Into the Portal

"Ciera, I can't bring a baby cloud serpent to a warzone. It'll get hurt."

 

Star laughed and shook her head and just kept walking away from the mixture of Alliance and Horde gathered by the portal, leaving the crimson serpent coiled around Robin. "You'll need some motivation!"

 

Before Robin could protest her little sister had vanished. Damn rogues. The serpent settled on the monk's shoulders, content. "This is insanity…doesn't she know…."

 

"She knows better than most, little one." The druid beside Robin smiled. "That is why she has given you a piece of home and of the ways you have adopted. Something to protect."

 

Robin paused, nodding to Auris. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the druid. But if there was anyone to be near in a battle, it was probably someone with her skill. "I think I understand."

 

"Remember what I told you. If Khadgar gives an order, follow it.If he casts a spell upon you, do not resist. Losing your life over a fear will not help anyone. And, if you lose me keep going. Find your guild, first and foremost. I will find you." Robin nodded. They were closer to the portal now, she couldn't remember moving.

 

"Let us go now, Robin. I to correct balace and you to promote peace. Do not let this change your ideals, do not let anyone change what drives you."

 

The conversation before entry into the portal was lost to Robin as soon as she stepped through. She remembered seeing some of the Templars before entering. They were gone. It was pure chaos, it was hell. She couldn't hear what Auris was shouting to her, coud only feel the hand tugging hers in one direction or another. All she could see was an ocean of iron, orcs in iron armor and weapons.

 

Her hand slipped out of Auris' and she fell. The orc was there. Its axe was swinging to kill her. She was going to die and she couldn't react. Until the very air itself saved her. A cyclone formed around the orc and spun him round and round…right over the edge of the stone stairs. It was too loud to even hear his scream.

 

"Robin! Move!"

 

The cloud serpent was crying, but still clinging to her. She thought it was Auris shouting, but she couldn't be sure. Robin rolled to her feet and followed the druid deeper into what looked like a jungle. The ground trembled and others were running with her…so many people, but not as many as the Iron Horde had.

 

Maybe that was why they were running. She lost sight of her druid companion and paused, looking around. The two orcs leaped from behind the trees surrounding her and Robin backed away, gripping her prayer beads in her right hand. There…was…a chi technique to keep things away from her. The orcs weren't far from her. Robin couldn't think. There was a baby cloud serpent crying right next to her ear.

 

She drew on the chi held within the prayer beads and extended her left hand. She wasn't sure if she could hit both of them, but they were close together. The chi manifested in green, then into white-blue streams that resembled lightning. Both orcs were hit and thrown off their feet, blasted back into the trees.

 

They weren’t dead, but they weren’t going to be getting up for a while. “Ya, mon! A mage!”  Before Robin could move or think, someone had grabbed the back of her cloak and swung her up behind them on…a raptor. She was riding on a troll’s raptor. “Shield us, mon!”

 

This was all moving too quickly. “I’m not a mage!”

 

“Then what the hell was all that light, mon?!”

 

Robin blinked and almost fell from the raptor; she grabbed hold of the troll for dear life. “It was chi! I’m a monk!”

 

“I don’t care what it was, mon! Keep doing it!”

 

So, she did. Any orc that came behind them got flung back into the trees until Robin’s attacks were losing the oomph they had earlier. However long ago that was. They were surrounded by more allies now and just running. Explosions sounded and people were dying. That was the extent of her ability to process. The raptor managed to never get struck. She wasn’t sure how.

 

“ROBIN!”

 

“This your gnome, mon? I think she needs some help.”

 

The raptor stopped long enough for Robin to be deposited into Auris’ arms. The druid thanked the troll and changed her shape to a stag. She didn’t bother speaking, they didn’t have time. Robin wearily climbed onto her back and clung to the druid’s neck. She was losing her grip as they launched over some water and onto the deck of a ship. They’d barely made it. Auris had waited for her.

 

Robin slid off of the druid and just rested on the deck, catching her breath. Her entire body hurt. And the…cloud serpent was sprawled out beside her, still alive. She was pulled gently onto Auris’ lap and the druid’s cloak was draped over her.

 

“It is done for now. We can rest.”

 

“It’s over?” Robin looked up at Auris’ face.  There was no hint of a lie.

 

“For now, rest.”

 

Robin nodded slowly and curled up on the druid’s lap, crying herself to sleep.