He slowly got up from the bed, pulling his trousers on and closing them with his belt. She was still lying on the bed, slowly trying to wake up. She turned her head and stretched, groaning slightly, trying to get the tiredness away from her body. A heart piercing scream could be heard again, and it caused her to finally sit up. "What was that?" She asked him, he shook his head. "I don't know…" She turned around to look at him again - he was buttoning his shirt and she was still sitting there, completely naked.

She blushed as she used the covers to cover herself up, trying to find her clothes. He looked at her, a laugh escaping him. "You don't have to cover up you know, I think I've seen it all…" In response, she threw the covers at him and found her underwear, pulling it on felt shy. "That's very inappro--"

"Scch!" He said as he spun around and ran to the window, staring outside. She followed him, following his glance and gasped as she saw how the skies were reflecting the orange fires lightning up more than half of Stormwind. She screamed and quickly ran to the bed, looking for her armour - but that was at home… She cursed and pulled on her black dress. "What in the world happened?!"

"Don't ask me, I've been in here with you the entire time!" He replied in a sarcastic manner and rushed to the door, picking up his broadsword and swinging it over his shoulder. He looked at her. "You better stay here."

She frowned. "I didn't spend ages in the Stormwind Guard to just sit around on my arse when something happens!"

"But you can't exactly fight in that--"

"I'm not going to!" She rushed for the door and pushed him aside, quickly making her way out of the inn. Once outside, she stood there for several seconds, her jaw dropped, just staring… The sky had turned blood red; even the smoke rising from the city had a sick crimson colour. The orange flames were tearing houses down, catching some screaming humans in its fiery grasp, engulfing and eating them up. The smell of burned human flesh was spreading throughout Stormwind like a wildfire and it was hard to breathe - children, women, men were screaming… it seemed like the end of the world…

The room was at least the size of a really big dragon, or even bigger, she thought. Torches were hanging around on the walls, giving the big room a bit of an eerie glow - though the torches were probably meant to create a joyful and romantic atmosphere. She didn't like them. Nor did she like the thousands of people standing around in this big room, chattering, greeting, winking, laughing, smiling… Lifting her chin to look upwards she noticed even the roof had been decorated with flashy streamers. Small tables seemed to have been thrown randomly around so people could sit somewhere or place their drinks - seemingly everyone was holding one, some even two.

She looked at her own hands; they weren't holding anything except a little black purse her mother had once made for her. It was made of a soft silky material that had been dyed black. It was matching the rest of her very uncomfortable outfit… For the first time in what seemed like ages, she was wearing a dress. It was very simple, the way she preferred it. It reached down to the floor, dragging a bit along it every time she took a step. It was showing it had been some time since she had worn this dress, the straps kept slipping down and she had to constantly make sure the lower part of her dress didn't twist around her waist, it just wouldn't keep still.

She sighed somewhat audibly as she walked up to the bar, avoiding bumping into anyone she didn't want to, and quickly escaping the first attempts of someone trying to start a conversation with her. She made it to the bar and had to support herself on it - exhausted from avoiding everything from one end to the other. She started to wonder why she had even agreed to this, the 'biggest party in Stormwind!' as her uncle had proclaimed this party as. Maybe it was his birthday, maybe he had gotten a new rank or maybe he had gotten a medal for being able to stand up while he farted - she hadn't paid attention and she really didn't care.

Her mother had forced her to go along to this party, and even though she had protested heavily and desperately tried to find a good excuse, there had been no way around it and she had to go. She hadn't seen her mother yet though, and really wished she wouldn't. "I should have stayed home…" She whispered to herself as she straightened her pose and looked to the right, checking for the bartender. She caught someone's eyes instead.

She rushed towards her house, taking a moment to be overjoyed the flames hadn't caught it yet, then quickly rushing inside, not seeing her family or any of her siblings. It felt like something pierced through her heart, and took a piece of it away, but she ignored the pain in her chest and continued upstairs to where she kept her armour. It wasn't anything special; it was just the usual standard armour they got in the Stormwind Guard. She threw the dress away, pulled the armour on, strapped the shield to her right arm and grabbed her newly polished short sword in the right.

Screams continued to ring throughout the city, shouting and roaring, wardrums could even be heard in the distance. She had no idea who or what was attacking, but they had done it on a perfect night where big parts of Stormwind had been at a party - herself included. She rushed out of her house and to the pushed through the panicked crowd that tumbled over their own legs, trying to get away from her destination. For a brief moment, as she pushed through the crowd, she thought back to him and the night they had spent together…

She had rudely pushed by him in her rush to go and get her armour… Where was he now?

The someone was a man, most likely around 30 if not more. He was tall and tanned, looking as if he had been spending most of his life in the Vales of Stranglethorn. His hair had a silvery colour to it, and he wore a black bandana around his head. He was dressed in a simple white, long-sleeved shirt and some black trousers. Nothing fancy about him at all. She smiled to herself. He didn't look like the rest of the men attending this 'party' - they were all dressed up in tuxedos and winking knowingly at all the ladies, bragging amongst themselves who they had and hadn't been with.

He didn't turn his head or look away from her - he kept his dark eyes locked with hers. For what seemed like an eternity, they were just staring at each other, looking into each others eyes, studying them and trying to learn more about the other person. Her heart was in her throat as she broke the eye contact and looked down at the counter, shaking her head. Two seconds after doing so, she cursed herself. Why had she broken the eye contact? Why? Maybe if she looked again he was there… But if she looked again, would that make her seem desperate? What if he expected her to lift her head and look again though?

Thousands of questions raced through her head, but they all stopped as she felt someone's lips gently touching her shoulder. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, wanting to say something but she felt completely paralyzed… She felt one of his strong hands on her waist; the other was on her shoulder as he slipped one finger underneath her strap and pushed it back into place. His lips burned on her neck and she couldn't help herself from tilting her head slightly, giving him more room… Suddenly thinking coming to the 'party' might not have been the worst place to be in the world…

The sight was horrendous - it seemed like a giant green tidal wave clashing with armour clad humans, unable to move or do anything, the monstrous green consumed them and ripped them apart, quickly moving on. Metallic clashing, the sound of limbs being torn apart, bones being broken, weapons cutting through skin and shields being broken into pieces… she could feel how a cold chill went up through her spine, but she had her duty, she knew what she had to do - she had been training for this most of her life, to fight and kill the enemy. Even if it was just her against the millions of orcs, she was supposed to throw herself into battle…

She had never been afraid in her life, she had never felt alone.
But she was afraid now.
And she felt alone.
Had he been killed yet?

He continued to have one arm wrapped around her waist as he pushed the door open, leading her inside, she followed him breathlessly, locked onto his lips. He enveloped her in a tight embrace and she held onto him tightly. He stepped back and fell onto the bed - she didn't let go. She kissed him tenderly, and where normally she would have slapped him for pulling down both her straps - she didn't even mind one bit. If anything, it made her kiss him more passionately, gasping and parting herself from him as he pulled her top down. She looked down at herself, then down at him.

"I've never…" But she stopped herself mid-sentence, and unbuttoned his shirt, biting her lip, wondering what had gotten into her. He used his strong arms and pulled her closer, kissing her soft skin just above her chest…

She was reluctant. She could see how the green tidal wave chopped her brothers and sisters in war away, how they tore them apart and left them bleeding and dying on the ground. Whenever the seeming massive horde of Orcs reached an alley-way, some of it would split from the rest and continue on it's own, tearing down buildings, spreading the blood-red flames burning everywhere… She kept standing still, she couldn't move.

Before she would have thrown herself into battle mindlessly, she knew she would have… but something was holding her back now… Could it be…?

He ran his fingers across her smooth curves, and she ran her fingers down his chest, leaving a trail of tiny scratches from her rough nails. They embraced each other again, seemingly like they were one, meant to be together like this for the rest of their lives. She could feel how his heart was pounding a bit slower than her own, his had a rhythm to it… Like in a melody… Her own was fast paced and out of control, going faster and faster… She couldn't control it…

She couldn't take it. She didn't have her usual courage. She wasn't anything, she was alone. Turning around to run away like a coward, she bumped into a strong chest. She didn't even have to look up to see it was him, amidst all the screaming and shouting, she could hear his heart beat in that rhythm…

He parted from her briefly and she felt cold and alone, she wanted his warm body and the closeness back again… She was afraid he would let her go forever… "Come back…" She whispered, her eyes closed, never seeing how he submitted to her wish and descended upon her again - only feeling his heart beating close to her own.

She felt how her heart stopped racing and started to follow his calm rhythm… Her old courage and lust for battle came back… She wasn't alone anymore. She had him. She reached out her hand, knowing he would take it into his own. Maybe together…? She turned around and faced what he was looking at - the massive, green tidal wave of Orcs swarming their beloved home.

Her heart was racing at first, but as he got closer and closer to her, she felt how their hearts started beating in unison… She felt how they suddenly weren't two people anymore, they were one and they were the only one left in the world. There was nothing besides this moment; there was no past, no future, only this exact moment in time - and it seemed to stand still. She looked up into his dark eyes and saw her own reflected in his…

He clutched her hand tightly and they started to move. It was as if time stopped, and their steps rang throughout her mind together with the sound of his heart beating, and her own beating in unison…

His dark eyes came closer to hers… She could hardly bear to look into them, for she could see her own scared eyes reflected…

He was the first to let go of her hand, grabbing his broadsword with both his hands and quickly cleaving an Orc into two - she used the opportunity to deflect an arrow with her shield and inflict a wound on an Orc running past her. Their hands found each other again.

She looked away from his eyes and tilted her head back, letting out a brief gasp. But she couldn't keep herself away from his eyes… She had to look into them again.

She had no idea how long they had been fighting like this - lashing out and quickly seeking back to each others heartbeat and rhythm. It was like a dance, out and in, following the drum… One wrong step and--

Their pace quickened. Hers first, then his. Pounded faster, beating harder.

He didn't see it coming, nor did she. They were following their rhythm, but it suddenly changed, and one of them took a wrong step.

The rhythm changed. She saw it in his eyes, and in her own. She swallowed a lump. A drop of sweat fell off his forehead…

Blood poured out of him and down onto the street - she screamed in agony.

They held each other tighter.

She felt how her heart got torn out of her chest - it shattered like a broken mirror.

A tiny tear started to form in her right eye.

A javelin pushed its way through her flesh, behind her ribs, into her lungs and tore her insides apart. A soundless scream escaped her.

They both closed their eyes at the exact same time.