Chapter 12

 Transcendence 

 Chapter 12: Theramore 

Dustwallow Marsh

The hot humid air and vaporous stink that spewed from the swamp was intolerable. Anyone who had never lived in such climates before would have asked those who did: how they can survive in such a place without going mad or dying ? And even if you do live in it, you wonder why you are still living there.

But even so people still live and make this place their home, some for their entire lives. Thriving off the humid air and muddy water teeming with life, but those are usually creatures that are as slippery and filthy as the very waters they reside within. But some have made this place their homes for better or for worse.

The people of Theramore make this marshland their home, and do so by putting their glorious city as far away from that hellish swamp as they could. Thus they built their city atop a small isle off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh, and for many years now, many have been calling it their home.

But the fact that the city was on the very edge of the swamp did little to help the already grim mood that was affecting Adelina. She had been riding through the marshes of Dustwallow for the entire day and now through the early night. She was lucky however, for as night began to fall she had found a well paved path that had not been hidden under moss or that sank into the mud.

She thanked Elune for such small mercies.

There was only one place that this path could lead them, as there was only one other settlement in this horrid smelling hell hole of heat and mosquitoes. And Adelina was following it to the only destination in her mind: Theramore. For three hours she followed the path on horseback, moving at a brisk trotting pace, not willing to gallop and risk losing the path in the pitch black darkness. Her only indication that she was still on the path was the sound of the horse's hooves clacking on the stone.

But that gave her only so much reassurance, for even on the path she was still at the mercy of the beasts that make this place their home: Murloc's, Naga, Swamp Beasts, Large Arachnids and even Black Dragons are said to roam these places. She may not have much in the way of offensive Magic, but she could still send something to force them away and try to escape.

But even though she was ready for a right she could  not risk one, not in this place. It would draw too much attention, bad attention. Also the fact she was trying to keep Ichigo from falling off the horse ever since she began this ride was not lost to her either. He was still out cold and would occasionally come back into consciousness but would immediately loose it and fall limp into her chest.

She felt Ichigo stir in front of her, muttering incoherently about something she couldn't understand. Apart from his brief moments of consciousness he would speak in his sleep, which was only thing that showed he was still alive. She had tried to heal him while riding but it was hard to steer the horse through the swamp, keep Ichigo from falling from the horse and heal his injuries as the same time. And if she wanted Ichigo to survive she would need to get to Theramore before something decides to try and make a meal out of them.

But she had no idea how much longer it would be before they arrived. She couldn't reach in for the map or even read it, she couldn't stop, and she couldn't even tell if she was heading in the same direction she started when she first got on this road. She felt a grim feeling welling in her gut, this is possibly the worth situation she has ever been in, and likely the last.

As her eyes darted around looking for anything she noticed something. Pulling the reins she halted the horse, looking closer she could see feint lights in the distance. Golden orbs of fire could be seen spaced out over a small distance, she could also hear something faintly in that direction. She almost cheered when she heard people talking, but stopped herself just to make sure that they were human and to make sure nothing nearby was looking for any late night meal.

She moved her stallion a little faster forward.

As she rode closer to the lights she had to strain less to see and hear them. There was laughing, she could see small shadowy silhouettes around a large bonfire and the smell of meat over the stench of the marshes reached her nostrils, filling them with the feint aroma of cooked Crocolisk. Even if she wasn't particularly fond of cooked meat, it was more preferred than the marshes any day.

<p class="MsoNormal">And as she drew closer she could make out their language, common, although the most shared in Azeroth it still didn't mean they were human. But that changed when see noticed silver armoured soldiers around a small bonfire in front of a human constructed watch tower. She quickened her pace and moved towards them. Her action didn't go unnoticed; soon laughing stopped and the guards were on their feet and moving to intercept her.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hold! Who goes there?" Called one of the soldiers with long blonde hair and a moustache, on his back was a large axe with blue runic markings.

<p class="MsoNormal">She watched as he reached for said weapon and his gauntleted hand wrapped around the shaft of the large axe.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Please, I need to reach Theramore! My friend, he's injured!" Adelina responded, quite frantically they noted.

<p class="MsoNormal">Another guard then brought forth a torch to see them more clearly, and they found a young Night Elf on top of a white stallion with a teenage human in front of her, unconscious.

<p class="MsoNormal">"What happened?" Asked the guard with the Axe, examining the boy as he waited for a response from Adelina.

<p class="MsoNormal">His armour was damaged, a large scorch mark was present along the abdominal area of his armour and he appeared to be covered in cinders. Whatever happened to him wasn't a poisoning or a Crocolisk attack.

<p class="MsoNormal">"We were attacked! Shady Rest was attacked!" Adelina cried out to them, shocking the Guard out of his examination. He moved forward and demanded to know what happened, his hand wrapping around the reins of the horse to prevent her departure until he knew. "I don't know. We were lucky to have survived, but I only saw two Tauren before I was trapped under a collapsed building and when I woke, the entire town... it was... it was gone."

<p class="MsoNormal">The soldiers looked shocked by the news of the apparent demise of Shady Rest, some even looked fearful at the mention that it was Tauren that caused the destruction of the Inn. If what she says was right, and then it was likely the Horde has invaded their borders and broken the non-aggression pact.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Take the road, keep moving south. You will reach Theramore in twenty minutes if you ride hard." The soldier said. Adelina nodded her head taking in the path ahead. She could see some lights off in the distance, small blinking light in the distance... Like stars. Obviously Theramore. "You need to warn the Guards. Get to the city and alert them of the attack, the main Barracks is there, tell them what happened. Go!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina didn't waste a single moment longer than needed before she took off, galloping into the darkness, keeping her eyes set on the city ahead and her ears on the sound of stone meeting hooves beneath her. She was close now; she would get Ichigo somewhere safe where he could recover and warm the people of the attack on Shady Rest. Adelina hoped that when Ichigo woke up he would be alright. What happened at Shady Rest was something no one should go through, even she couldn't help but feel despair over what happened. But with everything happening, she was at least keeping herself occupied.

<p class="MsoNormal">She could hear Ichigo continue to murmur in his sleep, he kept talking about someone called 'Orihime'... She pushed that aside, she needed to get to the city and get him the attention he need, and then tell the Guards what happened.

<p class="MsoNormal">When the Night Elf and Human teenagers took off, two of the guards moved away from the rest of the group, both dressed in identical armour. Although the rank between them was evident with the unique emblem pinned to the hem of his tabard, when they were out of earshot from the other guard they spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Get to Theramore, tell the Lieutenant what happened, and make sure you get back here quickly, we don't want to raise suspicion." Said the first man, a sergeant based on his badge, to which the second guard nodded before charging off into the darkness.

<p class="MsoNormal">The rest of the guards were none the wiser to the disappearance to one of their men.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina halted in front of the Inn, a very large building which was two stories in height and similarly designs and built like the Shady Rest Inn. She just hoped that they had enough money inside their pouch to at least keep him comfortable for the night. Adelina dismounted from the horse and started pulling Ichigo off as gently as she could.

<p class="MsoNormal">She struggled to keep him stable as she leaned him off, hoping to lower him to the ground slowly. But sadly when she tried it resulted in him falling from her grip and then crashing into the ground with an audible thud. Adelina was motionless above Ichigo for a moment. Only when he actually hit the ground was she brought out of her stupor. She was on her knees and looking him over to make sure he was alright, he was in bad shape as it was and didn't need any more life threatening injuries.

<p class="MsoNormal">She tried to lift him up but found it nearly impossible. The best she could do was lifting his front up and drag him towards the wall of the Inn, leaning him against the wall. She made sure he was at least comfortable before she rushed inside to try and look for help.

<p class="MsoNormal">As soon as she rushed through the door and atrium, she found a large open area, both the main bar and dining area of the building. While behind the bar was another room, likely the kitchen or storeroom. There was a large fire on the far left wall with a few patrons warming themselves in front of it. In the middle and right-hand side of the room were several tables, which also had several patrons drinking and eating.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina gazed around the bar looking for someone who could help her. She tried to speak with several patrons that walked past her but they brushed passed before she could utter a single word. She continued to look around to find someone who would listen to her. Eventually Adelina saw an athletic built woman with an eye-patch over her right eye behind the bar; she was cleaning a mug and quietly minding her own business. Adelina rushed over towards the bartender to ask for some help.

<p class="MsoNormal">The bartender, also known by patrons as Bartender Lillian, opened her only remaining eye and looked at the Night Elf, who was sprinting toward her like a Crocolisk was on her arse. Although rather amusing she could barely understand why she was rushing over in such a manner. She would have shouted at her to stop running through the Inn, but in only a second she was standing in front of the bar and leaning against it with both hands and her face showing she was in urgent need of something.

<p class="MsoNormal">Never thought someone would need a drink so bad. She thought to himself, seeing as she was here she might as well as ask what kind of drink she wants.

<p class="MsoNormal">Lillian tried as such but didn't get far.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hello, how can I..."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Please, I need your help!" Adelina said frantically, halting the barkeep from asking what kind of drink she wanted. "My friend is hurt, I need to get him into a bed and treat him."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Alright, alright calm down, where is he?" Asked Lillian, putting down the mug and wash cloth.

<p class="MsoNormal">Although she may appear brazen and rude sometimes she wasn't one to simply let a person who was hurt simply stay that way.

<p class="MsoNormal">Quickly the Night Elf took her hand and led her out of the Inn, all the while several patrons asked for more beer, which was halted when she roared at them to shut up of she would throw them out. They quickly quieted down, not wanting to annoy their only source of alcohol.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina eventually led Lillian outside the Inn and to the still form of Ichigo, whose head was drooped forwards and covered in cinders and mud, which surprised the Barkeeper of the state in which this young man was in.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Get his arm; we have a spare room upstairs." Lillian said, moving forward to check on him.

<p class="MsoNormal">Lillian saw he was breathing and his pale complexion was due to the thin layer of ash on his skin. She put his arm over her should and hoisted him up, while Adelina did the same with his other arm.

<p class="MsoNormal">The next few minutes were spent dragging Ichigo through the Inn, which caused several lewd shouts from drunkard asking if they were leading him upstairs for a good time, which resulted in those people getting their asses kicked as soon as Lillian came back downstairs. Eventually they conquered the stairs and the narrow doorway to their new room, and eventually they were able to plant him on a bed.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina thanked Lillian for her help, but that thank you was halted when Lillian quickly pointed out that as guest in the city they would need to pay for the room. Quickly pulling out Ichigo's pouch and withdrawing seven gold coin, she handed them to Lillian who didn't bat an eye at the substantial sum she had been given. She told Adelina it was enough for the week and any meal they want, but that would do little good if she didn't get Ichigo some medical attention.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Are there any doctors in Theramore?" Asked Adelina.

<p class="MsoNormal">Lillian turned towards the Druid and for a moment she was quiet. There wasn’t any official doctor in the city, although there was that man... He was a trauma surgeon, but he was technically a doctor.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, you can seek out Doctor Gustaf VanHowzen; he usually stays in the barracks to treat the men." Said Lillian, before she continued on her way to the door and finished as she passed through it and out of view. "You won't see him now, try in the morning."

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina watched as the Bartender quickly retreated out of view and went back to tending the bar, she sighed to herself.

<p class="MsoNormal">Today had been a really hard day for her.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina walks over to the still unconscious Ichigo and looked at his scrunched up face. Even while comatose he was still scowling. She would have made fun of it, but she couldn't do that while he was like this. She had seen him go through so much pain and trauma that she didn't even allow herself to joke while he was in such a condition. She needed to make sure he was alright first.

<p class="MsoNormal">But to do that she needed to make sure he was out of mortal danger and to do that she would need to remove his armour to see what kind of treatment he would need before she started.

<p class="MsoNormal">She unbuttoned his cloak on his breastplate, then neatly folded it and placed it on the bedside cabinet. She unstrapped the pauldrons and then removed the gloves and bracer from his hands and wrists and placed them beside the cape. She then had to work away at removing his breastplate; sadly she was having difficulty with this single piece of armour. It fitted almost too well on his body, and because of that it was impossible to get off his broader chest while it was folded to fit him perfectly. But she was able to fasten the armour to allow it to return to its original size and shape so it could be removed.

<p class="MsoNormal">After five minutes of fighting she was able to remove it, sliding it over his head and his arms out and he was bare-chested now. Now Adelina could see the newest wound to his collection that decorated his torso. His stomach now had a circular burn mark, no bigger than a coin, which spread out like his midriff in an almost explosive pattern.

<p class="MsoNormal">Had it not been for the armour he was wearing, he would have likely been killed from having his internal organs liquefied and a massive hole though his stomach and out through his back, the though alone scared her a little. Adelina quickly shook off those thoughts, he would make it through this, he was strong and he had survived against worse than this. He would just take a little time to recover and then he would be back on his feet.

<p class="MsoNormal">She removed to his belt and then to his boots, both coming off with little difficulty. She placed them on the cabinet with the rest of his armour, but she decided to forgo the removal of his legguards, they were likely covering up more private areas he wish to remain… private. Even with the injuries and state he was in, Adelina couldn't help but feel blood rush to her cheeks.

<p class="MsoNormal">She really was a weird one.

<p class="MsoNormal">She composed herself and sat next to her only friend and began healing him, slowly she watched as her magic did its work.

<p class="MsoNormal">While healing the wound over his stomach and removing the burns that had accumulated over his body, she could tell that even with her healing he would still be unconscious for a while. That lightning attack may not have killed him, but it severely wounded him. He would likely be out for the next few days at most, but she hoped he would be up soon. She didn't know what to do in this city; she was just following his lead.

<p class="MsoNormal">She knew he needed to speak with Jaina Proudmoore, but she had no idea how she was meant to tell her about Ichigo, or how to ask her if she could send him back home through a portal. She didn't even know who Jaina Proudmoore was aside from the ruler of Theramore or even what looked like!

<p class="MsoNormal">But these thoughts were not the only ones going through her mind.

<p class="MsoNormal">About what she should do about the attack on Shady Rest? She knew she couldn't make up for the lives that were lost there, but maybe she could see about helping them until Ichigo was better. She knew that he would go out of his way to help people, and even though he wasn't a vengeful person she knew he would do everything in his power to see about making those who massacred everyone pay. He had done it before at Dire Maul, gone out of his way to help the Horde stop a Demonic force from taking over the city.

<p class="MsoNormal">But now that he was here...

<p class="MsoNormal">Would he go out of his way to just go after these people when he was so close to home?

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina stopped her contemplating when she noticed that her Magic had fully removed any visible wounds. But then she noticed that he was covered in ash, mud and cinders.

<p class="MsoNormal">She left his side for a moment, and returned with a basin full of water and a wash-cloth over the rim. He may be healed but he was still dirty. She rung the cloth in the bowl and then wiped the mud and charcoal from his arms. She had trained not only in Magic but also keeping a patient clean and out of risk of infection.

<p class="MsoNormal">But as her mind wondered as she performed the routine task of cleaning his body, she felt herself admired the well-toned muscles in his arms. They were thick and firm, even when relaxed it felt like she was washing the dirt off stone. She moved from his arm to along his shoulder and then to his chest. She felt his lean chest through the cloth. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him at all; he was in a perfect shape. His body was like a sculpture, perfect in form and rock hard...

<p class="MsoNormal">As soon as these thought rung through the young Night Elf's head she stopped abruptly and looked on.

<p class="MsoNormal">A deep blush formed on her face at the thoughts going through her head. She wasn't meant to be thinking about things like that.

<p class="MsoNormal">She wasn't meant to be having such thoughts about men.

<p class="MsoNormal">She wasn't meant to think of Ichigo in that way.

<p class="MsoNormal">She dropped the rag and put her hands on her face and turned away from the Substitute, rocking from side to side as she wallowed in the fact that she was flaunting over his unconscious bod. Then she had another thought: maybe her subconscious was going to try and make her do something to his unconscious body?

<p class="MsoNormal">She swayed some more before she decided that she should leave the Inn and go to the Barracks and tell the Commander about Shady Rest. At least to just get the impure thoughts that were running through her head out. Quickly she got up from the side of the bed and moved towards the door, passing through the threshold before shutting it and putting key to lock and leaving.

<p class="MsoNormal">She rushed down the stairs, trying to get the indecent thoughts out of her head and focus on getting to the Barracks, but as she did notice that there were several people limping out of the Inn, some being supported by others. She looked over to the slightly fuming Barkeeper behind the bar to see her cleaning a mug. Although albeit a bit roughly, obviously her threat about kicking their asses was not an empty one.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina walked over to the female barkeep, whoy looked at her approaching from the corner of her eye before going back to cleaning her mug. When Adelina stood before Lillian again she didn't make any notion of acknowledging Adelina's presence until she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Excuse me." Adelina asked Lillian, who looked up at the Night Elf and raised an eyebrow waiting for her obvious question. "Do you know where the Barracks is? I need to go there."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yeah, it's just down the road, south specifically. Just follow the road and you will see it." Lillian droned out, too tired to deal with anyone after the ass-whooping she just delivered. "Why you going there anyway? The doctor won't be up at this hour."

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina got a little nervous about telling her why she needed to go there, she could see the panic on the Guard's face at that tower when she mentioned Shady Rest, and if she just told her she could spread the word and everyone inside the city could panic at the thought of a Horde attacking the city. But what could she tell her to alleviate anything that sounded too suspicious? Maybe she could tell her only what she needs to know; maybe something about her friend and that she is just going to clear her head?

<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, that could work...

<p class="MsoNormal">"Oh, it’s nothing really, I just have several impure thoughts in my head because of how well toned my friend upstairs is and I need to go to the barracks and talk to the guard so I can get rid of those urges." Adelina said while rubbing the back of her head, before she walked off.

<p class="MsoNormal">She let out a sigh as she moved towards the door. She just hoped that she didn't blow it, she wasn't a very good liar, luckily the way she constructed that lie did the job of distracting the bar maiden from the way it was said.

<p class="MsoNormal">As Adelina turned and left towards the exit she missed Lillian's eyebrow shoot through the roof, her jaw become slack and the beer mug hitting the ground after being dropped. The barkeeper stared at the back of the retreating Night Elf in surprise and mostly shock as the statement she had just said and the almost obviously subtle meaning behind it.

<p class="MsoNormal">What the fuck…? Were the only words that could correctly form in the one eyed female Barkeep head, as she stared gobsmacked at the Night Elf who was strolling towards the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina walked through the dark and desolate streets of Theramore, looking at the small city and the many different structures that made up its design.

<p class="MsoNormal">But she found it less of a city and more of a military stronghold.

<p class="MsoNormal">A large Inn to provide accommodation was the only thing that appeared to offer accommodations, but apart from that this place looked built for war rather than for a place to stay and live a comfortable life. She could see from the number of stalls and the number of different buildings and likely the docks that this place was bustling with activity when the sun was up, but it was likely that many slept either in the Barracks or the Inn.

<p class="MsoNormal">She also noted that there were many war machines present that appeared to be ready for use as well, such as Ballista’s and what appeared to be Dwarven Siege Tanks. Her assumptions must have been right: this place is a stronghold; everyone else must simply be workers who help in maintaining it. She walked along the path and eventually found a small intersection that lead right towards a large square stone structure with four towers on each corner. She walked towards the structure that was likely the Barracks, and as she reached the entrance she was halted by a man in armour.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Halt, state what is your business here?" He ordered.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina was halted for a moment and decided to tell them about what happened, but before she could another man appeared and made himself known with a slight cough.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Private, that is enough." Said the man, to which the 'Private' jumped to attention and saluted.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Lieutenant Caldwell, Sir!" The Private exclaimed.

<p class="MsoNormal">Caldwell was a man of average height and had long straight auburn hair and a goatee, dressed similar to the rest of his men aside from the pin attached to his tabard signifying his rank. He nodded to the Private and dismissed him. Then Caldwell turned to Adelina and smiled in a very charming manner.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I received word that you wish to speak with me about some important matter?" Asked Lieutenant Caldwell, to which she nodded and was about to speak, before he turned and beckoned her to follow before speaking once more. "Come; let speak inside, it’s much warmer there."

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina nodded and followed after the Lieutenant. She entered through the stone entryway and was led through several long and narrow passageways, passing several patrols before finally ended up in a small office at the base of one of the stronghold's tower.

<p class="MsoNormal">Caldwell took a seat at the desk and motioned Adelina to do the same. She followed his command and sat opposite of the Lieutenant and waited for him to speak. He leaned back in his chair and let out a content sigh, which confused her. Did he not know of what had actually happened, or did he think that what she told him was not important or relevant? She didn't have long to think on this before he spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I have received word from the Sentry Point that you have information of an attack on Shady Rest, is that true?" Asked Caldwell, to which Adelina nodded her head.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, Shady Rest was attacked last night." Adelina explained. She watched as his features momentarily changed from neutral to worry. "I was there when it happened, I was inside the Inn when it was attacked, but I was only able to see two people before I was incapacitated."

<p class="MsoNormal">"I see; that could tell us exactly who attacked and their possible motive." Caldwell said in a low voice, before he raised it and his head to ask another question. "Who was behind the attack?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"I don't know for certain, all I know is that there were two Tauren inside the Inn. I didn't see what happened outside; I was buried under some rubble before I could see who else was in the town. But there were more, I could hear people screaming and see the building being burnt down." Adelina spoke, her voice dropping as she mentioned the fate of the small town.

<p class="MsoNormal">She could remember the many people that were alive and happy the same day they arrived there only hours before the attack.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Tauren you say? That is troubling news." Caldwell murmured, his voice lowering again. Although one could tell that he was deeply disturbed by this, but the fact that it was because of the mention of Tauren rather than the fate of the villagers was strange. "Tell me, were there any other survivors? I was told you had someone with you."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, my friend Ichigo, he is at the Inn resting." replied Adelina.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Is there anyone else? Are you certain you are the only survivors?" He pressed, leaning forward slightly and taking on a demanding presence as he tried to get the information out of her.

<p class="MsoNormal">"N-No, I didn't see anyone else; me and Ichigo are the only survivors." Said Adelina, her voice quivering as the cold hard truth that so many had died and both she and Ichigo were powerless to stop it.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I am sorry." Said Caldwell; his face taking on a gentle expression as he smiled at her. "I know that it must be hard, but we have to make sure. If there are any others, they must be found and helped before anything happens to them."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, I understand." Replied Adelina. She could understand him asking so forcefully, lives could still be at risk and anyone that could be saved must be saved as quickly as possible. "What are you going to do?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"I will speak with my superiors about this. For now I want to you remain quiet about the events that transpired at Shady Rest. To release such information could cause panic." Said Caldwell. Thinking over the entire matter in his mind, trying to come with a possible solution to this. "I will call for you when I need to speak with you again. Are you staying at the Inn with your friend…? Ichigo, was it?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, I and he are staying together." Adelina replied.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Alright, thank you for informing us. We will do everything in our power to locate these attackers. For now please return to the Inn and wait, we will inform you later on." Said Caldwell. Adelina nodded and got up from her seat and moved to the door, but as she reached it he called out to her. "Which room are you currently renting at the moment?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Room 1-23." Said Adelina.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Alright, if I need to speak with you, I will send over one of my men." Said Caldwell, leaning back in his chair with a small smile on his face. "Also, do not tell anyone about this, there may be panic if you do so, everyone is on edge as it is with living in these parts."

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina nodded before turning around and walking out. As she passed through the door and moved out of view the smile on the Lieutenants face dropped and a grim frown appeared.

<p class="MsoNormal">He was not happy about this. He had been hoping that this would not come to light so soon, if it had stayed a secret for at least a few days he could have come up with a cover story easily... But now he was in trouble.

<p class="MsoNormal">From what that idiot Pavel Reethes told him about the attack, there were no survivors to tell the tale, and now there were two survivors and could now point fingers at a possible enemy. They could possibly know more than their letting on. He needed to gain control of this situation quickly before it escalated. If Jaina thinks that the Horde attacked the settlement then she will likely look into it and discover that their attack wasn't an unprovoked attack. He couldn't mention the Tauren, that would indicate the Horde was involved and he needed people to think it was anything but that. He couldn't allow them to discover what was going on inside the town or his involvement in its activities.

<p class="MsoNormal">He could probably pull it off as a Centaur attack, after all who could tell the difference between two hooves prints from two different animals. But he would need to remove some loose ends. First, the two survivors and then that damn deserter Reethes. As soon as that bastard told him what happened he went off the reservation and disappeared, taking a post at North Point Tower and never turning up.

<p class="MsoNormal">And now Caldwell has no idea where he is or what he is doing, but as long as that deserter stays lost he won't be a problem. He needed to report this incident to Captain Vimes. If he didn't then the captain at the outpost will and when they start asking why the Elf didn't say anything they could become suspicious. But he would need to word the report carefully as to not let on the Horde's involvement.

<p class="MsoNormal">After all a Centaur attack could easily be passed off as a tragedy than a Horde attack, because unlike those half horsed animals, the Horde attacks when someone threatens them. Then they would look for what was the threat.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Private Hallan." Called Caldwell. A moment later a young woman with short cut reddish-brown hair, in form fitting leather armour and a Theramore Guard tabard walked into his officer. She folded her arms behind her back and stood at attention. "I need you to keep an eye on these two survivors."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, Sir." She said with a nod, her voice carrying no emotion.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Good." Said Caldwell, who leaned back in his chair before continuing. "And see about bringing in that contact of yours, he deals best in things where people meet unfortunate and tragic ends."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, Sir." She said dispassionately.

<p class="MsoNormal">She knew what her superior officer was asking her to do; he wanted her to bring in her assassin college from the Fray Island. If he wanted him here then he wanted what happened to be done quietly. Even though she loathed Pirates, they had several dealings with them when it came to keeping their noises out of Theramore. The Pirates won't attack their ships and they won't come for their heads nor would they interfere in any illegal activities they are performing.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Also, I need you to send this report to Captain Vimes, tell him nothing. Just give it to him and he will eventually stumble upon it. By then I should have a way to conceal this unfortunate setback, and those survivors will be made permanently unavailable for questioning." Said Caldwell.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Private nodded while taking the missive from her superior's hand and saluted before moving off an out of the office to carry on with her duties.

<p class="MsoNormal">Caldwell was brooding inside his office, trying to figure out how best to deal with this situation; he would need to think of something quickly. By morning or midday at the latest the Captain will be informed and then he would need to clarify this incident. He had little time to figure this out, but he was adamant that if he simply made the girl disappear and the boy die of seemingly natural causes, then he could easily cover up this whole incident. Or at least remove the threat of them being uncovered.

<p class="MsoNormal">Adelina unlocked the door to her room and found it the same way she had left it: Ichigo was still on the bed with all his armour save his leggings removed.

<p class="MsoNormal">She walked over to him, tired and wanting nothing more than to fall down and sleep. She walked over to the basin at his bedside and threw some water on her face to try and relieve herself from some of the weariness. It helped but only so much.

<p class="MsoNormal">She walked over to the table in the middle of the room and moved over to Ichigo's satchel. One by one she removed all the items inside the magically imbued bag: his potions, his map and a single slice of bread, which is all that remained of their food before their arrival in Shady Rest.

<p class="MsoNormal">She sighed to herself and bit down into the slight tough food and chewed. It was the only thing she had and she didn't want to go through the night with a completely empty stomach. She would probably need to pick up some more food tomorrow.

<p class="MsoNormal">Pulling out the coin purse and pouring the entire contents of the pouch on the table she counted all the coins. She counted fifty one coins of gold and seventy of silver, just seven coins short of what they had back in Shady Rest.

<p class="MsoNormal">As she took another bite of the bread she pulled the final object out of his satchel, Zangetsu. Ichigo's massive cleaver like Zanpakutō, she had to use both hands to pull the massive blade free and even then it still dragged along the floor. She wondered how he could wield something so large. It felt like she was trying to lift a Mountain Giant! She dragged it along the floor and pulled it up onto the table, letting out a breath. She looked at the weapon of black and silver. She had to admit it was a beautiful weapon, finely crafted and had no malformation on it what-so-ever. She could see that it actually darkened the area around it with its very presence, it was almost surreal to think that this weapon was sentient and had a mind of its own, a soul of its own!

<p class="MsoNormal">She could only imagine the world that he comes from: full of danger and the supernatural. Although Azeroth had that, sadly there was not much happening over the last four years since the fall of Archimonde at the battle of Mount Hyjal. She could only wonder what it would be like there, what kind of adventures and people she could meet in such a place. A whole new world and a whole new start...

<p class="MsoNormal">She stopped when she thought about it. Maybe she could go with him there? She didn't have anything here. Although her people was something she would miss, but she has nothing to hold her here personally: no family, no friends and no commitments. She smiled at the thought of having a new start, someplace where she could grow to be someone else, someone who wasn't looked down at because she wasn't good at summoning Trents and casting Moonfire.

<p class="MsoNormal">But she had other things in mind that took her away from such dreams. Sleep was all she was craving at the moment. She walked over to the bed and let out a cute little yawn before flopping down onto the soft mattress.

<p class="MsoNormal">She moved further into it and noticed she wasn't alone, turning she saw Ichigo there, his face no longer constricted into a scowl. He looked so peaceful in the way he slept and handsome... She shook her head as more stray thoughts made their way into her mind. She sighed before laying down next to Ichigo and pulling the sheets over herself and him. She lay there for a few moments and slowly her eyelid began to flutter and she felt darkness take her and soon she felt everything go blank.

<p class="MsoNormal">''All that could be seen was a black void of nothingness. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''He could see nothing around him but an all-consuming darkness. He could not feel his body, he couldn't breathe, hear his heartbeat, he did not exist here in form, but yet he existed here in essence. He had no body, no eyes, he simply was. He could not turn, shout, cry, speak or even shut his eyes to the darkness, but even with this void that he existed within, there was more here than just darkness and oblivion. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">He could hear it, he could see it.

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Hawnia!" He heard Adelina call out, his world flashed before him. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''The body of Hawnia came into view, her entire form mangled beyond what any living being could survive through. He could hear the same sounds he heard when she died. Her bones breaking, her muscles tearing and her feint and short howls of pain while her final moments were filled with unimaginable agony.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''"Hawnia died because she wished to save the girl, but it was a foolish waste of life on her part." The stern voice of Turok ringed in the darkness. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''And again her broken body appeared before him, her dull lifeless eyes staring up at him. Ichigo tried to scream out at the shadows in the darkness, but he had no voice. He tried to shut out the noise, but could only listen as it roared at him mercilessly.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Soon his world shifted and now he felt himself looking through his own eyes once more, but they were clouded with a veil of mist that made it look as if he was inside a tunnel and he couldn't move his body on his own accord. He felt like he had been crushed and then burnt. But through it he could see several things: the Inn, Shady Rest Inn, he was still there, he could see the fire, but it wasn't from the hearth. The Inn is on fire, it was on fire, the fires have subsided. It was doused, he could see some specks of light in the distance, and the sun was coming up. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Where was he? Where was Adelina? Was she alright?''

<p class="MsoNormal">''He heard something, it was growing loader. There was a rhythm to it, metal against stone, footsteps, moving through the Inn. Along the stone floor of the dining area, there were more than one. A foot was tapping against the floor not too far from the first man, two people; one was walking towards the other.''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Took you long enough." Ichigo heard a gruff voice, he heard a shuffle of a chair grinding against the stone and another set of light footsteps. "Been waiting here for three hours."''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''What the hell is this?" Barked the other man, his voice livid as well as shaken, why? What happened out there? Was the town alright, was everyone okay? "The entire town, all the people, they are dead!"''

<p class="MsoNormal">''No, how? How did this happen? Wait, those people, the Tauren, he attacked them and tried to kill Lynn and Jimmy, but he stopped him, they were alright. No, there was another, he was attacked, what happened after that? He couldn't remember, are they alright?''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''What do you expect when the Horde decides to attack a village?" Said the first man. The Horde, they attacked the village? Why? Why would they do this to innocent people? But his snide comment did not end there. "After all you fought against them not to long ago, you know what their like, right Lieutenant?"''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Hold your tongue Quarvel, the only reason you're not hanging from the gallows is because of our agreement." Said the second, who was a Lieutenant. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Was he a militiaman of the town. No, he would have been killed if everyone else was dead, he must be from somewhere else. Who was this other man, this 'Quarvel'? What role did he have in all of this? What agreement?''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Yes and because of your generosity it is likely that if either of us is caught we both will be swinging in the breeze." Said Quarvel with a laugh. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">A laugh that was not shared between either of them, this Lieutenant, a traitor?

<p class="MsoNormal">"''How did this happen? How did they find out?" Murmured the Lieutenant. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''What was he talking about, who found out? Found out about what?''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''I guess they discovered out my men were hiding out as militia in the town." Said Quarvel, his words barely had any other emotion aside from boredom. Wait, they were the guards, but why would the Horde be after them? They were just guards, weren't they? "After all we're the closest human settlement in the Barrens, so it's not that hard to figure out."''

<p class="MsoNormal">''What was this? What were they doing in the Barrens that caught the Horde's attention?''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''I should never have allowed you to remain here. I should have stopped this madness when I first heard of it." Said the Lieutenant. "Because of my inaction everyone here is dead, men, woman and children, all burnt to cinders."''

<p class="MsoNormal">''He knew what they were doing, why didn't he stop this? Why didn't you stop this?!''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Yes, it is a tragedy." Said Quarvel, bastard! Don't pass this off as something superficial, people are dead because of you! "We could have made a great deal more had we not been discovered."''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Bastard! These are dead because of you and your actions!" Roared the Lieutenant, his voice being given form to my own words that could not be said.''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Do not put this on me, we both know that I had a quota to fill, not just to myself, but to my men and also to you." Growled Quarvel, losing his sarcastic tone and manner for a more irritated one. "You wanted to deprive the Horde of weapons and armour and then to supply what we took to your Kul Tiras soldiers."''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Kul Tiras? What is going on here, what are these people doing? Are they actually stealing from the Horde and selling it off? What kind of fool would think they could keep something like that secret? They would be found eventually.''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''We both know that the Horde cannot be trusted, they are too close to our borders, they have invaded Theramore once before and will can do it again, we need to be prepared." Said the Lieutenant.''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''And you think supplying a bunch of deserters is going to help you, hah!" Laughed Quarvel with little mirth in his chuckle. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''What the hell is going on? What kind of conspiracy is going on in this town?''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''It is better than nothing! Jaina Proudmoore is too trusting of those savages, and look at what has happened because of that trust! We leave our border unprotected and open to attack." Said the Lieutenant. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Because you provoked them you bastard! This never would have happened, you mess with the bull and he will fucking gore you!''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Well that is your problem now." Said Quarvel, footsteps accompanied his proclamation.''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''What?!" Yelled the Lieutenant, shock clear in his voice. "You cannot abandon me like this!"''

<p class="MsoNormal">"''Oh, but we can, I know that Theramore will get word of this eventually. Even if you pass this off as a Centaur attack, they still will find something that will say otherwise, and then they will start digging." Said Quarvel. His footsteps did not halt as he continued to leave. "Good bye, Lieutenant, it had been a pleasure working with you."''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Ichigo could feel himself slipping away, heavy footsteps could be heard as the Lieutenant likely ran from the remains of the Inn. A horse neighed in the distance and then galloping could be heard. What was going on? ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Was this all a hallucination or a memory, was Shady Rest really gone? Did the two Tauren that attacked him cause all this harm? No, he said the Horde attacked the town, the Horde destroyed this entire town because of the actions of a few. They killed innocent men, woman and children just because they had lost a few weapons and armour to a bunch of thieves who were masquerading as guards for this town. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''How could they do this? What honour is there in killing innocents?''

<p class="MsoNormal">''But they weren't the only ones responsible. That Lieutenant was responsible for this, he wasn't part of this Quarvel group. He was something else, he had to be part of another force. Maybe this Kul Tiras group he mentioned, and who were they? ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''What was this conspiracy? ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''He needed to stop this; he needed to stop more innocent blood from being spilled. If the Horde did this then they could do it again, to Theramore, he needed to stop this before more people are killed.''

<p class="MsoNormal">Theramore, Early Morning

<p class="MsoNormal">Private Hallan stood behind the Barracks waiting for her contact to arrive. She had been given orders to remove the two survivors and she was going to do just that.

<p class="MsoNormal">She could take one and her hired assassin could deal with the one dying in the room. But he had yet to turn up.

<p class="MsoNormal">He should have been here two hours ago, the damn assassin should have been here earlier! It was already morning and if she didn't hurry the risk of her attempt failing would cause more problems. If they were brought in again and release more details on this event to Vimes or another officer it could spell trouble for them. It would raise suspicion on why this was not in the report or why it wasn't brought forth immediately to their attention.

<p class="MsoNormal">As much as she was anxious about the discovery being unearthed she was quite livid when she learnt of the Shady Rest Incident. It wasn't meant to happen that way, and they were meant to take out Horde Caravans meant for Thousand Needles. Those damn raiders weren't meant to be caught! It should have been easy!

<p class="MsoNormal">Who would suspect that a bunch of footmen were raiding Caravan's on the Gold Road? They would sooner think the Quillboar or the Centaur responsible than a small town of guards. But how they saw through this and discovered that Shady Rest was involved was not known, there was no one who could have linked them to the attacks. Theramore had idea, so how did the Horde find out? Still this was a situation that would likely spiral out of control no matter what actions they took.

<p class="MsoNormal">But they needed to clear up the mess as quickly as possible and at least remove any evidence of their involvement. As she thought on this matter she noticed a man appear from the shadows to her right. A man concealed in a tanned hooded cloak appeared. His face shrouded in darkness and his entire body hidden beneath the ankle length cloak. He slowly made his way towards the private and stopped only a few feet from her, he did not even make a sound when he walked, he didn't even seem to be breathing.

<p class="MsoNormal">He was like a ghost.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You called for an assassin?" He asked, his voice devoid of all emotions.

<p class="MsoNormal">No empathy, no passion, he was a man who performed a simple task, and right now he was going to be put to work.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, there is someone who needs to be removed." Said Hallan, her voice equally dispassionate.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Give me a name and I will give you blood." He said.

<p class="MsoNormal">Even thought she could not see into the darkness that shrouded his features, she knew that he had a smile on his face, for the prospect of killing was the only thing that gave him any pleasure. Hallan smirked before she told him of his target, the boy inside the Inn.