The oddity of humans
Vingor inhaled sharply. As he did, a dull throb struck against his side which left him motionless. His chest felt heavy too, as if he was not able to gain his breath properly. Both of his arms were numb and frustratingly docile when he attempted to move them. The right one stirred a little, but it felt rather unwieldy compared to what he was used to. The dream that had roused him out of his sleep gnawed at his mind, with the same potency of wolves with a rabid hunger. Wolves, he thought to himself, as if the name of the creatures could calm his mind. It did not work. A pale light crept across the floor; it was early morn. Bravery, as the ship was called, laid steady in the water and the awful thunder of the Maelstrom was nowhere to be heard. The elf could hear the comparably gentle murmur of human voices from the deck above him in its place, along with steady footsteps. They were safe, it seemed.
Before the old druid could gather his thoughts any further a slim figure appeared at the doorway. Angelina Soluna smirked at the night elf with dreary eyes, she had obviously steered the vessel safely beyond the Maelstrom with her own hands. With no formal greeting or spoken word, she sat down on the worn chair in front of his bed. The human girl was odd, he thought to himself as she straddled the chair the wrong way around and leaned over its back to face him. The night elf and the human looked at each other for a brief while, and neither of them spoke. A wave rocked the ship gently in the calm waters they now sailed through. The druid was about to speak but, he was cut off by the human.
"You're surprisingly tough for an old man, druid. Your ribs-" The captain's finger motioned vaguely towards the elf's upper torso with a brief flick. "-aren't in the best condition. You'll have to be careful. I don't know what brings you to Stormwind, but I recommend that you delay what business you need to attend for a while."
The woman's words did nothing to soothe Vingor's annoyance as his side prickled. "I am not so old that I would let a child tell me what to do or where I can be off to. Not yet, at least." The brief attempt he made to lift his back off the bed made him wince and he sat back, inhaling deeply to calm down. His side stung intensely for a brief while, and he knew that the human girl was right. "But I am not so old to ignore advise when it is given, either. Captain." The elf nodded briefly, which seemed to take Angelina by surprise. Perhaps she had expected a much more stubborn behaviour from an elf, but it was difficult to tell if the human was pleased or disappointed with Vingor's calm logic. She merely smiled at him, stood up and left his quarters silently. Left to his own musings, he cursed his foul luck and closed his eyes again.
The morning passed, as did noon, at a quicker pace than the night did. The crew upon Bravery stirred about, and tended to the torn ropes and weary masts. Among the scrambled mess of humans was Angelina Soluna. She raised her voice and bellowed her orders to the crew, annoyed with their goofy behaviour while the ship made poor speed through the water. She was eager to make port. Her thoughts strayed towards the druid. He was different from those she had dealt with before. A proud male, yes, but not so stubborn that one could not speak on equal terms with him. Perhaps she still had a lot to learn about elves, especially their elders. Although, she never felt a great need to learn more about them. However, they were quite fascinating. The afternoon was pleasant and a mild breeze hugged tightly against their cheeks as Bravery entered Stormwind's fortified dock. Smoke rose from the city walls and every man aboard the ship fell silent as they saw the crumbled ruins of the park district. The great wall above the port had caved in on itself, as if a gigantic monstrosity had paved its own path through the city. A solemn mood fell upon them all, even the captain, as their ship docked. Angelina checked the ropes that held her vessel in place, before heading below the deck.
As she turned to enter his chamber, her nose was caught inches from a broad chest. Confused, she peered up and noticed the night elf before her. The two had all but bumped into each other in the doorway. It was not very difficult to notice the hand that rested at his side while standing in front of her, but she made no comment on the matter. The woman turned around on her heel, addressing him while she returned onto the deck with measured steps. "We're here. Welcome to Stormwind, home of humans."
The sun sparkled brightly as Vingor climbed the stairs onto the deck. The port was an awe-inspiring sight when the sun lit up the water, as if a thousand jewels glittered all around him. The sturdy stone walls of Stormwind towered above a lush landscape, plate-clad guards patrolled the docks and the wooden structure created a stark contrast combined with the pale walls far above. The city had changed greatly since his last visit. What laid before him was single-handedly the greatest port he had ever seen since Kalimdor fell in ages past. Ships stood in line, filling every spot available. A vast expanse of masts and sails. Far above, in the distance, he could he hear the call of the sea gulls as they circled the sky. The impressive atmosphere which the scenery created had a great scar; a massive crater stained with scorched soil which had once been the park district of the great city.
To his surprise the crew and the captain remained silent as they disembarked from the Bravery and walked along the dock. Sullen expressions filled their faces and slowly he caught on to the hidden tension that lured beneath the surface of the awe-inspiring atmosphere which the port created with its sheer scale. Guards who kept their eyes locked upon the bright sky without much rest, with fists that clutched tightly upon their spears or the hilt of a sword that they carried. Fear, the city reeked of fear once you looked at it from within. Although the docks were cluttered with a multitude of humans, and other races too, there was little banter between people. In fact, Vingor could barely catch more than a low murmur from some individuals with his keen hearing. A sense of pity filled his old heart, for he had seen such despair in his own people. It was heartbreaking to behold, especially in such a young race; humans at the pride of their life who kept their heads low and their shoulders high. Frightened.
The climb along a paved road, which led to the towering city above the port, led the elf through large crowds of old, young and middle-aged humans alike. They all shared the same level of anxiety. It gleamed through their eyes which constantly roamed the horizon. Last time he had entered their city he was flocked with judgemental phrases and gazes, but now they barely paid any heed to him at all. The crew escorted him along with their captain. Their footsteps often came to a stop because of the large mass of humans blocking a path through the city, but they kept their course and it did lead Vingor past the smouldering ruins of the great park that had once been the home of elves who visited the city in the past. The scale of the devastation was immense. Sturdy stone walls were shattered and spread about the ground like pebbles, even the canal was filled with partly scorched stone which had lost its pale splendour. Windows were sealed shut with planks, and scared children peeked out of the small slits between the wood as they passed them by. First in the line of their party was the captain. She was sure-footed and carried a sense of weight behind every step, but despite that she seemed to hold up well compared to most of the inhabitants within the city. It was a simple observation for the alien elf, as he was in a city that belonged to another race, but it did add a sense of respect for the young woman whom he had first deemed as a mere child.
Their solemn trot came to a surprisingly sudden stop in the buzzing dwarf district which had changed a lot since he had last been there. A large bank, in sheer stone as well as a house of trade had been built. What had been the alley of the human city was now its very heart. Not to far off in the distance one could easily make out the walls of the royal castle. He had been there once before, some while ago. The lot of them bundled together as they entered the crowded inn which buzzed with activity. The time of day was late and the sun had begun to creep lower on the horizon, which filled the doorway with a golden glow.
"Right, men, off you go. We'll stay in port for a while, so go along and get drunk. Then, when you are done drinking, tend to your families if you have one." Captain Soluna's brief speech was abrupt and to the point, and distinctly unfeminine in Vingor's opinion, but before she had finished her last words they had all split apart and mingled with the rest of the crowd. That left him alone with the captain. A silence came between them and she was the first to break it, eventually.
"I'm sure you've noticed by now, druid, but Stormwind is no longer what it once was. The city has changed and so have the land, but it's not nature's hand." Her sentence trailed off and she motioned for him to follow. The two made their way into a sparsely crowded corner with a small table and a lit candle. The stairs and the nearby counter locked them tightly into their corner where they sat down opposite to each other. She ordered her ale and Vingor respectfully accepted her offer to buy him a cup of the dwarf-made brew. The first sip was foamy. A tingling sensation rushed to his cheeks and the old elf blinked in surprise at the potency of the brew. Ale was an acquired taste, he reasoned with himself and to his surprise the woman in front of him managed to chug down a healthy gulp in one go before planting the wooden cup firmly upon the table. She sighed and leant back in her chair, canning the formalities as it were.
"How's that side of yours holding up? Any better?" She asked, without addressing him properly. In fact, her eyes were glued to the chandelier in the centre of the room. The vivid flames flared up in her eyes, which emphasized the gloom that filled the inn. The humans spoke in hushed voices and often fell silent in between the light banter that began to surface. In response the elf chugged down a healthy gulp of the ale he was given, and his side ached a little as he did.
"I am fine." The elf assured her, as best as he could. "I have decided to follow your advice, after all, Captain. Before I continue north I will stay within the city, although time is very precious to me." Vingor's thoughts strayed and their brief exchange of words died quickly. The evening passed in silence and neither of them spoke for a long time. Humans, as they were called, were a young race but they seemed to share the same attraction to their fellows when the setting was ill. Young women began to giggle due to the odd behaviour of infatuated men, which he reasoned might be caused by the ale he held in his hand. Its potency could make a fool out of him, he thought and glanced towards the girl that sat before him. Although, judging by her way of speech and flamboyant personality, she probably would not notice.
"That's good. I won't pry into your dealings too much, but I'll arrange a room for you. It'll be faster, I know them well." Her level of courtesy took the elf by some surprise and she probably noticed the odd stare aimed at her, for before he could accept or decline her offer, she pressed onwards: "You got hurt on my ship, it's my responsibility."
The elf chuckled, and finished what was left of his cup and rose to his feet before the young human could continue. Vingor shook his head and looked down at her as he spoke: "My dear, I am an adult, I can take care of my self." With those words he left her to her own thoughts and made the arrangements needed to stay at the inn. He provided the innkeeper with the proper coin and introduced himself in a straightforward manner which was more appropriate than elven courtesy. The druid then returned to their table and the carefree captain who still sat in her chair. "But, I would need a guide through the city tomorrow. If you could? It would save me some time and pain, when I collect the supplies I need." His query caught the human girl somewhat off her guard, it seemed. She looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows and nodded slightly.
"Good night then." He turned and walked upstairs, heading to bed with a gentle trot up the stairs. He knew he looked pitiful while holding his side, but to think that a child would act like a mother as the human had done. How pathetic, he thought.