Shades of blue and green, purple and yellow, mixed all together. She heard voices, deathly robotic voices which could only belong to a death knight. It was still hard for her to breathe because dust had filled her lungs… but she couldn't smell the smoke anymore. Somehow the pain had decreased but not gone away completely. This surely couldn't have been Heaven or Hell. Instead of screaming and trees burning she heard soft whispers. They seemed to come from all around her. Maybe she was too scared to open her eyes, but finally she did.
The place had a peaceful ambiance, wherever "here" was. She saw herself lying on the bed lifeless as if spellbound. On the other side of the room she saw two people but they were blurred. One was definitely Andri but the other one was darker. Too dark even. A death knight perhaps? Zack blinked her eyes and tried to sit up but the pain came back. She saw her whole torso bandaged up, from her hips to just under her breast. She had gotten more muscularly in the past weeks, but still maintaining a womanly figure. Whoever the healer was, did a damn good job because she couldn't remember anything. The two men noticed how she tried to move and came closer. And this one was a death knight after all.
"Where's Scythe?" was the first thing she said.
"Welcome back," Andri said with huge relief in his voice. "Your wolf was nowhere to be seen when I found you…How are you feeling?"
She couldn't speak anymore. Was Scythe dead?... The human death knight got closer as well which made her remember the time back in Stormwind. He looked creepy, pure evil in fact. The glowing dark blue eyes and huge weapons were definitely not friendly.
"Here, have something to drink," offered the death knight in a strange voice she'd heard before.
He pulled out a leather sack of mana-water but Zack was too afraid to take it.
"No thank you," she managed to speak but her voice was dry and desperate for water. "You followed me. In Stormwind."
Andri looked at the death knight. "Scaring new members, are we now?" he laughed.
Zack was a little confused. Laugh? At a death knight? What kind of sorcery was this?
"I was just making sure she was safe," it answered.
"By stalking me?" Zack asked.
"Would you have remained calm if a death knight approached you in a strange big city?"
True. She would have just run off.
"I'm Sebastian," the death knight introduced himself. "I'm the one who rescued you…" he looked at Andri, "…and my brother from the blood elves."
"B-brother?" the girl was a little shocked. How could a human have a night elf as a brother? What was happening?
"Step brother actually," Andri stepped in. "Anyways, how are you feeling?"
"Like I've died and rose from ashes," she coughed.
The death knight left them alone. Before going out the door he waved at Zack though she couldn't move much. Andri didn't do anything, just watched the girl trying to move.
"In the name of Gods, I've never felt so scared in my entire life!" she confessed right after Sebastian had left.
"Of the death knight or…?"
"Well him too yeah, I thought they're supposed to be evil," Zack told him. "But no, I meant the battle. You could have died. I could have died."
A healer came in, a female draenei. It looked a lot like Adorica but she couldn't see. The draenei checked something on the table.
"But we didn't. These things happen in war. When you lose hope you have to depend on your comrades."
They had a long eye contact which made Zack feel safer now. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have panicked like that. Everything was out of control and I didn't know what to do."
"That's why I'm here," he comforted Zacklrina. "We have another problem though. You survived this battle but we need to deal with the necklace now. Are you ready to marry him?"
"I don't have to if he thinks I'm dead," she said.
"It's not that easy," he explained. "People talk. I bet he already knows that we were saved by a death knight and now is waiting for your safe return."
"Well what other choices do I have?" she asked desperately. "I don't even have feelings for him!"
"The only way to legally decline his offer is if you were already wed. But I guess that's not an option for you, is it?"
"Marry someone not to get killed by the prince. What an epic bedtime story that would make," she said sarcastically.
The healer came closer and it really was Adorica, the draenei she had met first at the Knights of Sin HQ. "Andri, don't you have somewhere to be? Oh and fetch some water while you're at it, seems like death knight liquids aren't appreciated here," she asked with a strange smile, hinting that she wanted to talk to Zack alone.
Andri left without saying anything, his wolf beside him.
The draenei and human were silently sitting in the infirmary. They could only hear the low humming of healing Adorica was doing. Zack's body was still soar but the healer did everything she could to minimize the pain.
"I saw the way you were looking at him," Adorica broke the silence.
"Looking at whom? The death knight?"
"No, silly. I meant Andri. It's not hard to see that you have feelings for him."
"Well of course, we're friends," Zacklrina tried to hide her blush.
"Look, Zack, we're all friends here. But there's something more about you two, I can feel it," Adorica explained. "It's not forbidden to have feelings. Just because we're soldiers for the King doesn't mean we can't have a personal life."
"I assure you, Adorica, there's nothing between us," the young girl tried to laugh it off.
"And the good thing is, he likes you too!" the healer encouraged.
"But he's the best hunter in all of Azeroth and I'm just starting out. It's not… I cannot…"
"Maybe in war he has a higher position but when it comes to the real life, we're all even. And let me tell you, love doesn't care whether he's the King or a poor blood elf, it just is."
"But it can never happen-"
"No buts!" Adorica laughed.
"It's not that easy. Once we get back to Stormwind, I'm going to have to marry the Prince… and if I don't…"
"Didn't you hear a word Andri said? You gotta marry someone else before you go back to Stormwind. You and I both know what he meant."
"We do?" Zack was puzzled.
""Yes! You have to marry Andri."
"It's just your crazy imagination, Adorica. He's not like that. He fights wars and he's so strong and… He doesn't care if the weather is bad, he still fights like it's the last battle… And he's not scared of anything. He's mysterious and funny and smart… He knows all the fish from Azeroth AND Outland…And when he tries to cheer someone up it's like nothing but happiness exists…There's just no way…"
Zack saw how Adorica had stopped healing her and now watched the girl in awe.
"You are totally in love with him!" Adorica cheered. "He does have feelings too. You don't know him long enough but years ago his parents were killed in battle by the Lich King. He hasn't really opened up to anyone since then. However now, when he's with you, he's glowing."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better…"
"No, Zack, I'm telling you the truth," Adorica smiled.
