Blade Dance

"You have made up your mind." The archbishop asked again.

The young man's eyes fell on the ground, but he stood upright.In fact, everything was ready, and the inauguration ceremony was about to be held, so there was no need to reconfirm his determination.But Archbishop Nasuen still felt a little unresolved, because when he had a conversation with him a few days ago, the other party seemed to have nothing to do with him from the beginning to the end, as if he didn't listen to a word.The blue eyes stared at him, but didn't look at him, even a little absent-minded.All this made Nasuen feel as if he was telling him a story about someone else, and he had identified the wrong person.

Harlan said, "Yes."

The Archbishop studied him, relieved by his unthinking answer.

The person who thought he would wait until the last minute to make a decision, accepted the responsibility so quickly.From his voice, the archbishop even heard an eagerness.

"Okay. Come with me."

The lower floor of the Holy Light Hall was already full of people, and the crowd around Naru was the most crowded, spreading from there to the surroundings.People from the church stopped the crowd and cleared a path leading directly to the gods, from the stairs to Naru.As the archbishop and Harlan walked into the lower hall one after the other, the crowd began to stir, and more people poured in, and the hall quickly became crowded and noisy.People seem to have been looking forward to this moment, or are just bystanders who join in the fun.They pushed each other and wanted to move forward, but the believers remained motionless, separating the crowd from the two people walking towards Naru.

Orson squeezed at the front of the crowd, looking forward over the shoulders of the believers.Archbishop Nasuen looked straight at him and walked towards Naru in the center of the hall unhurriedly.Harlan followed him, wearing a dark gray long-sleeved singlet, black trousers, and slender greaves, with downcast eyes and silver hair tied behind his neck.On his left side he wears a short sword, and on his right side is his long-used horn-handled dagger.They stopped in front of the naaru, and for a moment the crowd fell silent.

The Archbishop and Harlan stood facing each other before the gods.The high elf knelt down, and the archbishop took an adamantine long sword from the disciple beside him.The sword symbolizes the identity of the commander, and the holy light of Naaru outlines a circle of gold on the sword.The archbishop put the long sword flat on his hands and handed it to Harlan.

There was no sound in the hall.The air seemed to stop flowing.Everyone held their breath and stared at the two people in front of Naru.

Harlan lowered his head, raised his hands above his head, and rested them on the sword.

"Listen to my oath and be my witness."

His voice was clear and clear, like water hitting a stone.

"I am not attached to the beauty of life, and I am not afraid of the pain of death.

"I am not afraid of the strength of the enemy, and I do not expect the protection of my companions.

"My faith comes from blood and thunder, and my strength turns into anger and sacrifice.①

"For Outland, and for Azeroth, I will never back down as long as I live."

He took the long sword from the archbishop's hand and stood up.There was applause all around, echoing in the hall, deafening.The believers on the side stepped forward again, handing over the commander's battle robe with both hands.The young commander took it, and the coat of arms of the coalition was embroidered with silver thread on the black battle robe, which was a cluster of sharp crystals.Without the blood red of the Horde or the blue of the Alliance, this robe looks neutral and low-key, but no second person can control it.The applause still didn't stop. Harlan put the long swords on his battle robe, held them and looked around, catching people's eyes.The attention doesn't seem to be putting any pressure on him.Cheers erupted from the crowd, both men and women.

At this moment, Orson realized that all this should have happened long ago.Two years ago, three years ago, even five years ago, everything would be very different now.Harlan will not be defeated.

Harlan's eyes met his.After a short stay, he continued to move to the side as if he didn't notice him.

Orson felt a pain in his heart.

Those eyes were full of coldness.

He remembered Megan Hilde questioning his intimacy with Harlan, and now he was starting to doubt it himself.The status of commander is what Harlan deserves and what Orson expects him to obtain, but at the same time, Harlan is sent to a height that he can't reach, and he is getting farther and farther away from him.

Is it for this reason?They were finally separated by identities, so the last enthusiasm was lost.

That look...

Orson felt he had done nothing wrong.Nor did Harlan seem like someone who would take the crash at Falcon Watch to heart.

What was it that made him so strange all of a sudden?

----------

When Vincent arrived, Harlan was walking out of the Holy Light Hall surrounded by people.He was holding the battle robe in his hand, and a shining long sword was worn on his side, which immediately made the short sword on the other side dim.

When he turned his head and saw Vincent who was out of breath, his eyes seemed to meet the savior.

Vincent hadn't fully reacted yet.Harlan walked quickly towards him.He smiled, and seemed to be aware of his new identity, and immediately retracted, leaving only the smile in his eyes.Vincent panted, put his hands on his knees, and watched Harlan walk over with a complicated expression.

"You came just in time."

"Sorry, the patrol just ended."

"It's all right. Let's go. Quick."

After he finished speaking, he walked towards the high ground without looking back.Vincent could only keep up with him.

"Come with me to see where I'm staying. It's in Aldo Heights."

One after the other, they quickly moved away from the Holy Light Hall.Vincent looked back, no one followed, only watching them go away.He knew that Harlan resented the attention, and the hour or two just now might have overdrawn him.So it was no wonder that he was walking like flying at the moment, so he almost ran.

The sky was overcast and the air was humid.The wind seeped into Harlan's baggy jacket, puffing it up and then deflated it.Vincent always walks behind him on the left.

Harlan stopped suddenly, and Vincent almost ran into him.

"Ok?"

Harlan looked sideways at him.

"..."

One look was enough, and Harlan walked forward again.Vincent walked alongside him.

"I was a little nervous just now."

"what?"

"When I said the oath. I was always worried that the archbishop would lose the sword in his hand and smash it into my hand."

Vincent glanced at him.

"Not so much."

"This sword," Harlan tapped the fine gold long sword by his side with his fingers, "it doesn't look much longer than my dagger, but it's actually very heavy." He looked at Vincent and nodded, as if Acknowledge what you said, "I almost dropped it when I took it."

Vincent laughed.They were already on the lift leading to Aldo Heights.After a while, the platform began to rise slowly, getting closer to the cloudy sky.As the ground moved downwards, the figures of chariots, horses and people became smaller and smaller until they looked like slowly crawling ants.Harlan stared at the ground below in a daze, as if something had attracted his attention.Vincent followed his gaze and glanced down, but saw nothing unusual.

Just when he retracted his gaze and wanted to speak, the lifting platform reached the top.

As soon as they stepped off the platform, a young draenei guard came forward and bowed to the commander.He didn't look twenty years old, and was thin, about the same height as Harlan, obviously still growing, since adult draenei were generally two heads taller than high elves.Sir, this is Nix.He said.Then lead them to a rather magnificent building on the edge of the highland in the distance.

"Draenei is a luxury after all. No matter what building is built like a spaceship." As the destination is getting closer, Harlan said with emotion.

"The Exodar ② was originally rebuilt from the wreckage of a spaceship that crashed on the continent of Azeroth." Vincent replied seriously.

"Well, that's right."

Harlan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly slowed down, took off the dagger at his waist, and handed it to Vincent.

"Please return this sword to Eric for me. Please tell him it's a good sword, I use it very well, and thank him again for that."

Vincent also slowed down and his eyes fell on the sword.He was used to the way the sword was worn on Harlan.

"He won't care. You keep it for now."

Harlan smiled wryly: "I also won't use two swords at the same time."

Vincent looked up at him.Harlan froze for a moment, he rarely saw Vincent showing such a serious expression.They stopped at the same time.Harlan felt that he had nowhere to hide from the gaze of those dark gray eyes.

"At any time, be sure to choose the right weapon for you." Vincent said.

Harlan stared at him for a long time.

Then put the dagger back on his waist.The two continued walking side by side.

"I'm asking you, have you heard about it?"

"Yes." Vincent glanced over Nix who was walking in front, "I wanted to tell you at another time."

"It's okay to say it now."

"It was the coalition forces that started the attack." Vincent still lowered his voice, "'A hunter shot a demon hunter off the city wall', that's what the eyewitnesses told me."

"Then it started killing each other," Harlan said.

"And then it started to get revenge on each other," Vincent said.

Harlan's expression didn't change, but Vincent felt his shoulders tighten.

At this time, they had reached the gate of the commander's apartment.Nix stepped aside and nodded to make way for the officer.Harlan walked straight in, but Vincent stopped in his tracks.

"Come in. Close the door."

Nix moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just lowered his head and said nothing.Vincent no longer hesitated, walked into the building, turned around and closed the door.

The interior of the building is very different from its exterior.Vincent walked slowly through each room. Compared with the magnificent exterior structure of the whole building, the interior has an unexpected simplicity.The first floor is an antechamber, a meeting room, a library, a rectangular kitchen, and a bathroom. The second floor is a master bedroom, a second bedroom, another bathroom, a weapon room, and a storage room.All the things of the former commander were removed, maybe he never lived here at all—it is not necessary for the commander to live here, but if you need enough personal space, this building far away in the Aldo Heights is not a bad idea. The second choice—and Harlan hadn't brought many personal belongings from the inn yet.Therefore, the house now appears empty and devoid of life.

Vincent went up to the second floor and came to the door of the bedroom.The bedrooms are decorated in warm tones and the floors are spotless, obviously cleaned.Two swords, one long and one short, were randomly thrown on the bed, and Harlan was putting on his battle robe with his back turned to him.

"Harlan."

As if he didn't expect Vincent to call his name suddenly, Harlan turned and looked at him with a questioning expression.But Vincent just stared at him blankly.Against the backdrop of the black battle robe, the snow-white complexion of the high elf became even more eye-catching.Silver hair scattered on the shoulders, glowing with a fascinating metallic luster.Harlan's face was well-defined, with sharp edges and corners, and his blue eyes shone brightly in the twilight, like two clear but dangerous abysses.Their gazes overlapped and then went straight into each other's eyes.Vincent was terrified as those blue eyes looked into the depths of his own.

He said, "Why do you do that?"

Harlan straightened the corners of his clothes and looked up at him.He looked too calm, as if he had expected that he would ask this question a long time ago, so he was confident about his answer.But he was just silent.

"I thought you would comply with your own needs," Vincent added.

He locked those eyes with his gaze, waiting, or forcing the other party to answer.

Harlan suddenly showed a gentle smile.

"I found the answer. It came from the heart."

His smile became sly.

"Facts have proved that discussing some things with others can't get results, and there may even be no progress. Maybe I just want to confirm my own voice from another person's perspective. In the end, I still have to rely on myself."

Vincent stared at him.

"why?"

You can go a little further.

He asked persistently, "Why did you make this choice?"

You fit the path, but it's not what you want.Maybe it's what you want now, but why?

Harlan looked at him and said, "I would never do something for a single purpose. I wouldn't push myself too hard to do something. Please don't worry." Then he laughed.Vincent had never seen such a bright smile on his face, like a beautiful poisonous flower, which made him helpless.

Can't go any further, he's at the bottom.Harlan refused to answer his question.Vincent realized that he had touched the door in his heart, the door that usually only opened for one person.

Then it doesn't matter whether he teasingly avoids his question or gives an elusive answer.

The smile on Harlan's face was gone, replaced by the usual indifference and a coldness beyond the usual.

Vincent took a step forward.

May you also have the power to condense the hearts of the soldiers when you live and die.

Then even if it is a battle that must be lost, I will resolutely follow.

He put his right hand over his heart and got down on one knee.

"I will dedicate my life to you.

"I will harvest blood and soul, and fight fearlessly.

"Here is my dagger. Unless its master bows his head, it will never leave his hand.③"

"Then," said the commander, "come with me. Please."

Vincent stood up and looked into Harlan's eyes again.But their eyes only met briefly, and Harlan turned around and picked up the long sword that belonged to him, brushed past Vincent and walked out the door.Vincent followed without thinking, and Harlan's sprinting figure made him feel an uncontrollable excitement.

They went downstairs quickly, through the vestibule, and up to the gate.

"Knicks!"

The door was open, and the guards guarding the door didn't seem to have expected the officer to come out suddenly.He glanced at Harlan in panic, then stood still with his head down, waiting for instructions.

"Yes, sir."

Harlan looked back at Vincent, a charming smile flashed across his face, and Vincent smiled at him.Then he looked forward again, and the holy light of the naaru in the distance shot straight into the sky.

"Pass me an order, and the whole army will be ready within three days."

At this moment, Vincent's heart was like a mirror.

"Go to Zangarmarsh."

① Warrior's oath.

②The Exodar: The main city of Draenei is a spaceship that takes the Draenei race away from Draenor.Crashed on the continent of Azeroth.

③Stalker's oath.