Rescue at the Sunwell
Elwynn Forest passed slowly as the party of paladins rode along. Sun peaked out through the trees and created designs on the road in between the hooves of horses and the paws of one flaming lion.
Braghaman rode along side five other paladins, all young and wearing armor that still shone because it hadn’t seen many real battles yet. The younger men and women talked about their expectations upon returning to the Cathedral. All sounded excited about what came next with each offering their own guess of their next training assignment.
“I just want to say, Commander, that I really learned a lot while training with you. I really appreciate everything you showed us. I’m sure we all do.” The young woman riding along side the elder paladin nodded while the rest of the group voiced their agreement.
“Thank you,” Braghaman said with a smile and a nod. “Just make sure you remember it where ever you end up next.”
“Do you know where that will be?” a voice piped up from being the elder paladin.
“Couldn’t say. I imagine that there…” Bragh started to say, but then abruptly stopped. His brow furled and his eyes darted from side to side without actually seeing anything. He turned his head as if trying to find something, hear something. Valiant sensed his rider’s unease and let out a low growl.
“Are you okay?” the young woman riding beside him asked, looking slightly nervous.
“No. Something’s wrong.”
The other paladin’s started looking around at the forest, tensing up as if they expected an attack. Then, one by one, they looked back to Braghaman.
“We need to get to the Cathedral fast. Something’s happened.” Before any of the younger paladins could ask any more questions, Braghaman pressed his heels to Valiant’s flanks. The lion understood and began trotting faster towards Stormwind in the horizon. Caught off guard, the others looked to one another before spurring their chargers to chase after the commander.
———
Banagan gripped his great sword tightly and swung it in an arc before him. Dark, void-spawned monsters snarled and approached the paladin and he continued to swing to keep them back. One of the smaller void-spawns surged forward and the paladin stabbed his sword into it. As the monster howled, others of the smaller beasts began rushing forward. Banny stomped his foot to the ground. A blast of light radiated across the ground from his boot, causing the beasts to sizzle and howl in pain before retreating beyond the light-consecrated circle. Banny pulled his sword free and slashed at the first beast, slicing it apart and causing it to fade into nothing. From behind him, Banny heard a voice call.
“We’ve got him! Let’s go!”
Banny glanced over his shoulder and saw that two other paladins were climbing onto the backs of gryphons while his own larion stood guard near them. Lashed to one of the gryphons was the prone form of another person, the one they were attempting to rescue from the surge of void beasts. Turning back to his enemies, Banny noticed that the light from his circle was starting to fade and the other void-spawn were inching forward. He raised his hand and sent a burst of light flying towards the closest monster before turning and sprinting towards the winged lion. The young paladin leapt up onto the saddle and gripped it tight.
“Let’ go, Sentinel.”
The three mounts leapt up into the air, their wings beating to gain lift as they rose above the snarling enemy. As a group, the three turned and began flying across a bridge, making their way back to the city of Silvermoon.
———
Braghaman’s heavy boots echoed through the halls of the Cathedral. As soon as he turned over his students to the Cathedral trainers, he stormed through the holy building as if he were attempting to breach Lich King’s citadel. Figures dressed in robes or armor parted as he moved from the main sanctuary to one of the side hallways. But before he reached to doorway at the end, the door swung open and another paladin came out with equal determination, two more following in his wake. He took three steps out of the office and then noticed Braghaman waiting for him.
“Larethian.”
“Lord Shadowbreaker,” Bragh answered with a nod. “What happened.”
“We don’t know yet,” the head trainer answered, he looked and sounded grim. “Early reports are that there was another attack on the Sunwell. But we haven’t received any specifics yet.”
Braghaman’s eyes twitched at the news, but that was the only reaction he gave. Shadowbreaker noticed but said nothing. He could guess what was on his friend’s mind.
“There are a lot of people out there, commander. Lots of veterans who know how to conduct themselves in an emergency.”
“I know,” Bragh answered quietly. But he didn’t sound quite as convincing to his own ears.
“Come with me, commander. I was just going to check and see if any new reports had come in.”
———
The three paladins landed as gently as their speed would allow. Banagan slipped from Sentinel’s saddle and watched as the other two loosened the straps that held down the injured soldier to one of the gryphon’s saddles. The two took the unconscious man’s arms over their shoulders and they quickly moved him to the impromptu healer’s station that had been put up.
“I can’t believe it’s that bad,” one of the young paladins said.
“Me neither. I wonder how many were there when it happened.”
“Too many. And what about the Sunwell? How many important people were there?”
“They’re all important,” Banagan interjected. He winced, realizing that his voice was much louder than he had intended. The other two walking in front of him grunted and nodded. Then one of them spoke quietly, though not so quiet that Banny couldn’t hear him.
“Did you hear the rumor? About Arator’s parents?”
Sound suddenly seemed to grow muffled around Banagan. He’d heard the rumors, too. He could sympathize for the elf’s loss if it were true. His feet continued to trudge blindly forward as his mind wandered. What would I do if that was me? he thought. Could I handle losing my parents? At least I know my dad wasn’t there, right? He wouldn’t be there. Even if all the priests and paladins across Azeroth were coming here to help before all of this, he wouldn’t be here now. He would’ve told me.
Instinctively, he hand reached for the stone that he kept in the pouch on his belt. The stone that all members of the Shrouded Dawn had which allowed them all to communicate with each other no matter where they were. But then his hearing cleared and the young paladin realized that they had made the way to the healers with their rescued soldier. Giving himself a mental shake, he reluctantly pulled his hand away from the pouch. “It’ll have to wait,” he muttered quietly.
