The Reisings

The soft rippling of the water of the Canals helped to dull my senses, allowing my mind to drift to thought. I lost myself in the water’s surface, watching the gently cresting waves as the breeze winded through the lively streets of Stormwind. Cool stone beneath me, I sat on the wall by the water, my legs dangling down, barely able to graze the surface.

The joyful laughter of a child echoed in the distance, causing my mind to return to the moment. I glanced up to the street across the canal, smiling softly as a young boy — no older than five, dashed along the cobblestone road.

“Catch me, papa!” The child called out, squealing with delight as his father ran behind. Easily catching up to the child’s small strides, the man grasped the boy, scooping him up in his arms to tickle his stomach. The boy squirmed, overcome by a fit of giggles until his father stopped, lifting the child up to sit atop his shoulders.

It was such an honest exchange. A tender moment… one that I almost felt like I was intruding on by watching. But nevertheless, thoughts of my own father entered my mind. I remembered all the tickle fights, the games of hide and seek. I remembered all the stories and lessons he taught to help me become a better man — a better person.

“Look mama! I can see all the way to Old Town!” The child shouted, pointing excitedly to the red rooftops in the distance. A woman who was trailing behind caught up to the pair, smiling softly to her husband and son as a hand reached around her husband’s waist.

My gaze fell back to the water, my heart sinking slightly at thoughts of the life I never had. I should be thankful I had such a loving father, but a part of me will always be missing that other half. The feeling of a ‘whole’ family.

“Darrow, we gotta get moving. If we’re not back in Darkshire before nightfall, Ebonlocke will have our hides,” one of my fellow watchers called out to me. I glanced up from my spot to see three of my brothers waiting patiently for me to join them. Nodding silently, I rose to my feet. I had a different family now. A family of brothers and sisters in arms. But part of me will always long for something I could never have. Something that was never meant for me.

I took a page from the-world-of-jo and decided to brush the dust off my OOC tumblr. Trying to clean up Nate’s blog so it’s not just a place for me to dump all my reblogged stories.

A sky of sickly pallor stretched over an endless wasteland like a skin pulled taut over a withering corpse. No birds soared through the heavens, no fish swam within the fetid pools that dotted the bleak countryside, and the cracked and parched earth did not know the joy of nurturing tender greenery. Even time itself appeared to have ground to a halt as a faint and hazy promise of a sun was frozen in place behind the choking malaise of thick clouds.

The world, and everything in it, was dead.

Yet it seemed that was not always the case, for within that vast land of nothingness lied a colossal eyesore of stone, rust, and shattered glass. The remains of what seemed to have once been an awe-inspiring castle of gargantuan proportions now lied unmade and ruined as great columns of corroded metal jutted towards the sky like broken ribs.

Next stop: the majestic wonders of Duskwood! Come and see the enchanted ruins of Raven Hill. Witness the beauty of the wildlife in its natural habitat. Experience the bone crushing awe as a freaking zombie pierces your skull in an attempt to eat your brains.

Fan-damn-tastic.

Two officers ushered the newest batch of watchers along the darkened road like a herd of cattle to the slaughter. Most of them looked greener than the trees of Un’Goro. Begs one to wonder if they’ve even held a sword before, let alone swung one. Guess I’d find out soon enough.

Rickety segments of fence and wooden lampposts lined the stone path toward Darkshire. When we first entered the woods, the surroundings looked much like any other forest. Green foliage hung overhead, the thick canopy of leaves blocking out any view of the darkened sky. Sure, there was the occasional gnarled, bare tree, contorting and bending as it attempted to reach toward the sky in search of daylight, but that wasn’t what made the woods seem eerie. That feeling didn’t come until we stepped further down our path. 

Deeper into Duskwood, the sound of skittering spiders rustled the leaves of nearby bushes. Giant cobwebs draped down from the trees, leaving one to wonder just how big of a spider it took to make one of them. I wasn’t looking forward to learning the answer. None of us were.

The dimly lit lampposts became safe havens along our path, the small amount of light shining over the faces of the recruits as we passed underneath. Of course I was nervous, but with the looks on some of those kids faces? It really did seem like we were marching to our execution.

One of the new recruits caught my eye in particular. The kid looked like he was barely 17… scrawny little thing. Hard to tell if he was mortified, or people came in that particular shade of deathly white. To make the pale little kid look even worse, his hair was a light blond, only making his complexion appear more ghastly. Back in training, he was the type of kid we’d make bets on over how long he’d last before getting the boot. Certainly not the type anyone would willingly throw into the field.