Tag: Shrouded Dawn x 58

The fire was working at keeping back the chill in the air. Outside, rain could be heard tapping against the windows and the rooftop. Looking through the glass, the two youngsters sigh dramatically at how uninviting the weather outside was. 

“I’m bored,” Banagan said, leaning his head against the glass. “Why can’t we go outside?”

“Because it’s too wet,” Korissa answered matter-of-factly. “We’d get all muddy if we did.”

“I don’t care,” Banny grumped. 

“What would you do if you could go outside?” Braghaman asked as he sat in front of the fireplace, reading through a stack of papers that had been delivered to him earlier in the day.

“I’d play,” Banny answered defiantly. 

“Doing...

The logs crackled in the hearth as the fire continued to burn itself out. Braghaman took a sip from his cup and then rested it back on the arm of the couch. Next to him, Niviene shifted a little bit as she slept against his arm. Bragh smiled and gently reached over to pull the blanket back over Niviene and then kissed her on the head. The priestess smiled in her sleep and then snuggled in again.

Braghaman returned the smile. Then he turned his head and glanced back towards the stairs. All was quiet in the house. The children long ago had fallen asleep.

The paladin turned back towards the fireplace and picked up his drink to take another sip. After he’d finished his bourbon, Bragh sat the cup back down. Looking back to the sleeping...

Braghaman used his shovel to finish filling the small hole in front of him. Straightening up, he cast a glance around at Raven Hill Cemetery to make sure that nothing had tried to approach him while he’d been digging. Everything was safely at a distance. The paladin knelt down and moved the mace that he’d placed on the ground beside him and pulled over a leather bag. Opening it up, he pulled out a small, stone panel. He placed the stone next to the hole and then stood slowly.

It read ‘Faris’.

There was the cracking of a branch behind the paladin, causing him to grip the shovel tightly and turn around. Braghaman relaxed as he saw Eric walking towards him.

“Was he there?” Braghaman asked as he reached down and picked up the...

The taps of Braghaman’s hammer echoed along the road into Darkshire. He put the last nail flush with the wood and then stepped back to look at his handy-work. The frame of the window was repaired and the panes of glass were set in properly. Bragh hooked the claw of of his hammer into his belt then put his hands on his hips. 

“Good work, commander.”

“Thank you.” Bragh turned to see a woman standing at the entrance to the academy’s courtyard. He recognized her as a parent of one of Niviene’s students, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember her name.

“Maybe you missed your calling as a carpenter.”

“That’s possible. I’ve used a hammer for both.”

“Hopefully they’ll increase the patrols on this side...

Braghaman stood on the overlook, gazing down at the Stormwind docks below. Ships were steadily coming in and settling in as sailors and dockhands busied themselves with tying off the boats to the moorings on the docks. No sooner had a boat been secured than people started to disembark. There was a steady stream of people, mostly Kaldorei, walking on the docks and heading towards the ramp that led to the main parts of Stormwind.

The paladin hooked his thumbs on his belt and quietly started to count the people who were getting off the latest boat. Ultimately deciding that the number was too high, he shook his head and gave up. Reaching out, he rested his hand on the butt of the haft of his war hammer, which was sitting on the ground...

*THWAK*

“Good shot.  Do it again.”

*THWAK*

The sound of wood striking against wood echoed through the yard. Braghaman stood to the side and watched as his son swung his short mace and struck the side of the post that had been recently planted in their yard. The wooden head of Banagan’s mace hit the post high and came to an abrupt stop.

“Good. Now hit lower.”

Banagan brought his arm back and swung hard again, this time aiming lower on the post. 

*THWAK*

“Shouldn’t I try to hit them in the head?” Banny asked, pausing in his attacks and looking at his father.

“A lot of the time, sure,” Braghaman replied. “But if you keep attacking the same spot, the other guy is going to expect it and they’re more likely...

Young Banagan looked out the window into the back yard and watched as his father spoke with a dwarf. He couldn’t hear what the adults were talking about, but he could see them gesturing to a thick wooden post that had been driven into the ground near the cats’ enclosure.  After a few more minutes, his father handed the dwarf a coin purse. The two shook hands and dwarf left. Assuming that things were done outside, the young boy went to the back door and stepped through.

“Who was that?” Banny asked as he walked over to his father.

“That was Mr. Stonehammer. He came here to do some work for me.”

“What’s this?” the six year old asked, going over to the post to get a better look at it. The wood had been sanded down, and...

“See? Right there! I told you!”

The imp hopped up and down, pointing at a spot on the ground next to a tree. Banagan moved through the woods and came to stand next to Voltuk. Kneeling down, the warlock picked up a few pine needles and looked at them closely through his mask. Letting out a sigh, he let go of the needles and let them drop to the ground.

“You are certain?” Banagan asked as he slowly stood up and looked through the trees. In the distance, he saw a familiar house.

“Yes,” Voltuk said. “He was right here. Watched him like you said.”

“He must have been watching the whole thing.”

“Who are you?” a voice asked.

Banagan turned to see another figure step out of the shadows. His dark leathers blended in...

(Collaborative writing with Niviene)

It took several minutes before silence finally reigned in the Larethian household. Having finished their nightly story, Banagan and Korissa were picked up and carried to their respective beds. Soon after, Braghaman came down the stairs and walked back into the living room where Niviene was still sitting on the couch. Placing his hands on the back of the couch, the paladin leaned forward and kissed the priestess lightly on the cheek.

“The kids have been tucked into bed,” Braghaman said triumphantly with a grin.

She smiled up at him, her fingers unconsciously going to the braid that hung down at the side of his head, “You always were better at that than me. They’re glad you’re home. I’m...

The shadows were deep, almost tangible as they seeped between the trees. In the distance, eerie howls could be heard echoing through the forests as if they were greeting the night that had fallen across the land. A lone figure stood in the shadows, blackened armor blending with the darkness but not quite completely, as if the armor were too dark for the shadows to contain. The only light cast from this lone sentry were the two points that shown from his helm. Two red points that seems to have a fire burning deep in them. The eyes stared intently through the trees, keeping watch on the home in the distance.

“He has returned home,” a cold, metallic voice said calmly, quietly. “Finally.”

The armored figure stopped...

Braghaman slid off the back of the gryphon and looked around the landing area. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned to the gryphon handler and handed over a few coins for her troubles. Lifting his rucksack from the ground and slinging it over his shoulder, he stepped out to the road and looked down at Darkshire.

“Welcome back commander.”

Braghaman glanced to his left to see one of the Nightwatch walking towards him. The paladin turned and nodded to the guard.

“Thanks. Glad to see everything is still standing. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”

“Not really. Had a hog break out its pen and run for the woods.”

“Don’t expect you’ll see that one back,” Bragh said with a shake of his head and quick...

Braghaman was tired. He sat on a bench to the side of the room, his back resting against the wall behind him. His head drooped slightly and his eyes stared at the floor as he attempted to listen to the meeting going on around him. It was hard to stay focused, though, and his mind would go blank from time to time, which when noticed caused the paladin to give his brain a “mental shake” so that he could try to catch up on what had just been said.

The battle at Hope’s Landing had been a long one. The Eredar and their demonic allies had pushed against the defenses there for several hours. There were some injuries, both minor and serious, before the enemy was eventually repelled and forced to retreat. There had been one casualty. And...

Braghaman stepped next to a group of Draenei on the teleportation pad. His friend, Heradus, glanced at him and nodded, a slight smile on his face, before he turned to the one at the control panel. Braghaman looked down and closed his eyes, tensing up in his neck and shoulders. He’d been told that it was no different than using the portals in the mage tower in Stormwind, but the paladin was convinced that it felt different. He heard the switch get thrown and tensed up a little more before the blinding light flared around him.

After a moment, Braghaman felt his boots hit the ground. Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Bragh opened his eyes and looked around at the scorched setting of Argus. As he looked around,...