Dragoncrest Cliffs The Freedom From Possession

the sound could not keep him; he felt the need to wander in his bones, a familiar ache. the lean ghost passed through the dark boughs of the blackpine forest within rusalka before pivoting and aiming himself for the entrance to the pack. the wind toyed with the jagged spikes of fur along his neck and shoulders. he had lost weight in that last month. the wildling had suffered the toll of his mental strain and his body reflected every devastating blow. illidan had drifted away from his youthful figure. instead, his hawkish gaze sat within the depths of looming shadows. his shoulders jutted from his back, and his ribs had just started to show through his ashen pelt.
 
through the towering stone guardians that sat on either side of the entrance to their pack, illidan passed beneath their shadows. his eyes drifted upward only once to the cliffside that loomed above the sound. birds of the water broke free of their perches along the sides of the stone and dove downward before swooping up into the tumbling grey skies. this gave him pause, but only for a moment before the weight of his chest urged him to move forward.
 
the ghost passed upward to the cliffs without truly knowing why he had ventured that way. when he had reached the highest point, he stopped to catch his breath. from there, the ocean seemed to stretch on into infinity. the wildling tried, but he could not see where the sea ended, and the skies began. a gust buffeted against his chest, rocking him back and forcing his eyes closed. when they reopened, he was met with the stoic figure of another hound upon the cliffs. for a moment, his breath caught in his throat. the sun shone down on the stranger’s frame, dappling him in glittering light that cast an ethereal glow on him. it cast out the majority of his darkest markings, for only a second.
 
illidan could have sworn it was his father…
 
but the clouds swept to cover the sun, and the world was cast into a gloomy haze. the ghostly youth blinked, shaking his head slowly from side to side before fixing his sights on the other man once more. all of his previous hopes had been dashed at the clearer sight of the stranger. he carried a similar physique, but his cloak was spattered with ink and slate. illidan released the breath he had been holding. his shoulders sank and his crown was lowered toward the earth. a low chuff was issued to garner the mysterious figure’s attention.