"...Ma'am, I don't think that's standard issue."
Javier nervously eyed the large axe slung across his partner's back. It was as tall as a man and about as heavy, yet the woman attached to it seemed as unencumbered as a child playing through the streets of Stormwind. The Lion's crest upon her tabard creased, causing the image to distort into something less than noble as her body turned toward him. An arch of a brow.
"Come on. It's got blue on it, right?"
The young guard relented with a sigh.
Javier Bell had been with the guard not two months. Faith in government and patriotism was at an all time high with the fall of Hellscream. Javier wanted a piece of that. The training had been tough and the hours long, but he had finally made it into the Gold, White and Blue. Even a few days into it, it was hard to imagine not being a lifer in this career. It wasn't just the prestige of the uniform. Javier had a true passion for his people and the city they resided in. It was a match made in heaven.
That is...before tonight. Before the night patrol. Before this woman.
Echoes of feet on pavement rang through the mostly empty alleys of the city as two guardsmen made the nightly patrol. Javier shifted uncomfortably at the side of his fellow guard. There was something about the woman. She smiled too much. And not in a happy way. She also liked to talk. Stories...old stories. Tales of exploits from Champions years and years ago. It was strange coming from a woman who looked barely older than he was. And so, ever smooth and talented in the way of women, Javier found himself blurting out...
"That's strange, I wouldn't figure you were so old--"
He cleared his throat immediately. Well that was rude. Before he could stutter an apology, a plated hand slapped him on the shoulder with a snicker. The woman grinned that grin she had. Javier didn't like it at all.
"My, you are quite the charmer. I'm thirty three if you must know. I was twenty five when I started fighting for the Church. It's been an interesting career."
Javier stared in confusion. The Church? She doesn't have the look of clergy. Could that mean...
"Were you a Pala--"
The grip on his shoulder tightened, causing his words to catch painfully in his throat. This was through armor. No wonder she could carry that huge axe without breaking a sweat. His strange partner stopped them in their tracks and stood before him, placing both her hands on his shoulders. That little grin never leaving her face, she leaned in and spoke in barely a hushed whisper.
"No. I was never the 'P' word. That's a dirty, dirty word Javier and you should probably purge it from your lexicon for at least tonight. For me?"
Soft words dripping with death.
Finally she put an arm around the shaken young guard and led him back onto their patrol path. She played it off well. Too well. Her words were suddenly all honey and laughter, explaining in not so many words how she was just part of the Gold, White and Blue now. About how it's their job to keep the sanctity of the city and such. Repeating the recruitment scroll's phrases almost ad nauseum. Everything about this woman was disconcerting. For the first time, Javier wished his rounds over as early as possible. He desperately wished to be home. But of course that was not to be. As they continued on, she kept talking. Sometimes non-nonsensical things. Names, places and events Javier could never have known. She wouldn't stop.
"...And some of them have moved on and run their own guilds now. Some I've lost track of. Perhaps they're dead. A shame. Have I told you how this city used to house a guild called the Blackskull Mercenaries...oh my."
Javier had never, ever in his life been happier to see a robbery take place. As it happens, they have apparently come across a team of three men spiriting away several bags from a store front. In that moment all thought of his companion faded into the background and Javier sprinted toward the scene, leveling his lantern onto the less than lawful men. His hand went to his blade, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
"Hold! Stormwind Guard, drop what you're carrying and get on the ground!"
And hold they did. Though not exactly in the manner that our young guard had wanted. They froze in their tracks, looking incredulously at Javier and then to his partner as they continued to hold onto their stolen merchandise. As far as tense moments go, this ranks pretty high up there in Javier's short career. Worse comes to worse, they were two trained guards against three buglers. The odds should be in their favor. However the situation didn't sit right with him. Nothing about this night sat well with Javier. The crooks kept looking back to the woman. Their mouths twisted this way and that. Mouthing words? We're...paid...u--
Javier nervously eyed the large axe slung across his partner's back. It was as tall as a man and about as heavy, yet the woman attached to it seemed as unencumbered as a child playing through the streets of Stormwind. The Lion's crest upon her tabard creased, causing the image to distort into something less than noble as her body turned toward him. An arch of a brow.
"Come on. It's got blue on it, right?"
The young guard relented with a sigh.
Javier Bell had been with the guard not two months. Faith in government and patriotism was at an all time high with the fall of Hellscream. Javier wanted a piece of that. The training had been tough and the hours long, but he had finally made it into the Gold, White and Blue. Even a few days into it, it was hard to imagine not being a lifer in this career. It wasn't just the prestige of the uniform. Javier had a true passion for his people and the city they resided in. It was a match made in heaven.
That is...before tonight. Before the night patrol. Before this woman.
Echoes of feet on pavement rang through the mostly empty alleys of the city as two guardsmen made the nightly patrol. Javier shifted uncomfortably at the side of his fellow guard. There was something about the woman. She smiled too much. And not in a happy way. She also liked to talk. Stories...old stories. Tales of exploits from Champions years and years ago. It was strange coming from a woman who looked barely older than he was. And so, ever smooth and talented in the way of women, Javier found himself blurting out...
"That's strange, I wouldn't figure you were so old--"
He cleared his throat immediately. Well that was rude. Before he could stutter an apology, a plated hand slapped him on the shoulder with a snicker. The woman grinned that grin she had. Javier didn't like it at all.
"My, you are quite the charmer. I'm thirty three if you must know. I was twenty five when I started fighting for the Church. It's been an interesting career."
Javier stared in confusion. The Church? She doesn't have the look of clergy. Could that mean...
"Were you a Pala--"
The grip on his shoulder tightened, causing his words to catch painfully in his throat. This was through armor. No wonder she could carry that huge axe without breaking a sweat. His strange partner stopped them in their tracks and stood before him, placing both her hands on his shoulders. That little grin never leaving her face, she leaned in and spoke in barely a hushed whisper.
"No. I was never the 'P' word. That's a dirty, dirty word Javier and you should probably purge it from your lexicon for at least tonight. For me?"
Soft words dripping with death.
Finally she put an arm around the shaken young guard and led him back onto their patrol path. She played it off well. Too well. Her words were suddenly all honey and laughter, explaining in not so many words how she was just part of the Gold, White and Blue now. About how it's their job to keep the sanctity of the city and such. Repeating the recruitment scroll's phrases almost ad nauseum. Everything about this woman was disconcerting. For the first time, Javier wished his rounds over as early as possible. He desperately wished to be home. But of course that was not to be. As they continued on, she kept talking. Sometimes non-nonsensical things. Names, places and events Javier could never have known. She wouldn't stop.
"...And some of them have moved on and run their own guilds now. Some I've lost track of. Perhaps they're dead. A shame. Have I told you how this city used to house a guild called the Blackskull Mercenaries...oh my."
Javier had never, ever in his life been happier to see a robbery take place. As it happens, they have apparently come across a team of three men spiriting away several bags from a store front. In that moment all thought of his companion faded into the background and Javier sprinted toward the scene, leveling his lantern onto the less than lawful men. His hand went to his blade, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
"Hold! Stormwind Guard, drop what you're carrying and get on the ground!"
And hold they did. Though not exactly in the manner that our young guard had wanted. They froze in their tracks, looking incredulously at Javier and then to his partner as they continued to hold onto their stolen merchandise. As far as tense moments go, this ranks pretty high up there in Javier's short career. Worse comes to worse, they were two trained guards against three buglers. The odds should be in their favor. However the situation didn't sit right with him. Nothing about this night sat well with Javier. The crooks kept looking back to the woman. Their mouths twisted this way and that. Mouthing words? We're...paid...u--
