One Soul, Two Forms - [World of Warcraft]

8 - Invasion

Gwen stared at me for a second before snapping into action. "Quickly, we must mount a defense!" Gwen turned to me. "Tell me what you saw," she said. I explained the sight of the ships and the Forsaken assassin that was already here. "The reefs have always protected us from coastal attack... the recent earthquakes must have opened up a passage for the ships." She shook her head. "Quick, Solyssa, you know how to fight. Slow down the attacks while I get the rest of the militia ready."

I nodded in assent. She continued. "I think I can hear the Prince and some of our men engaging the Forsaken as we speak. Talk to Liam and see how you can be of use." She glanced around and whispered to me. "Oh... and make sure he doesn't get himself killed. I'm afraid he's a little reckless in his current state."

"Sure thing, Gwen." I turned to head out, and realized I still did not have my faithful Gilnean hound, Corruption. I remembered that she was being taken care of by Huntsman Blake. While I was running around the town before, I thought I glimpsed a few mastiff cages near this house. I jogged through the doorway and to the left, where there was large cobbled area.

Towards the back of the area was Huntsman Blake, sure enough tending to a couple of mastiffs in cages. Before I could pick Cory out, I heard a short bark. I looked to where the sound came from, and saw Cory's familiar dark grey coat. I loped over to her, and she greeted me in a frenzy of tail wagging and sniffing. It was odd that now I, even though I didn't have a tail, could greet and recognize her the same way.

"That's one loyal dog, you got there." I heard Blake's voice behind me.

"Yep, I'm lucky to have her," I looked up at him from scratching a spot behind Cory's ears.

"Good to have you back, Solyssa. Say, what's going on out there?" He gestured toward the ocean. "Are those the sounds of battle I hear?"

"It's the Forsaken. That's the reason I came to get Cory, so we could fight. They're invading from the coast, on warships. Gwen is rounding up the militia now."

"Well, there's nothing that's going to stop me from fighting as well." He called for his own tan-tinted mastiff. "Baron!" The large hound's ears pricked, and he jumped up to stand by his master's side. "Let's go kill some undead."

We both jogged west, through an alley between two houses. Clothes were strung out on lines above us.

As we emerged on the top of the sloping plain, I saw Liam Greyman standing bare-chested on a boulder, firing away with a gun of his own. Before him, Gilneans fought hand to hand with armored Forsaken, and when one undead fell, it seemed like another one ran up from the coast.

I loped over to Liam. "Sir!" I called. As he paused to wipe seat from his brow, he saw me. 

"Solyssa! You are alive! I thought I was having dreams about the old days when I heard your voice..."

He paused, an expression of pain crossed his face. "I failed to defend my people in Gilneas City. It seems the Fates have given me a second chance, Solyssa. I will not fail again!"

He shook his head. "I can't really tell you if I'm awake... if you're alive or dead... human or worgen... but I can tell you something for sure. We're going to kill a great many of these motherless Forsaken."

"Agreed, sir. What else can I do?"

"Well, you see those big, fat ones?" I looked, and saw what appeared to be great mounds of flesh, with a vaguely humanoid form, with four arms, each with a deadly weapon in hand. "Abominations, they're called - They don't go down easily, so don't try to tackle them on your own."

I nodded. It looked like I'd run out of bullets before I made a difference. "I have an idea so crazy it might just work. Or it might get you killed, if we're not careful, I suppose." He grinned at me, with just a hint of a crazy glint in his eye. "There's barrels of gunpowder beneath the sheds and the windmills. Grab them and toss 'em right onto the abominations'  heads. I'll take care of the rest with this trusty old  blunderbuss."