Author's Note: Rosette and Audric are back, but this time the story doesn't revolve around them. I wanted to take a different approach this time, making the story revolve mostly around the antagonist and her development. The setting for this story takes place in real-time Cata, since most of Nine Lives revolved around Northrend. It may be a year ahead of actual Cata, but don't let timelines discourage you, cause they're doing it to me already. :P

I also decided to drop the time stamps in this story, since time won't matter so much in it.

Chapter One

Breakdown

Obsidian Forest, Twilight Highlands

Cringing from the twilight curse slowly eating away at her remaining sanity, Sedisa focused her thoughts on the skies above her. The red and black dragonflights fought each other tooth and nail, her brothers and sisters in dragonkin dying around her, falling from the sky while she simply sat on a obsidian branch and watched. They had their battles to fight, their reasons to kill, just as she did. Her reasons were far different from theirs. While the flights of dragons fought for what they thought was right, Sedisa's reason lay within her heart.

It had been nearly a year and a half since that battle, she had never forgotten, she had never forgiven. Silent rage built up over months, twisting, seething hatred. She didn't care how many more months it would take, how much sanity she had left after her conversion, she had made a promise, a promise to wipe that half-elf mutt off the face of the planet. She thought about it every day, plotting, obsessing over her mistakes and how to correct them. Her day would soon come, soon enough it would.

The day after her battle with Audric, Sedigosa had flown as far as her broken body could carry her. When she could no longer fly she had found herself in the war-torn lands of the Twilight Highlands. For months she had watched the battles under the guise of her high-elf of Sedisa, learning while her wounds healed slowly with time. She would never be the same however, blind in the eye Ashaldan had stabbed, a long scar went over her left eye while the iris remained scarred and a milky white. She felt out of place among the red and black dragonflights, keeping mostly in her elven form she managed to keep below the nose of the dragons as long as she stayed out of reach.

However while the dragons of the red and black flight could not detect her, the twilight dragons seemed to sense the magic that radiated off her much more clearly. Perhaps it was the fact that most twilight dragons were born from either red or blue dragon eggs, the ones of azure decent could detect magic much more easily. Sedisa had been found out by the twilights, and was captured while she was still in her weakened state. The Twilight cult managed to make her return to her blue dragon form, but with the power of magic that seeped from her, they would use her to their advantage. Instead of killing her, they began to convert her.

The process would be long, mind numbing, the curse would take time to fully consume her, sanity included. Each day that passed while she was imprisoned, it was like there was a constant nail scratching at her mind, the conversion doing it's job and slowly taking over her. Her wings were starting to change from that light blue to the dark purple that the twilight dragons were known for. They managed to keep her presence sealed away, until she had had enough. She held tight to the sanity she still had, and managed to escape the clutches of the twilight.

Perhaps it wasn't the best choice she had made coming here, the thought of being far enough away from Audric was like candy to a small child. She needed that release and her wings gave her it. But now it was time to act before her body was consumed by the curse of twilight. She had to make amends before she lost her mind to the cult. She would find Audric and kill him, even if she had to kill others to get to him.

Sedisa continued to watch the battle above her, head tilted back far like someone would watching a show of fireworks in the sky. Her hands rested on her knees as she watched, her mouth a thin line as if she were unamused by the show. She was concentrating, trying to put up barriers in her mind to down out the scratching the curse constantly gave to her sanity.

"Look at you up there … fighting one another. I almost feel envious." Sedisa spoke, the wind of a passing drake whipping her hair about her face. "Do you even know what you're fighting for? Are you fighting to give this world more time to live? To thrive? Or are you fighting to give me more time ... giving everyone more time..."

Elwynn Forest

"Come on, walk to mommy!" Rosette smiled as she held her arms out. Across from her stood a child, no more then a year old. Her eyes shined a deep green like her mother's, while the short hair on her head was a deep brown, taking after her father. Her ears were slightly pointed as well. The child smiled as she held her arms back out to Rosette, thought was afraid to take the steps to her.

"Still too afraid?" Audric smiled as he entered the small house, Kamp trotting in after him and heading strait over to the child to lick her face, causing her to fall on her rump.

"Little Marabelle is still a little frightened, she'll get the hang of it though." Rosette smiled, watching as her daughter laughed while the fox playfully licked her face.

"Of course she will." He smiled as he knelt, patting his child on her head. "She's a smart kid, she's already learned how to say 'Mama' and I'm hoping she ops for my name next."

Rosette smiled, giving a small laugh as she closed her eyes. She never imagined her life would turn this way within the short time she had known Audric. She couldn't help the bond that drew her to him, and she knew the moment after they had made it from Icecrown, she needed to be with him. She never regret that decision she had made to stay at his side for the rest of her life. Rosette stood, leaving Marabelle in Kamp's care as she moved to Audric's side.

He smiled as he looked down at her, kissing the top of her head as he moved an arm around her and held her close to him. Audric loved Rosette with his life, even with the forewarning that Sedisa had given him, he didn't care if he outlived her. He would spend them time he had with her till her dying breath, and mourn her the rest of his own. He held his wife close in a loving embrace, looking into the beautiful eyes he had fell in love with on first sight. His head lowered, leaning in to kiss her before the sound of fluttering wings caught his ear.

"Tula, so nice of you to visit." Audric smiled, gently pulling away from his wife to move to the door. He swung the door open, the pink and purple Hippogryph cooing softly as she held an envelope in her beak

"What's this?" Audric reached out, taking the envelope and breaking the blue wax seal on it. He reached inside, taking the paper and unfolding it to see a message written in blue ink.

I'm waiting.

"Audric, what is that?" Rosette looked at the note, her head tilted a little in slight confusion.

"It's a note, I'm not sure who it's from." He spoke, looking up to Tula who tilted her head in confusion as well. He stared down at the letter, looking at the envelope for some sort of return address.

"Look!" Rosette suddenly gasped out, pointing to the note. Audric's attention turned to the note once more, his eyes widening as the letter began to shimmer like blue runes, moving around the paper before forming another note.

Have you already forgotten, Audric?

"Forgotten? Forgotten what?" He asked the paper, the letters moving around, forming another message for him to follow.

It's been almost two years, I should expect you to forget our little … quarrel.

"I … wait … Sedisa?"

Good, you haven't forgotten who I am after all.

"What do you want?" Rosette blurted out, glaring around Audric at the paper as once again the blue letters swirled to form a new sentence.

I aim to finish what was started. I have recovered, for the most part. It is now time to put an end to this.

"Forget it. I have moved on with my life, you should as well Sedisa." Audric growled under his breath as he spoke.

You have no choice in the matter I'm afraid. Either you come to me, or I come to you, and I'm sure you don't want anything happening to your … offspring.

"How does she..." Rosette looked back at her child, Marabelle had fallen asleep on Kamp, who curled himself around her like a living pillow and blanket.

"... Where are you?" Audric's voice was low, his hair fell about his face, forming a shadow over his eyes almost.

"Wait, you can't … we just can't-" He wife began to protest, but she was cut short when he held his hand up to her.

"We do not have a choice Rose, I would rather us go to her and end this, then have her come here and put our daughter, the entire city of Stormwind in danger.

"I guess you're right." She sighed softly, her head hanging dejectedly.

Twilight Highlands. Once you arrive, I will know. There is no need for farther location.

At those last words the letter suddenly burst into blue flames, burning up in Audric's hand and causing him the throw it on the floor to stomp it out. He glared down at the smoldering remains, a look of disgust on his face before he stomped on them a final time. He let out a deep sigh, looking back to his wife as she just stared at him blankly.

"Who's going to watch Mara?" Audric sighed as he looked down at his daughter.

"Oh! I know! I'm sure my guild-" Rosette began to speak before she cut herself off, remembering that most of the members of her guild were drunks, and last time they had the care of someone's pet, they tried throwing it into the forge in Ironforge to see if it could swim in lava. Luckily it was a bird, so their plan didn't go too well.

"You know … maybe we should find someone else..."

Dunwald Ruins, Twilight Highlands

The glass cracked and splintered wood snapped as her boots walked over them. Sedisa walked the ruins of the once great dwarven town, now reduced to rubble from the Twilight Cult's attacks. She cringed a moment, leaning forward and glaring at her skin of her shoulder as it was starting to take a purple hue. Not even in this form could she escape the corruption that was eating away at her. It looked like a large bruise, growing larger, never healing.

She ground her teeth at the thought of her body being fully corrupted by this curse. However she wouldn't let this stop her. Sedisa stood in thought as she once again was putting up mental barriers, unaware of the stomping coming up behind her. A large club slung over it's shoulder, the large beast known as an Ettin stomping towards her. Groaning out the beast rose the club, swinging it down just in time for her to lift her head to look at it.

Sedisa was hit with the club, it smacking her and sending her crashing into a nearby broken down building. She cried out, cringing in pain as splintered wood pierced her skin. The Ettin growled out, stomping towards her again with intent to finish the job. She watched the large beast raise the club again, her eyes beginning to glow blue before the beast roared out in pain. Her eyes stopped glowing, this was not her doing.

Behind the Ettin the sound of metal against flesh tore through the air. The large beast whipped around, swinging his club at something Sedisa couldn't really see. The being moved quickly, staying behind the monster like a shadow until a sword stabbed into the Ettin's back. It was paralyzed from a strike to the spine, the large creature falling to the ground while the once mysterious figure moved to claim their sword. Sedisa's eyes widened on sight of her savior.

Tail swayed softly behind the beast as he made his way up the Ettin's back. On his arm was a large shield which he easily carried, his frame large, gray fur covered his entire body from what she could see on unarmored parts of his body. He walked casually up the beast's back before he reached the head, taking his sword and plunging it into the back of it's head and removing it from it's misery. He removed the sword, leaping off to the side where he began to wipe the blood into the grass. Sedisa watched the Worgen for a time before his attention turned to her, a smile lifting his lips.

"Ya' alright there?" He called out to her, then his yellow eyes fell upon the splintered wood that been stabbed into her leg.

"I'm fine." She growled out, forcing herself to a stand. She was surprised to see the worgen already in front of her once she stood up.

"Let me see yer wounds." The worgen insisted, his large, rough hands setting on her shoulders to look at her leg, then his eyes settled on the purple skin near her back. "Och, already brusin'. Don' ya' worry one bit, I'll fix ya' right up."

"I don't need your help!" Sedisa snapped at him, growling under her breath as she tried to move away.

"Don' be making yer injuries worse!" He huffed, letting her go and placing his sword within it's sheath before taking her hand in his. Her dainty hand seemed to vanish within the gray fur of his own, and before she knew it she was picked up into his arms.

"W-What? Would you put me down? For the last time I'm fine!" She struggled, trying to pull herself out of his arms but his grip was far too strong. She considered shifting into her dragon form and crushing the mutt, but that would expose her to the Twilight Cult, surely she'd be captured again.

"What's yer name, if you don' mind me askin'." The worgen looked down at her as she struggled to get free even as he casually talked to her.

"Sedisa Flameheart." She growled out, then simply gave up. He was just too strong and easily overpowered her in this form.

"Nice to meet ya' Sedisa, I am Edmond Coterel." The worgen smiled at her, giving her a small wink before laying her down on the grass. Her eyes fixated on him, she watched as he lifted her leg to look at the wound the wood had made. She was surprised his eyes adverted away from looking under her torn robe, as he focused mainly on removing the wood he could from her leg, using his claws like a pair of tweezers. Sedisa cringed as he removed larger pieces of wood, Edmond calming her by trying to go about it more carefully.

"Now, let me see here..." He muttered under his breath a moment, leaning over and removing some embersilk bandages from his side pouch. He pulled something else out, a small bottle of a healing potion. Pouring the red liquid onto the bandage, he then began to wrap up her leg, making sure it was tight once he was finished.

"Are you done?" Sedisa asked, her tone was fairly close to sounding annoyed.

"Done my lady." He smiled, then lifted her to examine her back. "This here is a nasty bruise though. I think I can fix it however."

"Don't touch it!" She shot up from the ground, turning her back away from him as she moved her hands to try and hide the cursed marks.

"Alright, relax. I won' be touchin' it okay?" Edmond smirked, leaning back into the grass as his tail wagged behind him. Sedisa wasn't sure if she should thank him or pat him on the head for a job well done.

"Er … well … thank you." She finally managed to get out, she wanted to turn and leave, but he did just save her life, even if she didn't need it. Pride was pushing it's way into her train of thought, she must ow him something now. "If I can … repay you somehow?"

"There's no need for it, I'd jus' like to see ya' recover quickly. Perhaps that's wut ya' can do for me, let me watch over ya' and make sure ya' get better." He smiled, giving a small snicker. "I'll be yer guard dog."

"Fine fine, whatever." Sedisa rolled her eyes, limping off while Edmond pushed up off the ground and followed after her. This wasn't exactly what she needed, more distraction to focus her thoughts else where besides the fight she would have to go through soon enough. But then again, he could serve as a distraction for the impending curse that scratched at the door of her mind. Maybe he could help keep her thoughts on other things besides the nagging pain it brought.

Edmond followed after her like a dog would his master, and this slightly annoyed Sedisa. He was acting too much like he owned her, or rather the other way around. If anything even came remotely close to her, he would growl threateningly and drive them away. The elf put a hand over her face as she gave it a slap. What had she gotten herself into?