problem being the fact she wasn't a corpse…yet! But knowing he couldn't just kill her himself, as that would bring him problems from that brat's family. So, thinking quickly he yelled:

[Mongrel! What do you think you are doing? Your opponent still breathes! Finish her now! We have no place for weaklings! Ha! Don't tell me your feelings for her are true now…]

Hearing Azael's annoying voice, Lanthios looked at the beautiful sleeping night elf for a second before looking back at Azrael, he then growled back at him in response while not moving an inch!

Seeing the mut defiant attitude, Azael becomes enraged and places curse after curse onto Lanthios!

[You dare defy my orders! You are but a slave! Now act like one and kill the bitch! Don't tell me you're going to act like this every time you see a pretty face! If that's the case maybe I should have you slaughter dozens of beautiful women! Maybe that will get it through your thick skull!] said Azael as he watched Lanthios just stand there with his arm crossed against his chest.

Seeing Lanthios just stand there ignoring the pain and his threats Azael yelled:

[What do you hope to accomplish by not killing her, don't you get that killing her would be more merciful than to let her live as a slave? Fine if you won't kill her then maybe I will just make you watch, as I have dozens of captured trolls, have "fun" with her!]

Now hearing that really pissed off Lanthios as his eyes shined in brilliance like never before! Seeing the mut ready to retaliate, Azrael intensified his curse to the breaking point! Causing Lanthios to fall to the floor screaming in such pain! Pain that Layla was forced to watch!

Seeing the blood pour from his nostril, and drip from his mouth, as he spasmed on the floor, Layla couldn't take it anymore; she rushed to Azael, only to be knocked away in annoyance. Knowing full well she wouldn't be able to calm the man. Panicking, she looked at the night elf and made the only choice she could!

As Lanthios laid there on the floor while glaring defiantly through the pain, he locked eyes with Azael, while giving him the middle finger! With bursting anger veins, Azael squeezed as much pain as possible form Lanthios! But through the pain and indignation, Lanthios vice grip his glaives while his blood dropped down his hands! With vengeful eyes did Lanthios roar!

But as he was going to throw his weapon, a big and beautiful burning butterfly came flying into the pit! Lanthios and Azrael both stared at the butterfly in slow motion as it struck the night elf! Engulfing her in its warmth embrace! Feeling its heat, the night elf opened her gentle eyes to look at the moon, as the fire that consumed her, she felt no pain, no sorrow. For she was finally going to embrace Elune after decades of imprisonment!

As the night elf turned to look at Layla, she gave her the most graceful, smiled Layla has ever seen and said:

[Thank you!]

Seeing the night elf burning to ash, Layla couldn't take it and broke down crying! While Azael strove off angrily away, even knowing the fact Layla stole his prize, he couldn't just punish Layla yet! No matter how much he wanted to at the moment, for the damage transfer would probably kill the mut!

Seeing Layla crying, Lanthios willed himself out of the hole, with great difficulty! But as he approached her, she looked up to see just how badly wounded Lanthios really was! Seeing him stand there bleeding so much, with claw marks throughout his body. While knowing full well that was just the outside injuries! She ran to embrace him while screaming:

[I had no choice! I didn't want to do it! But I couldn't stand the thought of losing you more! You're my only family…]

Before she could even finish talking, Lanthios fully embraced her, while letting her vent as much as she needed to. But as his bloody arms and burned fur landed on the poor girl crying in his arms, he thought to himself:

{Sigh, how can I be such a failure of a man! To let a six-year-old kill someone… I… even made her cry…. I really am a failure as a person…}