THE ILLIARDI'S HEROINE {WORLD OF WARCRAFT}

Night Vision

I awoke to the pounding of a saber's gait.

"Melithar..." Emrain's voice creaked through anxiety. "Oh come on please, don't leave me like this." I could barely creak open my eyelids to the pleading voice. His large palm grasped the back of my neck, while his arm supported my shoulders. I tried to twitch my fingers, but I felt as if I was still dreaming. I could feel the ends of my silver hair brisk the cobblestone path, while I shifted my head slightly to the road disappearing behind us.

I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids, as time seemed to be fading into a slow abyss, but the gleam from my silver eyes lit slightly to guide my eyes to Lókî's white, spotted coat, padding swiftly behind us. I had to reach him.

"Ló-Ló...Lókî." I managed to salvage a whisper, making Emrain flinch and tense the grip on my head.

"Don't worry Mel, he's moving swiftly behind us." He had regained the strength in his voice. "We'll be home soon..." I groaned as his eyes narrowed to the path beyond us.

His words made me weak again. He must've not seen it in ruins. Home is aflame, Emrain. I desperately wished I could tell him. I tried to scatter my thoughts to communicate with him...

That's when I started to cough up blood and near fall off Nolass.

"Meli-! Oh, bloody- Agh!" I couldn't tell if he was angry at me for getting blood on him, or angry at himself for not being able to help me. Emrain let go of Nolass, easing his grip and sat me up, letting me spill over the side of the road. I felt his free hand grip my waist for support, so I fell back exhausted on his chest.

"We can't go..." I whispered close to his face.

"Go where, Melithar?" He tried to concentrate on the road while holding me up.

I slid my shivering palm to his cheek, resting it on his cold cheek to communicate to him.

I saw it once I fainted, Emrain. The village is burning to ruin. I must go back. You must run. Take Lókî with you, please. You must fulfill your story. I must save my people. Now please, drop me off here and go...

I felt his jaw clench, pushing my hand off his cheek as his brows furrowed and sped Nolass faster.

"Melithar you're being stupid. I don't want to hear you talking like that." He had force in his words but comes force comes rage, and Emrain is no innocent elf.

I staggered my hand up again, looking up at him with my weak eyes, I have no one to return to Emrain, please, just let me save my people... It's my-

I was cut off by the jagged halt Nolass took in front of the village. Or what was left of it.

Trees surrounding us were being consumed by a crimson flame, following it was the crumple of ash underneath the thick breeze. I slid off of Emrain's grasp, staggering my feet and padded over Lókî.

I threw my arms over his neck, pulling myself up and whispered in his small ears, take me to the Moon pool. Be careful Lókî.

With my command, he sped up into a collected trot while Emrain watched me. I drove him wild with my stubbornness, but he was equally afflicted with it himself.

I wrapped my fingers around the pommel of the saddle, while Lókî's tail wrapped around my waist to keep me upright. My eyes were stinging from the scene I was forced to gaze upon. My neighbors, friends, and strangers were being ripped of their mortal innocence as flame swallowed them whole. I was yet to find out the spark that consumed this village.

Here Lókî, slow here. I commanded, and he responded.

I slid off his back slowly, resting my legs on the rocky pool and glared at the gleaming blue water as the wisps surrounded me in healing. I lowered my legs into the cold water, slowly falling back to submerge my shoulders and ears.

Every scream and the crackling fire was numbed to my senses as the wisps surrounded my elfin body, their words and murmurs whispered past my ears.

"Anu' dorini talah da Ashra' thoraman..." The wisps urged me to prepare to fight, for nature's survival. I had no choice but to listen.

"Ana' duna," I replied in agreement to the sister's request.

"Andu' Falah-doru ana dal Eldre' thalas..." The spirit's command to restore the balance in my homeland was scattered in my naïve mind. Why me? What have I done to show such potential? I had to assist The Mother.

"Ana' tole na Dure, duna." I accepted the endeavor for nature and slowly rose from the blue wispy water. My long hair was heavy from the submerge underwater, so I brushed it back with my fingers and stood up slowly, facing my smoldering, glowing village.

"Ishnu-alah..."