Scarred by Hellfire

Falcon Watch, in the times of Kael'thas' forces first exploration of Outland.

The Sin'dorei captain sighed as he began to read the report.

A scouting party of 5, consisting of 4 pathstalkers and a supporting arcanist was to designate a safe travel route to the forest of Terokkar, allowing the forces to pass and proceed to establish a settlement therein. The mission was aborted due to an encounter with creatures, classified earlier as “rock flayers”. A pack, ranging from eight to a dozen specimens ambushed the scouting party in the vicinity of cliffs along the path to Terokkar. The creatures can now be deemed as dangerous, aggressive and lethal. According to the report by Pathstalker-trainee Dawnsinger, rockflayers attack fast and use their talons to tear flesh as if it were light parchment. A follow up scouting party, sent to the location has recovered what was left of three bodies, describing them as “saddening remains”, according to Pathstalker-Sergeant Duskstrike. Five hours ago, Pathstalker-trainee Dawnsinger appeared in the camp with Arcanist Sunchaser, by means of a teleportation scroll, provided by the latter. Sunchaser succumbed to his wounds mere sand grains later, leaving Dawnsinger as the sole survivor. From the tactical point of view, a loss of three trained pathstalkers and a supporting arcanist will significantly delay further incursions into the unknown territory, as it restricts our modest scouting force even more. Pathstalker-trainee Dawnsinger is to be moved to another unit immediately.

The elf put the report back onto the table. He rubbed his eyes as he moved into a more comfortable position among the pillows.
“It seems you are a survivor, Dawnsinger.” he tried to make his voice sound calmer than usual, when addressing the thin, pale girl, standing not one inch over the edge of his thick carpet. Even if she did, this one time, he would pretend not to notice. Raven-black hair covered almost all of her face. And she was but a girl, perhaps not too far away from womanhood, still a girl, though. He knew that surplus air in her armor would eventually be filled with a more athletic body, used to war effort and battle. For now, it was in the process.
“Yes sir, I did what I could to help, sir.”
“The report says that you used a scroll to come back. Was it Sunchaser's last heroic effort?”
The girl bit her lip. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying very hard not to look away, especially given that her superior has just asked her a question.
“No, sir. He handed the scroll to me and told me to use it, as he was not able to and had trouble breathing due to the large puncturing wound in his lung...”
“Enough, I have seen what has become of him. Go on.”
“I used the scroll and we found ourselves back at Falcon Watch, sir.”
“Have you ever been properly trained in this, Dawnsinger?”
“I have... taken up lessons in spare time, sir.”
“Spare time?” A part of him wanted to laugh in her face. There was no such thing as spare time, not in Hellfire.
“Yes, sir. The past several weeks.”, the fact that the question might have been rhetorical eluded the girl.
“And you're proficient in teleportation scrolls already...”
“I haven't tried using them prior to this.”
The captain raised an eyebrow. She was a survivor, indeed.
“You will be assigned to a different unit shortly. Clean yourself, get some rest, there should be some crystals for you at the quarter master. You will continue learning. We can't be short of scrolls and they're in demand. Dismissed.” He could swear that underneath all that dirt and blood, behind streaks of raven hair, glued by remains of bodily fluids, be in elves or rock flayers, there was a shade of smile, a glimmer of hope.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir” She stood at attention and saluted, though her torn armour, interwoven with rolls of bandage did not present any military standard at all.
“And get yourself a new uniform, quickly.” He waved his hand dismissively.
“Yes, sir.” She nodded again and left the tent.
Perhaps she has no heart? Only a mind? Not that it mattered at war. A heart could compromise the entire mission. A mind could contain the situation and allow more to survive. It could be that learning helped her cope with all the difficulties. He himself found it easier to memorize information and keep his head clear, given a regular dose of fel. Every soldier had to be baptised in blood and fire, eventually. Those baptised in Hellfire would be the toughest or the first to perish, of that he was sure. He only hoped to see the former.


(Comments are welcome, concerning both form and content!)