R
Rain pored down from the skies as I walked by the canals. Within minutes the water began to swell and spill over into the streets. Everyone joined together and began barricading these waters before they reached the main areas. It all happened so fast I didn’t see that air and water elementals materialized out of the flooding streams.
In the chaos a few of us grouped together and fought off these beings as others continued to pile barricades. This went on for quite some time. It was as if we were fighting a singular enemy which continually rematerialized over and over again. The sky grew darker still, when all at once, everything seemed to stop. The waters became still, and the ground was littered with the gold bracers that the elementals left behind.
Just then we heard something rumble from the north. It was a pulsing, rumbling noise, like a throbbing heartbeat in the sky. The sound grew louder with every second. The silence broke when a woman screamed, then everyone began yelling and running. I turned to see what they were pointing at. From out of the sky I saw the murky silhouette of an enormous dragon, and it was coming straight towards us! I stood there frozen. The safety of Stormwind disappeared in an instant. I was alone, against a menacing terror beyond anything I have ever encountered.
It was as if we were fighting a singular enemy which continually rematerialized over and over again.
I turned to run, and found myself in the middle of Stormwind Gardens. Despite the impending terror, the beauty and tranquility of the garden was comforting. Seems everything has happened for a reason, and I had faith that this was the right place to be. Filled with a new sense courage, I looked to the sky. A trail of fire hung in the air as the dragon came closer.
Once again, fate was going to prove me wrong. The dragon flew straight by, I sighed in relief as I watched it circle around the ocean and fly off into the distance. I followed it with my eyes, and gasped when it circled back, flying towards me at a blinding speed! I stumbled over the fountain in the middle of the garden, and found myself looking directly into the sky. I watched in terror as it turned blood-red. I shielded my eyes. The beautiful garden was incinerated in the heat, turned black and rose into the sky. The pain was unbearable. I fell weightlessly as the entire garden split and fell into the ocean. I knew what was coming next.
Like many times before, I died. Unlike those times, however a large piece of Stormwind came along with me. I walked back into Stormwind, just as the dragon lifted off and flew to the south, leaving smoldering claw marks on the Valley of Heros. I walked through the empty city to the ruins of Stormwind Garden to find my body.
“Piket, it is time you knew the truth”. A familiar voice spoke to me from behind. Walking towards me was a Gnome wearing goggles and glowing armor. “Ollo?” I asked. “Yes. I am sorry we haven’t met before today my friend. It is only under these circumstances which I have had this opportunity.” I wanted to ask him how he knew me, and why he’s been following me, but he seemed to have something he’d been waiting to tell me.
“You and I are one in the same, Piket. Our actions, our will comes from the same energy, and that energy controls our every move.” I was not expecting to hear such a confounding statement at a time like this. “All these things I’ve done, they were not under my control?” Ollo paused for a moment. “They were, but you must listen. There is a higher power at work. This controlling force is responsible for the actions of not only you and I, but for many different heros from the Alliance and the Horde. The other heros you’ve come across. They too are controlled by a singular entity.” I felt anger begin to boil inside me. “We are not puppets! Look at what we’ve accomplished!”
There is a higher power at work. This controlling force is responsible for the actions not only you and I, but for many different heros from the Alliance and the Horde
“I was afraid this would happen. You feel no will to move on, am I correct? You grow tired, and your time is running thin. I was once like you, going on adventures through the world of Azeroth, but one day it all stopped. That is the day your journey began. This cataclysm has once again shifted the will of our master. You will perhaps return, but not until the time is right.” Without any further explanation, Ollo turned around and walked away, leaving me standing in place thinking about what was said.
I’ve been denying this all along. Ollo might be right. It does feel as though my time is of the essence, and I have grown tired. My journey has at last come to an end. Looking back on my first days in Coldridge Valley, this adventure has brought me to places I’ve never been. It has also given me friends which I will keep forever. Perhaps I will return some day, but when I do, I will have a new understanding about the world I live in.
To be continued…
