Blade Dance

"How long will you be going this time?"

Joanna was wearing a low-cut red silk dress and sat with one leg raised against the back of the chair.With her left arm folded in front of her chest, and a lock of blond hair wrapped around her fingertips in her right hand, she casually watched Harlan pack his bag.

"I don't know." Harlan replied without raising his head, "Maybe he won't come back."

The proprietress of the inn is no longer young, and there are a few light lines around her eyes and forehead, but her words and deeds still reveal a charming charm unique to blood elves.

"Oh my God, you're finally going to fuck off." She exclaimed, her tone full of genuine excitement, "Your poor hunting skills, and that kind of... how to put it, always seem to be owed a lot I don't know how much trouble the eyes of ten thousand golds have caused me. I'm about to be relieved when you leave? The arrival of happiness always catches people off guard."

As soon as the subject changed, she suddenly frowned, closed her eyes, and put on a painful expression.

"But if you really go away, I will still grieve for a while."

Harlan rolled his eyes inwardly, and continued to concentrate on organizing his belongings.He was used to the cynicism of the proprietress.If one day she spoke to him in a serious manner, he would probably rush to the Holy Light Hall to see if the naaru were still alive.

Joanna withdrew her expression.She watched Harlan pack up the pitiful little clothes and a few yellowed books without saying a word, and sighed silently.

During these years of living in Shattrath City, Harlan always deliberately kept a distance from the people around him.He is stable and low-key, very disgusted with the sight of the crowd.Apart from Joanna and the stalker Orson, he has few close people.Joanna can understand that some people will always choose to escape.Avoid intimacy, avoid having it.Probably because I was afraid of losing, I became afraid of owning from the beginning.

Regarding Harlan's memories of her past, Joanna only heard him talk about it once not long after she rescued him.That was many years ago, when his homeland in Azeroth was captured by the Burning Legion, killing all his relatives.He was drawn in by the twisted portal set up by the legion, and arrived in Terokkar Forest in Outland in an instant.The injured young body could not bear the load of the powerful twisting force, and it was already dying when it was sent to the forest.When Joanna found him, he was lying on the cold and damp grass in the morning, looking up at the streaks of sky light pouring down from the gaps in the leaves.

"Look what I found, a half-dead pup."

Joanna knew that what she said and used such a relaxed tone was just to relieve her nervousness and fear of what she saw.

She didn't know what it meant for a young high elf to appear in Outland like this, and what to do next.

The boy tried his best to turn his head to look at her, his light blue eyes radiated a cold and empty gaze.That gaze sparked for a moment, then weakened quickly, and finally disappeared behind the eyelids.

More than ten years have passed since that day.For more than ten years, Harlan would pass through the Dark Portal every one or two years, go to Azeroth, travel around, spend money and come back again.He always buys many things that Joanna likes, and he will definitely tell her about his travels.As far as Joanna knew, except for his own hometown, he had traveled almost every inch of land in the Eastern Kingdom and Kalimdor.She watched Harlan grow from a child to a tall and handsome man, and she was often filled with emotion.He is young, healthy and charming.With silver hair and blue eyes, rare for elves, Harlan has a handsome face that any woman would be fascinated by.He is kind, funny, and sincere, and should have and enjoy the unique beauty and vitality of this stage of life.He also has extraordinary hunting skills, often bringing back huge and ferocious rare creatures in exchange for generous rewards, and also provides Joanna with strong help in running the hotel.However, since he was a child, he didn't have anything he wanted to do, and everything was so dispensable to him.The coldness and emptiness that Joanna saw in those pale blue eyes that morning... covered everything like a thick, lingering fog.

After packing his luggage, Harlan finally straightened up and walked in front of her.He looked her in the eyes and said good-bye earnestly, promising to bring back some of her favorite delicacies, the serpent and kirsch, if he returned.

Joanna didn't say anything else, she just got up and went downstairs with him to the door of the hotel.

The morning air smelled sweet of dew, and the street outside was peaceful.The city is slowly waking from its slumber, and the occasional sound of open windows in the streets and neighbors can be heard.In the forest in the distance came the faint song of birdsong.

They stood at the door, looking at the empty street together, speechless.

After an unknown amount of time, Harlan turned his head to look at Joanna, his emerald green eyes were staring at him deeply.He stared at those eyes, and the corners of his mouth moved, revealing a flat smile.

He stepped into the morning light.

----------

Harlan went straight north and entered the Zangarmarsh after more than a day.

As the narrowest of the seven regions in Outland, Zangarmarsh is mainly composed of lake wetlands and swamp wetlands.Huge fluorescent mushroom forests surround large and small lakes and pools, forming a rich and rich ecological area.The swamp was formerly an ocean called the Zangar Sea.After the terrain changed, many creatures mutated in order to adapt to the environment, so some shadows of marine creatures can still be seen in today's swamp creatures.

It is always night in this land, and a quiet, serene night of stars.Most of the strange creatures here glow, and there are shimmering flying insects swimming around in the air.Every few steps, there will be large or small pools of water, and the deepest part only reaches the waist.At night, the water surface is glowing blue under the moonlight, and the swamp stalkers with the figure of jellyfish walk gracefully on it.

Harlan believed that Zangarmarsh was the most beautiful of all the regions in Outland.

He walked slowly along the mountains southeast of the swamp, stopping and stopping.Before he was about to enter the Hellfire Peninsula, he found a fluorescent mushroom a little taller than himself, put the iron sword and luggage by his side, and sat down to take a nap for a few hours against the stalk.

Before leaving, he wanted to say goodbye to Orson, but he was not sure whether he would return from this long trip.He was afraid that his good friend would hold him in tears when he was excited, and even wanted to go with him out of worry.Harlan was almost sure he would.I didn't want to make him sad, but I felt that it might be too much to leave without saying goodbye.

The starry night is quiet and peaceful.The faint dream leaf fragrance lingers on the tip of the nose, refreshing.

The night elves' skin was originally snow-white, but because they were bathed in moonlight all year round and sheltered in shadows, that snow-white skin was stained with an imperceptible light purple layer.The blood elves worshiped the sun, so their skin color was not affected at all.Therefore, one of the main things that distinguish blood elves from night elves is their skin.The night elves look like snow under the stars, while the blood elves look like powder.

The naked body was as sharp as a sculpture, and when his fingertips touched the muscles, they tightened like an electric shock.

Broad, shimmering shoulders swung beneath him.He ran his fingers into the long black hair and grabbed the roots to raise the head of the person underneath.His lips were stained with water, and he gently wiped away the saliva overflowing from the corner of his mouth with his knuckles.

Two turquoise flames burned quietly in the darkness.

He stared firmly at the two clusters of flames, unable to look away at all, and even couldn't help but bend down to get closer to see more clearly.The flames were getting closer and closer to his face, until the distance between eyebrows and eyebrows.

Suddenly, they turned into giant flames soaring into the sky.For a moment, all he could see was the blue-green sky, which hurt his eyes.The flame danced wildly and rushed into the eyes, and then invaded the nose and throat, burned the heart, and swept through the internal organs.

Harlan woke up with a start.

He panted heavily, and the swamp in front of him was blurred, as if there was a raging fire burning here.The turquoise flames spread to all directions, raging and licking everything they touched, burning everything.In an instant, the earth was completely shattered and turned into a sea of ​​flames.He couldn't help stretching out his hand to hold the iron sword, closed his eyes tightly, and told himself that it was just a nightmare.He tried his best to keep his breathing steady, and after confirming that there was only a silent darkness in front of him, he opened his eyes again.

In the dots of fluorescent light, the swamp biology camp is busy.The sound of insects and birds chirping came from all around, like clear strings and aura.The earth beneath him seemed to be breathing slowly and calmly.He could feel the rise and fall, and follow it to tune his breath to the same pitch.

After sitting quietly for a long time, he stood up and walked to the nearest pool, squatted down by the water, and poured cold water on his eyes and cheeks.The night wind blows, bringing a sense of refreshing comfort.He wore the iron sword on his waist, put on his luggage, and walked on the road to Hellfire Peninsula again.

If Terokkar Forest and Zangarmarsh are lush and vibrant, then Hellfire Peninsula is barren.The brown-red rough land stretches as far as the eye can see, and Harlan can vaguely see the Dark Gate standing on the other end as soon as he enters this area.The sky is a scene similar to the universe. You can see unknown big and small planets, the energy source flowing slowly through the dome like the Milky Way, and the deep purple infinite void on the far end of the sky.There is little distinction between day and night, and the power of the Twisting Nether is especially evident in this land.

Harlan quickened his pace, he didn't want to stay longer in this barren land.There is no vegetation or hills that can be used to cover and hide, and the flat, open and seemingly deserted places are actually the most dangerous.

Every time he travels back and forth between the two worlds, he does not take a horse with him.The sorrel horse might not be able to adapt to the power of the Dark Portal. Even when he himself passed through that door for the first time, his ears were ringing and dazzled by the powerful and twisted force, and he knelt down and retched as soon as he reached the other side.

He headed east, cautiously skirting Hellfire Citadel in the middle of the area.It's the Legion's stronghold there, or at least it used to be.There has been no movement in recent years, and there are no traces of demons around, but there is no guarantee that the legion is not just dormant.

When he was about to step out of the road of glory, he heard a voice that was as angry as gossamer.

"Help me..." said the voice, trembling with a hint of tact.Simple and straightforward request.

Harlan stopped in his tracks and looked towards the Dark Portal, which was still some distance away.

Without hesitating for a long time, he turned around and walked in the direction of the cry for help.

He followed the sound into an area marked on the map as "Reaper's Fall."It seems that there has just been a small-scale battle here not long ago. There are scattered and broken armor and weapons everywhere, and there are several burned corpses, emitting a pungent burnt smell.He searched among the wreckage, and finally found the source of the sound next to a giant catapult that fell apart.

It was a succubus.

She was lying on her side on the ground, her hands were firmly tied behind her back, the ulna of her wings were twisted in a strange way, and only half of the pair of petite devil horns on her head remained.She was covered in cuts and bruises, and the few pieces of broken leather armor left on her body could hardly cover anything. The scars in some places made Harlan frown.She was looking at him pitifully, but her blood-stained and alluring face was even more breathtaking.He felt his heart stop beating uncontrollably.

The succubus is a creature of overwhelming beauty.

It's a pity that he can't appreciate this delicate beauty.

He approached the poor, bruised creature, drew his short knife, and cut off the whip that bound her hands, and took a cloak from his pack and wrapped it around her.The moment he saw him draw out the dagger, a trace of panic flashed in Succubus' eyes.Then she found that Harlan was harmless, and let him touch obediently, and sat up with his strength.Harlan bandaged her deeper wounds gently.The succubus never spoke, but sat obediently with her head bowed, her hands tightly clutching the cloak wrapped around her body.

At this moment, his gaze swept over a mark on the back of Succubus' neck.Although most of the mark was covered by blood stains, he recognized it at a glance.That is the brand that belongs to the soldiers of the Burning Legion.

Although he should have expected it long ago, because almost all demons belonged to the Burning Legion, when he actually saw the mark, his hands still paused.The succubus seemed to have noticed something strange, and turned slightly to look at him.

He continued to move as if nothing had happened.

After treating the wound briefly, Harlan helped her stand up.The succubus glanced at him gratefully, the tender charm no longer in his eyes.Harlan watched her limping along a path beside the Road of Glory to the southwest, until she was almost out of sight.Then he headed in the direction of the Dark Portal again.

This time it's a real succubus.

He laughed at himself.

① Delicious wind snake: Item use: "Eat me."