In the Days of Hellscream

Vartokk acts out of instinct, pulling the arrow back as far as she can. Aiming at the peak of a ripple, she lets the arrow fly forward. With their spines above the water, Vartokk prays the Naga are close enough to the surface to be affected by the arrow. Her question is answered as a cloud of dark red erupts into the pale blue water. The creature thrashes, flinging droplets of its blood to nearby Naga.

Pulling another arrow from the quiver on her back, Vartokk does the same to a second Naga, and a third. Zuni and Za’tarri await their reaching the shore as more soldiers appear on the beach. The ones with bows follow Vartokk’s lead, and soon bloody water laps at the sand, staining the shores of Darkspear Isle a deep read.

As the Naga start to reach shallow water, Vartokk calls to her fellow hunters, “Back up! Use what ya know is your strength as long as ya can!”

Following her bold command, the hunters back up slowly, continuing open fire on their attackers. Vartokk backs into a tree, and instead of maneuvering around it, she begins to climb and instructs those around her to do the same. She knows that there are only few Naga with any skill in ranged warfare.

Perching on the top of the palm tree, Vartokk sends arrow after arrow forth from her bow, striking down the enemy’s scaly soldiers. She maintains a close watch on Zuni whose tight cloth shirt is stained red with blood. She hopes every last drop is from the Naga soldiers who surround him, but he seems to grow weak. Shaking as he struggles to drive his sword through a Naga’s heart, his strength falters and a second Naga catches him off-guard. The jagged stone tip of his enemy’s spear grazing his side as he tries to dodge the attack that throws him off balance.

Tumbling to the ground, Zuni rolls away from another strike, and farther away from his sword. Vartokk fumbles for another arrow, but the quiver on her back is empty. Giving it no second thought, she jumps from the high top of the tree. Upon hitting the ground, she cringes at the loud pop in her leg and rolls to regain her footing. She lunges forward, ignoring the pain in her knee and pulling her dagger from is sheath. She sees the Naga raising his spear above Zuni’s head.

Groggy, Zuni brings his hand up to stop the spear, but instead of grabbing the wooden handle, the tip gets caught in his hand, slicing through the blue flesh on his palm. Screaming in pain and anger, Zuni wraps his other hand firmly around the spear’s handle, attempting to push it back.

Eyes wide with fear and awareness of his imminent death, Zuni watches as the blood-soaked stone inches closer to his eye. Squeezing his eyes shut, he feels the tip begin to make contact. Instantly, he feels blood splatter on his face and hears a sickening gurgle as the spear’s pressure is removed from his eye. He looks up in time to see his attacker fall onto the sand and Vartokk standing above him, skinning knife in hand.

Leaning over to grab Zuni’s arm, Vartokk pulls him from the ground and leads him towards the trees, pulling his sword from the heart of a fallen enemy as they pass. When she feels they are somewhat safe behind the trunk of a tree, she looks him over and notices he is holding onto his side, blood seeping through his fingers. Vartokk’s heart sinks.

“Zuni!” she gasps, “Stay here. I will find a shaman to heal your wounds.”

As she turns, Zuni grabs her arm and pulls her back, “V, there isn’t time for dat. Gimme my sword. We’re outnumbered. We can’t afford ta lose one soldier’s attention on the Naga, let alone tree.”

Ripping his sword from her hand, Zuni kisses Vartokk fiercely.

“I love you, V,” he says before he turns and runs back to the battle, seeming to forget his injury.

Vartokk stands frozen for a moment, tears stinging in her eyes. In that moment, she is so absorbed in Zuni’s words that she does not see the Sea Witch Zar’jira rise from the depths. When she does come to her senses, she focuses on Zuni who, in his blind rage, begins to charge Zar’jira. In this instant, it feels as though everything begins to move in slow motion.

As Zar’jira draws back her hand, Vartokk’s heart jumps into her throat, keeping her from calling out a warning to Zuni. She stumbles, trying to reach him as she sees the air swirl around Zar’jira’s hand, forming tiny ice shards that weave in between her fingers. Vartokk has almost reached the water’s edge when Zar’jira throws her hand forward, sending every shard of ice to cut through the soft blue flesh under Zuni’s white shirt. The force from the spell caves his rib cage, splitting his sternum and leaving his heart exposed under a thin layer of skin.

Residual force from the blast throws Vartokk and other nearby soldiers back several feet. Her mind hazy, she lifts her head from the sand and tries to look around for Zuni. Through her blurry eyes, she sees him. Her throat closes as she notices blood gushing from the wounds caused by the shards of ice. It is when she sees Zar’jira slithering towards him that Vartokk claws at the sand, forcing herself to crawl towards Zuni despite her entire body screaming in pain.

Vartokk feels strong hands grab her arms, holding her back. She rips and thrashes, determined to break free from the man holding her back.

“Vartokk! Don’t! Don’ fight me,” Vol’jin’s voice rose in a command, but Vartokk does not listen.

“Zuni!” she shrieks as Zar’jira reaches him, snapping her head up to look at Vartokk.

“Sssstupid little troll,” Zar’jira hisses, “You really though you could overcome me?”

Her tone is mocking and the laugh following her words makes shivers crawl up Vartokk’s spine. She looks down at Zuni, tears streaming from her eyes. Continuing to fight against Vol’jin’s strong grip as he wraps one arm around her waist, she locks eyes with Zuni. His silent pleas for help can be seen in the dimming light of his bright blue eyes. She calls out to him again, her voice hitching in her throat as she outstretches a free arm toward him.

Lifting his hand, he gives a feeble attempt to reach for her.

Zar’jira let her mouth erupt with a laugh far more sinister than the preceding. When Vartokk looks at the witch, she realizes her gaze is fixed on her.

“Foolishhhh young trollsss,” she sneers, “you shhhould know growing up in a world filled withhh war that you never fall in love.”

Vartokk feels Vol’jin go rigid as she herself becomes still, sobs continuing to wrack her body.

Carefully watching the witch as she leans over to Zuni who is gasping in short, labored breaths, Vartokk shakes with fear.

“You have given thissss girl your heart. I can tell,” she says with malice in her voice.

Zar’jira pauses a moment before plunging her hand through the soft flesh on Zuni’s chest, wrapping her cold, scaly fingers around his still-beating heart. His back arches as he gasps. His body begins to convulse in pain and his eyes roll back in his head.

As though it is somewhere for off in the distance, Vartokk hears an animalistic screech filled with anguish. It takes what feels like an eternity for her to realize this sound is ripping at her throat and erupting from her mouth. She wheezes, trying harder to free herself from Vol’jin’s grasp, desperate to reach Zuni.

“Well, let me do the honorssss and give it to her myssself,” Zar’jira seethes and rips Zuni’s heart from his chest. Immediately, Zuni’s body goes limp, his head lolling from side to side.

Vartokk falls to her knees. She can’t see. She can’t breathe. Pain sears in her chest and it feels as though her heart has been ripped out as well as she stares at Zuni’s lifeless body.

“Look at me you pathhhhetic, useless creature,” Zar’jira demands.

Vartokk rips her eyes from Zuni and directs them to the still heart in the witch’s hands. As she watches, ice encases Zuni’s heart. When it is frozen solid, Zar’jira wraps her pointed talons around it and crushes it into an icy powder.

Vartokk, completely defeated, goes limp and Vol’jin lets go of her. She does not realize that the brief moment the witch spends engulfed in pure satisfaction gives Vol’jin the perfect opportunity to strike.

Vartokk hears Zar’jira’s last cry of pain before her vision fades to black.