Dirt cracks beneath the treaded hooves of our riled rides. Light crashes upon our chilled bodies. Warmth builds upon our frosty flesh. Chilled, yet refreshing wind slaps the sides of our faces.

TITHBURSH

All would be far more rewarding if the pursuing pack was not so determined. You said it. He should still enjoy it. The bolt jerks backwards. A metallic round collides with the inside of the chamber. The bolt slides forward.

Focus, Hope, focus.

TITHBURSH

Dirt breaks into clouds as one of the beast trips over its own feet. Its body mingles with the pockets of broken soil before coming to rest. In a flash the trailing beasts cover the defeated one's place.

Howls splinter the spirit as they rumble across the skies. Yelp after yelp, screech after screech, dark bark after bark, the beasts continue the chase. Snow packs into the soil as the furious claws pound it mercilessly.

I make to reload, but I know the futilely of it. Round after round could break a few bodies, but there needs to be more. You need more power! He needs to charge his laser!

Slipping the gun back into place, I take a second to look back ahead. The manly rider pulls close to his horse, as does Jessica. The both of them focus firmly on the route ahead; a path that leads to another forest.

Unlike the previous dense pocket of trees, this one is rather lush and illuminated by what appears to be the sun. Also, massive cliffs and rocky terrain juts and runs in all directions.

You need to look back. He needs to stop daydreaming!

Reaching down I grip the handle of my shovel, pull it to both hands, and spin back to the pack. Adrenaline bursts from within. Muscles lock and stabilize as the sight startles me. A yard from our mount is a rather speedy beast. Fangs puke pools of drool. Eyes secrete rage. Vocal cords vomit hate.

Focus, Hope, focus! Remember the dead! Remember the light!

Light quickly builds at the tip of the blade. Claws leap from the soil. Runes glow. Teeth glint in the daylight. Energy gathers. Hate focuses.

Flash

Raw power slams into the chest of the beast. It clings to the torso and drags the body back. Limps wrap the sides of the crushing orb. A second passes; the gimp pup slides from the rotating orb. It bounces once, twice. Another second passes…

BURSH

Worgen fly from the impact spot. A pillar of white, black, and brown plows into the sky. Dirt sprinkles and rains upon the still chasing pack. It would seem that these animals did not have enough. You need to feed their hunger! He doesn't want them to wait!

Again the blade lifts to my face. Focus, Hope, focus. Bring these beasts the end of their path. Bring them the strength of the dead. Bring them…

Howls break my focus. It bellows loudly from my side. Twisting in my spot, I watch the hills to the side. Black caves litter the tops of the white mounds to the right. My stomach churns again.

Howls return from the spot just as the black figures appear. Dozens upon dozens of hounds plow through the thick snow. Their four legs drag them quickly towards us while the hill aids their mission.

I lift my shovel and aim at the new descending pack. I wait patiently for them to shift into their horrifying visage, but even as they near us they do not change. Black pupils blare at us, but do not burn the same hate as the others. What should I do?

You need to act fast! He needs to do it quickly!

Appearing from the top of the hill is a dog that stands twice the height as the others. Streaks of white run down its belly and its sides. It howls loudly before leaping forward and colliding into the hill. It aims directly for us. What should I do?!

You need to decide. He needs to stop hesitating.

They near us from the side. Claws dig loudly from behind. What should I do?! Hope, decide, man, decide! Howls hiss from our flank. Rage burns from behind. Decide! A rumbling humming sound blares from my shovel. Decide! A loud release of energy blares from the blade.

Flash

As I spin to the manly rider, I catch a few chasing Worgen. Their position was almost perfect for a strike. Dirt explodes again, while defeated wolf-men collide into the ground.

Howls return, and I feel a shiver ripple down my spine. I twist to see behind me. Closer than he prior beast, is another Worgen. Its legs are already locked in a leaping stance. It is too late for me get a shot ready. It is too late to stop it. It is too late…

Emerging from the corner of my vision is a black wolf. It's paws stretch outwards. It slams hard into the side of the assaulting wolf-man. Limbs wrap around arms as the two tumble in a circular manner.

The two come to a stop, and the Worgen grabs the dog's front legs. The jaws snap and lurch past the Worgen's attacking front legs. Angry teeth crush the skull of an unsuspecting enemy. It's arms go limp and the wolf clambers back to its feet. As it does, dozens of wolves collide with the Worgen.

A battle of the Hounds.

Hundreds of both species take to each other's throats. Pups are mangled and crushed by overwhelming claws. Wolf-men snap and break to pouncing beasts. I make to fire another burst, but the mixed forces cease my attack.

A loud, rumbling howl bellows. Flinging my head towards the noise, I take in the sight of the massive hound. Strands of smooth, heavy hair waft in the chilling breeze. Large glowing eyes stream light in our directions. Clouds of warm air flutter from the ends of its nostrils as its large paws crush the snow near the road.

"Heroes of the light, muster your strength," Massive, pounding jaws release a deep howl of a voice, "My pups and I shall break these insects in their tracks!"

"For the light, mighty warrior!" From ahead the voice of the manly rider rumbles loudly, "For the light!"

The hound lurches back, "Fight my brothers! Let this world know that we stood this day! We shall not go down lacking of fight!"

Flinging his head back he prepares himself. A high-pitched, drawn cry bellows across the sky. All of the battle comes to a silence. The wind calms and breaks. Tranquility sets as the beast lets loose a cry of the ages.

If only it would last…

His mouth slides shut, and his head glides back down. Echoes bounce across the sky for soldiers miles away to hear. Paws dig into the snow. Gleaming eyes lock to enemies to our sides.

As we pass the mighty beast fully, he leaps forward and slams into intervening Worgen. Mighty teeth gnash at the small wolf-men. Gigantic claws maim miniature werewolves. Fangs flare in the light.

"Come to me, little morsels!" The wolf shouts, "Your tiny bodies are nothing! Nothing!"

In seconds he begins to fade from my sight. I twist to continue to watch the fight. Wolves flank the enemies while Worgen group to counter. Blood baths the once pure white powder beneath their paws. Hair mangles and knots as limbs twist and flail.

They slowly fade in the distance. I can still make out the fight, but they fade behind us. Occasionally a Worgen slips past and continues on its pursuit to us, but it is easily intercepted and quelled. No Worgen will reach us this day.

Suddenly the crunching of hooves and snow fades. My eyes divert down and I see the snow coming to an end. Green patches quickly become the norm until finally all that remains are green grass blades lightly drizzled with snow.

Curious orbs jerk upwards. Ahead are massive hills and cliff walls that hug the path perfectly. Foliage runs up the crevices on the walls, while roots dig their way down. Trees tower into the sky creating large pockets of shadow that litter the path as heavily as their own leaves.

Hooves continue to break against the now stony path, and we round the bend. One last time I glance up and watch the fight behind us. I wish I could join them in the fray, but that is not our fight. You know it. He is a neither a wolf, nor a hairy man.

A jerking motion draws me back forward. Again we round a bend, but do not slow. After a long turn we break on to a normal straight path. Pebbles bounce across the thick path. Blurred patches whip past the sides of my head as we barrel down this path.

Unexpectedly my body shoots forward. The horse stumbles slightly. Without hesitation I wrap my arms around the figure in front of me and wait for the rocking to stop. Fortunately, the beast did not trip, and we continue on.

"You ok back there, Hope?" Sweet words sweep back to me, "You startled me a second ago."

I draw in air and focus myself before replying, "I am alright. The horse gave me a quite a jolt, though."

She chuckles, but keeps herself firm. Red strands dance across the top of my head and tickle the front of my face. My hands rests rest around what I am guessing is her stomach. All the cloth of her robe really does make her seem a lot bigger than she really is. You better keep that in your head. He will not speak that!

Fingers entangle fingers while palms press harder against the clothed stomach as we find another bend. The force pulls greatly on my side, but I am able to keep myself balanced. Well, actually, she is able to keep us both balanced. You know it is all her. He is just baggage.

"Are you two still alive back there?" The rider ahead of us calls back.

"We are doing great!" The woman beats me to the punch.

My mouth opens, but my eyes break their will to speak. Oddly my vision darts to the tops of cliffs. A blackened figure rests by a tall tree. I know something is there, but I cannot make out what it is. Is it a hound? Is it human? Is it a bear? You went backwards there. He sure did.

We round a short bend, and I look back down. Hooves slap against wet stones as we pass a small stream. I quickly glance back to the trees but there is nothing there. Maybe I was just seeing things. You were. He is nuts, remember?

As I look back, a high-pitched roar cracks the air. I spin back forward and look around confusedly. The narrow, tall walls do not allow for much sight here, and I cannot make out anything that could have produced that.

My head twists side to side, and is given reprieve as the walls suddenly shorten. A river trickles just ahead. This one is much bigger than the last. A large felled tree makes for a perfect pass over the flowing waterway.

Movement from the other side of the river catches my eye. Another strange figure appears on the slope of the hill. Rocks give it great cover, but my trained eyes do not fall for such pathetic camouflage. You were trained by the best. He had Nathanos lessons!

A small red flare appears at the location of the figure. It rests near the top of blob. Orange sparks radiate from the orders of the red core? What in the world is that?

We near the wooden bridge, but my attention stays focused on the figure. I almost have my finger on what that…NO!

"Watch out!" My voice breaks in a nervous frenzy.

As if on cue the red light ripples from the figure. Yellow, orange, and white colors drag behind the core producing a long, illuminated tail. All of it quickly arches down, passes the tops of trees, and slams into the bridge ahead.

BRURSH

A fiery explosion spreads across all sections of the tree. Flame fingers flick high from the base of the structure. Bug crackle and pop loudly as the fire consumes them. Our horses screech loudly, but do not slow their pace.

"Turn, quickly! We are going to have to jump it!" Robes rustle at the sides of the leading rider.

He quickly jerks onto the now flat wall to our left. Hooves pound against firm soil. Grass folds and bends with ease. The river flows down just ahead. Rocks jut from the curved path and give no sympathy to my raging heart.

In a flash we near the river. Adrenaline pumps. Veins bulge with pressure. Muscles tighten. Hands grip the waist of the slender figure.

My mouth opens and my eyes close as I shout wildly into the air.

A hear the cracking of ground and trembling of hooves. Dirt smacks against the sides of my legs. Wind whips the side of my face. Air drags back my clothing. A heavy force pulls down at my body.

I cannot open my eyes!

A sudden jerk clutches my lower body and the firm feel of ground fades. I do not have to open my eyes to know we are jumping. I do not have to break the seal to know we are floating at this very moment. I do not have to see!

It feels as if an eternity passes.

I cannot open my eyes!

All reality seems to slow.

I must open them!

Force drags back down.

THUD-THUD

My body rocks in its place. Muscles lock in my arms to hold myself firmly up. The horse below jerks side to side. The world quakes. Everything is shaking. Eyelids hold firm.

Then nothing…

Cowardly folds of flesh peal back, and I take in the surroundings. Slowly the baffled beast trots forward. The young woman slaps its shoulders. I rock back with quiet excitement. We made it! You bet you did! He…

BRURSH

Dirt plows upwards. Waves of clumpy mess smack my face and body. The explosion barely missed us. Gathering speed, we dart past the crater and around the slope of the hill.

My senses slowly return to normality. Sadly, I almost wish they hadn't. Spreading the span of my vision is an unbelievable sight. Giant men lumber from the woods. Green orcs rally from the sides of finely chopped and gathered trees. Humans flock to the ruins of small buildings.

Further to my left is the vast ocean that eventually leads to the coast. A massive light tower rests broken in the air. Flames puke from the side of the structure while the edifices to its side hold for barricaded soldiers. Overhead beat the wings of drakes. These drakes, however, are pale, sickly and appear to be decaying.

Scourge…

Aboard their backs are blue giants. Like the one Nathanos defeated, ice spikes cling its horned helmet and leather armor. My eyes sweep back to the forest ahead of us, and I feel myself cringe.

Another battle…

"Why are they assaulting Venture Bay?!" Green eyes appear as the feminine figure glares at the base that I am guessing is the Bay.

I see the robes of the other rider waft as he points forward.

"The Lich King knows what is coming! He knows we are here! Look, "his arm extends outward further, "undead Vrykul armies march upon the feuding Horde and Alliance as we speak!"

Bodies of all sorts clash against each other. Giants interrupt old enemies of the southern continents. Trolls and tiny dwarves engage for control over the base. Corpses riddle the tree line and the outskirts of the base.

So many troops…

BRURSH, BRURSH, BRURSH

Rumbling roars of exploding rounds draw my attention upwards. Pockets of black dust gather in the middle of the air as sparks rain from them. You are seeing flak. He is seeing it all right.

Confused eyes scan the ground for signs of the cannons firing. Nothing. Instinctively I look up, and…there! A zeppelin. But not any Zeppelin…

"Die you overgrown skinless chickens!" Skippy screeches from aboard his ship, "Stop moving so I can de-bone you and enjoy your savory treats, foul of flight!"

Yeah…that is Skippy.

The bulking behemoth glides for the light-tower. Cannons fire wildly from the sides, and from here I can see the first mate! Lughoof! Lugfoot? Fluffy!

I continue to watch the ship circle the battling town, but a call from ahead draws my attention, "Get down! Do not leave your head exposed! And do not do a thing!" The front rider screams as he directs his horse towards the heart of battle.

Hooves thud heavily upon the wet soil. The young girl snaps her reins. Lets do this! You said it! He is the man!

In a flash the first rider speeds by a pair of dueling heroes. They do not pay heed to our passing. Hasty horses glide past tower giants. Legs smash to the sides of us. This is insane! Bodies are everywhere! Broken trees fall to the ground as mechanical beasts barrel for fleshy giants!

We shoot past dozens of battling warriors. This reminds of the shores of Aszhara! This reminds of the battle over Orgrimmar! This reminds me of the Undercity!

Metal blades slam into the ground. Clumps of brown and red dirt clump into the air. Screams echo upon the broken skies.

We skid past a pack of lumbering giants. They do not see us or do not care about us. Trolls align in front of long lumber piles and raise bows.

"Ready! Aim!" One of the lanky figures sounds off, "fire!"

Arrows riddle the sky. Giants jerk violently. They continue trampling forward, but the might of the barrage ends them. A few missiles that missed riddle the ground behind us. You know that was close. He needs new pants!

Faster we move. More soldiers we pass. Ahead I see a heavy fog, and notice a field of white. That must be the end of the forest! It is still a distance away, but that is the end of this nightmarish field!

Not much further now. More battling troops are left in dust. Faster we move. Bigger the white field grows. Not much further at all!

A sudden, loud voice draws my attention up the hill. There, standing a top the mound is a large, rather armored figure. This giant appears to not be decaying yet, but its demeanor definitely is nonetheless terrifying.

As I look up at him, I can see him look down at me. I can see his gaze lock upon me. I can see him. And he can see me…

"Warriors!" His arm shouts up instantly, "The Light Bringer trots upon these very lands!"

The soldiers closest to him throw their sight down his arm to me. They raise their weapons and lock into an attack position.

Shifting forward, the man that called me out moves forward and shouts again, "Hope Blackwood! He is escaping!" He pauses briefly to bellow loudly and scream two unpleasant words, "Kill him!"

Footsteps rattle louder. Dirt gathers in the corners of my eyes. Dozens of figures appear. An axe whips past my back and leaves my clothing dragging behind its might. We need to stop them! You were told to do nothing! He must stop them, though!

Reaching forward, I grab my shovel, and then my gun. Flinging my shovel to my shoulder, I ram a bullet quickly into my gun, lift it with one arm and flip the shove to an attack position with the other.

Eat this, Scourge flith!

Flash. TITHBURSH

A massive explosion rips the field and a few giants asunder. The lone round collides with the skull of another. Quickly I spine the shovel back to my shoulder, use both hands to reload my gun, and make to….

"Die, light! Die, Hope!" A voice barrels from behind.

My gun lifts before I can look. It spins to the back of horse as I twist unwillingly. As the barrel aligns with the back, the face, and the axe of an enemy are mere feet away.

TITHBURSH

He stumbles…

A quick jerk sounds me flying backwards. My legs slip from the horse and my back collides with the ground. Pain surges through my, but I must get up! You will grab your shovel to our left. He must grab the gun to the right!

My arms sweep the ground and find both exactly as stated. You are welcome. Rolling to my side I climb to my feet and lift my shovel forward.

Heroes! A soft humming vibration builds at the front of the blade.

Flash

A giant tumbles off his feet as a round rips through him. Two more fly to the sides as the round explodes. I let the strap catch the shovel as it falls back. I reload my gun and lift it. The man is too close! I cannot get a good shot!

"Hope! I will save you!" The sweet voice radiates from my left.

Instantly a horse appears and collides with the towering giant. Both the giant and the beast break upon each other and collapse instantly. Flailing hooves mangle the body as the horse screams in agony.

The young woman bounces hard on the ground. She lands only feet from me, but a lumbering buffoon is going to beat me to her! Like hell!

TITHBURSH

Blood splatters from the side its head before falls down. I make for her, but a sudden noise draws my attention. I spin, whipping my blade in an arch. Glowing metal slices through the legs of one, two, three giants before I finish the spin.

I make to reload, but there are too many. My feet shuffle backwards while I twist in 180 arches. The blade catches the occasional enemy, but it is not enough. As I sweep the battlefield I am overwhelmed.

There are too many!

I back to the young woman and hold firm. I raise my shovel, think hard, and wait for the humming. FLASH. The bolt hurls forward, taking down half a dozen foes as it streamlines outwards.

Instantly their spots are filled. I spin, catching one, two, four enemies before spinning the other direction. There are too many! I cannot…

A sudden force sends me tumbling forward. Rocks collide with my sides. A tree slams into my side, stopping me hard. The world spins. Rumbling footsteps fill my ears. I look up. Horrifically the armored being stands over me.

Long, braided hair flops to the side of its massive torso. Bulging muscles show through openings on the leather armor. Large, blaring eyes scream to me. I can sense his hate. Like so many times before…I can feel its desire for death…

He grips his axe in his hand. The metal glints sinisterly in the unwelcoming light. Evil guides his every action. Destruction rains from his every pore. Rage fills his soul and drives it to this moment. As I look into his eyes, I can feel it.

"Today, little man, I shall please the Death-god!" He lifts the axe over his head, "Today, the light dies!"

From the corner of my eye I see a bright twinkle. It is the light I was told about when death comes. It is what I was told will greet you when all is lost. It is the finest light I have ever seen. It is…the end…

It grows brighter and brighter. The axe moves higher and higher. Closer the glow draws. Come, light. I am ready.

A deep, familiar voice shatters the land and drives into the spirit. Even the giant twists to stare at the steady moving light and the figure that it follows.

"By the light, you will not stand victorious this day!"

Flash

A long, black object whips from behind the being's back. The sparkling light clings to the tip of the object as it flies to the being's front. A beam of light tears through the ground. A growing pillar of pure energy rips apart the soil. Trees bend and whip its fury. So bright. So…beautiful.

As I watch the spectacle, I cannot help but be overwhelmed. All of it…is so perfect. The young woman crawls forward and embraces the show with me. All the glory and beauty of life barreling towards us and the giant looming overhead.

Remarkable light...

So perfect, yet all my young friend can say is one word.

Just one word…"Tirion!"