Hytharion wiped his hair off his forehead, sweat running down his face and stinging his eyes and cut brow as he and the commander circled each other. Bodies lay strewn about all around him. He vaguely heard swords clashing nearby, but he was too focused on the elf before him to pay them much mind. She rushed him, and he brought his sword up, just barely managing to deflect her blow in time before it would have hit his face. His swings were weak his muscles burned. Why couldn't that stupid ghoul have ripped the other hand off? he thought to himself, his arm shaking as she pressed down hard. He had little problems when fighting off the others, but she was much more skilled than her comrades had been. She had dodged most of the spells thrown at her, with the only thing even coming close to being effective, a razor-sharp icicle that had merely grazed her cheek. He had also avoided many of her blows as he teleported himself around, though. He caught her by surprise a few times, managing to get in several of his own hits, but teleporting that much was a drain and he was beginning to tire. She swung at him again, and when he attempted to block again, the sword broke. Her weapon hit him. It bounced off harmlessly, but he felt his armour shatter. "Belore dath'eranu!" he cried as she rushed him and swung her blade. The barrier of fire stopped her from hitting him at the last moment, but that was all it took to dissipate it. He leapt backwards and threw two more fireballs that she countered with her blade. "F-Felo... ungh..." He barely had enough mana. "F-Felo'melorn!" he roared. If she hadn't rolled out of the way just in the nick of time, she, like the grass where he had directed the swirl of flame, would be ash.

She brought her blade up to strike again, and as he attempted to teleport away, nothing happened. Her blade sliced into his right side. He cried out in pain, and as he stumbled back, he tripped on a root and fell against a tree behind him. She limped as she approached and was holding a bad cut on her arm. She nodded to him and gave him a salute as she struggled to catch her breath. "You fought well, Archmage," she panted. "If I survive this day, I will tell the Kirin Tor of your fate." She raised her weapon.

One last surge of adrenaline coursed through him. "ANAR'ENDAL DRACON!" A fiery dragon's head briefly appeared above his head to spit fire at her before disappearing. It didn't do much, not when he wasn't at full power, but it made her take a step back, and that was all he needed. He launched himself at her, knocking her to the ground. Kneeling on top of her, his panic fueling him, he wrestled with her for the sword. She tried to push him off, but he dug his metal foot into the ground, refusing to be moved. "Felo!" His hand caught fire for a few seconds. The night elf cried out as her wrist was burned. She let go of the sword, and in the heat of the moment, he grabbed the blade and drove it through her throat. Her eyes widened as blood spurted from the severed artery. She gasped and sputtered for a few moments before she stilled, and her gurgling stopped. The light in her eyes faded. Hytharion stared at her in disbelief as he scrambled back. "What did... I-I didn't mean to..."

Something touched his shoulder. He leapt to his feet, ready to throw what little fire he could muster. Falaria stepped back, raising her hands defensively. "Just me." There was a cut across her luckily already blinded eye, and she held onto a badly bleeding cut on her shoulder. Mira lay nearby, licking her own wounds. The adrenaline left his system, and the pain and exhaustion overwhelmed him. As he fell to one knee, she raced over to him. He hissed and groaned as she inspected the wound. "Ngh- Careful!"

She gently cuffed the back of his head. "You wimp. Your hand got ripped off by a ghoul, and you're complaining about this?"

"That doesn't make me immune to pain! AGH! Stop!" he said, slapping her hand away as she attempted to inspect it again.

"You don't see me complaining. It'll scar, but I don't think it's life-threatening. Just try not to move too much and you'll probably be okay until you can get yourself seen by a medic." She patted his shoulder and went to tend to Mira. He groaned as he managed to stand again. Tears suddenly came to his eyes as he looked around at the carnage that surrounded them. Burning flesh and the coppery scent of blood filled his nostrils. "Anar'alah..."

"What's wrong?" Falaria asked, turning back to him.

He looked at his sister with anguish in his eyes. "What do you mean "what's wrong"? Most of these night elves died by my hand! I just stabbed someone through the throat who was only trying to protect her home! I joined the Kirin Tor to pursue knowledge and protect the world with it! To make sure that what happened to us doesn't happen to anyone else! I swore an oath of neutrality when I joined them!"

"You were defending yourself. They'll understand, won't they? Do you have to tell them?'

"That's not the point, Falaria!" He turned away, taking a shaky breath as he bit his cheek and looked around at the bodies again. "I-I've never killed an actual person before, Sis. Demons and undead, yes, but n-not actual people. A-And yeah, of course I have to tell them. I would feel terrible if I didn't..."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I admit, sometimes I forget how numb I've become to the feeling of taking life. I know it's not easy."

"Thank you," he murmured as he touched her hand. While Falaria went back to tend to Mira, he conjured some bread and water and then leaned against the nearest tree, having to avert his eyes from the bodies before he could force himself to eat. "G-Give me a couple of seconds here," he said, speaking between bites, "and I'll have enough energy to get us back to Dalaran." After a few bites, his stomach rumbled in displeasure and he felt his saliva building. He tossed away the half-eaten bread and started gulping down the refreshing and much more stomachable water.

"I'm not coming back with you," Falaria said, turning to him again.

He inhaled half the water and spat out the other half as he went into a coughing fit. "W-What?" he gasped after a minute. "A-After all that, you're not coming with me? But... you're injured!"

"I can't! I'm not leaving Sylvanas behind. I watched her die once. I can't watch her die again, not if I can help it!" She cringed and whimpered a little as she tore the arrow from her leg and tossed it aside. Mira chased after it, batting it around with one of her huge, clawed paws like an excited kitten. "Not again." Her gaze grew distant for a few moments before she shook her head. "No. I'm not leaving. Go home."

"Sylvanas isn't going to die again, Falaria! She's surrounded by loyal soldiers and she has val'kyr that can bring her back, right? Come on, Sis, at least-" Something caught his eye behind her. A glint from within a bush. He shoved her aside, and not even a second had passed before he gasped sharply as something hit him and fell to the ground. Panting, he raised his head, his eyes widening in horror as he looked at the arrow embedded in his chest.

"Hythe!" Falaria rushed to him, her eyes wide in shock, before turning back to face their attackers. Tears blurred his vision as he sat up. More night elves stepped out from behind trees and bushes. A small blue ball flew around their heads before slowly approaching him. The wisp.

"I-I said I was sorry..." he muttered. The wisp simply watched him for a moment before slowly floating away like a leaf in the breeze. The night elves looked around in horror at the carnage he and Falaria had caused. The one that fired that arrow stared at him with hate-filled eyes. He looked around, struggling to calm his mind as he tried to assess his options. His mana had not been fully restored. If they were to fight now, he would be useless. He didn't have the time to conjure up a portal to get them out of there. He needed to think faster, but it was hard with the pain blurring his thoughts. As the night elves prepared to charge, he knew there was only one other option. It was risky. If these ones knew just as much about magic as the others did, or if it took them longer to leave than he could keep the spell up, then he and Falaria were dead. There were no other options now, though. Keeping himself upright through sheer force of will, he reached for Falaria's hand and managed to mutter the words of the invisibility spell once more. "Belasa... a-anu." They disappeared. The night elves lowered their weapons, looking around in confusion. He could still see Falaria and signalled for her to stay quiet. She glanced down at him worriedly but dared not move. They seemed to be fooled, and he prayed for them to move on quickly before the last of his energy faded. The leader of the group let out a frustrated shout as he tossed down his weapon. He spoke in his own language to the group, and they said quick goodbyes to their fallen comrades before hurrying off.

As soon as they were out of sight, Hytharion let go of the spell and fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thud and a grunt. "Hythe!" Falaria rushed over to him. "No, no, no..."

His breathing painful and jumpy, he lifted his head to look at the arrow again. "S-Shit..." he whimpered. He reached for it, but Falaria slapped his hand away.

"No, no, don't do that."

"I-It hurts," he panted, blinking away tears. "It-aghh! I-It hurts..."

"I-I know, I know, but taking it out right now would just cause more damage. Come on, l-let's get you to a healer." She stood and helped him stand. Leaning on her heavily, he tried to walk but didn't get far before his legs gave out. No! Kally, Max. I can't leave them, not yet! he thought as he struggled to stand again. Baladir... Damn you... Damn you!

"Get up!" Falaria pleaded. She grabbed him under his arms and tried to drag him. "Get up!" She couldn't carry his full weight for long, though, and gently lowered him to the ground. He struggled to focus on her as she knelt down beside him and grabbed his shoulders. "Please, get up! You have to!"

"I can't," he panted. "I- ngh... I... I-I t-tried..."

"Shh, it's okay. Mira! Get help! Lead here!" The lynx, watching intently, let out a snarl as she turned and galloped away. "Help is coming. I'll get you to a healer, I promise." She sat and pulled him close, holding him as she gently ran her fingers through his hair and desperately scanned the forest. He knew that wasn't true. His energy was fading too quickly for help to come in time. His thoughts drifted to his family, his heart breaking. What he wouldn't give to kiss Delania again or hold his children one last time... Everyone was begging me not to go... why didn't I listen? As he coughed, he spat up blood that he felt run down his chin. "Shit..." Falaria whispered as she wiped the blood off his face. "I-It's going to be okay, I-I promise." She attempted to give him a small, comforting smile, but it was unconvincing.

More blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he gave a weak chuckle. "Y-You... you've n-never... n-never been a good l-liar..."

"I know," she said quietly as she wiped her eyes. "I know, but stop talking. Save your energy. Just try to relax and stay calm."

"And S-Sis..." he panted, his breaths becoming shallower by the second. "Y-You... y'know I-I love you... r-right?"

Panic flashed across her features. "O-Of course, of course I do, and I love you too, but don't say that! Please, please don't say that!"

"T-Thank you for s-staying w-with me," he murmured. "M-My family... T-Tell them... I..." He trailed off as the last of his life faded away.

Damn you, Baladir...