In starry skies lay hidden secrets, with a bright mother moon weeping for the lost and the taken. While stormy clouds cover, spread her teary feelings.
Day 2 Stormy Night
With muddy steps, Cynthia dashed here and there, as demons gorged themselves on the critters in their wake, the deer, the rabbits, and the rats were all consumed with each passing step! While the raven and the crows gave their silent pleas! As their nests were turned asunder! For the trees fell like falling leaves. But as the seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours Cynthia, in all her exhaustion, finally saw the edges of the road just up ahead. Ignoring the roars, the growling, and the yelling! Cynthia willed herself to give her that last "burst of speed" needed to exit the forest! And just as a satyr's hand almost grips the fringes of her garment! She leaped out into the road!
"Huff, Huff"… though tired Cynthia sucked in the much-needed fresh air and yelled,
[I finally made it out of that forest! And here I thought I would never be so glad to be out of a forest in my life!]
But then reality reminded her where she was… and why she was running… With the realization came confusion, for she wondered why she couldn't hear the growling of the dogs, the barking of the satyr, the falling of trees, or the skirring of the critters. With much trembling Cynthia turned around to look back into the forest.
What greeted her frightened eyes was the scene of satyrs, demons, and nightmares all standing absolutely still. They were not moving, talking, or taunting. Instead, they just eerily stood there in a line staring at her from the forest edge. To her, it was as if there was a magic barrier of some kind stopping them from crossing over. But she knew better for no such thing existed. Confused and worried, she didn't wait there for a long time before deciding to continue on her way, lest something change, and they continue the chase.
As she ran down that dreary road, she happened to come across a cavern of people being attacked by a few fel hunters. As she observed the situation, wondering whether to get involved or not. She noticed a guard dressed in Stormwind military attire get knocked over losing his precious shield! If she didn't help them now the man was sure to die and with him gone the rest will soon. After all, the loss of any able man now would be too devastating to the group at the moment. So, without wasting a second she quickly ran up on the fel hunter from the "back" killing them instantly. As she withdrew her bloody dagger from the back of the rotten corpse, she asked one of the guards:
[Have room for one more?]
The guards looked at each other and laughed the hardest laugh that they had in ages. And replied wholeheartedly:
[Yes]
Taking this moment of respite from all the running Cynthia was just starting to relax when a random woman came up to her and asked
[Dearie, where has Tho come from? Perhaps, you came from the direction of the lumber mill?]
After pausing for a moment Cynthia replied
[Yes, but why do you ask?]
[It's just that my husband is the flight master there and I was wondering if…. If he was still alive when you passed by, for as you see all of us here barely escaped when the demon suddenly attacked the mill.]
[I don't know, perhaps if you describe to me the events that led up to the attack, I might be able to help] replied Cynthia thoughtfully.
Scared woman's recollection of the attack on the lumber mill:
It was a quiet night, a peaceful night for the sun had only just set not too long ago. We were eating by the fire in one of the cabins when suddenly a man came bursting into our house. I believe his name was Marshal Haggard, an old, retired alliance soldier.
[Either way, once he burst into our house, he started yelling at my husband saying, "Get the griffins ready, we're under attack by the legion, we need to send someone to request for aid now!" Now my husband being the righteous man that he was said to Mister Haggard]
[Quickly gather the children and women and escort them to safety. I'll go to Stormwind and ask for aid!]
\After that I never saw my husband again, for I was forced to join the children in our escape, however as we were leaving it was like the sky was on fire! The once rich night was now as bright as day! Then out of the trees they came… Satyrs! and in all of their maniacal laughter as they set fire to our homes… and as they danced around the flames, "they" came… Demon dogs! They rushed in like a plague and killed all in their path! The peasant men and the strong men! Even some unlucky children were caught up in the madness! O! The sounds of the screaming children… with their little voices yelling for help… How I wish to forget such a sound… I think it will stick with me until the end of my days!
As the woman was retelling the events that unfolded one could easily tell that the more, she went on, the more distorted she became.
[Easy] replied Cynthia...
[You don't have to push yourself if you don't want to.] continued Cynthia
[She right Ms. Alaine Hearthsong, I will take it from here]
["Umm... Thank you Ms. Raelen".] Replied Hearthsong
Recounts of the event by Ms. Raelen:
[Now my recounting of the events is a little different from Ms. Hearthsong's, for I was in the lumber mill when they attacked. O! I wish I could forget the gnawing at the lumber walls, the trashing of the door, the insufferable sniff sounds from the dogs! The screaming of the dying guards right outside the mill doors! O how the children begged and banged on the lumber doors yelling to come in… but I refused them… I was scared… No, I was a coward… I let them die hoping that the demon dogs would get their fill and hopefully forget at the mill… O! The sound of them chewing and chewing … the crying…. and the silence... it wasn't long before I could no longer hear the sound of fingernails scratching the lumber doors nor the subtle screams...]
Raelen closes her eyes, and pauses for a second, then continues
[Then the fire came as I shivered on my knees! Those bastards set the mill aflame... The smell of the burning wood only excited the demon hound more for they threw themselves at the lumber door in great fever to get inside... I guess they could smell me even through the fire… No, I bet it was because of the fire that they could find my scent... Those fire mongrels! Well, I should be thankful that they only forced on the door, which helped me in my escape!]
[For as they threw themselves at the door, I knew I didn't have much time! I had to come up with a plan if I wanted to live.. and the only way out of the mill was through those dreaded doors! But as I sat there on the cold lumber floor my eyes wandered onto the milling blades. I then got a crazy idea! I turned on the milling blades and stood in front of the blades and waited.]
[For I knew that once these dogs go into a feeding frenzy, they will lack all sense of self-control. With trembling hands, I grabbed an ax I saw lying against the lumber wall. Then I waited and waited Through the smug and the tension! With shaky legs I waited... but I knew with shaky legs I stood no chance of living... live or die I had to change, with closed eyes I calmed my mind, then anger rose from my guilty mind! Then that anger changed to hate, hate for myself then for my foe. Then with open eyes, I waited... Until they broke through them cursed lumber doors and pounced at me!]
[But with my newfound strength, I quickly move to the right dodging one thus sending it straight into the milling blades! Oh! How I loved the sound that its bones made as it was minced, it was almost as good as the sight of watching its blood splatter like a watermelon! And the best part is that I gotta see it twice! For the other hound that jumped at me, which wasn't as stupid as the first, lunged and tried to bite my neck thankful I raised my ax to the level of my neck barely avoiding a deadly bite!]
[I then managed to knock it back into the blade using my ax. Oh! How I watch with glee as it slowly descended deeper into those chopping blades, Oh! how it tried to struggle and pull itself away. Oh! How I enjoyed the sight of its blood shooting out like a fountain. Now only if it whimpered and begged like a normal dog would, then maybe it could feel just a little bit of the pain that it inflicted on the children it ate. Unfortunately, it's a demon so it only growled in mad hatred instead.
[Raelen pausing again to enjoy the memory]
Well anyway, with them dead and the way cleared for now I made my way to the horse stable, only to find them fighting a group of hounds... Deciding it wasn't worth it, I ignored them and just ran into the forest until I managed to meet up with the cavern. Look, I don't care if you find me a coward for my action or a hypocrite for fighting them off but deciding not to let the kids in... you won't there... I...
After hearing this Cynthia simply nodded to their stories and said "When I arrived, It was much the same until I was leaving then I saw a big purple explosion causing the men who were still alive with the dying to burn out. I even saw griffins in the air fall from the sky all covered in purple flames, their feathers couldn't even reach the floor before becoming ash... I'm sorry I don't know if that was your husband Ms. Hearthsong, but I saw several of them falling from the sky like meteors. Their bodies slamming the top of buildings and treetops"
However, with Ms. Hearthsong weeping at this news, no one noticed a certain little girl's glowing eyes.