Blade Dance

Since newcomers joined the team, the problem of food shortage has also been easily solved.

Strangely, the newcomer was obviously not a hunter—Vincent later determined that he was a warrior—but he was very good at hunting.Although he used a melee weapon, he could always hit the vital point accurately and ruthlessly after confirming the target, and took down the prey, as if he was born to be a hunting expert.

Although he never used his own weapon.

When he first arrived, Vincent borrowed a spare dagger from Eric for him.The blade is small and light, and it is surprisingly handy.And his own weapon was wrapped in coarse cloth and carried on his back, and he never took it out. Even when he was sleeping, he would keep it by his side.He didn't say a word about the origin of this mysterious weapon.Moreover, this lone ranger seemed a little unfriendly, and he refused people for thousands of miles. He only talked with Vincent after a few days together, and never opened his mouth.Therefore, although the team members were curious in every possible way, they didn't intend to ask more questions. They only inferred that it was probably a peerless collection like a family heirloom, and they had to take it out for use as a last resort.

The team marched slowly in such a delicate atmosphere for several days. They have not yet encountered soldiers of the Burning Legion, and at most occasionally saw burn marks left by the flames of the Legion in a small area on the ground.

Harlan thinks this is a magical team.

The original five members of the team were orc warriors, necromancers, tauren druids, shaman priests, and blood elf stalkers—Vincent.This is an ideal team configuration.It is not easy to find so many talents from such a remote village as Eclipse Village.He thus expressed his amazement to Vincent.

The stalker told him nonchalantly that in fact the masters are all among the people.

It's just that there are no hunters among them, so his own hunting skills that have been despised for many years finally have some use, and because of this, he quickly won the favor of the team members.

Felix's Glaive was never brought out again.Since joining the team and borrowing the decent short sword, these two weapons have become a burden.He's recently started thinking about whether he should return them.

Give it back to whom?

"Hey."

Harlan was squatting under a fluorescent mushroom, cleaning the internal organs of a baby sporebat with a claw-handled dagger in the faint light of the mushroom.The aquamarine inlaid at the tip of the handle appears transparent and pure in the low light.The stalker walked towards him. He was wearing a gray linen wide-sleeved top and sheepskin leggings, showing his slender and refined legs. A pair of short leather boots stomped on the ground silently.

"The two cows went to explore the way ahead, and we will set off after they come back."

Harlan moved to the right to make room for Vincent.Vincent sat down next to him, put his arm casually on his shoulder, and felt the muscles in his shoulder and back move with the movement of his hand.

"I'm about to enter Hellfire Peninsula."

"Yes. Is this our dinner tonight?"

"There is also a marshtooth ray." Harlan tilted his head to signal another prey not far away.

"You're really good." Vincent leaned over and glanced at what could be called a gigantic marsh tooth ray, then patted Harlan's shoulder and nodded in approval.

Harlan responded softly, and continued to cut the meat of the spore bat.Vincent's eyes were drawn involuntarily, and he saw Harlan slowly peeling off the skin, cutting open the prey's body, removing the filth, and stretching his arms from time to time to shake off the debris on the blade.His movements are flowing like clouds and flowing water, and his hands are agile and dexterous.

"Are you married and have children?" the stalker asked suddenly.

The movement in Harlan's hand froze, his gaze quickly turned to Vincent and then retracted.

"What makes you think so?"

Vincent stared at the long and strong hands with ten fingers, and said casually: "When I met you for the first time, you looked like you had just experienced parting from life and death. I was wondering if you were forced to join the army. Loved ones—"

"No." Harlan replied without waiting for him to finish.

Vincent raised his eyebrows, then smiled as if he got a satisfactory answer.

Harlan put the baby spore bat in his hand aside, got up and walked not far away to drag the marshtooth ray over.

He was busy for a while, then suddenly looked up at Vincent with a puzzled expression.

"Do I look that distraught?"

Vincent froze for a moment, then quickly waved his hands and said, "No, I'm just thinking too much. I thought you felt the same way as me."

"Empathy?"

Vincent laughed shyly: "I finally understand the reason why you can't have worries on the battlefield-I have learned it through personal experience-if you have concerns, you will want to survive. You will be afraid and want to escape. If you have distractions, your weaknesses will be ignored. exposed. Then you just, "

He cut his own neck with a knife.

"died."

Harlan stared at him.

Vincent sighed: "For example, I really miss the fluorescent wreath my sister wove."

Harlan didn't speak, just stopped his movements and looked at him.Vincent accepted his gaze calmly, observing his eyes.There are intricate emotions in the light blue eyes, like a school of fish swimming under the water surface, shuttling and intertwining together, colliding with abundant vitality.In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into deeper waters, never to be clearly seen again.

Harlan lowered his head, and the short knife penetrated into the belly of the prey.

"I'm not worried," came the clear voice somewhat vaguely, "I just have a friend who wants to help.

"friend?"

"Well, he always seems to be wandering alone in the dark." Harlan stopped and murmured, "But he seems to be used to it again."

He suddenly looked up at Vincent, his face full of unwillingness: "Sometimes I regret that I am not a mage, I can open a portal to send him to wherever he wants to go, and never come back."

"Well," Vincent nodded thoughtfully, "Mages who can summon portals anytime and anywhere are really powerful. And they are pitifully rare."

"Or priests. You know they can take a leap of faith, right? It's that spell that can pull the other party back from a dangerous situation to your side in an instant."

"Well," Vincent nodded again, "People often use that to entrap teammates. Usually when you are in a dangerous situation, you pull the other party over and drag you into the water. If you die, you have to find a backup."

"..."

"Of course, you can also choose to study the "Glyph of Return of Faith", then instead of pulling the other party back, you will be pulled to him." Vincent shook his head, "For you, it is you Grope together in the dark, and die together."

Harlan glared at the stalker who was leaning leisurely on the stalk.A hint of provocation flashed in the opponent's eyes.

"Just pretend I didn't say it." He lowered his head.

Vincent laughed: "Don't be like this, actually I haven't worked with the pastor before, I'm just talking."

He joked nonchalantly: "It's true that people can't be judged by appearances, and you will be so enthusiastic? Is it out of sympathy?"

"I don't think so." Harlan paused, and said in an uncertain tone, "He doesn't need sympathy. He's not some lost soldier who dies without treatment. He's not pitiful, and he doesn't need help. That's even the path he chose to stick to. And my desire to help him now is actually very selfish, maybe it's just hindering him at all."

Vincent raised his eyebrows and said, "What is that for?"

Harlan tilted his head with a serious expression on his face.

"A friendship of equals based on occasional mutual aid."

Vincent nodded suddenly.

He asked, "So where is he now? Is he still in the dark?"

Harlan stopped what he was doing and looked up at him.

Vincent froze.

"he's gone."

"He's not coming back," Harlan said. "He chose to stick to his path. No, that was never a choice. So it's none of my business."

He put his hands into the cut flesh of the beast, and opened the belly cavity of the marshtooth ray.Vincent watched his movements with empty eyes and fell silent.At this time, it seems that all languages ​​​​have lost their due weight.The blood elf in front of him exuded an aura that blocked all outside touch.Eyes, words, emotions, nothing can penetrate the barrier like ice.

Vincent couldn't help frowning.

Just then, Eric ran over.The hurried and clumsy footsteps made both of them raise their heads to look at him in silence.

"Vincent, Harlan, they're back. We have to leave immediately." The orc warrior put his hands on his knees, panting.

"Get ready, they have spotted the Burning Legion."

----------

"The captives are the problem."

In the hall of the Dark Temple, the two sides of the long table were almost full of people, including battle mages, assassins, blood lords, consuls, spiritualists, and demon hunters.The flickering torches on the four walls gave off a dim light, reflecting everyone's serious and dignified faces.

Deputy Commander Kane Sunfury sat at the end of the long table, staring at everyone present one by one.

He said: "The one who was captured was Major General Hermann of the Seventh Legion of the Alliance. The Burning Legion is currently standing still. They are waiting. They want to use prisoners to lure the Alliance over, and then catch them all."

His voice echoed across the empty walls.When the last lingering sound disappeared, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

"We can rescue the captives." Duchess Marland suddenly said.

"We can kill him too."

Everyone followed the prestige, and Alari, the soul eater, was playing with a ethereal dagger.The short knife flew around and around at her nimble fingertips, and the sharp blade reflected a sharp light.She blankly glanced at everyone who was looking at her, and then suddenly plunged the knife into the smooth table, and all the blades sank.

"For so many years in Outland we have fought to the death to prevent the Legion from invading Azeroth. And the bastards of Azeroth, blindly arrogant and careless, allowed the demons to breed everywhere and allowed the Legion to build a sizable army. .They should pay for their stupidity."

She raised the corners of her mouth and showed a wicked smile: "We killed the prisoners for them, so that they can rest assured. They should thank us."

"It will completely distrust the Illidari," snapped the duke.Her fingers pressed tightly against the table.

"You mean it's not thorough enough yet?"

"People just don't understand us."

"They have no intention of knowing us. What are you daydreaming about?"

"Daydreaming? Allie..."

"enough."

The sub-commander's deep voice made the entire hall silent.

"We will not kill captives."

He turned to look at the soul eater who was four people away from him.Allie was staring at him coldly.

"It's not for trust," Cain Sunfury said, "Herman... is the major general and heir to the Iron Army of the Alliance. If he dies in our hands, the Illidari will undoubtedly become the target of public criticism. We don't need to cause trouble. "

The Soul Eater said nothing.The deputy commander no longer looked at her, but turned his gaze to the other end of the long table.

"Lagros, your opinion."

The hall fell silent again.Several gazes came, and Roy felt Lucas' body tense beside him.

He looked at the deputy commander at the end of the long table, and said calmly: "The army has been damaged. If you lose the general, it will definitely shake the morale of the army, and the foundation of the alliance will no longer be strong. This is likely to make Azeroth Vulnerable to the attack of the Legion. Therefore, the captive must be alive. Therefore, someone must rescue him. However, the twisted power of the Dark Portal and the combat environment in Outland are extremely unfavorable to the Alliance of Azeroth. If they want to come , most likely to die."

"So we go to die for them?" The soul eater spoke again, his tone full of sarcasm.

Lucas turned his gaze to Roy, the captain had no expression on his face.

"Rescue the hostages and avoid confrontation with the Legion." Roy's tone did not change at all, "Return the hostages to the Alliance of Azeroth or the garrison alliance in Outland, at least it is possible to get their assistance in the struggle against the Burning Legion .”

Allie laughed softly: "You think so beautifully."

She had drawn out the dagger on the table.The iron-sharpening blade is now cutting a gap in the table, and slowly strokes back and forth along the gap, deepening it.

"I heard that you have been hiding in Shattrath City for a week. Could it be that you are already a member of the garrison coalition?"

"Allie!" Lucas thumped the table heavily with his right fist.

The soul eater didn't take it seriously, with a charming and mocking smile on her face: "Roy, do you trust the coalition army more than your teammates?" She asked meaningfully, "There are still a few people left in your team. How many people?" Then, she seemed to have discovered a priceless treasure, her face was full of excitement: "Ah, I remembered. I saw you with the people of the tribe from Lixar's vision, as if It's a blood elf..."

A white light flashed, and the voice stopped abruptly.

The warblade shining with silvery white light was nailed to the table in front of the soul eater.The sharp blade was less than an inch away from her beautiful face, and it was still buzzing.Lucas stood beside Roy, holding another war blade tightly in his hand.His muscles were tense, and his shoulders trembled slightly.Roy looked at the war blade in front of Allie's eyes, stretched out his hand and grabbed Lucas' forearm and pulled it down, then broke his five fingers tightly, and took the war blade from his hand.Lucas sat back stiffly, his brows full of anger.

Allie has long since withdrawn her smile, but she doesn't seem to be irritated.She squinted at the sharp weapon that was close at hand, and lightly tapped the edge of the blade with the short knife.When the weapons touched each other, there was a crisp sound.She turned her head and looked at Kane Sunfury provocatively.The deputy commander didn't say a word, his eyes were firmly fixed on the other end of the long table.

Lucas's mood has calmed down, and at this moment, there is a faint remorse in his heart-he shouldn't be so impulsive-and some disturbing questions.But the tense atmosphere made him unable to calm down and think carefully.He subconsciously turned his gaze to Roy.

As if sensing his uneasiness, Roy shook his hand lightly and then let go.His face is full of composure and determination, which is the expression that has given Lucas strength and hope countless times.

he's fine.He is as always.

Lucas couldn't help but relax.

In the lifeless silence, it seemed that the air had stopped flowing.

"'The Burning Legion will stop at nothing to destroy our world, and we will sacrifice everything to save it', Lord Illidan's words, I have not forgotten."

Roy said: "Personal vengeance, racial or camp feuds should take second place in front of our mission. This is the blood oath we made at the very beginning of the sacrificial ceremony, and no one should forget it. "

There was silence.The soul eater silently put the imaginary knife in his hand on the table, and stopped reaching out to touch it.

"We never survived with the help of others," Roy looked around, and finally settled on the deputy commander's face, "but this is not our battle."

There was silence in the dark temple, and no one responded.Roy's words didn't seem to reach anyone.But Lucas knew the decision had been made and it was impossible to change it.

At this moment, he seemed to see a forest.

Before the overwhelming mountain rain hit, everything was quiet in the forest, and patches of gray clouds accumulated on the top of the distant mountains.Every bird and beast in the forest has seen such a scene, and knows that it is impossible for them to leave here before the storm that may cause mountain torrents to roar and even overturn everything comes.

They have no choice and don't need a choice.

"The teams are ready to set off within three days."

The cumulonimbus clouds in the distance sent distant thunder.The mountain god beat a dull drum.

"Go to Hellfire Citadel to rescue the captives."

After everyone dispersed, Lucas walked to the seat of the soul eater without saying a word, and drew out his war blade.He saluted the deputy commander, then quickly left the hall.

Roy stood up and walked to the end of the long table, looking down at the deputy commander.

"Sir, Lord Illidan..."

"He needs to rest," Cain Sunfury said. "Arthas is too powerful. There is no need to alarm him yet."

Roy nodded and saluted him.

"and many more."

The deputy commander looked at him fixedly.

"Dane's team left the temple two days ago to carry out their mission, and there has been no news of it." He said in a deep voice, "I need someone to check the situation."

He seemed to think of something, and before Roy could reply, he continued, "But you've only been back for a few days, and I can send someone else if you need to rest."

Roy froze for a moment, then laughed.

"If anyone could, you wouldn't just say it now, would you?"

The deputy commander raised the corner of his mouth, his expression and tone relaxed.

"It's good that you understand. It's a place you are familiar with, so it's best for you to go. Take Lucas and go first, meet us on Hellfire Peninsula, and participate in the rescue operation. Pay attention to safety."

"Okay, I'm leaving now."

Roy frowned.

"A place I'm familiar with? It's..."

"That's right, Zangarmarsh."

① Alsace: Lich King.