Blade Dance

Vincent heard about last night's fight as soon as he left the house.He went to the weapon shop to get a repaired dagger and met Eric.The orc warrior talked with him enthusiastically about the heroic stories of the midnight forest repelling the legion demons.

Did you hear, he said, four mo'args, no casualties on our side.

Vincent looked at him.

Why didn't we get the order, he asked.

It seems that all the sent out are long-distance teams.Why do you care about this, it's a good thing, isn't it?It's scary to think about fighting in such a dark place.No no no none of this matters.The point is that the demon hunter went, you know?Unbelievable, I heard he took down a mo'arg all by himself.

Vincent put the intact dagger into the scabbard, grabbed the sword from Eric, and looked at the blade first.His dark gray eyes were reflected in the blade.

so what?People are worshiping him now?

That's not the case.Eric said that he just felt that the demon hunters were really powerful. After all, no one had actually seen the Illidari in battle before. The only time was...but some people still hated them.Hard to say.In fact, we are all curious how Harlan persuaded him to go with him.

Vincent thrust the sword sharply into the scabbard.

Harlan went in person?

Yeah, Eric said of course, he was hurt a little bit, but—

There was a sudden pause as Vincent threw the sword back at him off guard and rushed out.Eric was taken aback by him, and stayed where he was holding the sword, watching him run away in a daze.

Aldo Heights.Vincent was stopped by the dutiful Knicks.

you know me right?he asks.

You can't go in.The commander said no one could go in.Nix said.

anyone?

Yes.

Demon Hunter too?

Nix looked at him suspiciously.

What demon hunter?

never mind.nothing.

Vincent didn't get entangled with Knicks anymore, he imagined this possibility when he was riding the elevator.He stood at the door for a while, then walked out into the residential area.He went into a tavern on the corner of the first block and picked a corner spot.Looking through the window from this position, at a certain angle, beyond the row of low houses and bushes in front, one could and could only see the window of the bedroom on the second floor of the commander's residence.In the evening, the sunset glowed an ambiguous pink color, and Vincent saw that the curtain of the window was pulled halfway open, and a familiar figure flashed through the gap.

He waited for a while until the tavern became more and more crowded and noisy, before he checked out and left.

This time, the Knicks didn't stop him.He opens the door for Vincent and tells him that the Commander is in the living room.The door behind him was gently closed, and Vincent couldn't wait to walk inside.

"Harlan?"

With no response, he walked into the living room.

Harlan sat at the end of the long table, with a pile of reports and maps spread out in front of him, overlapping each other, out of order, and some of them were crumbling on the edge of the table.But he was not looking at any of the papers, but holding an old yellowed book in his hand, reading it intently.

"Harlan."

Harlan looked up when he heard the sound, and laughed immediately when he saw him.He looked tired, or just woke up.When Vincent saw that he was intact, most of his worries subsided immediately.But he didn't forget that Harlan was hurt, so he walked towards him.

"Where are you hurt—what are you dressed like?"

Harlan subconsciously looked down at his clothes.

"Pajamas."

he said innocently.

Vincent looked at him in disbelief.Harlan was wearing a black robe that looked loose and comfortable.The neckline of the robe was cut low, exposing a large area of ​​skin.

"What if it wasn't me who came in? If it was Deputy Commander Steele, if it was—"

"Only you will come in."

Harlan pouted.

"The deputy commander has no face to come to see me now. He ordered the mage, if he finds that the enchantment is abnormal, report to him immediately, not me. As a result, he disappeared last night. They only found him this morning. Come out of the kiln."

Vincent looked at him helplessly.He still felt that Harlan was too casual, which worried him.It's like a treasure that has been cherished for a long time is put on display, even though he is the only one looking at it.The only majesty remaining on Harlan at this moment came from the sheer black of the robe.But the extreme black highlighted his snow-white complexion, shining in the twilight.

"Where did you hurt?"

He shortened the last few steps between them.

"Shoulders. It's nothing... ah!"

Vincent withdrew his hand like an electric shock.He just wanted to roll up Harlan's sleeves, but Harlan's expression changed in pain. It was obviously not a minor injury.He could only sit down cautiously, as if Harlan was a piece of fragile glass.Unexpectedly, Harlan laughed.He was laughing at him, and kept laughing with his hand over his mouth.Vincent looked at him like a fool with water in his head.

"So that's why dressing gowns are on?" he asked.

"Otherwise? You should be glad I'm wearing clothes."

He is still laughing.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Vincent asked.

"what?"

"I found the legionnaire, why didn't you order me to fight."

He spoke word by word, his voice as cold as ice.

The instantly serious tone made Harlan stunned.Then he smiled again, as if the sudden question had been expected.

"It is not suitable for melee combat against mo'arg."

"But you were wounded," Vincent said. "You shouldn't have gone there yourself, and you were melee. And I swore to protect you. Are you kidding me?"

"No."

Harlan looked at him seriously.

"I accept your protection, yes, but it also depends on the occasion. I don't want anyone to protect me with their lives, and I don't need protection that much. We,"

He pointed to himself, then to Vincent.

"It's a relationship of fighting side by side."

"Fight alongside."

Vincent repeated.

"Yes. The soldiers must obey my orders, that's right. And where they fight, I must be there. How can the commander stand by and watch?"

Vincent didn't speak.

Harlan fascinated him.

He always fascinated him at times like this.Some of his ideas may be praised as noble, or may be denounced as hypocritical. If they are used in places that are not accepted by the world, they will be attacked by crowds.And he didn't have the slightest sense of crisis, like a hot-blooded, rampant teenager.

Feeling familiar, Vincent seemed to have returned to the moment when he saw him pointing his sword at the swamp and ordered to go out.

Perhaps it was a young man who was overwhelmed by emotion.

He laughed.

"Fighting side by side, not with everyone, right? You still have a choice."

Harlan looked at him suspiciously.

"Demon Hunter, isn't it melee? Didn't you let him go too?"

"..."

The expression on Harlan's face was unpredictable.

"It breaks my heart when you say that. I thought you wouldn't care about gossip," he said.

"I really don't care, but I never miss the best part."

Vincent twitched his lips.

"What's more, I could have guessed it."

Harlan laughed.

But his smile was a little helpless.Even helpless.

Vincent once felt that his eyes were like two empty pools of clear water, when he saw him for the first time.Zangarmarsh, across the body of the Felguard.So now, the water below the surface is no longer empty, but so chaotic that it is difficult to see clearly.A bundle of intertwined feelings and desires ignites a fire inside.That is an indescribable shake, and the result of the shake will be polarized.Is it full, or empty?Vincent wanted to ask something, but hesitated and gave up again.

Some things are better solved by yourself.

He turned his gaze to the yellowed ancient book that Harlan was reading.

"What is this? The history of the War of the Ancients?"

Harlan looked at his book.

"Yes, related treatises. Well of Eternity, Night Elf, Cenarius, Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage."

Vincent waited for a moment, but Harlan didn't intend to continue talking.He stared sideways at his slender eyelashes.

"And Illidan Stormrage and his Illidari?"

Then watched as Harlan bit his lip.Vincent laughed.

Whenever Harlan said something against his will, or concealed something, this action always revealed everything.

"Commander, you have neglected your duties."

"...No. I... just interested. After all, the high elves are the same as the blood elves, and their ancestors are night elves."

He bit his lip again.Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Interest? What kind of interest?"

Harlan closed the book with a snap.

"You go, I'm going to rest."

"Night has just fallen, and the evening bell has not yet struck."

"I still have a job. You're in the way here."

Harlan's tone was bitter and mean.Vincent wanted to laugh, but held back.He stood up, tucked the chair carefully under the table, and patted Harlan on the right shoulder goodbye.

"and many more."

Vincent stopped, turned his head and made a grimace.

"What do you do with someone who is always silent?"

This time, Vincent's whole body turned back.He crossed his arms, touched his chin and rolled his eyes, looking thoughtful.

"You mean yourself?"

"……no."

"Then...he might not be interested in you because you're boring. Or maybe he's speechless because you're always doing things he can't do. Or..."

"What is it?"

"He's shy."

Harlan raised his eyebrows.

"If that's the case," Vincent went on, "then only you can be more shy than him."

"You go."

Vincent left without looking back.

The night has already diffused in from all directions, and the outline of the gate is blurred in the dim light.Just as his hand touched the doorknob, the door in front of him was opened from the outside at the same time.The night came rushing in, deep and rich, mixed with the smell of the cold night air.A dark figure stood facing him at the door, beside Nix who never left.The other party seemed to be surprised that someone came out from inside, and he had a puzzled, even wary expression on his face.Nix on the side stared blankly at Vincent standing inside the door, the corner of his mouth moved slightly, as if he wanted to explain the current situation.

"Hello."

Vincent said ahead of the Knicks.He stared at the person in front of him and smiled at him friendly.

"Hello."

The other party returned the same polite expression, although his voice was not a little warm.

Silent indeed.

Like a photo covered with cobwebs, it is too gray to see any traces of the past.The eyes are the window to the soul, and you will be at a disadvantage when you get along with such a person.

How brave.

Vincent put on a perfect smile.

"Finally see you."