Future VIII

Thuleos was standing watch outside Lena’s house, as usual. It pained him to think that this was now hers, and hers alone. Krastos was gone. After discovering Lena, Shadows had, in short order, solemnly gathered his body, placing it on a pyre far from the settlement and from the remains of the Exodar and burned it. The Shadow Watch community stood far away, concerned that draenei were partaking in a death rite that was appropriated from the orcs. But they had no choice. His body had been too badly decomposed, and there was concern of contamination or poisons that could be spread. Since no one knew – apparently not even Lena – what had happeend, Maeorra insisted that she wouldn’t put it past the Underground to plot such a thing.

Frowning, he remembered that day. Lena was bodily held upright, Thuleos on one side, Nhadiya on the other, near the pyre. She was still mute, but quite obviously hysterical. He had tried to insist that she stay away, but she stubbornly and clumsily mounted her talbuk, swaying in the saddle as she tugged on the reins with broken fingers and joined the small procession. When they reached the location, she silently lurched forward and placed Krastos’s favorite shield across his chest, kissing her fingers, then resting them on the shield. When she finally swung around and retreated from the body, Thuleos noticed how dull and lifeless her remaining eye seemed. Her wounds were still so fresh. What happens to her now?

–

The druid’s spell had finally calmed her, and Lena fell into a deep sleep, her screams dying down to whimpers, and then to silence. Nhadi quickly ushered the men out, then quietly set to making sure Lena hadn’t undone any of the healing progress she had done. Satisfied that stitches and bandages were still in place, Nhadi snuck out of the room and closed the door behind her, eyeing the men with concern and motioning them to follow. Thuleos remained at the door, but the pack of druids followed with light steps back towards Nhadi’s home, where Arloth and Maeorra were already attempting to outline a plan.

–

Weeks went by, and Lena remained silent and all but glued to the bed in her home. Her body started to heal, with great help from Nhadiya and the Duskheart family. But it was clear that her spirit was broken. At night, they all went to bed with trepidation, praying it wouldn’t be another night of screaming and nightmares and thrashing, breathing silent sighs of relief when the sun streamed through the trees every morning.

One night, Lena woke in the darkness. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she shuffled quietly to the front door of the house. For a long moment, she stared at the doorknob, willing herself to reach for it. She finally gripped it, wincing as pain shot through her still-broken fingers, and opened the door. Thuleos was sleeping, arms crossed, and chin dropped to his chest. He was snoring. She watched him for a long while, swaying on her hooves. She had overheard muffled discussions of what Shadows were going to do. It seemed no one had a clear plan of retaliation yet. Her eyes landed on the rifle propped up on the side of the house.

Lena had a plan.

She reached out and picked up the rifle, surprised by it’s heft. She’d never used firearms, but had sometimes watched Thuleos showing off for the order, Kras grinning with pride. Her eye narrowed at the memory of Kras’s smile. It felt awkward in her hands. She was used to staves and wands and even daggers. This was cool, smooth metal that could deliver a kill shot from much further than even her spells. Her face hardened. They took away her magic. It was gone, and for all she knew, for good. She didn’t know how it happened, but somehow, they destroyed her power. Since her return, she had desperately tried a few spells – conjuring the cakes she used to love, summoning her arcane familiar, even calling a small flame to the palm of her hand, and nothing. She knew she had once been able to do those things – her memory told her that much, but she wasn’t able to remember the incantations, and she could no longer access that power.

She was staring at the gun in her hands, a little unsure of how to hold it. She tried to mimic the stance she had seen Thuleos use, and in her movement, she noticed him watching her. He was awake, and surprised to see her up and about. Lowering the rifle she gazed back at him defiantly. He knew he had an opening, but a small one. They watched each other in tense silence for several more minutes.

You want to learn to use it, don’t you?