A new beginning
“Brother…”
…
Shalmone spoke more insistently, “Brother…”
The night elf laid on the bed unresponsive
Shalmone sighed his frustration, “It will have been a year in less than a week. We are brothers of the claw. I understand your pain but it is time to seek solace, or to move on. Brooding in this manner is not befitting for us.”
Lataal opened his eyes, the light in them dim as was so common these days. He didn’t move but stared at the wall as he spoke, “Did you know I can still hear her voice? We talk. She tells me things like that as well, but all I want is to see her again. I ache for the day Elune decides to take my breath so that I can be with her again. I can hear my beloved even now caution me against such things, she calls me a fool and tells me there’s time. The time is what pains me. It’s not enough to hear her voice in my mind.”
Shalmone scowled anger bubbling forth, “As if you’re the only one that has lost a loved one in this damned war! You have the luxury of knowing that she is safe in the forest of the afterlife! You have the luxury of speaking with her yet you lay around wallowing like some human orphan crying for his mother! I came here to tell you the Cenarion Circle will wait no longer. They have been patient in your mourning but no more. They want you to take your unit out again to keep up the pressure. If you don’t show within the next week your command will be stripped and the unit will be given to someone else.”
Lataal paused then turned slowly to face his comrade. Shalmone had always been reliable, his right hand man. The only one closer had been his departed wife he now so longed for, “Do you know who they will give the command to?”
“…I will be given the command, but it’s something I would rather not have to do.”
Lataal looked over his long time friend nodding again then turning back to stare at the wall, “I’m sure you will do well. The unit couldn’t be in better hands.”
“No, it could be, if you ever got off your sorry backside and learned to lead again. Your men are eager to take to battle again, and will with or without you. But you have the most experience to lead us. Think of us before you go down the path of self pity for the remainder of your sorry life.”
Shalmone turned to storm out of the room not waiting for a response, though none was offered. Lataal closed his eyes seeking his lover’s thoughts again. She was scolding him for being selfish. Telling him it was time to keep on with the fight and there would be time for them later. He couldn’t let go…
XXXXXXX
“WARNING WARNING! Intruder alert initialize defense sentries!
Naelmirix whirled on his heels reacting to the noise, blasting the robot with a wave of searing heat. The robot lurched at the arcane fire, movement slowing as it’s casing and gears turned to slag, becoming one with the ground. A loud “sproing” sound the dying gasp of the warning bot.
Delithe wandered over to the bear, calling forth healing energies into it’s wounds. Flesh wound together sealing off the gashes, blood caked fur the only sign of the battle that had been.. The bear nuzzled Delithe’s hand, gently licking her finger tips in appreciation. The lithe druid ran a hand over the bear’s muzzle smiling, “Don’t worry love, I’ll always keep your wounds at bay.”
Buddy backed towards the wall sinking into the shadows whispering, “We should get away from the pit sir, if those things spot us I doubt we would survive the onslaught.”
Lataal grunted through his bear teeth, his unit responding quickly moving to the wall. Crouched low they moved as stealthily as they could. From the rear of the group he could hear the chain armor of Aeyana rustling. Lataal grimaced hoping the paladin didn’t draw too much attention.
The train came to a sudden halt, buddy in the lead holding up a hand signaling towards a pair of huge looming mechanical doors. Inside was their primary target, Thermaplugg. Former loyal servant of Gnomeregan now turned traitor and self declared ruler of this blasted mechano-city. Blocking the path just inside the door were a dozen or so denizens waiting to stop any intruders.
Shalmone cursed, “Damn it! There’s no way we’re going to make it past all of those at once!”
The bear reared onto it’s hind legs dismissing the magic, paws becoming hands and feet again. Naelmirix scrunched his face in disgust, “I’ll never get used to that, how can you stand twisting your bones up like that?!”
“How can you stand being a gnome? I would imagine being eye level to everyone’s backside would get tiring.”
The gnome chortled, “You’re thinking of it all wrong! When it comes to the ladies it’s the front view that’s perfect for me!”
Shalmone almost smiled then pushed it away, “Sir we still haven’t figured out…”
Lataal placed a reassuring hand on Shalmone’s shoulder, “Easy friend, we can do this. We’ve come through too much here to give up on such paltry odds. They only outnumber us two to one after all.”
The unit chortled nervously together, watching their leader hoping he would have some kind of a grand scheme. Lataal studied the area carefully for a few moments, “Those smaller ones, I recognize their type. They’re the guardians that like to throw their wrenches are they not?”
A couple nodded in confirmation, “We need to separate the group, I would say almost half of them are wrench throwers. I’m going to go in and draw their attention, Nael, you’re going to need to be following close behind me. Once they start attacking me, do that ice thing that binds them to the ground...”
“Frost nova…”
“Whatever, we just want to get them separated from the rest for a bit, buddy will lead a bit ahead of me. Do you think a surprise attack can render one of them unconscious?”
Buddy nodded spinning his daggers with a flourish back into their sheaths then grabbed his sap. Lataal never figured out what the rogue’s real name was. He supposed it didn’t matter as he was rather good at his profession. Perhaps that was one of the marks of professionalism to a rogue? It was rather understandable they wouldn’t want to be well known in that line of work.
Lataal shook out his head refocusing, “Aeyana, I won’t be able to keep them all focused on me, I’ll need you to take two, I’ll take two and we’ll fight them back here on this ramp out of range of those wrench throwers. Naelmirix, if any of them gets loose, turn them into a sheep, we want to have as few of them as possible fighting us at once. Once we have the battle controlled to our advantage, you and Buddy try to focus onto one of the enemies Aeyana or I am fighting. We want to bring the odds to our favor quickly by thinning their numbers. Spreading out will only give them a better chance of figuring a way to turn the tide against us.”
Delithe smirked, “No words of wisdom for me?”
“When was the last time we had to tell you how to tend wounds?... It is time everyone”
The unit nodded in unison and under hushed breath chanted, “For the Alliance”. Lataal nodded to buddy and called upon the power of nature, turning himself back into a bear. The band enacted the plan quickly, each executing their part with decided precision. As Lataal drew the creatures back onto the ramp, sweat beading under the thick hide he half smiled. His unit knew each other rather well, they all could predict where the next was going to be.
A second of the chicken robots crumbled, Nael & Buddy pushing hard to dice and incinerate while the more heavily armored kept the attention of their enemies. The frost nova would be breaking soon but at least one more of the chickens would be down before…
“WARNING WARNING! Intruder alert! Initializing defense sentries!”
Lataal whirled to see one of the alarm bots standing next to Delithe rather far back up the ramp. How the hell did she get so far away? He started running, Nael blinking ahead hoping to bring his spells within range.. It was too late, four new sentries appeared in a blue glow, brought from nothingness thanks to gnomish ingenuity. They immediately set upon Delithe who shifted into a bear, fighting back, but getting pushed closer to the edge.
Time slowed for Lataal, his mind reaching for his lover’s, warning her of the ledge, her thoughts were a jumble. He pushed running as fast as his legs could carry him. Then it happened…
The look of panic from Delithe’s eyes as her hind feet slipped off. Her thoughts sought Lataal’s, “Mu’Shal! RUN!”
Lataal caught up to the robots in time to watch his wife slide into the pit. The robots and corrupted gnomes below set upon her immediately, hands, wrenches, strange mechanical birds with large hooked claws tearing her apart. In his mind Lataal could hear her dying thoughts, and shared in the pain of her death. Within seconds all that was left was an unrecognizable mass of bloody flesh and broken bones.
A hooked claw tore into Lataal’s side, Aeyana calling to the light to mend the wound. Shalmone grabbed a handful of Lataal’s mane, “They’re all coming, dozens of them! We have to run Lataal! We can’t get to her run!”
Lataal backed away from the ledge, the gory remains of his wife fading out of view, the tugging at his mane more insistent
XXXXX
Lataal sat bolt upright in bed with a scream, the thin sheets soaked in his sweat despite the chill January night air. The innkeeper turned to look, “The dream again sir?”
Nodding slowly Lataal clambered out of bed donning his armor. Then innkeeper spoke with concern, “Can I get you something sir? It’s late but I can get the kitchen open if you would like.”
“No… I’ll be fine, I’ll just take a walk to clear my head.”
The crisp night air tingled across his skin as he walked slowly through the streets of Darnassus. The alliance so rarely visited his home. At night time it was even more deserted which perfectly suited him for the moment. In his mind, his wife’s thoughts reached to him soothing gently.
Lataal’s eyes shifted to the skies above as he listened to his wife. She was so compassionate, and yet hearing her only made his longing worse. Being left with her thoughts but unable to touch her was painful to the point that he had lost nearly forty pounds in the first months of her death. It was only thanks to Shalmone’s persistence that he had even started to eat properly again.
He had gone back into Gnomeregan, slinking around as a cat. He had even found his wife’s remains. Unfortunately they were too badly decayed and desiccated for his magics. He had brought a small piece back to the priests in Stormwind, only to be told that sometimes you just have to let them go.
Lataal paused in front of the Darnassus bank taking in the starscape through the boughs of the great tree. There was the problem, it was hard to let go when you knew the person still lived. That your most loved was alive in another form. That their love had not waned and they waited, but that you would not be allowed to be with them again for many centuries. It was as though Elune herself had found her cruel side, and unleashed it in the most unbearable of tortures.
“Psssst…”
Lataal looked around for the source of the noise
“Over here buddy!”
A gnome stood by the mailbox just out of view of the sentinels, “I’m looking for some adventurers to help me test my latest invention.”
“I don’t care for gnomish inventions, they lead to trouble…”
“Now don’t be so harsh! How can you be sure until you try it?”
“I can be fairly certain, I’ll tell you what, why don’t you tell me about it then I’ll tell you how badly it can go wrong.”
The gnome sunk back into the shrubbery for a second as another sentinel patrol passed, then came into the light, “I call it a Transdimensional Hyperflux Super Relocator. You see there these alternate dimensions, I can send people to one of them, but they won’t let me try it on a person yet, I need a test subject!”
Lataal stared at the gnome, the mass of words rattling in his head like a bunch of loose marbles, “Okay I take it back. I can’t tell you how it will go wrong since I have no bloody clue what you just said, you mind running all that by me again?”
The gnome kneeled and began drawing in the dirt making a pair of circles, “It’s simple you see, This is our world. It’s separated by a thin barrier from another world. This other world looks exactly the same. The cities have the same names. Many of the people have the same names, yet it’s different. You will find that other cases some people might never have existed, while there’s other people that don’t exist here that do exist there!”
Lataal rubbed his forehead squinting his eyes trying to take it all in, “Look I’m not sure I understand this, but as far as I’m concerned it’s complete folly to… wait did you say that people that existed here might not have existed in this other.. dis…dis whatever it is?”
The gnome’s mouth turned up at the corners sensing a favorable change in attitude, “Sure! If you have enemies they might never have existed there! No need to worry about those enemies anymore!”
“And what of return? If I decide I don’t like it there is it possible to return, and how would I get back.”
“uhhhh… Of course! Of course you can come back! Just look for me on this other world and I’m sure he’ll be able to send you on back!”
“How much to send me?”
The gnome shifted not expecting this question then got bright eyes realizing he could make money and get his Guinea pig, “Since I like ya, twenty five gold!”
“Done, when can I get sent over?”
“I need a few days to prepare, meet me in Tinkertown in four days, take anything you might need with you.”
“Don’t worry, I’m leaving nothing behind…”
XXXXXX
The four days passed slowly for Lataal, his wife searching his thoughts. She knew what he really wanted. He wanted to take her thoughts from his so that he wouldn’t feel the pain of the loss anymore. She also knew that his love had never waned. She pleaded with her husband to think things carefully through. Though he refused to admit it, he knew that the gnome had lied about return. This was a one way trip. He wouldn’t speak with his wife until he finally passed the veil of life into the beyond. Only at that time would he see, or hear her again.
By the fourth day Lataal was excited if not nervous. He barely noticed the date on the calendar marking it as the anniversary of his wife’s death. It was also the day he was supposed to report back to resume command of his unit. Instead he left a note for Shalmone with the innkeeper. He only hoped his old friend would understand his reasons for leaving.
A hearthstone preset for Ironforge brought him quickly to where he needed to be. Leaving the hearthstone on the countertop he strode into Tinkertown, the strange device already humming loudly, ready for the transfer. Lataal paused outside the device saying his final goodbyes to his wife.
“I do love you, I’m glad you understand Mu’Shal”
“I only hope it brings you peace love, we will be together again one day. Until then don’t be reckless with your life. Do what you need to find your peace and above all be happy. I want you to be happy love.”
“I will be happiest when we’re together again, though this may bring me some peace for now. Goodbye love, until the afterlife…”
He stepped confidently into the transporter, a bright flash of light consuming his vision. Within moments he found himself standing in Ironforge again, but this time without the transporter. He closed his eyes seeking his wife’s thoughts. They weren’t there, he was completely alone. Her last words to him echoed in his mind, “Be happy”. He supposed the first thing he should do was to find other like minded people.
He would have to get a fish, that would be a good way to make friends….
…
Shalmone spoke more insistently, “Brother…”
The night elf laid on the bed unresponsive
Shalmone sighed his frustration, “It will have been a year in less than a week. We are brothers of the claw. I understand your pain but it is time to seek solace, or to move on. Brooding in this manner is not befitting for us.”
Lataal opened his eyes, the light in them dim as was so common these days. He didn’t move but stared at the wall as he spoke, “Did you know I can still hear her voice? We talk. She tells me things like that as well, but all I want is to see her again. I ache for the day Elune decides to take my breath so that I can be with her again. I can hear my beloved even now caution me against such things, she calls me a fool and tells me there’s time. The time is what pains me. It’s not enough to hear her voice in my mind.”
Shalmone scowled anger bubbling forth, “As if you’re the only one that has lost a loved one in this damned war! You have the luxury of knowing that she is safe in the forest of the afterlife! You have the luxury of speaking with her yet you lay around wallowing like some human orphan crying for his mother! I came here to tell you the Cenarion Circle will wait no longer. They have been patient in your mourning but no more. They want you to take your unit out again to keep up the pressure. If you don’t show within the next week your command will be stripped and the unit will be given to someone else.”
Lataal paused then turned slowly to face his comrade. Shalmone had always been reliable, his right hand man. The only one closer had been his departed wife he now so longed for, “Do you know who they will give the command to?”
“…I will be given the command, but it’s something I would rather not have to do.”
Lataal looked over his long time friend nodding again then turning back to stare at the wall, “I’m sure you will do well. The unit couldn’t be in better hands.”
“No, it could be, if you ever got off your sorry backside and learned to lead again. Your men are eager to take to battle again, and will with or without you. But you have the most experience to lead us. Think of us before you go down the path of self pity for the remainder of your sorry life.”
Shalmone turned to storm out of the room not waiting for a response, though none was offered. Lataal closed his eyes seeking his lover’s thoughts again. She was scolding him for being selfish. Telling him it was time to keep on with the fight and there would be time for them later. He couldn’t let go…
XXXXXXX
“WARNING WARNING! Intruder alert initialize defense sentries!
Naelmirix whirled on his heels reacting to the noise, blasting the robot with a wave of searing heat. The robot lurched at the arcane fire, movement slowing as it’s casing and gears turned to slag, becoming one with the ground. A loud “sproing” sound the dying gasp of the warning bot.
Delithe wandered over to the bear, calling forth healing energies into it’s wounds. Flesh wound together sealing off the gashes, blood caked fur the only sign of the battle that had been.. The bear nuzzled Delithe’s hand, gently licking her finger tips in appreciation. The lithe druid ran a hand over the bear’s muzzle smiling, “Don’t worry love, I’ll always keep your wounds at bay.”
Buddy backed towards the wall sinking into the shadows whispering, “We should get away from the pit sir, if those things spot us I doubt we would survive the onslaught.”
Lataal grunted through his bear teeth, his unit responding quickly moving to the wall. Crouched low they moved as stealthily as they could. From the rear of the group he could hear the chain armor of Aeyana rustling. Lataal grimaced hoping the paladin didn’t draw too much attention.
The train came to a sudden halt, buddy in the lead holding up a hand signaling towards a pair of huge looming mechanical doors. Inside was their primary target, Thermaplugg. Former loyal servant of Gnomeregan now turned traitor and self declared ruler of this blasted mechano-city. Blocking the path just inside the door were a dozen or so denizens waiting to stop any intruders.
Shalmone cursed, “Damn it! There’s no way we’re going to make it past all of those at once!”
The bear reared onto it’s hind legs dismissing the magic, paws becoming hands and feet again. Naelmirix scrunched his face in disgust, “I’ll never get used to that, how can you stand twisting your bones up like that?!”
“How can you stand being a gnome? I would imagine being eye level to everyone’s backside would get tiring.”
The gnome chortled, “You’re thinking of it all wrong! When it comes to the ladies it’s the front view that’s perfect for me!”
Shalmone almost smiled then pushed it away, “Sir we still haven’t figured out…”
Lataal placed a reassuring hand on Shalmone’s shoulder, “Easy friend, we can do this. We’ve come through too much here to give up on such paltry odds. They only outnumber us two to one after all.”
The unit chortled nervously together, watching their leader hoping he would have some kind of a grand scheme. Lataal studied the area carefully for a few moments, “Those smaller ones, I recognize their type. They’re the guardians that like to throw their wrenches are they not?”
A couple nodded in confirmation, “We need to separate the group, I would say almost half of them are wrench throwers. I’m going to go in and draw their attention, Nael, you’re going to need to be following close behind me. Once they start attacking me, do that ice thing that binds them to the ground...”
“Frost nova…”
“Whatever, we just want to get them separated from the rest for a bit, buddy will lead a bit ahead of me. Do you think a surprise attack can render one of them unconscious?”
Buddy nodded spinning his daggers with a flourish back into their sheaths then grabbed his sap. Lataal never figured out what the rogue’s real name was. He supposed it didn’t matter as he was rather good at his profession. Perhaps that was one of the marks of professionalism to a rogue? It was rather understandable they wouldn’t want to be well known in that line of work.
Lataal shook out his head refocusing, “Aeyana, I won’t be able to keep them all focused on me, I’ll need you to take two, I’ll take two and we’ll fight them back here on this ramp out of range of those wrench throwers. Naelmirix, if any of them gets loose, turn them into a sheep, we want to have as few of them as possible fighting us at once. Once we have the battle controlled to our advantage, you and Buddy try to focus onto one of the enemies Aeyana or I am fighting. We want to bring the odds to our favor quickly by thinning their numbers. Spreading out will only give them a better chance of figuring a way to turn the tide against us.”
Delithe smirked, “No words of wisdom for me?”
“When was the last time we had to tell you how to tend wounds?... It is time everyone”
The unit nodded in unison and under hushed breath chanted, “For the Alliance”. Lataal nodded to buddy and called upon the power of nature, turning himself back into a bear. The band enacted the plan quickly, each executing their part with decided precision. As Lataal drew the creatures back onto the ramp, sweat beading under the thick hide he half smiled. His unit knew each other rather well, they all could predict where the next was going to be.
A second of the chicken robots crumbled, Nael & Buddy pushing hard to dice and incinerate while the more heavily armored kept the attention of their enemies. The frost nova would be breaking soon but at least one more of the chickens would be down before…
“WARNING WARNING! Intruder alert! Initializing defense sentries!”
Lataal whirled to see one of the alarm bots standing next to Delithe rather far back up the ramp. How the hell did she get so far away? He started running, Nael blinking ahead hoping to bring his spells within range.. It was too late, four new sentries appeared in a blue glow, brought from nothingness thanks to gnomish ingenuity. They immediately set upon Delithe who shifted into a bear, fighting back, but getting pushed closer to the edge.
Time slowed for Lataal, his mind reaching for his lover’s, warning her of the ledge, her thoughts were a jumble. He pushed running as fast as his legs could carry him. Then it happened…
The look of panic from Delithe’s eyes as her hind feet slipped off. Her thoughts sought Lataal’s, “Mu’Shal! RUN!”
Lataal caught up to the robots in time to watch his wife slide into the pit. The robots and corrupted gnomes below set upon her immediately, hands, wrenches, strange mechanical birds with large hooked claws tearing her apart. In his mind Lataal could hear her dying thoughts, and shared in the pain of her death. Within seconds all that was left was an unrecognizable mass of bloody flesh and broken bones.
A hooked claw tore into Lataal’s side, Aeyana calling to the light to mend the wound. Shalmone grabbed a handful of Lataal’s mane, “They’re all coming, dozens of them! We have to run Lataal! We can’t get to her run!”
Lataal backed away from the ledge, the gory remains of his wife fading out of view, the tugging at his mane more insistent
XXXXX
Lataal sat bolt upright in bed with a scream, the thin sheets soaked in his sweat despite the chill January night air. The innkeeper turned to look, “The dream again sir?”
Nodding slowly Lataal clambered out of bed donning his armor. Then innkeeper spoke with concern, “Can I get you something sir? It’s late but I can get the kitchen open if you would like.”
“No… I’ll be fine, I’ll just take a walk to clear my head.”
The crisp night air tingled across his skin as he walked slowly through the streets of Darnassus. The alliance so rarely visited his home. At night time it was even more deserted which perfectly suited him for the moment. In his mind, his wife’s thoughts reached to him soothing gently.
Lataal’s eyes shifted to the skies above as he listened to his wife. She was so compassionate, and yet hearing her only made his longing worse. Being left with her thoughts but unable to touch her was painful to the point that he had lost nearly forty pounds in the first months of her death. It was only thanks to Shalmone’s persistence that he had even started to eat properly again.
He had gone back into Gnomeregan, slinking around as a cat. He had even found his wife’s remains. Unfortunately they were too badly decayed and desiccated for his magics. He had brought a small piece back to the priests in Stormwind, only to be told that sometimes you just have to let them go.
Lataal paused in front of the Darnassus bank taking in the starscape through the boughs of the great tree. There was the problem, it was hard to let go when you knew the person still lived. That your most loved was alive in another form. That their love had not waned and they waited, but that you would not be allowed to be with them again for many centuries. It was as though Elune herself had found her cruel side, and unleashed it in the most unbearable of tortures.
“Psssst…”
Lataal looked around for the source of the noise
“Over here buddy!”
A gnome stood by the mailbox just out of view of the sentinels, “I’m looking for some adventurers to help me test my latest invention.”
“I don’t care for gnomish inventions, they lead to trouble…”
“Now don’t be so harsh! How can you be sure until you try it?”
“I can be fairly certain, I’ll tell you what, why don’t you tell me about it then I’ll tell you how badly it can go wrong.”
The gnome sunk back into the shrubbery for a second as another sentinel patrol passed, then came into the light, “I call it a Transdimensional Hyperflux Super Relocator. You see there these alternate dimensions, I can send people to one of them, but they won’t let me try it on a person yet, I need a test subject!”
Lataal stared at the gnome, the mass of words rattling in his head like a bunch of loose marbles, “Okay I take it back. I can’t tell you how it will go wrong since I have no bloody clue what you just said, you mind running all that by me again?”
The gnome kneeled and began drawing in the dirt making a pair of circles, “It’s simple you see, This is our world. It’s separated by a thin barrier from another world. This other world looks exactly the same. The cities have the same names. Many of the people have the same names, yet it’s different. You will find that other cases some people might never have existed, while there’s other people that don’t exist here that do exist there!”
Lataal rubbed his forehead squinting his eyes trying to take it all in, “Look I’m not sure I understand this, but as far as I’m concerned it’s complete folly to… wait did you say that people that existed here might not have existed in this other.. dis…dis whatever it is?”
The gnome’s mouth turned up at the corners sensing a favorable change in attitude, “Sure! If you have enemies they might never have existed there! No need to worry about those enemies anymore!”
“And what of return? If I decide I don’t like it there is it possible to return, and how would I get back.”
“uhhhh… Of course! Of course you can come back! Just look for me on this other world and I’m sure he’ll be able to send you on back!”
“How much to send me?”
The gnome shifted not expecting this question then got bright eyes realizing he could make money and get his Guinea pig, “Since I like ya, twenty five gold!”
“Done, when can I get sent over?”
“I need a few days to prepare, meet me in Tinkertown in four days, take anything you might need with you.”
“Don’t worry, I’m leaving nothing behind…”
XXXXXX
The four days passed slowly for Lataal, his wife searching his thoughts. She knew what he really wanted. He wanted to take her thoughts from his so that he wouldn’t feel the pain of the loss anymore. She also knew that his love had never waned. She pleaded with her husband to think things carefully through. Though he refused to admit it, he knew that the gnome had lied about return. This was a one way trip. He wouldn’t speak with his wife until he finally passed the veil of life into the beyond. Only at that time would he see, or hear her again.
By the fourth day Lataal was excited if not nervous. He barely noticed the date on the calendar marking it as the anniversary of his wife’s death. It was also the day he was supposed to report back to resume command of his unit. Instead he left a note for Shalmone with the innkeeper. He only hoped his old friend would understand his reasons for leaving.
A hearthstone preset for Ironforge brought him quickly to where he needed to be. Leaving the hearthstone on the countertop he strode into Tinkertown, the strange device already humming loudly, ready for the transfer. Lataal paused outside the device saying his final goodbyes to his wife.
“I do love you, I’m glad you understand Mu’Shal”
“I only hope it brings you peace love, we will be together again one day. Until then don’t be reckless with your life. Do what you need to find your peace and above all be happy. I want you to be happy love.”
“I will be happiest when we’re together again, though this may bring me some peace for now. Goodbye love, until the afterlife…”
He stepped confidently into the transporter, a bright flash of light consuming his vision. Within moments he found himself standing in Ironforge again, but this time without the transporter. He closed his eyes seeking his wife’s thoughts. They weren’t there, he was completely alone. Her last words to him echoed in his mind, “Be happy”. He supposed the first thing he should do was to find other like minded people.
He would have to get a fish, that would be a good way to make friends….