Archbishop Raloshir died in the defense of Shattrath.
The Archbishop's soul stood before Tulani, gazing at her with the same resolute and peaceful eyes he had in life.
"This is not where you belong, Tulani. The Light tells me your path is still long."
Raloshir pointed in the opposite direction from where the River of Souls stretched, where a golden speck of light glowed. "Go there, Tulani, that is where you belong."
"But why, Archbishop—!"
Before Tulani could finish her question, the Archbishop's figure dissipated before her eyes like sand in the wind, merging into the River of Souls.
Only the Archbishop's last whisper remained in her ears: "Never forget hope, for it is the foundation of our lives..."
Hope...
Tulani took a breath. Her hope had long been extinguished in one hell after another. When despair enveloped her, she even, for a time, could no longer communicate with the Holy Light.
Prophet Velen saved her, preventing her from falling into endless darkness, but Tulani still didn't know where her hope lay.
But since the Archbishop's soul was guiding her...
Tulani's gaze fell upon the gentle golden aura, and she began to walk towards it.
Moving against the River of Souls, Tulani drew closer and closer to the golden aura. As the golden light shone upon her face, Tulani cast one last lingering look back at her departed brethren, then reached out to touch the aura.
"Pop!"
Like a popped bubble, a soft sound reached Tulani's ears. Immediately after, the darkness before her suddenly broke open, beginning to be enveloped by light.
The spectral forms of the Draenei souls gradually vanished from Tulani's sight. As the light grew stronger, Tulani involuntarily closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, what lay before her was no longer pure light and darkness, but a metal ceiling, covered in intricate patterns and designs.
Tulani pushed herself up from the operating table, looking around blankly until a voice sounded behind her.
"You're awake."
"!"
Tulani agilely rolled off the operating table, propping herself up with one hand on the still-warm surface, and cautiously scrutinized the person before her.
"Who are you...? Wait, this smell of decay, are you a Death Knight?!"
Tulani instinctively gathered the power of the Holy Light in her hand. At the same time, she found that summoning the Light seemed easier, but facing the immediate threat, she didn't think much of it.
Thassarian frowned. Although he didn't understand what Tulani was saying, he could tell from her demeanor that she considered him an enemy.
"Die, dog of the Burning Legion!" Flames of anger practically blazed in Tulani's eyes. She summoned the Holy Flame and unleashed it fiercely at Thassarian's position.
Thassarian's expression remained normal, or rather, as a dead man, he had no expression whatsoever. He casually formed a barrier with runic power, easily deflecting Tulani's attack.
Facing Tulani, who was just recovering from severe injuries, Thassarian handled her with complete ease. Moreover, Tulani had to shout before attacking. If Thassarian couldn't react, he wouldn't have been worthy of being a champion under the Lich King.
After effortlessly deflecting Tulani's Holy Light, he didn't even draw his sword. Chains of dark energy, controlled by him, tightly bound Tulani's limbs and neck.
Tulani's movements were immediately restricted, and simultaneously, the Death Knight's dark energy surged forth, also limiting her ability to cast spells.
Now, Tulani could only struggle in place, but she wasn't a warrior, just a priest from Auchindoun. Without the ability to summon the Holy Light, she couldn't break free from these chains at all.
"Quiet down a bit—Onyxia, come resolve this problem."
"Don't call my name, Death Knight, or I'll show you what a dragon's wrath is like."
Onyxia walked in from outside the laboratory with some displeasure, warning Thassarian in a threatening manner. But Thassarian acted as if he hadn't heard her, walking to the laboratory door to fulfill his duty as a guard.
"Who are you people?! Why have you captured me?!" Tulani continued to struggle, trying to break free from the chains, but her movements only made the chains bind her tighter.
She noticed that the individual before her seemed to be a "human." There were also members of her own race among the "expeditionary forces." However, as a Soulbinder, she instinctively sensed an evil power emanating from Onyxia.
Onyxia looked at Tulani and blinked. She didn't understand Draenei, but she could guess what Tulani was saying from her expression.
"I don't know whether to say you're lucky or unlucky, falling into my master's hands... Looking at you, you wouldn't even know if you'd been completely used up."
Onyxia smiled mischievously, extending a finger to hook Tulani's chin. "Ah... I must say, an expression like yours is truly endearing."
Tulani froze, even forgetting to resist—she could understand Orcish. To avoid conflict with the orcs, most Draenei knew some Orcish, and Vindicators and Soulbinders could basically communicate with orcs without hindrance.
So Tulani immediately spoke in Orcish.
"Who are you...? Were you also captured by the orcs?"
Tulani's question almost made Onyxia burst out laughing. "orcs... those stinking pigs. I don't have my brother's depraved tastes, and I don't need those incompetent fools.
Allow me to introduce myself. I am Countess Katrana Prestor of Blackrock Mountain, little Draenei."
"Blackrock Mountain... Is this Blackrock Orcs territory?" Tulani was clearly bewildered. She had never heard of a place called "Blackrock Mountain" on Draenor, but the word "Blackrock" reminded her of an Orc clan.
"Half right, girl, but the current master here is me, not those useless orcs."
Because of the aura and energy Onyxia exuded, Tulani felt no goodwill towards this seemingly alluring Black Dragon. Coupled with her frivolous tone, it made the serious Draenei very uncomfortable.
"Don't call me 'girl.' I should be much older than you, human."
Although Tulani was a very young member of the Draenei race, she knew that human lifespans were generally at most a hundred years, which was pitifully short compared to the Draenei's long lives.
And the human before her looked to be only about twenty years old.
"Oh, really? But, little one, who told you I am a fragile human?"