Note: Thanks to HuntressWarden for reviewing, no, on with the story!
Guardian of the Void
Chapter III: Tal's confession and the Void's Strike
Selene sat on the town hall's balcony, staring out across the humans; they practised for battle with Olivia, as they had been doing for the entire day. She had not seen any void beings attack throughout the afternoon, but she appreciated that the humans couldn't be too careful.
"You seem tired, you should get some sleep before night fall" Tal grinned from behind her as he approached.
"If those void beings attack, I won't be awake to do anything if I go to sleep, I'm surprisingly difficult to wake up" She smiled, Tal nodded and sat down next to her.
"If you don't go to sleep, you'll fall off that tiger of yours in the morning" Tal replied, Selene shook her head. Tal sighed and turned to look at the people training below.
"Everybody here is going to die, you know that?" He told her "There is no way that a few farms, a town hall and some stables will survive an attack by thoseā¦things" Selene shook her head.
"You're wrong, humans are stronger than that, I was talking to Olivia earlier today, they've fended off one or two attacks, there are some Orcs on the way to help"
"It will take more than just Orcs and humans to keep those shadows away, you could feel their power and so could I, every single living thing in this settlement will die unless they leave" Tal told her bitterly, Selene scowled at him.
"Tell me Tal, are you actually capable of feeling anything apart from bitterness, cynicism, cruelty and anger?" Selene spat " I'm starting to believe that hunting down various criminals has given you the mindset of one"
"I'm being realistic, Selene" Tal said calmly, Selene laughed humourlessly.
"Where does hope fit into your realism Tal? Or what about love? Friendship even?" Selene snarled "You're emotionally incapable, Tal" Tal gritted his teeth and remained silent, Selene gazed at him with an expression of loathing and continued.
"Come on Tal! Tell me how you're being realistic, how you aren't planting false hopes" Selene said savagely "I want to hear what you have to say!" Tal finally snapped, standing up with his eyes blazing in rage.
"Emotionally incapable? That's a joke, I am ripped apart every day when I look at you and when you send harsh words in my direction, I fell in love with you centuries ago! But all I ever get back from you is glares and insults, I came on this mission in the hopes that you might fall in love with me, but now I realise you're unable to feel that" With that, Tal stormed away.
"Wait!" Selene called, but Tal didn't stop, he merely continued walking, Selene stared after him with tears streaming down her face.
"I don't think that went very well" Nandieb muttered to Olivia as they watched, the paladin nodded.
"I agree, but still they call New Dalaran the city of love" She mused.
"Really?" Nandieb asked, Olivia shook her head.
"No, its actually just called New Dalaran" She told him, Nandieb nodded sagely.
"That makes more sense"
Night fell just a few hours later and Olivia went to collect the Night Elves and send them off, her troops had gone to sleep, all emitting loud snores. As Nandieb watched, he could swear he saw people moving among the shadows. He moved closer to the trees, interested to see who was there. There was a flash of green light and one of the trees raised a clawed arm into the sky, Nandieb ran just as it crashed into the ground.
"Treants!" He cried "But how?!" He waved his own hand and a group of trees appeared, attacking the ones that had just appeared. There was the strange cracking sound of blinking all over the base camp as thousands upon thousands of void beings appeared, all with their arms raised to the sky, where stars were starting to fall. The town bell rang and Olivia's troops hurried out. A mortar team sidled past Nandieb.
"We must defeat the dwarves" The white haired operator cried, his companion sighed and ran a nervous hand through his red hair.
"We are the dwarves" He replied and hurled a bomb at the treants, Nandieb hurried to tell him to watch out as a blast of flame struck the mortar team at the same time as a silvery white star striking them, there was a massive explosion, hurling Nandieb back. The stars still fell, striking the buildings and soldiers. All of the void beings were confined to one place, encased in beams of purple light. Many were holding bows and firing arrows of flame, others were hurling scythes. Nandieb could not explain how they were using Night Elf powers to himself, but he dismissed this thought and attacked one. Olivia was out, a shield of light encasing her while bright runes of light appeared above the head of the void beings, making them burst into dust under the holy light. A shockwave of light spread out from her body, causing several dead units to get up and continue attacking. A moment later, Tal and Selene were out, firing flaming arrows and fanning out knives everywhere. The void beings continued to appear, their vaguely humanoid shapes raising swords high into the air as they struck at the armies with their borrowed powers. Olivia's face hardened and she raised a horn to her mouth, blowing a long call and crying;
"RETREAT!" She blew the horn again "FLEE THE SETTLEMENT!" Immediately the army started charging into the forest as green flashes of light wove their way through the branches. The treants broke out, raising their branch like arms and crashing them down on the army, roots shot up and trapped many of the fleeing soldiers, including Selene and her tiger. She struggled in vain as a treant prepared to smash her to pieces. A hissing sound echoed through the air as a scythe flew past her, embedding itself in the treant and leaking its poison. A moment later, thousands of knives were stuck in it and it fell to the ground. Tal hurried over to Selene, picking up his scythe and cutting the vines, deliberately leaving the vine around her mouth till last, Selene didn't have time to speak before Tal ran off. She mounted her Frostsaber again and bounded into the trees following everybody else.
They regrouped a little way away, safe from the void beings. There remained only a handful of survivors from the attack, numbering just twenty including Olivia and the three Night Elves. Selene walked over to Tal.
"Listen, Tal" Selene began; Tal remained silent, staring out into the forest. A moment later, Olivia gave the order for them all to move, Selene stared at Tal for a moment, before walking away, a solitary tear making its way down her cheek.
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