Post by Skreeran
Part 1**************
Robert’s feet hurt as he continued to march toward Stormwind. He was a fit and strong young man, but even for him the miles and miles of walking were hard to endure. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for his mother, who was not only older and more frail than he, but was also carrying his youngest brother. He looked back up at the marble spires of Stormwind. The massive city loomed in the distance, but it was hardly a welcome sight. Dozen of other families from around the province were also marching miserably toward the capital, forced from their homes.
Finally, they reached the gates, where they were counted by the guards and directed to a shelter. The family continued walking, the normally busy Trade quarter eerily silent as the tired refugees made their way to the shelters. They reached their designated shelter at last, Robert’s father signing his name on a sheet of paper the guard at the door held.
“Why did we have to leave?” The middle son, Joseph, asked. “I don’t like walking.”
“Neither do I,” Rob answered, sighing, “But we have to. There might be danger at home?”
“Then why did we leave Ethel?” The child asked back, teary-eyed. “And the cows?”
“There isn’t room here,” Rob replied, forcing himself to hold back his own tears. “They’ll be safe though.” He promised, knowing he was probably lying.
Thomas sighed, shaking his head at his son. “Listen Joseph, whatever happens, you’ll be safe. Stormwind is a safe place to be.” He answered, trying to reassure his children, but also himself. Stormwind had only fallen once before, and it was due to treachery. They wouldn’t make the mistake of trusting an orc again. Stormwind would hold.
Another guard entered the shelter, and began approaching the men. Thomas could hear the sighs and quiet protests from where he sat, and he already knew what the guard was there for.
“Sir,” The guard began, walking over to the family, “I’m afraid I’m going to ask you and your son there to come with me. You’ve been drafted.”
Thomas nodded, while Robert sat dumbfounded, giving a helpless look to his father, and then at his mother.
“Come, Rob,” Thomas said at last, placing his hand on his son’s shoulder, “We have a duty to do.” He nodded, turning back to his wife. “I love you all. I’m coming back, I promise.”
Rob stood quietly, before looking back up at his mother and feigning a smile. “Me too, mom.”
His mother nodded sadly, holding her other sons closer. “May the Light watch over you,” She whispered.
Thomas nodded and followed the recruiter to the Armory.
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Thorm ran and ran, tears in his eyes, not even noticing how much his legs ached. The sun was rising on his right, and he could see the outline of his hut.
“Mother! Mother!” He cried out frantically, approaching his hut.
His mother was soon out the door, meeting him, fear all about her face. “What, my son? What happened? Where is your father?” She inquired, deeply concerned.
“They got him. Humans. Humans shot father.” Thorm managed to say, on the verge of crying.
Pain shot through her heart as if it were the arrow that slew her mate, and it was visible on her face. Then something hit her nostrils that made her heart race, adrenaline pouring into her veins. She smelled humans. Close.
“We must go. We must hurry away.” She answered, nodding and taking Thorm back to the house. She quickly packed several pieces of dried meat and bread into a leather bag, “Roma, Roma! Wake up.” She commanded, stirring her daughter.
“Huh? What?” Roma asked foggily, noticing her brother, “Why is Thorm here? Did father go hunting by himself?” She continued to inquire, rubbing her eyes.
Her mother shook her head, reaching for her daughter’s doll and handing it to Roma. “We must go. It is not safe here any more.”
Roma gasped slightly, and then nodded, teary-eyed, as she put her day-clothes on and followed after her mother and brother outside. Thorm could now smell the humans as well, anger surging through his heart. His father had done nothing to them. They had killed him in cold-blood. And he had been so helpless to do anything to prevent it.
He hurried after his mother as they ran north. They ran for several more minutes before stopping to rest. Their mother sighed and broke a piece of bread and meat for her children to share. Roma cried quietly, clutching at her doll, as she accepted the food. Thorm eagerly ate his meat, before looking back for a moment. Smoke rose high into the sky in the distance. He wondered for a moment what the source was, until he realized that it was coming from his hut.
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Robert groaned under the weight of his armor as he walked with his company. The armor had been designed for someone much larger than he, and it was quite heavy. His father saw how his son shifted under the weight of the steel armor, and tried to smile.
“You’ll get used to it in time. Hopefully this is just a false alarm,” he said quietly as they marched toward the gate. They finally reached the gates of Stormwind and halted, waiting for further orders. A commander ascended the wooden stage in front of the rank of soldiers and began to issue orders, Robert and his father’s company were being stationed in Darkshire alongside another company. Robert sighed as they began marching again, his feet still aching from the journey he had just made. The sun was waxing in the sky and made his armor even more unbearable. But he continued to march. It was his duty as a man of the Kingdom of Stormwind.
Finally, they crossed into Duskwood. But something wasn’t right. The smell of smoke permeated the woods. They could see the town in the distance, but there were no lights coming from the buildings, nor could they see the lanterns of the Night Watchmen that normally stood guard. They drew nearer to the city, and Robert suddenly heard a collective gasp come from the forward company. He soon realized why. As they entered the town, they found that the entire village had been burned. What had been a large bonfire smoldered in the town square.
A soldier cried out in despair. Robert thought it was merely at the state of the town until he caught the smell that radiated from the burnt heap. He looked closer and realized that it was the remains of the townspeople.
He screamed in shock and disgust, collapsed under the weight of his armor and vomited.
Part 3