Malethia Blazestone sat on the stone floor of her quarters in the Order's temple in Silvermoon, dressed only in thin meditation robes. Surrounding her were three piles of weapons, set in a triangle around her. On her left was an Essence Focuser and Shield of the Ancients, tools of the healing arts. On her right was a King's Defender and Ogri'la Aegis, the bulwarks of her vanguard gear. In front of her lay her Hammer of the Naaru, her preferred weapon of retribution.
Her soul was torn. She had followed all three Schools of Blood Vengeance over the course of her career, and excelled in all of them. Yet, she felt as if she were failing her comrades in the Grim, and she didn't know why. Malethia sat perfectly still, focusing on the energies in each weapon in turn, hoping that some sign would reveal itself and show her the path to take.
After hours of meditation, there was still no sign.
"Such indecision does not become you, daughter. I have never seen you so conflicted since you were brought to me and became one of the first of my knights." Lady Liadrin entered the room as silent as ever, so that Malethia did not realize her presence until she spoke. Still, Malethia's meditative state prevented her from being surprised.
"Good evening, mother." Malethia opened her eyes, and glanced about the room as if trying to remember where she was. She then sighed, splashing some water on her face from a nearby bowl. "Why is this so hard, mother? Why won't the true path reveal itself?"
Liadrin sat on the floor beside her adopted daughter. "It is because you have taken all the world's troubles upon your own shoulders. Your people cry out for vengeance, and you heft your weapon, determined to deliver it to them. Yet, you see those you fight beside take battle wounds, and you remember the horrors of the Scourging, and your heart cries out to cure them of their pain. But then, your sense of duty cries out, and you desire nothing more than to stand before your comrades, and prevent that pain from ever being inflicted in the first place.
Liadrin wrapped her arms around Malethia's shoulders - a rare motherly gesture from her, as she always tried to seperate her role as mother from what she considered her more important role as Malethia's teacher. "You believe that selfishness is what drives you to change your focus time and again. You are wrong...it is in fact selflessness that drives you to take on these roles one after the other."
"So how do we resolve this? How do we find the path that we are supposed to tread? Night after night, we have performed every ritual and rite within our power to resolve our mind, and yet the answer does not come."
Liadrin backed away slightly, a look of concern on her face as she examined Malethia for some unseen flaw. "Malethia...tell me - have your guildmates accused you of anything odd lately?"
"Well...yes. They say we speak of ourselves as if we were not alone, like we were some conceited nobility. How did you know. mother?"
Liadrin's eyes narrowed as she studied her adopted daughter. "Just some rumors I had heard from the Blood Knights under your command. They were concerned for your reputation." Liadrin stood, looking down at the weapons. "That warmace is a fine weapon indeed. May I see it?"
Malethia picked up the crystal hammer. "I recovered it from the corpse of the King of Ogres in Outland. I'm told it is a lost relic from the golden age of the Dranei."
The look on Liadrin's face was one of curiosity as she took the hammer in hand. "A fine weapon indeed. It focuses the holy energy we absorb from the Naaru in a supreme fashion. Do me a favor, daughter. Never let it leave your side. I understand that you may require other weapons for certain tasks, but always have it close at hand."
"We do not understand the reason for your request, mother..." Malethia took the hammer back, holding it in her lap "but I will do as you ask. The hammer will remain in my pack for as long as I live. But...there is still the matter at hand. What path should I choose?"
"You have been using mysticism to find an answer when simple logic will do. You have chosen to fight amongst the Grim. What is it that they require most of you?"
Malethia stared at the hammer in her lap. "There are more than enough killers amongst the Grim, many of them more powerful than I, despite my efforts. That would eliminate the path of Retribution. They require vanguards, but my equipment is not sufficient to stand firm against the foes we currently face. That would eliminate the path of Protection."
"Thus you know your calling. It is not your place to take it all on your own shoulders. You have fine battlemates in the Grim. Let them excel in their roles. You already excel in yours."
Malethia nodded. "Then I know what I must do." She let the warmace fall from her grasp, reaching out for her Essence Focuser. "We will follow the path of the healer, until such time as the Grim call for us to do otherwise."