Blade Dance

Today's Shattrath City rarely sees sunshine.

It started early in the morning, with white light glowing at the end of the blue sky, and the boundary between day and night was not very clear.Harlan stood by the bedroom window, overlooking the unawakened city far below.The moment the sun rose, the golden light stung his eyes.

There was no cloud to hide, and the sun continued until sunset.

During the day, Harlan went to meet Archbishop Nasuen and Deputy Commander Steele to confirm the battle plan.During the meeting, the second-in-command kept insinuating his objection to going to Zangarmarsh, citing one reason after another.For example, the nighttime environment of the swamp is not suitable for fighting, for example, they should recharge their energy instead of rushing to find trouble.Harlan ended the meeting with great difficulty, got rid of him and fled back home. After a short rest, the deputy commander unexpectedly came to the door of the house again.

"Sir."

Nix stood at the door of the library.The orange-red sun shone on his face, and his cheeks immediately seemed to be bloodshot.When Harlan picked up his gaze from the book and looked at him, he quickly lowered his head.

"Has he left yet?"

"No. The deputy commander said the situation is urgent and he needs to see you very much."

Nix's voice was wary.He locked his eyes on the floor in front of him, and heard the sound of the book being closed from the commander.The red light of the setting sun shone on her body, making her feel a little chilly.

"Please convey my exact words to him. The military orders have been issued to the teams, the soldiers are ready, and the archbishop has approved the plan. I have considered all the reasons he said and refuted them one by one. Steele If you still have any dissatisfaction, sir, please go to the Holy Light Square and ask Naru for guidance."

This is almost indistinguishable from what was said the previous time.

Nix stood there, unresponsive.His feet seemed to have taken root on the floor, and he couldn't move for a while, unless the meridian was cut off with an axe.Harlan didn't continue to say anything, didn't rush him, just waited for the silence to be broken.He knew the Knicks had something to say, and it was a very difficult thing for him.

Finally, a timid voice muffled over:

"Sir, I'm sorry. I have conveyed your instructions many times, but the deputy commander insisted on talking to you personally."

After he finished speaking, he closed his mouth and lowered his head lower, like a plant that has been wilted by the sun.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Just when he felt his legs going numb, a chuckle suddenly came from in front of him.He raised his head all at once, and caught the remaining smile on the commander's face.Without any hint of teasing or sarcasm, it seems that this is really just a simple and funny thing.

"Since it's useless to say anything, let him continue to wait at the door. You can live with me. There are two bedrooms upstairs."

Nix opened his mouth, but said nothing.

"Any thing else?"

"……No."

"Then back off."

"Yes."

Harlan looked at him with a complicated expression on his face, and turned around stiffly to leave.He was left alone in the room again.He stared at the door and didn't look away for a long time.

Steele was a real stalker.

As the commander, Harlan can leave everything to his subordinates without participating in any combat planning.No need to think, no need to worry, this was one of the conditions that the archbishop used to persuade him to be the commander.However, after actually taking this seat, no one will stop him if he wants to exercise real power.However, such a move seemed unexpected to the deputy commander.One more trouble.

The setting sun turned dark red, which was no longer suitable for reading.Harlan stared at the red light until the entire field of vision was filled with dark red.

Just when he was unprepared, a black figure appeared on the floor, like a drop of black ink dripping into a sea of ​​red.

Harlan turned his head suddenly, and the huge Kali bird flapped its wings and stopped on the window sill behind him. Its fiery red feathers seemed to be bathed in blood, fresh and fresh.The golden-brown eyes of the Kaliri stared at him motionlessly, as if transmitting awareness.Harlan looked into those eyes and realized that he had never looked at an animal so seriously before.

He stood up from his chair and took a small roll of parchment from the kaliri's long, sharp beak.Above is the familiar handwriting:

evening bell.hotel.I'm waiting for you.

----------

The second-in-command left after sunset.Even so, when Harlan went out, he still looked left and right, as if a young boy slipped out the back door to have a tryst with the girl he liked.This behavior made him laugh at himself.Nix salutes him.Perhaps because of the awkward conversation between them before, his movements and expressions still seemed unnatural, and Harlan almost couldn't help laughing in his face again.He liked Knicks, a boy who, while in awe of him, had a candor in his bones that allowed him to speak out occasionally.If it were Steele, he might be considered extremely rude, but Harlan liked it very much. He didn't like others to be afraid of him because of his status.

Harlan walked down the street, feeling happy.

He had wanted to escape.More than ever, he wanted to escape Shattrath City.He had expected the burden of being a Commander to be overwhelmed, but so far it seemed nothing but pleasant things had happened.why?Only a change of mood could do that, he thought.Face the past, present and future.Changes have already occurred from a certain moment.

Wearing a black cloak, the commander stepped into the Dragonhawk Inn amidst the lingering sound of the evening bell.He went all the way to the innermost corner under the cover of the hood.The other person seemed to have been waiting here, and the wine glass was mostly empty.After Harlan sat down, Joanna brought over a glass of honey fire wine, then turned and left.They looked at each other hastily, without communicating.

Harlan took off his cloak, picked up his wine glass, and lightly touched Orson's glass.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Orson didn't respond, but just stared at his every movement intently, as if they hadn't seen each other for several years, and at this moment, they wanted to fish out the memory fragments by looking at each other's appearance and behavior.It wasn't until Harlan called his name that he answered as if awakened from a dream.

But when he looked into those blue eyes, he immediately felt confused again.Is it because of identity?

"sorry."

He bowed his head slightly.

"I shouldn't have been so reckless when I was at Falcon Watch."

Harlan froze for a moment, then laughed.

"If you don't mention it, I will forget it."

Orson looked up at him, surprised.Harlan was smiling at him, his beautiful eyes sparkling like shooting stars in the night sky.Orson breathed a sigh of relief, he felt Harlan standing with him again.The original distance between them was restored, and they returned to the past.Perhaps he has always thought too much unilaterally, but they have never been alienated.

"You personally gave the order for this operation?" he asked.

"Yes." Harlan replied without hesitation.

"Suddenly. I thought you wouldn't do anything as soon as you came up. It always takes time to adapt and sort out some things. But you started exercising your authority so quickly."

"No, I don't have that much time."

Harlan's fingers drew an invisible map on the table.

"Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, Terokkar Forest, and then Shattrath City. Just this morning, the Legion has passed Falcon Watch. If we don't meet in Zangarmarsh, the battle will only get closer. "

Orson nodded, smiling appreciatively.

"I agree. I'd rather attack than defend. That being said, it's a good thing you're the commander. If it were Steele, God knows how long he'll be hiding in the city."

As Orson spoke, he took a sip of the storm spirits, and stretched out his tongue in comfort, like a hot hound sticking out his tongue, shaking off the sweat on the tip of his tongue.Harlan laughed, Orson was taken aback, and then laughed too.What's so funny about that?Maybe it's because we haven't seen each other's smiles for too long.Orson covered his expression with a wine glass, and looked at Harlan over the back of his hand.The high elf's eyes were lowered, as if he were gazing at the wine glass, and he was still smiling, a rippling water pattern on his face.

"Harlan."

He suddenly remembered something.

"What if we meet the Illidari?"

The elf's eyes suddenly dimmed.A snowstorm on a clear winter day.

And such a small change was quickly covered up by the familiar coldness.Orson frowned, his voice became hesitant:

"I mean, the Illidari are our enemies. What's the battle plan if we meet them again?"

"The Illidari," said Harlan, "attacked the coalition defenders?"

Orson froze.An indescribable emotion surged up and blocked his throat.He suddenly realized that the commander of the garrison coalition army was sitting opposite him.As the commander of the coalition forces, he didn't use the words "we" or "them". Instead, he said "Illidari" and "defending the coalition forces" like an outsider, watching with a cold eye.

What's even more embarrassing is that I can't answer it myself.

He had almost forgotten it.What difference does it make who takes the initiative?The Illidari were going to kill the captives, and sooner or later they would fight to save the group.What old accounts are you looking at now?

"them……"

"When you meet the Illidari, stay away from them and avoid fighting. The Legion is our enemy. If you insist on rushing up to the demon hunters and disregarding the safety of your teammates, then please stay in the city and are not allowed to participate This battle."

Incomprehensible.

Orson stared blankly at Harlan, his mind blank.But Harlan said again:

"I don't expect every one of my decisions to be approved by everyone, but they have been carefully considered and brought together many opinions. Trust in comrades and leaders is indispensable on the battlefield. If you are not in a position high enough that you can If you overlook the overall situation, please entrust your trust to the person who stands high enough."

His voice was calm, even cold.After he finished speaking, he fell silent and looked at Orson, waiting for his response.Orson looked into those solemn eyes, feeling confused and at a loss.

He said "please", but was it a request or an order?

Harlan has never seemed so unattainable.Like the blooming ice and snow flowers on the top of Utgarde, reflecting the dazzling sunlight at the place closest to the sky.Orson never realized that he was actually an emotional bomb, which would explode with the slightest bump.

What kind of person are you?

Orson suddenly laughed.

He said, "Okay."

It was a kind and sincere smile exclusive to a close friend, and Harlan's expression immediately relaxed.

"Then please lead us to win this war." Orson said.

"If you don't give up, you will live up to expectations."

The firelight streamed back into the blue eyes.Orson smiled at them.

Speaking such a great truth in such a capacity.

If it were you, I might believe that's all true.