The Arena

To meet again

‘And just leave you all here?’ Tellor said, stopping in his tracks. ‘What if you die? What if the prisoners don’t join forces with you? Baruing will have your heads!’

‘That’s why it’s important that at least you two escape. Most of the guards are still loyal to him, so if you manage to get out, he will probably send men after you. You two are strong enough to kill them and carry on. And you have to. For all the people that have lost their hope here!’

The guard looked at him with determination in his eyes and Tellor understood that he was ready to die if it meant freedom. He nodded and they both continued on their way.

‘Why are there no other guards here?’ Tellor asked with concern in his tone as they reached the whipping chamber.

‘Some of them were my men.’ the guard replied, pushing and opening the door. ‘I sent them away. The fact that others are not here may mean that Baruing gathered them somewhere else. The news of you escaping surely must have reached him by now.’

They descended further below until they reached another door. They both pushed it to the wall and Tellor sprang forward anxious, searching every cell. He realised he was afraid to call out to Alera. What if someone else might hear him? What if she wouldn’t answer? And as he approached the last cells, his heart was beating out of his chest, afraid that she wasn’t there.

But she was. In the very last one, just like they had met the first time. She was curled up in a corner, facing the wall, but in the dim torches that were left in the corridor, he could make out her white short hair.

‘Alera!’ he called, kneeling and gripping the cell bars, staring at her.

In the dim light, he could make out her red eyes. She turned immediately as she heard his voice and couldn’t believe her eyes. In a single move, she got up and ran to him, sticking her arms between the bars to hug him and make sure he was alive and well.

‘Tellor! Tellor!’ she said with tears in her eyes. ‘Are you alright?’

Between her arms, he managed to spin the key in the lock and get her out.

‘I’m so happy to see you again!’ he said, pulling her close to him. She felt so small and weak, he felt the need to hide her forever, as she buried her head into his chest. ‘Are you ok?’.

‘Yea. How did you get out?’, she asked, looking up at him, rubbing her eyes.

‘We don’t have time, we have to get you out of here!’, hissed the guard at them. ‘The other guards might be here shortly!’

Alera looked at him, seeing him for the first time. Since he brought Tellor here and judging by his words, he wasn’t an enemy and, for a second, her heart felt lighter. There were others here that were willing to help and fight.

‘Yes, please lead the way!’ Tellor said, gripping Alera’s hands and starting running.

‘What’s going on?’ Alera asked again, trying to grip the whole situation, but before Tellor could say anything, the guard replied:

‘The other blood elf sent me to help you two get out.’

‘What?!’ she gasped as she lost her balance for a moment and almost tripped.

‘Alera, listen closely.’ Tellor said puffing as they were running up the stairs. ‘Asendriel didn’t betray us. He was giving us a way out. He stole the key in the battle royal and hid it in the Black Chamber. That’s why he convinced Baruing to send me there. So that I could find it. Only I could find it! I could light the room.’

It sounded so surreal...But then little bits started falling into place. Asendriel did convince Baruing not to whip her. He also managed to isolate her so conveniently that Tellor could get her out…But then why did he suggest the poison to Baruing? Of course...To make it real. The poison, as Baruing explained it ever so proudly, wasn’t lethal on its own. So other than the fight, she wasn’t in any dying situation. While speaking of the fight, he did step in to save her…He told Baruing they were going to escape, but what did he tell him really? It seemed he never mentioned the key.

‘That idiot…’ she whispered looking down. She started trembling and she felt her head spinning.

‘Yea…’, Tellor replied, but she almost didn’t hear him.

So many thoughts rushed inside her mind at that moment, but what trampled all was a deep feeling of guilt and regret. She had truly believed he had betrayed them. Her heart ached as she saw his face in her mind. He did it again. At the risk of his life, he pushed her out of harm’s way again. She felt horrible; she actually believed that he was out to kill her or Tellor.

‘Tellor’ she whispered, unable to look into his eyes. ‘Tellor, I have to go back to get him! When Baruing finds out, he will kill him!’

‘Of course, I’ll get him’, Tellor replied and Alera felt a giant burden lifting off of her shoulders. She felt relieved. She wasn’t necessarily afraid to go back alone, but if Tellor was with her, their success chances would be greater. The guard almost lost his footing after hearing the blood elf’s response.

‘Are you mad?! If you two will be caught again, all of this would have been in vain! Are you going to risk everyone and everything, including his sacrifice?’

‘I never said I’ll follow his orders and head to Kargath.’ Tellor said. ‘As his lieutenant, it’s my duty to intervene when his orders are wrong. As his friend, it’s my duty to go back for him because he’s an idiot. And as our friend, it’s his duty to stay alive until we meet again!’

Alera felt her lips curling into a slight smile. Tellor’s words left a warm sensation in her heart and she felt empowered by them. Of course he would still be alive. He always managed to escape Baruing’s grasp.

‘You both are idiots!’, the guard said angrily! ‘You can’t just…!’

‘We won’t be caught. We will fight this time!’, Alera added.

‘You don’t even have a weapon!’ the guard responded, at his wit’s end, turning to her.

‘I’ve killed enough unarmed, you should know that’, she replied with a dangerous spark in her eyes.

She had. While she did prefer her daggers, Baruing forced her many times to fight with other weapons and even unarmed.

‘Given the new situation, you could escape the arena!’ she said, eying the guard. ‘If we return, Baruing won’t have a reason to send scouts outside his domain. I’m sure he won’t notice one guard missing.’

‘While that does sound good, where would I go? To an orc settlement?! I’m sure the Horde will listen to a member of the Alliance, wandering willingly into their base...’ the guard said in  a sarcastic tone.
‘No, Alera will go there’ Tellor replied. 

‘What?! Why?’ she asked, surprised, almost annoyed, while the guard looked at them, wondering.

‘Because he’s right. In case we fail here, we will need help from outside.’

‘No, that sounds like we are already losing!’, she said, almost losing her temper. She made an effort to keep her voice low and continued:

‘I can help! I can fight!’

‘Don’t get me wrong, I don’t plan on losing! But we have to take into consideration all the factors. The healers cannot fight and while some of the guards may join our cause, not all of them will. And we don’t know how many other prisoners will be on our side. This is a strategic move. If we can get you out, you can get the orcs to help us!’, the blood elf replied, looking at her with determination. ‘Also, the Horde will give more credit and listen to one of our own. No offence!’ he added, turning to the guard.

‘I don’t like this, Tellor!’ she said, angry. She felt as if they were doing their all to shield and get her out, maybe at the cost of their lives…

'Why don't you go to get the orcs?'

'My healing skill may prove more useful here than on the run.'

‘I don’t want to escape, if it means losing you both here…’ she said in a small voice.

‘We will not die!’, Tellor said resting his hands on her shoulders. ‘I promise!’

She nodded.