dawnfletcherstuff

[dawnfletcherstuff]

So the canonicity of this story is... ??? but heck- here’s "Out of Water”.

Armaleonis was lost. That part wasn’t surprising. Even with his natural sight, he was much better with tracking than directions. Still, the wastes of The Ghostlands should have been familiar enough to him; he had spent more than enough time there to know it like the back of his hand. Things had gotten a bit out of hand, after Daeleon had asked him for a simple favor- go get some fresh mana wyrm meat from Eversong. And yet, the demon hunter had managed to get distracted once again.

Then again, it wasn’t every day a Legion ship landed in the neighborhood. Having taken the particularly scenic route through Quel’Danas, Armaleonis spotted an odd protrusion poking up from the sea. Curious, he set aside his bounty and leapt into the depths, smelling something out of sorts. The water was…warm, no. Not warm. No. The water was….thinking? No, that’s not how water works. Unless it was an elemental. Was it an elemental? Oh, right, time to breathe. He went to surface, but felt his leg being pulled down towards the wreck. Trying to spin and push towards the surface, it felt like a cannonball hit him square in the face, and everything went black.

-

<Good Morning>

Armaleonis groaned, sprawled out on… a dry floor?

“Muhhhhh, when I find the murlocs that thought this was funny….I’m gonna have some words with them, and they aren’t going to be ‘thank you’…..” He grumbled, opening his eyelids...only to...scream in panic.

He opened his eyes.

HE COULD SEE. HE HAD EYES.

Sniffing around, he tried to pick up what the hell did this and was bombarded by a series of alien smells. These weren’t Legion smells. He knew Legion smells. No, the scents on his nose were...muted? Salty, a little, but muted. One smell he definitely recognized was perhaps the most strange of all:

Turtle.

Forcing himself up, Armaleonis saw his beloved Blackglasses, cracked in the center, but still in one piece. Grasping them close to his chest, he took in a deep breath and started to take tentative steps towards the smell of turtle. This place was dark, lit by what looked like Draenite crystals. Maybe this was a Draenei ship? It made enough sense, Eredar were an advanced sort. It was odd, though, that he didn’t smell magic. His left hand clenched, reminded of the thirst of the Sin’dorei. It was about this time that he realized the room was...crooked. At an angle. Maybe it was a ship of Draenei of the Auchenic order? He scritched the back of his head, contemplating as he made his way forward, into the darkness.

“Hello? Anyone here? Murlocs? Turtles?” He called out as he manuevered down.

Silence.

For what felt like an eternity, Arma followed his nose, his heart racing. Every step forward revealed what looked like a long derelict wreck, with no traces of anything remotely humanoid. No bones, no tools...heck, the only indication that anything sentient was involved was the fact that he could tell this was a ship of some sort. Something wasn’t right, though. The darker it got, the more...algae he could see in the water on the edges  of the walkways? As a ranger, he knew that algae grew where the Sun would rest upon it...not in lost depths. The air was getting...steamy, as well. His gut was ready to turn, but he pressed forward, turning towards what looked like an antechamber- in the center, where lay what he smelled-

A giant, ancient turtle. A tortoise, to be more accurate. The room was bright, far too bright- every plate of its shell shone with a brilliant, otherworldly light, and within each of those lights, Arma could see what looked like portals to other worlds...the sight hurt his brain, and he clutched his forehead with a cry- he couldn’t tell why, but the sight was actively hurting him, so he turned from it, away from the strange creature.

“AaaaAAaaaAaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!” His head felt like it was ready to split, blood dripping from his ears as he collapsed, eyes flickering to look at SOMETHING else- like all the mush...rooms…..in here. Algae and mushrooms? That….that doesn’t make sense. He couldn’t focus on it, though as the pain ratcheted up a tic. Then he saw it- the mushrooms were moving – and from the Algae, something rose, a cloaked figure, whose face looked like it made more sense as a squid- though whose tendrils were unmistakably green, and viny.

Was this a creature from the Everbloom? He looked like he belonged there…and then, all the pain and, really, all thought, stopped. It was like someone grabbed the lungs in his chest and squeezed all the air out of them, holding them hostage.

<My, what a nosy little dog you are. It’s good that you have enough wit to look around rather than just leave. Now that you have eyes, you might just make a useful pawn to me.>

Images rapidly flashed in the demon hunter’s mind- what looked like some sort of magical jellyfish creature latching onto his head, a vision of a world that fit all his wants, destroying that world to get back to his friends, but then…a blurry mess. Stars whirling together to take humanoid shape, this creature, it was so confusing!

“Don’t...suppose you’re a friend of my friend Canthar, huh? He’s kinda got that look down, but, y’know….he did it first.”

<Foolish whelp. Barking your snark at me will not impress a magus of my capabilities. Sleep, you’re useless to me for now.>

Before he could open his mouth to reply, a wooden staff cracked him on the back of the head so hard that the world went black once more.

-

-

“I didn’t hear about any training squads sent to Naverius. Think I should shoot him?”

“What is wrong with you?”

“ Look ,he’s clearly not normal. Think the Falspawn have had a go at him.” “We aren’t killing him. We’ll take him to medbay. Then he’s Fina’s problem.”

“Y’know, if he is tainted and you drop him off in Medbay, it’s your fault.”

“Yeah yeah, get lifting.”

“But you’re the muscle.”

“FINE, I’ll do it. Rassafrassin’ archers...”

Armaleonis felt like his head weighed more than a kodo. He groaned, slowly opening...his eyes? Yep, those were a thing. Okay. So, probably not a hallucination then. Groggily, he looked at the two people bickering about him, or at least, the front of one and the back of the one who had hefted him up onto her shoulders. He was notably close to a blade that was rather frosty and was being carried about as gently as a sack of potatoes. The one he could see had violet skin, horns, and had one green eye and a yellow one with some sort of odd magic symbol. His head was still throbbing and his limbs felt weak, so he let himself be carried for a bit more.

“Uuuuugh, ow. Hi. Ow.” He blinked a few times, opening his eyes...and seeing a bow and arrow pointed at him. He gulped audibly. “Uhhh…..hi. Please don’t shoot?” The woman who was carrying him put him on his feet- albeit roughly, and he fell flat on his ass. She pulled her polearm and pointed it at his face.

“You. Why do you have no equipment on a world full of Sylvant and Falspawn? Are you trying to get eaten or worse?” She had blazing red hair and pointed ears- looked like a blood elf, actually, not that different from Daari. This was just getting...weird.

He cleared his throat. “I uh….is he gonna shoot me if I say something wrong?” He gestured towards the violet man with a bow.

The red-haired elf-like woman laughed. “That depends. Should he? You do have weird growths on your shoulders. And you look like you’re wearing some sort of ...bone collar? Not *my* taste but hey...”

Arma shook his head rapidly. “We don’t need to kill me, thanks. Look, I’m not sure...where we are? But I need to get back to my friends and family. I don’t know how long I’ve been out but I miss them a whole lot.”

“On this world?” The woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arma shot a glance around. This place looked entirely alien, and the animals he did see looked like nothing on Azeroth, Draenor, or even Argus. He gulped.

“M….maybe not. W-where are we?”

The woman groaned, rubbing her forehead.

“Why is that all my friends have some sort of amnesia when I meet them?….Look, you’re on the planet Naverius. It’s a world where you REALLY don’t want to stick around unless you’re properly armed. And you….don’t even have any comms on you. We need to get back to the Mothership. C’mon, I’m not having you die on me.” Reaching into her pocket, she took out what looked like a steel disc and threw it out- only for light to appear in a pillar, then swept Arma back up onto her shoulders. Octavian walked through it first and teleported away- and while Armaleonis had his experience as a Sunfury, he never did take kindly to teleportation- but right now, he couldn’t really put up a fight. And thus, as the woman stepped in with him, he shut his eyes tightly, expecting that same travel through the Twisting Nether that comes with teleportation- but oddly enough, it was over before he could feel that familiar tingle.

Behind him was a pool of water, and around him were a series of booths and benches.

“This is the Gateway ship. This is Octavian, he’s our Braver. An archer. Me? I’m Tohmidaria, resident badass. I specialize in swords and Polearms. You?” She finally set him down on a bench so he could look her in the eyes again. Then Octavian.

“My name is Armaleonis Dawnfletcher. I am a…. demon hunter? A….oh, maybe you don’t have those...uh, I’m what you might call a Ranger. An Archer, sometimes, like...” and then he gestured to Octavian.

The violet man, noting that, tapped his chin before walking over to one of the booths, typing on some sort of console, and making a bow appear in a flash of light. He offered it to Arma.

“Here, you can have one of my favorites. We’re gonna need all the help we can get. The Falspawn are growing everyday. If anyone asks about your weird...uh, y’know, stuff...just tell them you got it on the Auction House. That tends to shut most people up. We’re going to be heading back any moment now…but hey, maybe we’ll find your friends and family somewhere?” He gave a gentle smile.

“Of course we will. We’re badasses. We always accomplish our objective.” Tohmi said with a smirk and a thumbs up.

“

[dawnfletcherstuff]

Where is Arma in BFA? Bad decisions, that’s where.

He shouldn't have been there.

It was pure coincidence that he happened to be there as a large contingent of Horde soldiers rolled out of the north gate, into Ashenvale. Canine curiosity being what it is, Armaleonis could not help but follow along, to see what they were doing. He managed to get in at the back of the convoy, making casual conversation with a couple of the conscripts. Before he knew it, they were in the middle of a war zone like nothing he had seen before on Azeroth. The Kal'dorei were putting up a stern resistance, but they were outflanked at every turn by the Horde, whose dark rangers and artillery were very quickly shrinking the Alliance's route out of the battle. They were fleeing now, with only the back line still firing off shots to deter pursuit and a few shield-bearers to try to deflect shots from behind from felling the main host. The roar of battle was deafening, tearing through the forest like the bellow of a corrupted dragon, harrowing and wrong. Armaleonis could feel his chest tighten as they advanced forward, deeper towards the shore, towards Darnassus.

The tail end of the group was just getting to the front when he heard the Banshee Queen's command. “BURN IT!” It didn't make sense to him. The sight, sound and smell of this battlefield had him so off his game that he couldn't understand what she was saying. Burn it? Burn what? An elemental? Some trees here? Were they setting up camp? He liked camp. Burn....what? The screech and grind of siege weapons unleashing burst after burst of flaming shot at the tree until it began to light up made this painfully clear.

The soldiers that he had been speaking with seemed of mixed spirit. Some were joining in on the assault, eager to burn down the great tree, while others turned their backs, somber, unwilling to participate in an atrocity. Arma, on the other hand, could only stare, mouth agape, as flames raced up the wood, tearing into it, leaving behind thick, inky smoke.

Without thinking, there was only one thing that he could do. Seeing an unguarded plaguebat, he ran and grabbed its reins, hopping on its back and urged it to the sky. Chattering as it left the ground, the plaguebat gave no resistance, soaring through the sky, ever closer to the flame. Arma's chest tightened yet further as they closed the gap. He could hear the screaming over the crackling flame, but only barely. This would be wretched enough were it a natural disaster, but knowing its origin made it all the worse. “Go home, bat. You did good.” He gently patted the plaguebat's head before standing and leaping off its back, diving into the chaos, using what agility he could to grab onto a banner that happened to be in reach. There he was, in the midst of it. There was no time to think, only ash, relentless heat, and death.

Light was slowly fading for the false demon hunter the more he ran in, as ash clouded his glasses and soot clouded his sense of smell. Even so, he pushed forward, sniffing for Kal'dorei, trying to find those who were stranded.

It did not take him long- he was before an inn, part of whose roof had collapsed from the flames. He could hear the cries of a man and a young girl within, though he could not understand the words themselves. Already the ash was making it hard to focus. Breathing was getting harder by the second. Even though he knew they couldn't understand his words, he cried out as he flung himself at the wreckage, drawing his glittering axes of Light.

“You're gonna be okay! I'm gonna save you! Please be okay!” He tore and clawed his way through the broken roofing until it broke around him. Squinting, he was able to make out the forms of the man and his daughter. He was pinned under another piece of wreckage- and his daughter was refusing to run. She was trying her hardest to try to lift it off him, fruitlessly struggling as she coughed loudly, painfully. However, she wasn't alone, not for long. Armaleonis dashed in, and with a grunt, added his strength to hers. His chest ached as air was forced out – and more soot came in.

Every instinct in his body told him to run, to get out, to drop this and leave. If he had to, grab the girl and get her to safety, but not to die here. His arms were shaking from the strain, but they were just starting to get a little bit off the ground. They were all coughing, now. Their chances of survival were already slim, but this struggle was only decreasing them further.

He wasn't sure why, but all he could think of, as he pushed his body past its breaking point, was about his father's death. How he hadn't been there, how he had told him that he was dead to him when he left in the heat of an argument. Tears were flowing down his cheeks as he lifted with renewed strength, pulling muscles with ugly snapping noises. This little girl wasn't going to lose her father, he wasn't going to let that happen, no matter the cost.

Tapping into his inner demon, G'harr'bg, Armaleonis felt the fel energy surge through him as he felt his focus return, razor-sharp. His body was in acute pain, but he used this sudden energy burst to his best- he forced the wreckage up over his head in a fit of strength, letting loose a gout of a shadowflame from his hands and mouth to annihilate it before it would fall back on them. Things were getting so dark now. Despite his renewed focus, Arma felt sluggish. However, he wasn't done. He turned and picked up the man. “I'm going to get you to safety.” He said, slurring his words just a bit at the end. The young girl may not have spoken thalassian, but it seemed that she understood well enough. The two ran, painfully, through the ruined city, around burning buildings, wreckage, people, through thick, toxic clouds of smoke, and finally, to the gates of the Temple of the Moon. It was there that Armaleonis set the man down, before collapsing in a coughing heap.

The man and his daughter looked concerned, reaching out for him, before a priestess came out and ushered the two in, leaving the sin'dorei out in the disaster, alone.

That was fine. Armaleonis smiled as his 'vision' from his glasses blurred and faded, body feeling more and more numb as he surrendered to the urge to rest. They made it, that...that was all that mattered. His head could finally stop throbbing in pain, and soon, he drifted off.

He wasn't sure what to expect, really, as he closed his eyes and let go of his consciousness. He did, however, have to wonder:

“Is this what Dad felt like when he died?” He wasn't sure why, but he felt like he was amused. He was blind, practically deafened by the noise and numb. As he was left to his thoughts, regret hit him in a wave.

“I didn't say goodbye to Purps or Zeke, or to Glasses, or Canthar or any of my friends....that was kinda dumb of me, huh. Not even Vanderchirp. That's.....oh no, I didn't....tell my dad. Oh.”

His stomach churned and twisted as he grimaced, a pain worse than anything this disaster could have hit him with on its own.

“I...I forgot to tell him, and I definitely forgot to tell Mom. I....guess I didn't really learn anything, after all. I'm still a shitty son.”

He coughed, tears rolling down his face. “This...is why people think things through, huh?” He laughed, before another coughing fit took him to the darkness of unconsciousness.

And then, all was quiet.

All that Arma, in this state, could feel, was what felt like a large set of hands grabbing him by the shoulders, and then?

There was nothing.

[dawnfletcherstuff]

The sky was gray, rumbling in the distance as a faint drizzle began above the outskirts of Sylvanas Town. Two figures walked side-by-side – the taller of the two being a blood elf sporting an especially fancy pair of sunglasses to complement some rad horns as well as a split felstalker bone mask around his collar. On his back was a small brown satchel of books that bounced precariously over the two vibrant pink draenite axes that were hooked onto his hips. Between his blonde pompadour and his odd vest, it was clear that this fellow was one odd customer indeed! That said, the man walking beside him was equally unusual- Lush hair with small, dark mushrooms growing in it was the perfect accentuation to this necrolyte's jaw of solidified shadow and five glowing ochre eyes. For that matter- his arms were a hybrid of shadows and vines.

The two, Armaleonis and Canthar, respectively, plodded forward through the gray mist, looking ahead, determined, but in good spirits, both smiling as they traveled West. As the Amani crypt colloquially known as the 'Tomb of Mystery' drew closer into view with every step, the rumbling in the sky intensified, leading the friends to hasten their pace to the unconventional shelter.

It was much darker in the tomb than it had been the last time- no loa-magic lanterns, no torches or even glowing mushrooms- further, it was silent, save for the slow dripping of a water leak deeper in. Had something happened since their last visit? The atmosphere was completely different, that much was for certain. While some might see an attack that nearly cost the pair their lives as undesirable, there  had been some good company, at least. This time, however, it truly lived up to its nature as a graveyard.  The two looked to each other, confused as they began to explore. “HEEEEEEEY!” Arma yelled into his cupped hand, pointed toward the deeper interior of the stone catacombs. “WHERE YOU AT, MUMMY DUDE?” Turning, he flinched a bit when he saw Canthar's displeased expression. With five eyes, the necrolyte could give a withering glare that may very well have been able to kill the recipient.

Before Canthar could get the opportunity to give his opinion on the matter, there was a long, agonizing wet noise that culminated in a thud behind them. They turned instantly, looking at what appeared to be a troll mummy in the dark. “Oh, S'tanky, you scared us.” Canthar said, breathing a sigh of relief- that is, until their eyes adapted to the low light and they realized what they were looking at was no troll mummy. It was some sort of creature that most closely resembled a jellyfish, bending itself into a trollish shape. Its body was rippling and swirling as a kaleidoscope-like rotation of colors and patterns quickly emanated from its goopy form, along a cloud of pheromones of some kind. The patterns were quick, even at the start, but at least they had some sort of sense- lines, colors- they began to move at a speed that made all of Canthar's eyes spin. While wordless, there was an undercurrent of chanting in some odd pseudo-language that accelerated as fast as the patterns upon its flesh.  The two had no chance and everything went black.

-

Armaleonis awoke in a cold sweat in the most comfortable bed he could ever remember sleeping in. He tilted his head as he wiped his eyes and yawned. Yeah, that was a bed. His bed? Wasn't he just in a tunnel or something?

He yawned again, gently tapping his forehead as he tried to make sense of the world. It was too early for this, he concluded. He lay himself back down and pulled up the covers, determined to look into it after another...oh, five minutes or so.

“WOOOOORF!”

He was not going to get that extra five minutes. On the one hand, he was mildly annoyed that he had to wake up at this moment, but on the other, he recognized that bark- the owner of which came running into the room with a wide open mouth and lolling tongue! “Roland!” Arma cried out, grinning as he sat up. Most people would have flinched when a giant timber wolf with rusty red fur leapt onto their bed and snuggled them, but not Armaleonis! No, he gave the big lout the biggest dog hug that he could manage. “I've missed you so so much buddy. Man....” “WORF!” The wolf was looking down at him as though he were crazy. Arma leaned back and looked at  the big beast and canted his head, as though expecting Roland to explain himself. In that moment, however, the wolf hopped down, made a sharp “Yip!” of urgency and ran out of his room, turning to yip at him again when he was slow to follow. Scratching his head, Armaleonis got up and followed his four-legged friend, who led him through a home that was bigger and more beautiful than any he remembered. Everything fell into place, however, once he passed the West Balcony- and was able to look into a star-filled sky that looked onto the Twisting Nether with alabaster bolts of lightning that tore across the sky. “This is...home?” He said, tilting his head. Another, slightly annoyed yip down the hall reminded him that the wolf was not the patient type, and thus the young blonde elf had to run to catch up. As he did, he found himself entering a forum, in the center of which there was a small series of tables- and most notably, two figures with food on their plates- as well as a third plate! Squinting, he could recognize them- even if his brain took a few moments to catch up- The black haired woman with her hair in a bun and the beige regal priest robes was none other than his mother, and the blonde man in sharp red and gold civil attire was his...father? He looked more closely at his father, head feeling like it was swimming through murk. Don't I have a Dad and a Not-Dad?

He tried to figure this out for a couple moments before his father got up and started walking toward him with a smile. 

“You coming to eat breakfast with your old man and your mother or are you gonna stand there til sunset, Leon?” When Armaleonis canted his head a bit, it looked on the one side like his father's hair was scruffy and cut short, but when he looked at him straight, it was as though his hair was perfectly in order and long. He shook it off, chalking it up to not being a morning person, and made his way over to the table, sitting down at the third seat. Roland was sitting next to his chair. He was a good boy. The best boy. His mother leaned on her left hand with a smile. “We thought you weren't going to be up til tonight with how hard you partied last night, Leon. You really ought to thank Roland- at least ONE of you remembered your date with that Ezekiel boy.” Armaleonis tapped his chin. “Ezeki.....Zeke?”

Suddenly, everything made sense to him! His face went red and he put his hands on his cheeks in near panic! “OH NO I'M GONNA BE LATE TO MY DATE! AAAAAAGH!” He immediately jumped up, grabbed a piece of toast, put the corner of it in his mouth and ran to his room to change.

His parents laughed as Roland looked on, panting in what may have been the canine version of a laugh.

As he rapidly changed from his heart-print pajamas into his favorite outfit- a long-sleeved shirt with a fantastic V-neck and fancy ruffles as well as ruffled wrists with slacks and sandals, something struck him as he looked in the mirror.

His eyes. They were...aquamarine.

Something about my eyes...they don't....well, I do have nice eyes.

He flashed himself a grin and nommed a bit of his toast. Mm, cinnamon. With a fist-pump of excitement, he leapt onto the railing and surfed it down to the ground, where he landed with a triple-flip. He waved to his parents and Roland with toast still in his mouth as he ran out to meet his date not too far from home!

Wy tidd feal zmy ydypylzid darvw za ittyez zmuw witruouty, za qujy zmy fdzupizy pyrth ul zmy flylvulq vryip. Gujy zmywy zsa zmy gryiz dirc myrth!  

Armaleonis scratched the back of his neck, squinting for a moment. “What was that?” He looked around as he walked, but nothing seemed to be making that noise. He shrugged it off, dashing to meet his date! The tall sin'dorei who was waiting for him was the ultimate ideal of cool- his hair was both wild and expressive, black as night and yet the style was all natural- no hair products necessary! Two large wings stuck out of his back and the lime green tattoos that were on his body, as well as his wicked horns and dragonlike tail swishing behind him made it clear that he was something exotic- a demon hunter! Arma bit his lip, nearly jumping in place, excited to see his date and friend. He didn't know what to say, and luckily, didn't need to say anything as Zeke hugged him firmly.

“You're late, y'know.” The demon hunter couldn't help but snerk at Arma's nature, even if he was late. “Good thing I like you that much, huh?” 

Arma's face was completely red as he gave the goofiest grin, fiddling his thumbs together. “W-well, yeah! Yeah! I owe you one! Yeah! So where did you have in mind that you wanted to go?” Zeke tapped his thumb to his chin and shrugged gently. “I was thinking we'd go to a nice place to look at the stars. I know you're gonna wanna stop by to check on your best pal on the way, though.” Armaleonis blinked a few times before nodding rapidly. “Yeah! Oh my gosh, you think of everything! That's why you're the best!” He then tapped his chin. “Well I mean you're the best for a bunch of reasons, from your considerate nature to your confidence and sense of humor and the fact that you're incredibly attractive and are a lot more wise than me and like spending time with me and such.” He babbled a bit, completely redfaced. Zeke merely rubbed the top of Arma's head and led the way. It didn't take long for them to get to their first destination- a large mansion with what looked to be a purple phoenix-print for the door. Tilting his head to look at the yard, he saw a young man who couldn't have been much older than himself practicing dance moves in the backyard. Recognizing him, he waved frantically. “PURPS! OH MY GOSH PURPS! PUUUUUUUURPS!” He waved, jumping up and down for visibility. His date couldn't help but snicker at his enthusiasm.

Across the fence, the young man froze up when Arma cried out, but instead of looking embarrassed, made a beeline right for the gate and opened it at a brisk pace, waving at Arma in return. 

“LEON! HEY! BUDDY! PAL! BUD! MY BEST FRIEND! HEY!” His pal, Purps, was looking extra nice today- definitely alive, for starters. His hair was almost fuschia and he had the biggest grin on his face. “I am so glad you stopped by!” He said, hugging Arma gently.

Armaleonis returned the gesture and looked his best pal over. “You are looking really healthy and happy! I'm so glad that you're in one piece and have never fucked my father which means it's okay for me to have a mild attraction to you but not too much because I am your best friend and brotherish figure sort of it's weird but bear with me I'm glad you're you and that's what matters!” Purps nodded. “Yeah man! That's exactly right! Hey, I would love to stick around, but I'm gonna have dinner with my folks! They just got back from a trip and they missed me a whole bunch! I'll hit you up later, okay?” Armaleonis flashed Purps a thumbs up. “Tell me how it goes man!” And with that, he turned toward Zeke with a grin. “Man, you are the best! You made a great day even better!”

Kyye afr witruoutyw kaflv za zmy kditc pyrth! wy'ry qaulq za witruouty zmy aly lipyv cilzmir ourwz!

Armaleonis blinked a few times. Did Zeke say that? Nah. Couldn't have been.  The two made their way to their favorite hilltop and lay down together to look at the stars. Getting comfortable and snuggling together with Zeke, Arma smiled.

“This has been the best day ever. I don't know why, but everything just feels...right. I mean, I feel comfortable here with you, and we got to visit my best pal Purps, and my parents are happy together, and I'm healthy and....man. I'm so lucky to be here with you.”

Zeke looked at him warmly and gently brushed a stray hair away from in front of Arma's face.

“This can go on forever, you know.”

Something about his voice sounded off, but Arma did everything in his power to not care. He was happy. This was all that mattered. This was...his perfect world.

As he was lost in thought, something blocked the stars. Shaking his head, he recognized it once his eyes adjusted- it was Roland. Gently moving the wolf out of the way, he sat up and looked into the wolf's eyes. The beast looked at him with a gaze that said everything, wordless as he was.

“Something just ain’t righ...oh Light. You...you died a while back, didn't you, buddy?” Arma asked, breath suddenly tight in his chest. Those eyes looked like they were apologizing to him, grateful to see him, but with a dire warning. The wolf gently set his head on Arma's shoulder and whined.

Gyz zmy clujyw ryivh! wuzm zmywy, sy sudd kulv Canthar za zmy bdulv ezyrluzuyw vorv qiul qryiz easyr!

Armaleonis looked up- it was as though, beyond the stars, in the sky, there was some sort of glass dome over his world that he could now see through. He saw several troll cultists standing overhead, knives drawn above his pal Canthar.

Dream-Zeke's hand gently rested on his shoulder.

“You don't have to go. We can be here, forever.”

Armaleonis looked to Roland. 

“What do...I have to do?” He asked the hound tepidly.

The wolf gestured with his head to a shadowy area not too far away, where, when Arma squinted, he could see the form of Ghar'bygg, and behind him-- the demon hunter who made him truly feel fear. Arma took a sharp breath and lowered his head. 

“You've done enough for everyone. Don't you think that you deserve to be the one that gets rescued? You don't need to suffer any more. Think of all the good things you've done- you don't need to take that shitty life back!” Dream-Zeke looked more upset than Arma felt, and that was an accomplishment.

Softly, Armaelonis took Zeke's hand off his shoulder and stood up.

“I want nothing more than that.” He said quietly, before looking up at the troll cultists. “But it's out of my hands. I wouldn't be the person you love if I didn't do the right thing. I'm gonna miss you.”

Taking a step forward, he gave the timber wolf one last hug. “You're the best dog a man could ask for.” He was crying now, holding that wolf and trying to lock it into his memories.

Slowly, he got up and walked toward Ghar'bygg, the hound demon. His hound demon. 

Someone was about to have a very, very bad day.

As he approached, the form of the felstalker shrank into a red and black orb that hovered in the air in front of the silhouette of the Illidari monster that hurt him. Arma looked up at that monster defiantly and grasped the felstalker essence and closed his hands around it, taking it into his true self.

In a flash, his world was pure agony as he felt every Illidari memory he had been trying to run from at once- and the physical transformation ripping him to shreds- felstalker tendrils ripping out of his back, the mask forming on his neck, the tail jutting out from his spine- and the loss of his true eyesight.

And it was that pain that woke him up with a shriek.

–

The Twilight's Hammer Cultists hadn't intended to run into two adventurers in their looting of an Amani catacomb, but they were all too eager to unleash a new variant of Faceless One upon them- the Dark Mercy- a creature that would entrap its victims in their own fantasies. They had drawn their daggers to sacrifice their new victims, only to be interrupted when the blood elf roared back to life and covered the two cultists standing over him in shadowflame. They turned and ran, but were too slow. The demon hunter gave them a thrashing they would never forget, leaving them holding onto life by mere threads, before picking his friend up and carrying him back to the town they called home.

-Fin.