The Exodar Attack

Tensions were high in the Exodar ever since Kayaara set sail with the Echoes. It was obvious to anyone that Velen was under much stress, even if he tried to conceal it. Nobundo and the shamans were working harder than usual, and were not even taking in any training for the time. The worry only made the citizens of the Exodar feel worse, unsure of what was to happen, but it was obvious to anyone that there was definitely something up.

Kalaru’s job at this time was to take care of Korena. It was nothing too hard, seeing as Korena was an adult now – she knew how to take care of herself (even if Kayaara seemed to think otherwise). Still, 

Kalaru knew just how protective the older draenei was of her sister (step-sister? half-sister?) and a job was a job. The anchorite moved into the small chambers Kayaara and Korena resided in a while ago actually, so it was not even much of a change.

“You know, I think I met you a while ago. Like, in Draenor. Were you there?” Korena asked from her bed, laying down the opposite way with her head nearing the floor, hooves touching the very top.

Kalaru shook her head. “That must have been someone else, Ren. I’ve stayed here ever since we arrived.”

“Oh… I was certain I saw you. Maybe it was your alternate version? That – oh that would be really awesome! Did you meet your alternate self? I bet she was cool like you, Kalaru.”

“I can’t say I have met her. You are the only person from the alternate world who I have had the pleasure of meeting.”

Korena let out a quiet sigh, looking over to Kalaru now who was sat at the desk with a book in her hands. She couldn’t quite see what the book was about, but the anchorite appeared to be interested enough in it. “There were a lot of people in Draenor that I miss now. I don’t even know if Laaniyr or Myasha or Cillyn or Haa—“

The words were interrupted by a strange rumbling in the ground. Kalaru’s eyes immediately flew up from the book, throwing it down to the ground as she stood up. Her eyes showed true fear, and it made Korena sit up the correct way around, then stood up as well. “Kalaru? Kalaru, what is going on?”

“Dear, come along. Quick!” Kalaru gave Korena no time to grab anything, reaching to grip onto the younger Draenei’s arm as she manoeuvred around the room towards the door. Another crash sounded, this time enough to shake the ground, Kalaru very nearly falling from the shake, but Korena managed to keep her steady while a flow of questions flew from her mouth.

“What’s going on?”

“Is everything going to be okay?”

“Is it an earthquake?”

“Are we… Are we going to die?”

“Where’s Kayaara?”

She received no reply to any of the questions she asked, Kalaru too focused on getting out of the room to even hear anything Korena was saying. They made it out of the room in quick time, only to be faced with a large green structure beginning to form just to the left of the entrance to the room. Kalaru knew all too well what this meant, coming from Argus herself, but Korena had a harder time understanding what it really was. Of course, it was obviously a danger but what it actually was was a mystery to the younger.

“Kalaru… Kalaru, what is going on? Tell me!”

“Not until we’re safe. We have to leave. Now.” Kalaru tugged on Korena’s wrist to get her to move again, the clashing and the crunching of the strange machine forming and breaking through the 

ground getting more and more frequent with each passing second.

Korena could tell that the situation was increasingly dire, and Kalaru wanted them to leave as soon as possible, yet… How could she just leave like this? Draenei men and draenei women ran around scared for their life, children hiding under tables and behind boxes, and the anchorites and peacekeepers standing guard ready for the oncoming attack… How could Korena just run away?

What would Kayaara do?

What would Kayaara want?

Kalaru impatiently stopped, looking around the broken ship while waiting for Korena to move. Korena was pulled out of her trance, and looked at Kalaru. Her eyes pleaded for Korena to move, to trust her, and that was the moment where Korena bowed her head, brows furrowing, and began to run towards the ramp leading out.

A deep rumbling in the ground caused an eruption below their feet, slow at first, giving plenty of time for the two draenei to run away, but Korena merely stood still. Kalaru lost the grip of Korena’s hand, her mind telling her to run but her heart telling her to grab Korena again, ensure her safety over all. That’s what Kayaara would do.

But Kalaru… Kalaru was scared. She’s seen this all before, the situation almost exactly the same from when she first had to run from her own home, own planet.

And so she ran.

She ran until the crumbling ship that she’s learned to call her home showed an opening, the usually shimmering night sky a swirling, corrupted, clouded green mess reigning destruction onto her home. 

There was no longer a reason for Kalaru to remain calm and collected – the one thing she was supposed to take care of was still down below – and now she could feel warm tears falling down her face, cheeks wet and the tears staining her dress.

With as much strength as she could muster as she reached the exit of the Exodar, she held her fist high into the air, and called onto the Light: “pheta vi acahachi!” With the power of Kalaru’s words, Light began to seep into her skin, through her fingertips until a barrier began to form around her body as if protecting her from any kind of demonic attacks as she ran for the pier.

It was silly to think of finding anything at the pier – boats, ships, or any kind of transport. She’d never fully learned the timetable of the boat to Darnassus (of course, she had no reason to before), but with this invasion she was certain that no boat would dock here for a few days, if not weeks. Still, this was Kalaru’s last hope of getting away from the attack.

As expected, no boats were docked, but there was a pack of many draenei and even a select few dwarves, humans and night elves bunched around the dock, angry and panicked shouting alike causing almost as much chaos as below in the city. Kalaru slowed her steps as she neared the pack of screaming citizens, her shield already beginning to fade from around her. Everyone here were too wrapped up in their own feared shouting, not even noticing the new draenei joining the crowd – not that Kalaru minded. She looked at each draenei in turn, if not just for that slight hope that one of them was Korena, because that could have happened, right? She found her own way out, just as Kalaru was hoping.

It just wasn’t the case. From what Kalaru could count, from the draenei, there were four men and six women (two of which were elderly) and a mixture of three younger children. None of which held Korena’s resemblance. Kalaru went to reach out for the closest person to her, of who happened to be a night elven man adorned in rich cloth robes. He seemed to be one of the most level headed of the few in this situation, and as he felt a hand touch his arm, he turned around to see Kalaru, one brow raised and he moved to the side along with her to at least give them some sense of quiet amongst the rabble.

“What did you want?”

“Sorry – what – is there a boat due?”

“Oh, no. No boats as far as we know. No one is giving anyone a chance to talk though, and I just want to find a solution.” The elf sighed deeply, two fingers pressing against his nose. “I wish there were some way for us to just help everyone down there now. Most of us here are just simple workers.”

Kalaru pondered for a moment, and then, putting her hand on the elves’ arm, looked into his eyes. “Can we – can we make a portal?” And then, voice louder in order to be heard by some of the others: “is there a mage here? Please!”

After no reply from the small crowd, the elf brought Kalaru’s attention back to him. “A portal! Of course, that’s a brilliant idea.” The meteors from the sky served as a reminder that time was definitely not on their side, crashing into the fallen ship and creating an even greater fear into the group of people. The elf, however, appeared to remain calm, even when the meteors fell more and more urgently.

“I should be able to create a portal to Dalaran – but only briefly.” The elf pushed himself through the group of people, and Kalaru followed, until he stopped just at the start of the dock. Clearing his throat, he pressed his hands together, and in a clear, sharp voice, spoke loudly in Draenic. “Attention! Everyone, keep your voices down and listen to me. I will create a portal, and you all will be safe. I only ask for you to send for help as soon as you can.”

Everyone was silent as soon as his voice travelled through the air, waiting in patience as he spoke. And then from his hands, a charge of arcane energy flowed between his fingers, and he turned away from the crowd as the small mirror of Dalaran began to materialise between everyone’s eyes. The elf, once the portal was opened, and the image was clear to be what looked to be a bedroom, he tilted his head. “Go. Now!”

One by one – children first – the citizens began to rush past the elf, past Kalaru, and into the portal, no second thoughts. Kalaru had wondered if Korena was still going to show herself running down from the path, but as the group thinned down and the elves’ strength began to waver, she was running out of time to wait.

Kayaaya would at least want one of them to return, wouldn’t she? She would understand. That’s what Kayaara was best at; Kalaru would apologise and promise she tried her best and offer Kayaara a hug and they could come back and help fend off the attackers. It would all be okay.

Kalaru took a deep breath, and took a step though the portal.

Pheta vi acahachi –light give me strength