Sweat beads at the top of my forehead. Metallic armor clings fiercely to the clammy flesh, drawing the salty mess to a pool above my brow. Clouds burn in and out of my mouth. Eyes focus squarely upon the city and the movement within.
Figures rustle outside the walls. Arrows shoot into sight as they arch up and over. Weak flashes of magic and gunfire fill the inner borders. Nothing can be heard from here, but the eyes tell all the tale needed.
Sylvanas rustles into sight and grumbles to herself.
"Unbelievable! These filthy Scourge gnats are everywhere!" She quickly marches forward.
"My lady, you must calm your rage." Tirion shuffles after her, "Your soldiers will hold the town."
"My soldiers will do more than hold it!" Her feet carry her faster, "They will kill the bugs, dig their graves with their bones, and bury them in coffins crafted of their own flesh!"
That was a rather interesting way of putting it. You liked the idea of burying them. He just never thought of using bones as shovels and skin as coffins. You never improvised before.
Sylvanas gains speed, and I cannot help but attempt to keep up with her. Snow pats and crunches beneath her light legs. Crisp snaps echo from my sides as the heavily platted Tirion and Jessica easily keep my pace. Sadly, none of us can even begin to gain on the incredibly speedy woman. Even as she navigates around stumps and broken animals, she does not lose speed. My legs move to breaking, but it does nothing.
With each passing second the sounds of war rattle for us. Cries of fighting soldiers fill the air. Screams of the wounded and of the falling creep eerily upon our minds. Visages of battle grow stronger as signs of the town intensify. Cracks appear on the walls while broken wire hangs limply from the stone.
Ahead a path appears and breaks four ways, one heading east, another other west, one heads south parallel to us, and one slopes into town.. In a matter of seconds we trample the forked trail and follow after the already climbing Sylvanas.
She comes to a stop a top the small cliff and glares angrily into town. Sounds of battle become clear as a Durotar day. Living warriors scream and shout orders. Undead creeps gargle orders and howlersinister plots.
It takes us no time at all to ascend the rather steep path and come to the aging, Forsaken walls. Large chunks of stone gather at the base of the walls as cracks run lines around spots that once held them.
Sylvanas watches us approach the break in the wall before dashing angrily forward. We follow her quickly, but I hesitate briefly. Breath, Hope, breath. The Lich King is not going to be here. You can smash him with your shovel if he is! He can shovel him good!
Tirion shifts past me, throwing me an odd look before entering the city. Jessica stops at my side and pats my shoulder. Her eyes lock with mine, soothing me silently. Gentle thoughts tickle my cheeks, fading from sight with the young woman. She glides out of sight, and at that I am all but forced to enter.
Go, Hope, go.
The sight is almost that of my nightmare. Broken bodies litter the street. Scourge skeletons lay broken at the far end of the outpost while a few Forsaken and human bodies lay lifeless near us. Scourge troops march into the town, invading with numerous strength. Defenders retaliate with barrages of ranged fire.
On defender in particular draws my attention...
An angry, arrow-barraging figure wearing a green hood rests in a doorway below a crocked sign with the word "Inn" etched into it. This figure, Nathanos, releases death with a simple stroke of a finger. On the opposite side of the street, near a massive vessel of glass and green fluid, is an old man with a shield.
Carlin.
He turns to me and throws me a nod as I come around the wall. Swiftly I dash through the empty field of vulnerability and come to rest near a pile of ruin resting near Nathanos. Sylvanas rushes to Carlin as Tirion leaps over the ruin to my side. Seems rather reversed, but who am I to speak. You are a nobody! He needs to shoot something!
I lift my shovel forward and lay it on the fence. Skeletons march forward and the troops around brace for the attack. My eyes lock and my thoughts focus. Light, hum, flash.
A spiraling ball whooshes past the center of the town and crashes into the advancing army. The troops scatter and make to regroup. They will not have the luxury of gathering! I leap over the fence and fire another round.
Like pins to a bowling ball the creatures are plowed down to the spiraling orb. The final explosion rips apart the army and sends them scurrying. My eyes lock again. The shovel hums, but what follows does not come from the end of my blade.
"Light Bringer, the Lich King shall welcome you to his fold!" Rattling across the skies is a deep, bellowing voice.
A dark flash absorbs the light briefly. My eyes divert to the side. A rune blade lifts towards the skies and expels a weak green flame from all its angles. At the very tip emerges a pair of dark eyes and sphere of black energy. Bursting forth is a diabolic array of swirling dark magic. A skull crafted of the reaper's design ejects from the blade, aimed squarely on the foolish figure basking in the field of war.
The orb barrels from the weapon and glides sinisterly across the air. Teeth built of dark matter align in the center of the demonic skull. Green eyes lock above a visible nose. All features direct towards me. All move at a speed driven by the unholy. All scream for my death.
It moves rapidly. My legs shift. It barrels closer. Darkness fills my vision. You must move! He cannot stand here! I cannot. It is too fast. You have to move the weapon! He has it! It is too late. My eyelids make to close, but shock keeps them ajar.
"Worm!" Nathanos darts into my vision, "You idiot! Exposing yourself!"
A dark explosion radiates before me. Black engulfs a small figure. Green bursts upwards. Black explodes in all directions. A man is thrown to his as wood splinters all around him.
In horror I watch as him float through the air like a rag doll. He hangs upon the sky for only second before thudding upon the road. He comes to a rest in the exact center of town. He comes to rest only yards to me. He comes to a rest, the man with the tattered and torn green hood.
Nathanos…
My body quakes. Legs move forward. Screams radiate from my sides. Ears are unhearing and blocked by ignorance. Eyes locked upon the man on the road. What have I done? You must get some cover! He is a sitting duck out here!
A strange burning feeling, unfelt before, churns in my stomach.
Closer I draw. Eyes haze as tears build. Nathanos, get up! Stop acting, I know you are only acting! Get up! You…cannot force him this time. He knows it is ok. Heat gathers in my chest and spreads rapidly.
The new feeling intensifies.
Closer I come to Nathanos.
Vision blurs.
My feet near his unmoving body. Get up!
Tears break the dam of my will power.
Get up, please!
Tears flow. Muscles grow lax as sorrow sets in. Eyes of denial sweep the body. I look away. Tirion stares at me. His mouth stands open. He knows what I did. He knows what I caused. Tears flow rapidly. What have I done?! You need to relax. He did not do it!
An explosion of uncontrollable energy ripples from my gullet. The sadness empties my body as the raw, pure energy traverses my veins. It fills my body and spirals within the muscle in my chest.
Lips curl upwards, diverting tears.
"Light Bringer, you received only a taste of what I have to give!"
My vision diverts to the Death knight. Long white hair flows at the edges of his face. Familiar facial features line every inch of his flesh. Gray eyes, once brown and full of life now radiate darkness towards my raging soul.
"I, Jon Dawnbreaker, Herald of the Lich, shall depart to you the wisdom of my master!"
My soul quells as a pinch snaps my heart. His words assault my mind. They attack my body. Jon…a friend and brother of the light now stands before me, embracing the armor of the fallen. How can he?!
Energy crashes across my veins.
How can he do is!?
Mark shifts from behind Carlin, but the old man stops him. Jessica shifts forward, gripping the furiously struggling giant. Carlin throws Jessica an expression of concern and bewilderment. Jessica clutches the enraged ally, rage pouring from her facial feature only to be quelled by the glance of the old man. Both look at each other almost as if they have seen ghosts...
But the real specter does not rest within them. No, it relays from a man, a villain, a monster...a family of a friend. A brother of Mark.
His brother! Mark's brother betrayed us all! You must relax. He has to calm…
Shut up! He did this! He killed Nathanos! He attacked the town!
I know what fills my veins. I know what fuels my current determination. I know…its anger! It rage! Blue flames flicker the edges of my vision. Black borders haze my vision.
As I stand here, sinister flames bellowing from my eyes, rage guiding me, that the nightmare was a lie…
"Hope Blackwood, Light Bringer!" Jon drags his sword to his front and screams, "Obey the call of the Lich King, return…"
Lips break at their seams. A dark, unnatural voice ripples from my throat, "If your pathetic master wishes to have me…
I pause.
"Then come and get me."
A smirk forms over his face, "As you wish, Light Bringer!"
Snow crackles beneath his feet. Sword locks in his hand. Pebbles shift as he lurches forward. My eyes lock with him. It is just as my dream. A figure charges a man amongst a field of bodies. Rage flows through his every vein. He comes for the man that brings destruction to his people.
He takes the place of what I see in my nightmare. He takes my stance of mindless assaulting and foolish charges. He…is the vision I always saw in my nightmare, my very nightmare.
And here I stand, in the center of the town. A shovel lifting black flames into the air. Green sparks building from sinister runes at the tip. Here I stand, not the man I thought I was…
Here I stand, a metaphor of my own horrors.
Here I stand…as the evil…
Here I stand…as the Lich King…
My voice radiates sinisterly upon all hearing ears, "Die, Jon Chapel, DIE!"
Burst of black flame spirals outwards. A coil of death shoots out from my cannon of once righteous fury. All that stand before me shall perish! You must not do this! He cannot fix what has happened this way!
The dark matter hurls towards the unsuspecting foe. His eyes lock downward as fear sweeps his pathetic demeanor. He makes to move, but I do not fail. Die, you insolent whelp, die!
Dark armor breaks from his shoulder as the round sends him flying. The blade falls from his hands as he spirals upwards. Wood rains from the corner of the roof that he slams into and flips clear over. A dull thud follows seconds later as he lands out of sight and out of mind.
Vision diverts to the side. Rage guides me perfectly. Six pairs of green embers build on the tip of my shovel. No army shall stand before me. NONE.
Bursts of black ripple from my blade. Three spheres shift simultaneously at different angles. Ground churns and wails. Massive pillars of smoke tower into the sky. The army before me is engulfed with rage and fury. White bones and bleached by the rolling black wave of destruction. All shall perish!
Movement stirs to the side. Embers spark on my blade. A building stands before me. Enemies dare hide from me? Dare to hide in the foreboding shadows! Fools!
Bursts rip forward and plow mercilessly into the building. Black flames turn to orange and red. Explosions shake the building to its core. More figures shift to my right! You are seeing things! He must calm down!
Green, spark, burst!
Flames of orange and yellow tear the sides of the splintering Inn. The sign cracks from over head and slams into the snow. Powder drifts from the impact spot and moves to a pair of golden, glinting boots.
My shovel shifts towards it. A man clad in solid armor stands before me. He dares mock me! He shall be punished for his insolence! Does he not know who I am?! You will not do this! He cannot!
Embers build on my blade. Eyes of a bewildered foe widen. Scourge scum, feel my wrath! Black forms and morphs to a sphere of death. Scourge in paladin's armor, die!
TWANG, CLING
My arm shifts with a great force. An explosion tears the soil before me. I missed my target. I look to my arm. An arrow sticks weakly from my shovel. Who dares defy me?!
My vision shifts and a tall woman bears a bow.
"Goldfish, you have gone mad!" The string is drawn back. Strangely, a look of excitement crafting upon her face, "I have waited a long time to do this!"
TWANG, TWANG
My weapon shifts to the side. CLING. It diverts back in the other direction. CLING. Both arrows bounce harmlessly from the shaft of my shovel. She folds the weapon behind her back and pulls daggers to her front.
"Fine, I shall cleave you where you stand and watch the life fade from your eyes!"
She takes to her feet. Dusty white trails whip from her soles. Unnatural speed draws her to me. Beautiful features attract her to my formidable presence. Great strength brings her to me.
What a shame she is too slow. My arm whips back as she moves. The face of my blade flips back and rises before she can dare blink. It lifts to her level and catches her acceleration as her weakness.
CLANG
Strands of long, graceful hair flip back with her head. Metal vibrates in my one hand as the other whips down across my chest. Alluring legs lift from the ground as her body drags counter clockwise.
Fingers built of pure perfection extend outwards. They wrap gently across the smooth, chilling flesh. Death seeps from flesh and flows into her veins as I tug to my side. In a flash I sweep my body and pull her awkwardly past my front.
Limbs follow my arms with such obedience. Hair fights the flow of the natural order, and eyes rest shut to wait for the inevitable. With a complete arch I watch as she aligns masterful with my arm. The building comes into sight and comes into perfect position.
I almost do not want to let go of this gorgeous flesh. I almost do not want to let this elegant hourglass creature free. I almost want to pull her to me, comfort her from the fright she must be feeling. As her eyes open, spewing magnificent red from the pupils, I almost want to hold her.
Almost…
Her body shoots with the perfect order. My fingers unwrap from the smooth flesh and let her soar gracefully. Her eyes lock with mine for a brief second as she shoots back towards the Inn.
My face contorts to a smirk as hers jerks to confusion. As she moves I let my lips separate and mouth the word, "Bye."
Glass shatters. Crisscrossing wooden planks fold inward. Slivers of both rain from the window and fall to the ground as the woman fades from sight. What a shame, she was so marvelous to look at.
A sudden burst of light fills the bottom corner of my vision and my shovel lifts instinctively. My shovel builds a wall of black as a shield as the wave of light crashes against it. Corners of my barrier fade and shatter. I hold firm, but another flash flares and my wall cracks again.
"Hope, do not let the rage overwhelm!" The golden fool shouts to me, "Control yourself, do not succumb to the darkness!"
Another flash lashes against me. There is no way I will defeat this fool from here. I must get closer. The light fades briefly. With it my feet shuffle, and I leap forward. The man arches his weapon and waits oddly.
Fool! Embers build at my weapon as a barrel forward. A burst of black barrels outwards. Die, fool, die! He skillfully sweeps down and swats my assault as he would a fly. Fine, if he wishes to die to my blade, so be it!
My shovel lifts over my head and whips downward. CLANG. Sparks of black fly from my weapon, clouding all vision. Pulses of light barrel from his wrapped blade, blind my vision.
He holds firmly, but he will not last!
"Hope, fight this! I know you are better than this!" His voice batters against my mind.
Suddenly he shifts and bends beneath me. The fool speaks instead of fighting! It will be his downfall! I feel him lower and fall to his knees. Yes, yes, bow to your master! Bow to the one true god! You speak foolishness! He is no such thing
"Hope, do you know how we met? Do you remember the day?"
We met today, what does he babble about!? I feel him grow weaker. He just tries to distract me.
"It was upon the lands of the Western Plaguelands. I do not believe you knew where you were…" he winces in pain as I exert my rage, "You seemed rather baffled when I told you."
Shut your mouth, old man!
"But you didn't hesitate to aid me, you didn't pause for a moment when I asked for your help." Further to your knees, paladin! "It was as if you could fail my pain. Feel my agony."
Stop with the story, it is a waste of your energy!
"It is not every day a man has to ask for such aid. It is not every day one wants to bear such a burden."
He lets go of the weapon with one hand reaches down. He is trying to trick me! Or he wishes to die!
"But you took the weight of the world with me. You took the pain upon your shoulders just as I."
Tirion, what do you speak about?! My eyes lock with his. A gentle light radiates from his presence. My sight is broken as he pulls a small, gray object from his suit.
"It is not every day I have to take a toy from a child. Remove the most cherished possession from a mere boy." Tears gather at his eyes, and strangely at mine, "This object belonged to Taelan Fordring, my son."
He pauses as he fights back tears.
"A stranger, a hero, a man born of the light, and gave me faith in humanity, helped this old man say good bye to the wielder of this toy."
A tear rolls down his cheek, "You, Light Bringer, Hope Blackwood, are that man, and you helped bury my son. That is how we met."
Tirion Fordring…I remember…that mace…
All light breaks. My knees grow weak. I look upon the mace with all my being. I remember the mace. I even remember the writing on top. The small engraved message of this old man…
My mouth opens, "To my dear boy, Taelan With love, father."
Snow chills my knees. Blue flames spew for a moment longer before vanishing from my sight. Black edges fade to light. Tears roll down my cheek just as the man before me.
Again I feel my lips separate, "I am not the same boy you knew. I am…a monster."
He chuckles and wipes the tears from his eyes, "No, boy, you are simply confused." He comes to his feet. "You were and still are…a hero."
His hand lowers to me.
"I, Tirion Fordring, will follow you, Light Bringer, to the ends of Azeroth, and even into Arthas' lair with a shovel and a prayer."
He smiles, "Now, arise, Champion of the Light, arise. There is a long journey still ahead of us. We will need our strength and a place to rest if you wish to compete in my trial. Hero."
Hero?
I lift my hand and lock with his. Tirion may believe it. He may believe I am not a monster.
He pulls me to my feet.
I only hope the rest of the world will see it that way when they look back upon this day.