【04】
Aeron stood in the narrow dirtyroom, looking down at the skeletal man coughing in bed. The dying man wasmoving his lips unconsciously. He appeared to be in his seventies although hehad not even turned forty. Even then, he was still fighting to breathe.
Watching quietly, Aeron foundhimself suddenly envious; if the value of life was shown through the momentstrying to survive, what did that make him? Whenever he looked at Lavinia he wasable to cast away these questions, but did that mean he was alive? Sometimes he wondered what made him anydifferent than the dying man before him.
“Finos, what can I do to be‘alive’?” he asked quietly, gazing at the withering man. The only sound in reply was the old man’slabored breathing. Aeron lowered his head and left the room and was lost in histhoughts until he saw Lavinia sitting at the dining table.
“What’s wrong?” he askedsuspiciously, studying her colorless face.
“No, nothing.” she repliedtwiddling her fingers, lips also turned white. “I have a stomach ache, I can’tsleep.”
He was immediately reminded ofthe undead meat dinner. “I’ll check Finos’ stash, maybe there are still someherbs left. Sorry Lavinia, I guess I shouldn’t bring back that kind of meatanymore.”
“...Stop.” Her voice turnedangry, almost rude. She gathered her shivering body, “Enough. Just stop.”Aeron’s footsteps were brought to a sudden halt. The agony and bitterness inher voice were definitely not the result of eating a spoiled dinner. He wasn’t expecting her to use this tone withhim, rather, he wasn’t expecting this day to come so soon.
“Lavinia, you need me.” Aeronsaid with a forced calm, burying the fear deep in his heart.
“Enough! Stop using me, and I don’t need yoursympathy!” Lavinia had her arms around her head, her face almost touching thetable. “I’m not afraid of death, Aeron. What will you do when that day reallyarrives? You can’t dodge that question forever!” She growled while gritting herteeth.
He was at a loss for words. If hewere still alive, his palms would be wet, his breathing quicker; all of itbuilt up by the anxiety caused by this interrogation. He felt a sudden urge torun away.
“Have a seat.” Lavinia didn’traise her head, but she exploded with anger as soon as he raised his foottowards the door. “Aeron! Sit here, takea good look at me.”
“No. We shouldn’t talk about this right now--”
“Sit down. If you run away now,we won’t ever be able to talk about this again.” She snapped off his sentence,the brunette strands hanging in her face could not cover up the glaringresentment nor the glistening tears. “You want me to die with guilt? Can youreally do that?”
He remained silent, as if anyspoken words would shatter the tension right now. He had no other choice but tosit down, across from Lavinia, looking at her through the jagged holes of hismask. Lavinia’s eyes were always filled with life. The corner of her eyes wouldcrinkle when she was happy, her lashes would hang low when she was sad; andthen there were her irises, they would round when she was angry -- as if thosewidening irises would allow her to see through into him at this moment. Hecouldn’t help but think that maybe after tonight, he wouldn’t be able to seethese beautiful eyes again.
He forced himself to focus on thescent flowing through the room, the rough surface of the table, Lavinia’s witheringhair, and the inexplicable emotion flowing through her eyes. He tried to absorbeverything regarding this moment, in an attempt to brand it deep into hismemory.
Lavinia slowly raised her head, hesitantly partingher lips yet biting them back down again, unable to speak. Maybe she wasstruggling the same way he had, without knowing how to word her thoughts so thepain they would inflict would be minimized. He had prepared a long time ago forher to kick him out. Even if he did all he could to take care of this family,Lavinia still wasn’t able to accept him as a living human. When Sylvanas showedup, Lavinia even wished for him to leave with that damned elf. He knew fullwell what brought about this situation: it was that cursed Scourge plague.
He should have died then, but he didn’t. This was the root cause of itall.
“I can leave first thing in themorning, if you wish.” Aeron blurted out before her. “Yeah, with that annoying,bossy and arrogant elf.” he forced out a dry chuckle. “Though, if I didsomething wrong, you can tell me. I’m willing to apologize. I’ll do anything tomake it up to you. I know I don’t have the best temper, plus I’m not alwaysvery considerate--”
Lavinia’s lips were shaking, she pushed against thetable with both of her hands and stood up, forced herself to remain as calm aspossible. “Aeron, take your mask off.”
His mind immediately went blank.
It wasn’t the first time she madethis request and on every occasion Aeron turned it down. But this time wasn’tlike the others. He couldn’t avoid it this time; her fierce, resolute eyes conveyed the time had come. If he wentthrough with it and removed his mask, it could very well mean crossing a pointof no return, and whatever last threads of humanity he was still clinging towould be lost.
“...anything except that.”
“Please, I beg you.”
“I beg you too, Lavinia...”
She ignored what he had to say,drifted around the table and raised her hands towards his face. He reallywanted to cry out loud, or scream hysterically, or shudder to show his fear,but he couldn’t. Aeron felt like a heinous felon walking towards theexecutioner, judged by the world for his crimes and trashing his dignity.Leaving Lavinia was hard enough, why did he have to also suffer from whatreactions she may have coming up?
The mask fell away from his face,annihilating his last hopes.
The girl’s hands were shakingviolently; she lost her grip of the mask and let it drop to the ground.
Thock.
Just like that.
This was the end.
The girl in front of him wasstudying his face, tears rolling down her own. Just as expected. But it didn’tmatter anymore. He struggled to stand up, trying to leave, as long as he wasn’there. He could leave with Sylvanas, or feed himself to the ghouls, or...
“Why didn’t you just take thisoff earlier?” Her voice sounded ever so close to him. Her warm hug sat him back down in his chair,her slender arms clutched tightly around him, while her tears shined his rightshoulder pad having it become the only reflective part of his tattered dirtyarmor. She continued to weep next to his ear.
“I can finally see your face.”
He listened to her, stunned.Before he could react, Lavinia stood back up and studied his face once more,running her fingers across the flawed surface. Just like what Aeron was doingearlier, she too wanted to carve his face in her own memory.
“You’re scared, right?” she askedgently.
That question seemed toreinvigorate him, triggering his one of his deepest memories. He rememberedwhen he saw his own reflection in the river, Finos’ shock, and Lavinia’sterrified expression when she first met him. He had never been scared, but hestill managed to utter forth a few words, “That was my question.”
Lavinia looked like she waslaughing, but her tears were pouring down harder. She gripped him hard again,her soft weeps turned into bawls, piercing his ears.
Only then did he realize that shewas crying for his past and his appearance. She had never been so firmly closeto him, and had never hugged him with such determined force.
“Lavinia, I’m not worth--”
“I need you. We need each other.”
He hesitated, but finally raisedhis arms and embraced Lavinia. All the guessing and frustration was no longerimportant, and with the warmth now shared between them, they finally understoodeach other.
※ ※ ※
Sylvanas waited atop a smallhill, its landscape fraught with the scars of battle and surrounded by traps.Remarkably, with the edge of her short sword now blunt and the dark purpleblood dripping from her wound against her blue skin, she was still fighting.Whether it was from the pure exhilaration of survival or the adrenaline-fuelledexhilaration of combat, she felt her soul soaring. ‘I’malive,’ she assured herself, ‘and Icontinue to remain alive.’
From her vantage point, she sawthe Dreadlord flying toward her at top speed, frowning at how vibrant sheremained, which all but reaffirmed her desire to survive. The ground shook asthe Dreadlord landed in front of Sylvanas -- she hated the way Varimathrastucked in his wings; it was like a silent provocation of sorts -- but sheremained steadfast and pretended not to notice it.
"My Queen, it was no smalltask to find a ranger who excels at hiding." Sylvanas was strangelysatisfied by the fact that he was unable to hide the exhaustion in his voice.
“Oh, and here I thought you wereforced to seek me out because you couldn’t reign over the Forsaken.” She stoodwith arms akimbo, smirking mysteriously.
He kneeled respectfully, “Youhave my allegiance, Milady.”
“As you should, Dreadlord.” She jeered at his action.“We will depart this place at once… --hold on.” She saw Aeron standing at the entrance of the witheringforest, its branches obscuring the view of his face.
“Who goes there!” The Nathrezim jumped up, only to bewaved off by Sylvanas.
She grinned and leapt down from her hill, walkedtoward him and looked at the man hiding behind the veil of trees. “It appearswe’ll be returning with one more soldier, then?” she asked, pleased at howthings were unfolding as expected.
“I’m here to say farewell toyou.” he replied slowly, backing up a few steps to keep his distance.“Actually, I should say Queen Sylvanas. May I still beg for your forgiveness ifI took a knee right now?”
Sylvanas turned silent, stared athim for a few moments before she finally asked, “Forget it. Where’s your mask?”
“It works better as fire wood.”
“Very well. Obviously, I’ve lostthis time.” She admitted to her defeat, although clearly disappointed. “You maystay here to protect her. But know this: you are both fortunate, yetunfortunate.”
“No matter. Regardless of how things turn out, Laviniaand I can both handle it.”
This response sparked anunexplainable emotion within Sylvanas. She really should not have given thatfoolish girl any suggestions, but a clean death instead. Lavinia and Aeron haveaccepted each other, but what did that mean for herself?
“...I’m sure we will meet again.”She couldn’t leash her sarcasm, though luckily this man wouldn’t mind since hedid not even care what she thought. Curse him. “If you ever make your way to the Undercity, you can mentionVarimathras’ name to the guards. It might not be the best choice, but you’llfind that the Forsaken can march proudly there.”
She subtly shifted around tryingto peek at his face, except he seemed to shift along with the shadows, as if hepurposely didn’t want her to see. Sylvanas was even more irritated now.
“I’ll be sure to visit some day.”He widened his smile. “Thank you, Milady.”
“...Are you speaking the truth,or just trying to placate me?” She knew she was just being difficult, but shedidn’t want him to get off too easily.
“I speak the truth, from thebottom of my heart.” His victorious chuckle stung her ears. “Thank you forbuilding a place for the Forsaken, and thank you for sparing her life.”
‘So he knows about that night.’ She was peeved.
“Not every Human is the way wejudge them to be, right?” he continued.
“Maybe so.” She let out anundetected sigh. “If I were able to meet the right one... then maybe.” Shepaused. “I’m envious. You have found Lavinia, but I have nothing.”
“You...”
Sylvanas turned away from him,hiding her face from him. She had already said too much. Not even Varimathrashad heard this before, that somewhere buried faraway and deep within the bottomof her heart, she nursed a sliver of hope. But now, being weak and hopeful wasa luxury she cannot afford.
Varimathras had fought off somepersistent Scourge soldiers as she returned back to the hilltop as Aeron fadedaway from where he had been standing. Sylvanas felt a part of her fade awaywith him in this desolated plagued land, back at that dilapidated house, andback to a warm smile of a girl at a place they called home.
And that was enough.
She closed her eyes.
“Varimathras.” she commandedcoldly, not even a trace of her previous emotions detectable.
“Milady.”
“We have much to do upon ourreturn. Chief among them will be gaining Cairne Bloodhoof’s trust.” Sylvanassurveyed the blood-covered plagueland, softly continuing, “It will be easyenough to prove our worth to the Horde, and soon we will claim our rightfulplace in this world. But before that, Iwill lead our forces to achieve our ultimate desire…”
Revenge.
The last word seemed to becarried away by the wind, but it was firmly carved onto her heart.
“As you wish, Milady.” theDreadlord responded without hesitation.
But of course, no need to bereluctant.
Sylvanas and Varimathras vanishedinto the darkness ahead.
Written by: Ms.Ursus thibetanus formosanus
Translated by: Vicky Cheng
