- - by Kopfjagger and Lucia
At a Loss[]
Slathar had to smile while he shook his head in disbelief. It was quite an unusual moment when a human and forsaken showed romantic feelings for each other. However he knew that it wouldn't last. It simply couldnt last. Warring factions would not agree with the situation and could easily make them both miserable, if not permanently dead.
But Slathar thought he had a solution. He could lead them somewhere secluded, someplace where they could share their feelings for each other without persecution. In fact they had a few choices too. Azshara, Felwood, Winterspring, and Silithus were all pretty much devoid of racial problems and would be ideal for the two to spend their days together.
Slathar gallantly suggested to the two about moving to one of these places. He would see that they had food, water and supplies, plus a nice place to live. He could make it happen; all he needed was their trust.
Kopfjagger didn't understand what was taking the healing potion so long to take effect. Lucia's eyes were still rolling in her head and her mutterings, if anything, were getting worse. Her body was cold and trembling. Slather was saying something but it was nothing more than a buzzing in the back of the Forsakens mind. He was also not paying attention to goo that seemed to bubble and froth on his lips.
Holding Lucia close, his mind ran through the possibilities. Poison was a possibility, but there were no signs of any. She could have deeper wounds than he has yet to observe, but the potion should have cured that already. He was not able to give her another potion yet, too much and her body would rebel and shut down.
He didn't realize it, but he was still gently rocking back and forth, cradling Lucia and kissing the top of her head as he pondered what would help. His hands were gently tracing the graceful curve of her cheeks and chin; lips repeated their soft kisses upon her head. The cut was gone already from the potion, leaving only a slightly pink, raw line where once there was pain and blood.
"Please," he whispered to her. "Please come back to me Lucia. I know a place that we can go. I have seen it before on a mission for the Druids. It is called Moonglade, my dear. It is such a beautiful place..."
His voice was soft and tender as he described the wonders and beauty of the druidic homeland, Moonglade. He told her of the many bridges and the crystal waters. He spoke to her about how the Elves and Forsaken, Tauren and Human all seemed to be at peace there. There was no war in Moonglade. There was no hate or death. Moonglade, he told his heart's desire, is where they could go and be together in peace and love.
Slather made a shocked sort of noise, but it was lost on Kopfjagger. Nothing existed outside of the broken woman in his arms. Broken, but not gone. He continued to rock back and forth, hoping beyond hope that his precious Lucia would survive this latest assault on her life and their love.
He looked up at Slathar, tears streaming down his face. The Forsaken rogue, taker of souls and assassin for the Dark Lady, was at a loss for words. He wanted to beg for help, but he had no idea what form that help could possibly take. His eyes pleaded but his mind was numb with loss and pain.
Gently, he leaned Lucia's head back, cradled in his arms. He slowly lowered his face near hers and could feel her faint, warm breath upon his lips. Tenderly, he kissed her. His cold and lifeless lips found hers warm and tender. He lingered there, his lips pressed against hers. If she was to die, at least it would be knowing how much he truly loves her.
((This part of the story was written in partnership by Kopfjagger and Lucia. I have the honor of retelling it but at least half, if not more, of the creative power comes directly from Lucia even though her name does not appear to the left of the post. *bows deeply to Lucia* Thank you, Lucia, for letting me retell our story, I hope to do it justice.))
Found at Last[]
Slathar was still at a loss for words. The human had gone into some kind of dementia, and refused to come out. His shamanistic powers couldn't deal with this kind of thing, but the druids might. There wasn't time to think about it. The human could go into coma or even worse, lose the will to live and slowly decay alive.
He said to Kopfjagger, "Aye mon, not much time. We got to pay deh druids a visit. Maybe dey be able to see what be wrong with your lady friend."
The druids of Moonglade were on Kalimdor however, quite a ways away Slather thought to himself. The zeppelin wasn't an option. Kopfjagger and Lucia wouldn't make it to the zeppelin tower. However, it was possible that they could take the ship from Booty Bay to Ratchet, and then hike all the way to Moonglade. No, that would take weeks of trekking. The girl would lapse into coma by then. Slathar didn't know what to do, and his friends love was ever lapsing into irretrievable demise.
Moonglade seemed like their only hope, but it was so far away. They would never make it in time. The human had to come out of the dementia on her own. Either that or they had to make the trek. It was the only thing he could think of. Perhaps Kopfjagger had a plan; otherwise they were very limited on choices.
Her meadow was no longer warm and the air was heavy with conflicting scents; Mageroyal and brine, earth and fish. Kopfjagger was holding her tight as the wind howled and the rain slammed into them. He spoke her name low and tender in her ear, his warm breath flowing softly over her earlobe. It was as if it was the only sound she was hearing when he spoke. Lucia, my love.
Her tears mingled with the rain and fearfully she spoke to him. The world is ending. Its crumbling around us.
He tilted her head back and smiled, still sad but loving. Just this one, my love. Just this one. He leaned in and laid his lips on forehead, oddly cold and lifeless lips. She tightened her grasp and pulled him closer, desperately trying to keep him with her. Passionately she pleaded. Dont leave me here. Not yet. Not alone. Im not ready!
He stood in her arms and she watched as he slowly began fading. His flesh seemed to melt and gray before her eyes. Lucia cried out to him. Youre dying!
Kopfjagger shook his head. No, I died a long time ago, you. you have shown me how to live and now you must return to me. You must find me if we can be together. Come love, find me in the darkness. I will be waiting for you. And he was gone. The image of his dead pleading eyes burned into her mind and for a moment she thought she could still see him, wavering, before her.
Lucia could no longer see her beautiful meadow, the profusion of flowers and flourishing life was blurred as if she gazed through a glass window awash with water. Water was everywhere. It fell from the sky and pooled at her feet, ankle deep and rising and it fell from her face, rain and tears blending. Frantically Lucia swirled around, trying to find a way out; he said to find him. She had to find him.
Lucia struggled through the pools. The mud was sucking at her feet as if to purposely stay her movements, as if to swallow her and never give her release. She fought against the current of the fast rising water. It pushed at her form, tiny swells crashing against her legs. From the darkness, something flashed and she cried out as it whipped across her face, cutting her cheek deeply. The wound began to bleed freely and drops of her blood momentarily stained the water, then it was gone.
Lucia no longer wanted to stay in this frightening place, but she couldnt find a way out. She was trapped deep inside and it was so dark but she kept moving; he said to find him.
Lucia opened one of the wooden doors before her and peered in, a feeling of dread encased her. Something was in the dark with her, some evil thing that would never release her once in its grasp. Through the doorway, Lucia could see her home, nestled in Goldshire. She stepped through the door and a rock hit her. Stunned, Lucia turned and ducked. The townspeople had gathered and were glaring angrily at her, they shouted something and then the rocks began to fly. Lucia covered her head and ran for her doorstep. She flung open the door and everything changed.
She stood in a different house and for a moment she had to think where she was. Then she remembered: this was her half-sisters home, in Southshore. Around her the walls were smoking and a tiny flame burst from the wood. It was on fire! From outside, Lucia could hear screams and shouts, metal clashing against metal, arrows bouncing off armor. The town was under siege and everyone was dying. She grabbed an object off the table, anything to defend herself with.
She glanced down and saw the plant. A tiny sapling that stood rooted in a clay pot. With it, she ran and exited the house. She stood behind a tree for a moment and then ducked. The movements seemed familiar, as if she had done all of them already. A sword flashed over her head and sunk into the tree. An orc yelled at her, but she was already running, fast and hard over the landscape, headed for the beach, back into water. Behind her, she could feel the presence getting closer, silently bidding her to turn, to go in the opposite direction. It whispered of safety and peace.
Lucia hit the water and waded along the shore, a scene slowly came into focus. In front of her was a small party: a Troll, hunched over and glancing worriedly over his shoulder, and an undead, cradling the limp form of a human woman in his arms, rocking her gently as he placed soft tiny kisses on her forehead. They all looked familiar to her. She moved closer, trying to get a better look at the two in the water.
Like a deadly weapon it hit her hard and drove her to her knees, it was her! She gazed at herself and wept, she was trapped within herself? How could that be? How could she be seeing herself this way? And if that was her, then.. Lucia looked at the undead and her breathing stopped, Kopfjagger. She knew now. It all fell into place as the memories returned; the last couple of days flooded back and stunned her. The place she was in right now wasnt real; it was a trick of her mind, shock. The real world was out there, painful and vast, frightening. Lucia turned and looked back at the shadows, at the figure that had pursued her and beckoned her to stay. Kopfjagger.
He walked toward her, a gentle smile on his lips, human, whole, alive. He reached out and beckoned, his mouth opened and he spoke to her, Lucia, you found me. Stay with me. I will protect you, keep you warm and safe. Behind him, the meadow flared to life, the green sharp and powerful.
She stood on the divide of two worlds now. One that promised safety and everything she wanted; a meadow of plants and peace, the other a hard and harsh place, filled with war and pain. It tore at her, which to choose..
She gazed at the Kopfjagger holding her limp form, his lips moved as he spoke of things she couldnt hear. Then she looked at the Kopfjagger smiling at her, asking her to stay with him, to stay here. Her head moved from one scene to the other, trying to decide and time for her stopped.
It was a painful agonizing moment for her, but she knew what she had to do. The world she was locked in wasnt real, the Kopfjagger that walked as a human was an illusion; she would never hold him here. He would always be faded and he would break her heart, but even the truth didnt stop the tears and heart ripping pain as she said her final farewell to her dreams. The human Kopfjaggers eyes pleaded with her even as she backed away from him. She wanted to touch him one last time before retuning but he was already too far inside, and she couldnt go back.
Turning her back on the meadow, Lucia waded into the water and approached reality. She sank to her knees in front of the kneeling Kopfjagger holding her. She leaned in and pressed her invisible lips on his and returned his kiss
She opened her eyes and stared up at him, their lips pressed against each others. Her limbs felt heavy, but she managed to lift her arms and wrap them around his neck. She never wanted to release him, never wanted to be alone again. The kiss lasted for a few more blissful moments before they drew apart and she spoke for the first time since returning to the real world, I found you at last.
((This entire chapter was pretty much all Lucia. I did very little editing to her wonderful work. She rocks my socks, as the saying goes.))
Overlooked[]
When Lucia's eyes opened and looked into his, the Forsaken rogue could tell that she was herself again. Hearing her say that she had found him at last and her arms wrapping around his neck was like soaring on a cloud with the warm sun caressing his skin. His smile came from the heart, flooded into his eyes and reached through his hands to hold her close. This was one of those moments that no matter how long it lasted, it would not be long enough.
"I should be more careful when I tell you to run," he said through his smile. "You run like I have never seen before!" Her head was still cradled in his arms and he did not notice that he was still gently rocking back and forth. His hands were smoothing her hair and gently moving across her back in a soothing, tender way. He simply could not stop touching and holding her.
"We must get you somewhere safer than this place, my love," he said in a whisper. He kissed her forehead again and smiled. "It seems that you have worked your magic on me. I cannot seem to get enough of you."
The undead looked around him on the beach and took in the surroundings. "We are scant a mile from a burning Alliance village, on a beach riddled with Murlocs and all other sorts of baddies. We are both beaten and battered... and all I want to do is hold you close to me."
His smile seemed to wrap itself around his whole body. He had forgotten the warmth that joy can bring. Now, he basked in it. He drank in the power of this emotion and realized that hate and malice had power, but nothing when compared to hope and love.
After a few moments he forced himself to speak what would end this wonderful moment. Well, he thought, end it for now, at least. There would be plenty of time later.
"When you are ready, my heart of hearts, we should rest somewhere at bit more... safe." He smiled again.
Something was tickling the back of his throat. He hated how something so stupid could interfere with this otherwise perfect moment. He excused himself and turned his head to cough. After a harsh, wrenching cough, he caught a wad of black ooze in his hand.
He was forced to release his tender hold on Lucia as more coughs took over his body. When he drew in breath he could feel cool sea air come in through his back. On his hands and knees he coughed until he could no longer control his body. Black ooze came out of his mouth in chunks and globs.
Slathar had moved away from Kopfjagger and Lucia to not only give them peace, but to scout for potential enemies. He made it as far as Thoradin's Wall when he saw an alliance force coming from the Highlands. Quickly he summoned his raptor from Sen'Jin Village and rode quickly back to the beach.
"Damn I can't seem tah find dem again."
Hearing his voice, even in the rough Gutterspeak, was delightful. Seeing his face warm into a smile was joy. She smiled back at him when she felt his hands around her again. The way he spoke to her, after all these years, brought back the tender moments from the past. She had missed him so much after she had returned home to her children. Day to day life had taken over and she thrilled each time he had left something on her counter.
Then the gifts stopped coming, for weeks she waited, scanning the garden for footprints, watching the road for any sign. It wasnt until the day at her fence, her children off to train, her daughter a mage like her and her son a priest like the one that had returned him to life so many years ago, that Lucia had learned Kopfjaggers fate. Locked in the stockades for so long, tortured and questioned, treated like a disease, the humans hating and fearing him at the same time. He spoke words of love to her now and she remembered how wonderful he could make her feel.
He scanned their surroundings and so did she, taking in the situation. He was correct, just to the right was a little hut where several gangly murlocs were thrusting spears into the water and pulling up fish. Behind them, Lucia could see the black smoke that came from the burning Southshore. He was right, it was not safe to be just lying on the beach but she didnt want to move just yet.
She wanted to block out the world. NO, Lucia stopped her thoughts immediately. She mentally shook herself. She would never again fall into that dreamworld again. Reality may be painful and war torn, but it had him, the real Kopfjagger and she never wanted to leave him again. She silently vowed never to run again. She would be stronger, she would fight to keep him at her side; she wanted to fight at his side from now on instead of running.
Kopfjagger turned his head to cough and Lucia absently scratched at her itching face. When she pulled her fingers away she noticed the dry blood under her fingernails and she realized she was still covered in it. Dried blood and gore still decorated her upper body and across her cheek was a thin ridge of scarred tissue, the knife wound. The potion had healed it but could not prevent the scar from forming. Lucia hung her head, what a sight she must bescarred, no longer pretty Kopfjagger coughed again, a hacking cough that forced her to look up; just in time to see a black substance come from him.
His hands withdrew from her as he doubled over and hacked again, over and over, more of that ooze draining from him. Alarm lit her face, something was wrong; he had never done this before! He perched on his hands and knees on the beach and stained the sand with the thick chunks ofwhat? What was causing him to retch like that?
She went to him and placed her hands on his back, attempting to comfort him. She had no idea what to do. Was he wounded? Frantically she searched his body for injuries, but his flesh was so ripped and torn that she could not discover any new gashes. At the base of his spine she found the tip of an arrow.
She pulled it out and stared at it an arrow? Certainly one arrow couldnt do this to him? Seeing him like this made her mind race again. Could he die? She would eventually, she was only human, but would he? At that moment Kopfjaggers condition made her aware of her own frailty. She was weaker than him, her flesh easily cut, her life so easy to take. She pushed her thoughts back, there was no time to think of things like that. She had to help him somehow.
She was about to rummage through his pack on the beach when Slather approached. Lucia had totally forgotten that troll had been there. As he dismounted, she wondered when the raptor had arrived and where he had gone off to. She watched as the Shaman cast a spell after spell over Kopfjaggers kneeling form. Lucia stared up at him and thanked him, tears on the edge of her eyes. So many Horde had tried to kill them and yet this Troll continued to give aid. She wondered why he was different. Why he cared enough to help a human and her forsaken love?
As Lucia looked up at the troll, her eyes wandered over his shoulder and she gasped. On the ridge above them, silently watching was the Tauren warrior that she had nodded at earlier. He was the one that had led the assault on Southshore. His thick metal armor was no longer bright, but dulled from soot and blood.
From on high the Tauren looked down at the scene laid out before him: One moment the undead cradling her and then the reverse, a Human female, face marred and covered in blood holding a Forsaken. Then his eyes met hers. They stared at each other for a moment and then he nodded, slow and even. He then disappeared from the ridge. Whether to return to the battle or to descend on them Lucia didnt know, nor did she care. Her mind was fast on Kopfjagger and whether the healing spell was enough to pull him from the brink that he tottered on.
Swiftly she dug into his pack and pulled out a few bandages, a heavy type of runecloth from the look and feel of them, and gently wrapped them around his bony form. Please heal, she prayed, come back to me.
Softly she whispered in his ear as he continued to cough. She soothed him as best she could, letting her words wrap around him and hold him safe as he had done for her so many, many times. She could only hope it was enough to keep his spirit tied to his flesh, rotted and torn flesh, but his, and hers for as long as she could hold on to him.
((This part of the story was written in partnership by Kopfjagger and Lucia. I have the honor of retelling it but at least half, if not more, of the creative power comes directly from Lucia even though her name does not appear to the left of the post. *bows deeply to Lucia* Thank you, Lucia, for letting me retell our story, I hope to do it justice.))
End of Kopf's Story Book 22
[<---Book 21] [Book 23--->]