Ebon Nights #2: Chelody Smallwing

Murlocs, Eeeeeek!

Hello again, everyone, it’s me, Rayala Alleria – your friendly Ebon Knights personal walking PR campaign, reminding you that we’re good guys now, and Runeknight is a much, much prettier word than Death Knights!

If only Mograine would go for it!

But hey, Ebon Nights is returning much quicker than expected, and that’s what this article shall be. Issue number two, with the amazing, awesome Rose Mother, Chelody Smallwing.

A little back history on Chelody. She’s what happens when you combine one hundred of Azeroth’s neatest things into a kaldorei druidess, and then turn her awesome knob to eleven. That’s right, the awesome just exloded into atmospheric awesome!

And I don’t even know what that means – but hey, she’s that awesome! Anyways, our ‘date’, if you could call it that, found us on a picnic in Elwynn forest, out near Crystal Lake, and nowhere near Golddiggershire. A rather casual affair if I may say so myself, and it was great to have a day off from gruntwork in the Citadel. If I have to bend over and pick up another weary soldier’s armor one more time, I’m going to lose it. Such a weird request!

“Hello, miss Chelody, thanks again for coming out here with me today. This should be exciting!”

“Happy to be having such a nice picnic with a friend Raya! Ah- the cake is delicious by the way!” (Chelody might have already have crumbs all over her face. So cute!)

“Wait til I bring out the danishes! My poppa was a sweets baker, and i learned a few good things from that! Will be a nice reward for finishing the interview without choking me, hee.”

“Ah- I do not really umn… choke people. I’m very much against violence if it can be avoided. I cannot promise I won’t hug you. Especially for the cake.”

“This is an ideal I can stand behind! So you’re against violence, but you’re definitely not a pacifist, especially being a druid. What’s that like, anyhow; being a druid?”

“Umn… forgive the pun but it comes rather naturally to me. Though I do not really rely on animal instincts. I commune with nature for my results. Err… the calmer, more nuturing parts. Growth, life, that kind of thing.”

“Yes, it’s quite well known that you’re a healer, and a rather proficient one at that. Recently, we spoke about your ability to heal those such as myself, and you mentioned learning the trick behind it from the druids who revere the Earth Mother?”

“Oh, yes. I learned that there is a way to temporarily manipulate dead cells into an almost umn… kind of life. You stimulate them enough to knit a wound or seal something up. They return to their decaying status later… but it is one way to patch things up.”

“Do you think, perhaps, that if a powerful enough charge of th emagic was used, possibly beyond that even considered possible, that our conditions could be reversed, completely restoring our former lives?”

“Ah- I’m not really sure… the problem here is that the necromatic magic used to raise the dead is still there, and it fights what we do every step of the way. Necromatic magic and nature… do not really work well together. I guess… it could be possible. But that would take a -lot- of power. And druids willing to do it. I know I would, if given the chance. But it is a very unnatural idea.”

“Unnatural indeed. I’ll cake to that!” (Sorry, readers, I just needed an excuse for more cake!) “Tell us a little bit about your  society, The Order of the Rose?”

“Well, the Order of the Rose was founded about… six years ago, and originally meant to only include paladins and to be used as a defense and offense task force. It was started by a paladin I really only knew as Lord Thornt. Then when he retired from duties, it was passed to Miss Himistu. She Molded it to be more of a defense team… we of course were accepting almost anyone. People who needed second chances in society and wanted to help the alliance to redeem themselves. When she became ill, it was passed on to myself and Miss Kalice Avery, We molded the Rose into an amnesty group. We deliver first aid, food and various supplies to front lines and villages. Ah- whatever we can do to make people’s lives a little better.”

“It’s quite a storied history as well, to my understanding. These days, you’re pretty firmly against your members going on the offense against the horde, I believe? Much like in Varenna’s interview, she, and many others think the war is a distraction from the greater good. Do you believe it has potential to cost us all some day?”

“I do really. I wonder if our leaders see the potential of allying ourselves. Each culture within the horde and the alliance has something unique and beneficial to offer each other. The Sin’Dori with their understanding of Magic, the Tauren and their relationship with the Earthmother, The forsaken don’t even need to sleep anymore! The Trolls have an ancient and amazing civilization… I know that our cultures have clashed horribly, and it has caused people untold pain. I am not saying that the old grudges aren’t justified, but I think that if people could start looking to the future, we could ensure the survival of our planet and possibly usher in a very well deserved time of peace.”

“Yes! I, for one, know I would aboslutely love to go for  a picnic in Mulgore! I’d even help them with their nasty kobold infestation! More cake?”

“Oh please! Ah- I’m sorry if I am being a bit long winded! Ehehe, you got me on a subject I actually know!”

“I’m having fun. I mean, sure, I look ecstatic in torturing Varenna last week, but she’s giggle-worthy like that! Speaking of Varenna – she  recently left her society, The Wildfire Riders, due to differences. It’s been documented the Rose and Riders have had their run-ins. Can I ask your opinion on things, or will I get cake to the face?”

“Ah- I support Miss Varenna in her persuit of whatever makes her happy. She is a very good friend and deserves it.”

“And just for the record, not at all to make her blush and squirm, and hide, and chase me with her shield after reading this – she’s super cute, isn’t she?!”

“Ah- she really is. But that had better be off record! I don’t want to make her mad!”

“*Cough!* Totally off-record! *Cough!* So! You fellas have an annual party, and it’s like, huge! It’s called the Rose Ball, and all sorts of exciting things happen. Tell us a bit about it?”

“Well uh… each year we have it as a sort of way of celebrating Azeroth and its people. We have games, contests, music and fireworks. We pick a different and exciting location each time! A lot of time and effort goes into each ball, and months of planning.”

“Any spoilers into the next one? Even a teensie little tidbit of information, so i can brag about reporting it first?”

“Ah- sorry, you’ll just have to wait like everyone else! They’d kill me if I started spreading rumors!”

“Oh, well gosh. I didn’t wanna have to do this, but I suppose I will now!”

“Do what?”

“Create spoilers! Readers at home. At the next Rose Ball, the cutest knight across two worlds will be in attendance. And I heard there’s going to be a kiss booth, with all proceeds going to help the orphans! …All just speculation of course, don’t believe me! Oh, and cake!”

“Ehehe- the Rose promises none of those things! Ah- can we move on with the questions please? *Giggle*”

“Fine, fine. I won’t risk you getting tarred and feathered! Speaking of questions, how about we start the twenty-five questions game?”

“Oh! *munchsnarf* That sounds like fun!”

“Muhahahahaha! Ahem, erm… Yes, very fun! And here we go!  One;  Have you ever stolen from the proverbial cookie jar? If so, explain.”

“…Umn… I’m afraid I do not understand that question. I uh…have snuck cookies before, if that is what you mean!”

(Author’s note: Two for two on people not understanding this question. Seek new number one!) “Umm, well, it’s an old story thing. Mother has her cookie jar in reach of where her child can take cookies from it, but he’s not supposed to. Make it metaphorical for things in life, such as, have you ever stole a friend’s lover, paid a blind man less than asking for wares, ecetera?”

“Umn… no, not that I can think of. I always pay asking price, and I’d never steal a friends lover! That would just be cruel.”

(I’m also two for two on sickeningly cute women! Light bless me!) Two; Who is the most powerful being you’ve defeated as a hero?”

“Well umn… I cannot say I’ve ever single handedly defeated anyone, but I did assist in taking down several high up Liches and some scary abominations. I see very little actual combat… oh, Rhel and I managed to chase Nimjhal the Butcher off once!”

“Nimjhal, ewwww. That name isn’t worthy of the presence of our cake – so we shall move right along, while giggling that he got what he deserved!  Three; What’s your favorite quote? Can be by anyone, even yourself!”

“Ah- I have two. One is from Shaila. She told me that “Sometimes the bravest thing we can do, is what we have to.” Ah… the other is one thing Valedor Whisperwind said to me once. “Never allow yourself to mistake ignorance for contentment. Always keep learning and exploring, because you can never, ever see or do enough.”

“Those are both very pretty! And much better than my trainer’s back at Acherus. ‘I can’t taste my favorite food, and I’m kicking your ass for that.’ ….Four; Do you like to dance? If so, what kind of dance suits you best?”

“I umn… do not dance very well. But Tiran taught me how to do the box step! That is kind of fun. I hear it is how nobles dance!”

“Ohh, I’m not so sure myself. Poppa put me in lessons as a child, always aspired and figured he’d be a minor noble some day, and wanted me as a pretty show piece. Boy did that turn out completely unlike he thought! Five; If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?”

“Umn… lets see.. I’d sneak around into that section they have quartered off in Dalaran for the horde and see what goes on there! …Then maybe run around naked in Silvermoon.”

“Naked.. In Silvermoon? But miss Chelody, mages who go invisible can see invisible things!”

“…O-Okay! Maybe not! Uh… I’d spy on murlocs. Next question!”

“Ehehe. Six; What is your favorite area to spend time in? Azeroth or elsewhere.”

“Umn… I’d say Stormwind, or the aquarium part of the Tram.”

“Sea monster! Seven; Have you ever gone skinny dipping? Would you ever? Do detail!”

“Umn… a few times! I used to go once in a while with my friends Shaila and Opalle. It was a sort of girls only thing. We’d go camping and swim.”

“And i won’t ask where – I’mnot sure just how innocent our readerbase is! Eight; What little, unknown talents do you possess?”

“Uh… I have a talent for finding cute mugs when I travel. I’ve got a pretty big collection! I also make a very sturdy nest.”

“A.. nest… Oh, you turn into a bird, I forgot!  Umm… Nine; If this weekend, you could do ANYTHING you wanted, what would you do?”

“Hmm… I guess I’d go get Varenna and bring her back home for a day. Then we’d have all our friends over and spend the day together!”

“Ah- you’d be invited of course!”

“I’d have to be, did you know Renna and I are joined at the hip?”

“Umn… no, but okay! I’m happy for you two!”

“Oh.. OH! no, not THAT kind of joined, haha! Just best… like… Hey, cake, and the next question! Ten; Who is the craziest, or silliest person you know?”

“Huh… I guess that is a tie between Lumia and Shaila! …oh! I didn’t think you and Varenna were… I- I was just happy she has a good best friend!”

“She thinks the world of you too! Eleven; If there would be one thing about yourself that you could change, what would it be? ..Only one thing.”

“Ah… I sometimes wish I was smarter. I’d probably get into less trouble that way.”

“Awww… Twelve; What’s your worst fear?”

“I guess my worst fear is that someday I’m going to be alone.”

“Well, not so long as I’m around! This next quest helps address this though! Thirteen; Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?!”

“Yes. It is a stuffed orc named Mr. Bunnikins. I found him in the crossroads.”

“Okay… I have to pause the question game here. Tell us about Mr. Bunnikins, please?!”

“He is green and has buttons for eyes, and a happy stiched mouth. He is made out of linen and cloth but sometimes he has to be re-stiched. I found him on the side of the road actually near the crossroads, in the barrens. I’m not sure who he belonged to, but I love him very much!”

“~Mister Bunnikins, all about funnikins – dances with moonikins, laughs for all the child-i-rens!~ Sorry, I had to sing for Renna’s too – it’s just fun to do!”

“Ah- I have a song for him too…”

“Tell us? I’d love to hear it and I know everyone reading would love to read it!”

“Ah- actually its more like a poem. He sleeps a lot in Therondy’s room when she gets scared…” “~”Orcy orcy shining bright, Mister Bunnikins don’t need a night light. Big bad monsters run in fright, he scares them off with orcy might.~”

(I had to stare in awe for a few moments, because it was just too darned cute!) “I love it! He’s a good-guy orc, child protector. He needs a cape!”

“Ah- I should sew him one…”

“Do it do it! Fourteen; Have you ever felt you were in love? Yes and no is fine, no need to elaborate!”

“Ah- yes. Very much so.”

“Good, everyone should feel love, I say! Fifteen; If you were stranded on a deserted island with one person, who would it be?”

“Ah- I know too many people I’d like to bring with me. It is hard to choose just one!”

“Hmm… I do tend to offer everyone a pass on a single question. Would you like to pass on this one?”

“I think I will. I can’t focus on a single name.”

(Villainous finger-steepling!) “Okay! Sixteen;  What’s your most embarrassing moment in life thus far?”

(A look of blank faced horror) “It…it is so hard to choose… umn.. I’ll just say… uh.. we’ll go with Alishe and Prydion’s anniversary. Fells knows why.”

“I’m so curious, but seeing the look on your face, I don’t dare ask!  so, moving along to an easier question!Seventeen; What guy or girl would you want more than anyone for a single night of wild, unbridled passion?”

“….”

“You so already passed, wahahaa.”

“I’ll make you a pie if you let me pass again.”

“Damn! Pumkin pie, two of them?”

“Sure! With whipped topping.”

(Foiled again! Someone has to want to have some damn sex!) “Ohhh, fine! Moving along then! Eighteen; If you could be any animal what would you be? Silly question to ask a druid!”

“Ah- I wouldn’t mind being human!”

“Or maybe a dragon… “

“Hey, no! animal animals – not manimals! Stinking tricky mammal clause, I’ll need to reword that question from now on. Pick anoth – Oh, so dragon it is! …Which flight?”

“Green of course! …oh or maybe red…”

“I’d be of the purple-pink Bubbleflight. And breathe bubbles and sleep on a bed of cotton candy, guarding my hoard of lollipops and sweet tarts!”

“…Nevermind, I want to be in that Flight.”

“That’d be great! I bet our lairs would be inside clouds too.”

“Ah- that sounds so wonderful… c-can we have marshmallows too?”

“We’d have gingerbread men who made marshmallows all day long. And instead of a conveyor belt? A hot chocolate belt!”

“Waaaah… that sounds so good!”

“Yeah, it does! We need a really powerful mage to help us do this.”

“To make us into dragons who breathe bubbles?”

“And sleep on cotton candy beds with candy hoards and marshmallows!”

“Yay! Marshmallows!”

(Giggles galore!) “Oh, hey, we were doing questions, weren’t we?!”

“Oh- right! Yes, lets continue!”

“Ahem. Nineteen; If you could do anything to the person you hate or dislike most what would it be?”

“Change their mind.”

“…I admit, I never expected to hear that answer. This only further proves that you are, in fact, the nicest person alive!”

“Ah- I’m pretty sure that doesn’t make me nice, just devious! next question?”

“Deviously nice! Uhhh – Twenty; Tell us about some of your pets if you have any?”

“I have many! Okay… there is Etois my saber, Brownbeard my ram, Bud is a treant sapling and more like an apprentice… Petals is a flower, Prince Burndlebee the third, Ruby the chicken, several frogs… Sparky the mechanical squirrel, Mister Pitch the ghost… ah- there are more. Sometimes I feed Gin!”

“Wow, you’re pet-cultured! I have a feeling it may relate to Twenty-one; What’s your favorite subject to discuss?”

“I don’t think I really have one! Uh- my mug collection, the future, uh, why drawing is fun, my children, lots of things!”

“So would you say your favorite subject of conversation, is conversation itself?”

“Yes!”

“Excellent! Well, here’s a good subject of conversation… Twenty-two; Boxers, briefs, granny fit, full and snug, thong, or T-back?”

“…What are those?”

(Impossible, I refuse to believe it!) “Oh.. Um, types of underwear! Which do you prefer?”

“Oh, uh…” (At this point, she stands up and flips up the back of her robe… she is wearing a pair of bikini style panties with a picture of a smiling blue nightsaber that has the word “kitty!” printed over it.)

“Whatever those are!”

“Abuh…buh-buh-buhkini. Right, Bikini!”

“Okay!”

“Panty-three – Bikin-Three! Err, crap, Tweny-three; Do you prefer the sunrise or sunset?”

“I like the sunrise. Its pretty and usually what I see before I go to sleep. Ah- its comforting to know that while I’m in bed, lots of people are awake doing things!”

“Amazing how everything works in cycles! Twenty-four; What is the most romantic thing that ever happened to you?”

“Oh… that is a hard one… hmm… I think it is when Rhel and I first kissed. We’d been swimming and Shaila kept telling us we should kiss… so we did just to throw her off and it was nice.”

“Aww, that’s so cute! I bet Shaila flipped too! So uh, one more question left, are you ready? It’s the toughest one!”

“Ready!” (Cheering and fist pumping!)

“Okay! Number twenty-five;  Say the nicest, most true thing you personally think about me, Rayala Alleria, hee!”

“You seem like a very sweet, lovely person and anyone would be lucky to have you as a best friend. You have great taste in clothes, and I love your hair.”

“…You’re officially my favorite Chelody, and my favorite night elf!”

“Hooray I’m a favorite!”

“Forever and ever! And I’m afraid that brings us to the end of the interview, but there’s still tons of sweets for us not to share with the readers!”

“Awww… well they’ll have to make their own!”

“And there you have it folks. Make sweets, let us eat ours! Thank you, miss Chelody, for your time!”

“Thank you for the treats and the picnic!”

(I was just about to wrap it up, when…)

“Ah- could you also tell everyone that I am doing this because I believe that the Ebon Blade is worth supporting and that I think it is important that we treat them with the respect they deserve?”

“I most certainly can! You’re reading it here and now as a matter of fact, readers! And if Chelody Smallwing thinks it’s worthy, then there’s no way it isn’t!”