Attempting to steady her breathing, Naolin clenched and unclenched her fist as she walked up the wooden stairs to the rickety-looking platform. When she stood on the platform and nothing seemed to happen, the huntress couldn't help but chuckle softly at her own silliness. Ten years, she had fought with bravery and killed without hesitation… nothing seemed to scare her.
Except one little thing.
She let out a sharp exhale as she heard distant roars of a propeller tearing through the air as it neared the platform. Lavender eyes averted towards the source and Naolin frowned slightly at the sight of the large ship suspended into the air by a large balloon of hot air.
Zeppelins.
The day of the big accident was forever scarred in her memory.
"Mama?" A young sin'dorei poked her head out the door from the cabin and her eyes locked onto a young woman at the hull of the zeppelin.
The zeppelin slowly came to a halt in front of the huntress and she stared at it for a moment or so before stepping on it.
The woman looked back at the little girl and bared a reassuring smile, "Come on, Nao… it's okay. I won't let you fall off."
Nausea rose in the blood elf's stomach but she ignored it and took a deep breath. Avoiding the hull of the ship as far she could, she wasted no time in quickly heading down the steps inside the ship. It seemed to lessen her tension some as the huntress let out a relieved sigh and leant back against the wall, occasionally throwing a wary glance at the back door across from her. It was times like these when she wished they'd put a door there.
Young Naolin timidly inched out the door and quickly ran to her mother, clinging to the woman's long black skirt. The woman let out a hearty laugh and gently stroked her fingers through the girl's white trends, "See? Told you it'd be fine. The sight's quite beautiful, wouldn't you agree?"
Suddenly, the zeppelin stopped abruptly for a moment, causing Naolin to lurch forward and land onto the floor with a grunt. She grumbled softly under her breath and got up as the zeppelin resumed flying smoothly. 'Can't believe I'm stuck on this thing for two days…' She let out a sigh and sat down, dropping her things next to her and leaned back against the wall.
She'd never forget the horrified look on her mother's face as a loud explosion was heard and felt as it rumbled through the ship. It wasn't long before she felt gravity taking its place, it was then she realized they were falling along with the ship. Shortly after, excruciating pain crashed upon her like a wave and dimly, she could hear familiar shouting before everything went black.
Naolin shut her eyes momentarily and felt more at ease as she listened to the faint sounds of the propellers and the shouting orders from the crewmen up above.
Torn and battered, the little girl let out a weak cry for her mother. The pain stung like a million of tiny daggers jabbing at her body relentlessly. Hope soared when she heard footsteps coming nearer but it crumbled not a moment too soon when she saw a young masculine face come in view instead of the lavender eyes she hoped to see.
She stared up ahead blankly into the background as if she was staring into a void. She was long lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice another occupant in the cabin, especially when she let sleep take over her and curled up in a fetal position, using her bag as a pillow.
"Hey! We've got a survivor here!" The man shouted out and she could hear more footsteps running towards her. As she was asked for a name, she could only stare up at the sky blankly and her heart felt like it was being shred to pieces. 'I'm… the only one that lived? Mom…' Too weak to maintain self-control, she cried herself to sleep as she was carried away to safety.
--
"What the hell do you mean, you left her behind?! Where's your sense of loyalty?!" A night elf heavily armored in plate, which only made her look more intimidating, roared at the young paladin.
"It was too late! She was long gone and I saw him coming! What was I supposed to do?!" Anthony cried out and dropped down to his knees in front of the kal'dorei general.
"You knew that Eden doesn't die so easily!" The female hissed back at the paladin, "If she is dead by now, it is only because you ran away like a pathetic dog. For Elune's sake, grow a damned spine!"
Anthony didn't say another word, because he realized that the general was right. Eden wasn't the type to go down so easily without a fight. He even once witnessed the druid in a heated battle when she was a breadth away from death and succeeded in claiming her victory. It was one of those rare moments when he saw Eden going berserk. He didn't know what had gotten into him… maybe it was the sight of the Lich King himself that shook him to his core. The way everything became so cold… it was like walking into a frozen hell.
"You've disappointed me greatly, Anthony. You are to take the first ship back home tonight, no arguments!" The general growled and turned, storming away. Anthony kept his eyes glued to the ground as he silently listened to the general shouting orders to several men to come with her to find Eden, or at least what's left of the druid.
--
A day had passed by and Naolin was beginning to grow a bit anxious again. She could never remain still on a zeppelin. Within the small cabin, the huntress paced back and forth from wall to wall.
"Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm… I am calm," she muttered rapidly under her breath and brought a hand up to massage her temple, "Dammit! Can't this thing go any faster!"
An amused chuckle made her stop dead in her tracks as she paled and scanned the area warily, "Who's there?!" As she yelled out, she had armed herself with her bow and glared towards the shadowed part of the cabin.
"Oi, relax… I'm not here to hurt you. I needed to hitch the closest ride to Northrend."
Naolin's muscles somewhat relaxed at the familiar tone and she wondered why, she couldn't even tell who it was… but then her eyes widened when the intruder stepped out from the shadows.
"Lockehart!" Naolin did not know why but she was relieved to see those silver hues again, "How did you…"
The kal'dorei laughed softly at the confusion etched across the other's face and pulled out a vial from the small satchel strapped around her thigh, "Invisibility potion. Gotta give props to Viola." She grinned as she slipped the vial back into the satchel.
"Oh… heh. You should be careful with those things… they can make you sick," Naolin muttered, feeling completely relieved and safe as she put down the bow.
A slender viridian eyebrow arched at the comment, "And you'd know?"
The other only smiled in answer as she sat down on the floor, leaning her back against the wall.
"Mm, I was seven years old. My father was an alchemist as well. He made some invisibility potions for my birthday. I was so excited because there was this ruin in Darkshore I wanted to check out. Obviously, I couldn't make it there safely with alliance guards patrolling around the area."
"Let me guess, ghost cat?"
Naolin only arched an eyebrow in response and smiled slightly, "I guess that myth's popular, huh?"
"Among hunters, yes. I don't think anyone else other than hunters really care much to hear about it," Lockehart shrugged and grinned at her, "It's a hunter thing, I guess."
"Hm, I suppose you're right. Hey, if you've been here since yesterday, why didn't you say something?"
Naolin could've sworn she saw a faint blush tint the night elf's cheeks when she took a quick glance at her.
"Ah, you were sleeping… I didn't want to wake you up. Besides, I wasn't sure if you'd scream and alert the whole ship. I'd hate to have a sword in my ass just for being here."
The sin'dorei chuckled gently in amusement, "Good point." Her face became crestfallen as she remembered why she was on the zeppelin. She wondered if Lockehart knew about what was going on.
"You know about him, don't you?" the kal'dorei's accented voice yanked the huntress out of her reverie and Naolin felt somewhat relieved that Lockehart knew. She didn't feel so alone anymore.
"I wouldn't worry so much right away. He might have his puny scourge… but the Crusaders don't joke around either. I have faith that we will win. After all, anyone would fight till the death for their home, wouldn't they?"
Naolin nodded silently in agreement, "I take it that you were assigned there?"
Lockeheart remained silent for a moment or so before speaking softly, "Not exactly. Viola was. I just needed to go and check on her."
For some odd reason, the white haired huntress felt a pang of some emotion and inwardly gasped, startled by this feeling and shrugged it off quickly. "Oh, I take it that you two are very close."
The other smiled slightly in answer and shut her eyes, resting her head against the wall behind her and let out a soft 'mm', "She's like an older sister to me. She has done so much for me…" the Kal'dorei trailed off softly then fell silent for a moment. "Get some rest… I'll wake you up when we are near Northrend."
Naolin could tell there was more to the story but held her questions and nodded, feeling tired all of sudden as she closed her eyes. As she slowly doze off, she subconsciously leaned to her left and rested her head on the kal'dorei's shoulder.
Silver hues snapped wide open in surprise and a light blush was painted across Locke's cheeks as she looked at the other. Her eyes softened when she saw the serene expression on Naolin's face and sighed softly, "Sleep well…" Without another word, Locke gently rested her head back against the wall and looked up ahead through the back door.
--
"Now the day has come"
The soothing yet sorrowful singing voice in the background was making the young warlock even more sleepy and she tried to ignore it.
"We are forsaken this time"
But it was impossible to ignore the raw emotion being bared in the lyrics. It amazed Dahlia how well Mina sung the first time she heard the young forsaken sing. Although, She did remember Mina speaking about memories of singing before she succumbed to death.
"We lived our lives in our paradise,
As gods we shaped the world around"
At the same time she wanted to cry. The moroseness in Mina's voice made her feelings spill over in a heartbeat.
"No borderlines we'd stay behind,
Though balance is something fragile"
Dahlia certainly wasn't the first one to feel such emotions. Mina's voice was magic… just breaking it's way into your soul and molding your emotions into a puddle of mush.
"While we thought we were gaining,
We would turn back the tide, it still slips away"
Unable to resist the urge to peek in the throne and listen to the rest of Mina's song, the warlock continued down to the entrance of the royal quarters. She smiled and nodded in greeting to the guards as they moved aside, bowing down at the sight of the woman.
"Our time has run out, our future has died,
There's no more escape"
She could hear Mina's voice reaching a crescendo as she neared the throne room. Dahlia smirked softly in response when she saw a small crowd of forsaken gathering at the entrance. No one could resist eavesdropping on Mina's songs after all.
"Now the day has come,
We are forsaken"
The warlock's presence seemed to be acknowledged right before she could even say 'pardon' as a few moved to the sides, allowing Dahlia to get a better view. Her aura wasn't something you can just ignore though. To her allies, it might be a somewhat comforting aura but at the same time it was quite intimidating. It showed how much power she had and that she was NOT a person you'd want to cross paths with if you were on her bad side.
"There's no time anymore,
Life will pass us by"
Satisfied with the view she had, Dahlia crossed her arms across her chest and let her gaze linger around the Royal Quarter.
"We are forsaken,
We're the last of our kind"
Finally landing her gaze on the source of the singing, she smiled slightly. The content yet concentrated look on Mina's face warmed her heart a bit. Dahlia knew the forsaken had lost so much along with her life, but her voice was something unique. Something sacred. It was all Mina had right now. It was what kept her sane.
"The sacrifice was much too high,
Our greed just made us all go blind"
Off to the right of Mina, there she sat… the savior of the forsaken.
"We tried to hide what we feared inside
Today is the end of tomorrow"
The Dark Lady was perched upon her throne and her eyes were shut, her head bowed down as she seemed to be listening to Mina intently. Dahlia took this opportunity to take a good look at the Queen. She never had the chance before, she was afraid Lady Sylvanas would get offended.
"As the sea started rising,
The land that we'd conquered just washed away"
It was amazing how an undead could look so good. You could've sworn Lady Sylvanas was just another High Elf, save for the pale skin. Her skin was flawless. Although, no one knows if she had few scars hidden somewhere. The warlock's gaze lingered up the black iron boots that hugged her calves tightly, like the rest of the matching outfit.
"Although we all have tried to turn back the tide,
It was all in vain"
Finally landing her gaze on the half hidden face, she noted the pleased look on it. The reason of this was probably because of Mina's soothing voice. The young forsaken seemed to be someone important to Sylvanas. It made her wonder if they had been acquainted with each other in the past life.
"Now the day has come,
We are forsaken"
Dahlia caught her breath when a pair of scarlet eyes were revealed, staring back at her. What surprised her more, though, was the smirk that adorned the Dark Lady's lips. She appeared to be amused at the fact she caught the warlock staring at her.
"There's no time anymore
Life will pass us by, we are forsaken,
Only ruins stay behind"
The locked gazes were broken as the song came to an end and an uproar broke out among the crowd. Suddenly aware that she had an audience, Mina looked away blushing and smiled at Lady Sylvanas, who nodded in return.
"Enjoying the sight?" Dahlia tensed for a minute at that voice but then calmed down, a small smirk creeping across her lips. She knew well the question was referring to her checking Lady Sylvanas out.
"Is somebody jealous?" A low growl was answered to the remark and it only made the smirk widen. Turning to face the mystery visitor, Dahlia chuckled lightly at the light scowl evident on the person's face. The light laughter died as her eyes were locked with ones blue as ice. Dahlia never got tired of looking in those eyes. They'd always make Dahlia shiver when they stared into hers deeply.
"…I see more people has fell victim to the scourge." The owner of the enchanting eyes looked away and at Mina and Sylvanas, noting the grieving forsaken kneeling before them.
Of course, there was a reason behind Mina's song. It was always sung when someone had been murdered. Those who die of murder usually turn into forsaken, unlike the people who die of natural causes and their spirits ascend to heaven. The song wasn't just any song though… it held the power to cleanse the evil from fallen souls. It's power was to soothe them into a tranquil state, giving them sense of peace. If a fallen soul wasn't 'cleansed', it would become angry and vengeful… turning into something evil.
Dahlia followed the gaze to the forsaken and smiled wryly, "Apparently so." With a sigh, she looked back at the woman in front of her. All the troubles and worries seemed to fade away as she stepped closer to her.
Kouya, the most bravest Paladin she ever met… but not only that, she was a woman full of mysteries. Dahlia was the only person that seemed to know every little thing about her. The paladin might've saved her life at one point, but it was more than that. Much more.
"Kou…" The nickname came out in a whisper and the paladin tensed, gulping slightly as Dahlia stepped even closer to her. She was pleased to see a blush painting Kouya's face and grinned impishly.
All Kouya could manage was a weak glare and grumbled under her breath, "Damnit, Dahlia… you know how I get when you say that."
The impish grin on the warlock's face faltered and it was replaced with a small smile, "You've been gone for too long. Can you blame me?" The remark sounded sad and almost apologetic.
It didn't take long before Kouya caved in and tentatively wrapped her arms around the warlock, surprising her as she pulled the lithe body against her own, "…I missed you more."
Almost immediately, Dahlia threw her arms around the woman and locked her in a hug as she let out a shaky sigh. It felt so good to be held by her again. Burying her nose in the paladin's raven locks, her fingers gripped onto the woman's armor.
"I'm home, Dahlia. It's not a dream."
"Yer still in public, y'know?" Both girls sighed at the sneering voice and glanced down to the ground to find a small demon with bright yellow eyes staring up at them with an annoyed expression on it's face.
"Azloz… don't you have someplace to go?" Dahlia glowered at the imp, hoping it would get the hint to take a hike.
"Fine, fine… but don't blame me if you gain some stalkers," Azloz smirked at them and disappeared before a certain paladin could punt him.
---
A loud wail from the foghorn roused Anthony out of his torn thoughts and he looked up numbly at the approaching ship from the dock he sat on. Half of his body felt so stiff and numb along with his slowly-breaking heart, he could only manage to take the few necessary steps to get on the ship.
'Eden… I'm so sorry. It's all my fault…'
Vaguely, he had noticed it was colder on the ship rather more than it was on the dock but shrugged it off. He wouldn't even give a rat's ass if someone was running around naked on the ship. The guilt was slowly killing him on the inside.
After finding a seat on a crate nearby, Anthony frowned. Remembering how nervous the druid had been when she was sitting on a box like he was right now and he remembered his words to her.
"I shall make sure that we both return home victorious… and in one piece."
'In one piece… right.' The paladin thought bitterly.
The coldness he had noticed earlier had increased. It was practically freezing now as Anthony shivered and pulled his cloak around himself tighter. Finally, the foghorn gave out one last wail, signaling it's departure and the ship slowly pulled away from the dock, drifting away towards the open sea.
Anthony wasn't alone. He had sensed it… another aura nearby and quickly stood up, looking behind him. His heart begun to hammer rapidly against his ribs upon seeing another person casually leaning against the wall. The person appeared to be a female from it's feminine build, even though it bothered Anthony that he couldn't see the person's face. It was hidden by a black hood. He had never seen armor like this woman was wearing. Black steel with blue inscriptions in several places.
"W-who are you?" Anthony stuttered and stepped back when the person started to move towards him. The frost that seemed to form after each footstep the person took was beginning to worry Anthony and he didn't hesitate to pull his two-handed sword out of it's case and gulped when he saw two bright blue eyes peering at him from underneath the hood. They were glowing.
Finally, the woman spoke and the voice sounded purely demonic. It practically turned Anthony's spine to ice, "Hello, Anthony."
Forgetting about the crate that was by his legs, he stumbled over it and fell onto the floor, hyperventilating, "Who are you?!" He demanded again. The woman pulled down her hood, revealing a pale face and hair white as snow. Her ears were long and pointy… just like an elf's ears.
'A… night elf death knight?! Wait a minute…'
The woman stopped in front of the paladin and pulled out a black claymore with blue inscriptions of some sort on the blade, aiming it at Anthony and gave him one last answer.
"And now, I will show you the true pain you left me through… time to accept your demise."
TBC.
A/N: The song I used in this fic is "Forsaken" by Within Temptation. I thought it'd be suitable for this fic.