A Path Divided
Thunder grumbled as the courier urged her talbuk up the sopping road, hooves spattering mud and water. Â The talbuk made a disgruntled noise at her urging but galloped on. Â High above a sentry peered over the battlements at the figure far down the switchbacks, and called back for the stables to prepare for the talbukâs arrival, as the gate guards mustered under the protection of the old stones of the gate.
Arkturas looked up from the missive, spotted with rain that still poured outside the window of his office. âThis was direct from Stormshield?â
The gate officer nodded, standing stiffly at attention. âOrders were to disperse separate couriers to all Alliance forces on least time travels. Â The storm grounded air travel over the valley, so she made the remainder of trip on talbuk back.â
Ark grunted, and rolled the parchment up. âRequest that Captain Holbek join me in the my office, and then make sure the messenger and her mount are adequately tended to. Â The ride must have been miserable.â
The officer saluted and strode out of the room. Â Moments later, the sound of a crisp knock came from the door.
âEnter,â Arkturas called, pulling out a bundle of supply paperwork.
The human captain entered, drawing himself to a comfortable position of attention. âYou called for me, sir?â
Instead of answering, Arkturas tossed him the message, returning his attention to gathering more papers from their files.
âThe Legion,â Holbek breathed. âTheyâre attacking again.â
âAye, and we will be there to stop them,â Arkturas growled. âHow long to quit the fort?â
Holbek blinked. âA week, I should think.  Getting passage sorted out back to Azeroth will take at least that long, andâŚâ
âIâll take care of that,â Arkturas said, waving a hand. Â âGet the quartermasters together with the company commanders. Â You have three days.â
* Â Â * Â Â *
Despite the near panic the deadline had caused the officers, three days later the grounds of the fort were a barely ordered commotion as wagon and after wagon was filled to capacity. Arkturas was filled with quiet pleasure and satisfaction as he listened to the orderly movement of his forces, overlaid with good-natured banter amongst personal friends that had gathered to see them off. He knew heâd hold the memory of this evening as a shield against the trials ahead, but even that thought couldnât darken the happy moment.
Keialaar turned to him, Cherynaa held on a hip with, her brow furrowed with sudden irritation. âCan you take her? Â I need to get my bag.â
He reached out to take the excited girl, tossing her up into the air to her wild giggles, before settling her on a shoulder. Â âCertainly. Â Go on.â
The mage opening the portal stood back as the glowing ball finally shimmered into being, swiping a sleeve over his glistening brow. Â Ark settled Cherynaa more securely on his shoulder, turning to the still happily bickering group to start them moving. Â âVandrysse, Lietta, after you.â
As Keialaar trotted up with her satchel, his guests began stepping into the personal portal to take them to Ironforge. Giving his wife a smile, Arkturas took his place in the queue. Moments later he placed a hand on the surprisingly solid edge of the portal, waiting for the familiar sensation...
Something is wrong.
Normally, the transition of teleportation was little worse than the abrupt sensation of falling as one started to drift to sleep. Â This time, the sensation grew, and he felt as though every part of him was being pulled from the other. Â Silently, he howled as the agony grew, overwhelming him.
And then it was over, as suddenly as it began. Â He cracked open his eyes and saw nothing. Â And infinite, swirling blackness of the Twisting Nether surrounded him.
Dimly, he could feel his body gasping for air, though his pain addled mind couldnât quite grasp what was wrong.
Then Cherynaa, writhing and clutching at her throat, drifted into his vision, and the cold winds of terror swept the confusion from his head. Â Twisting, he snatched his daughter close, drawing together his will, and bending it upon his surroundings.
Air, air, airairairairairAirAIRAIRAIR!
The sudden rush of air thumped against his eardrums painfully, and he could finally hear the twin choking gasps as he and Cherynaa dragged in precious oxygen. Â Moments passed as they regained their breath, Ark barely able to restrain himself from crushing Cherynaa against him, the surge of fear of losing her only slowly dying.
âDaddy?â Cherynaa whimpered, fists curled in the fabric of his tabard as she shook in the shelter of his arms. âWhere are we?â
âJust a little lost,â he said calmly, leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of her head, burying his own emotions for her sake. Â Â âWeâll be out soon.â
âI wanna go home! Â I want Keia,â she said tremulously, tears staining the cloth over his chest as she buried her face against him.
Murmuring wordlessly, he stroked her back, mind racing as he poured over the unpalatable options.
Rescue, unlikely. Â Air will only last so long as concentration is maintained. Â Days, and not many of them, before sleep inevitable. Â Hearthstone. Â Would it connect? Â More worryingly, would it draw attention?
He pulled out the rune inscribed stone from his belt, eyeing it. Â Heâd never tried using it outside the confines of the material world before, but then, beggars couldnât be choosers.
With a grimace, he thumbed the activation rune. Â Thankfully the Nether was brimming with arcane power, and the runes lit with a cheery glow as it gathered power. But even as hope rose in him, his nose caught the whiff of brimstone, and a familiar sickly green glow gathered around him like phantom claws.
He had but a moment to feel the helpless rage of a father as the trap reached out to enclose them, before the magic snapped tight like a fist, and darkness descended.
@keialaar @doriennmydral @vandrysse @vaishino @natharaiebonrook @iadric @teithe @thebeerbearÂ















