February Daily Writing Challenge Day 6 - Trauma
TW: Fire, destruction, burns, wounds, scared animals
It was unnerving, all that fighting happening directly across the water from their home. Garren could tell his grandparents were on edge, as were most of the inhabitants of Darnassus. They had been assured, however, that Darnassus was not the Horde’s target and that the fighting would remain in Darkshore and other Kaldorei territories in the mainland. Most of the civilians there had already been evacuated, and the Sentinels, Priestesses of the Moon, and the Druids of the Claw all poured out of the city to go offer their aid wherever needed. Some of the civilians left behind decided to leave until the war was over, but the majority stayed and rallied around each other, trying to keep spirits lifted. This too would pass.
Garren was tending to the frightened animals at his grandfather’s stables, doing his best to calm them with their favorite treats and soothing words. Between most everyone feeling some level of panic and the occasional distant sounds of war echoing its way across the water, the stabled animals knew something bad was happening and seemed restless.
“Shhhh, it’s okay girl.” Teenage Garren scratched behind the ear of one of his grandfather’s nightsabers. “Everything will be okay.”
It was at that moment a deafening *CRAAAAAAAAACK* of smashing wood, followed by ground shaking *WUMP* resounded throughout the entire area, causing the nightsaber to whip around and take off in panic, knocking Garren onto his back. It didn’t take him long to scramble up to his feet as some of the other animals broke free of their stables and made a break for it.
He ran outside to see what was happening, only to witness another few flaming boulders smash into nearby trees, splintering them into thousands of pieces before catching everything in their vicinity on fire. This was the Horde’s doing. He needed to get back home to his grandparents immediately, they would be so worried about him.
But instead, he stood still, frozen in shock as he watched in horror as the barrage of molten balls continued to destroy his beloved home and forest. It wasn’t until one slammed into another nearby tree that he startled out of his horrified state and immediately began to unlatch all the stable doors, whipping them open and allowing all the animals to flee. It was all he could do.
Sprinting through the city, he followed the familiar path home. The sounds of screams were impossible to ignore as everyone ran in different directions; it was mass chaos with no one knowing what to do other than to find their loved ones. Some of the elves were bent over motionless loved ones, others wandered around in confusion sporting various, gruesome wounds they didn't even seem to notice. It made him feel sick to his stomach, but he had to keep going.
Why would they do this?
He skidded to a halt as he rounded the corner of Tradesman Terrace, staring at the caved-in, blazing building that was once his home.
They were okay, they had to be okay.
He ran through the empty space where the door once stood without second thought, immediately holding arms up to protect his face from the roaring flames and heavy smoke. Broken beams blocked his way to the remainder of the house; surely they were there somewhere, tucked safely in the back room probably. He had to get to them. The fumes stung at his eyes and the heat was almost too unbearable, but the only thing he could think to do right now was to find his grandparents, at any cost.
He bent over and scooped his arms underneath a downed, flaming beam that was blocking his way. With a blood-curdling scream, he tried to lift it, causing other parts of what was left of the house to groan and creak in warning. He didn’t even notice the flames licking at his arms and searing his shirt to his chest; none of that mattered right now. He was determined that his grandparents were trapped back there and that he had to save them.
“Son, you have to leave, NOW!” A loud voice called out from behind him, that he completely ignored until a moment later when he was suddenly yanked away from the burning building and dragged outside literally kicking and screaming. “They are evacuating at the Temple of the Moon, you have to go right now.”
Garren looked up at the brown-haired Sin’dorei with hatred and tears in his trauma-filled eyes, immediately slamming both fists in anger against the man’s chest, “WHAT DID YOU DO?!”
Xanelen Deh’lorei caught the boy’s wrists, eyeing the burn wounds and his face with absolute heartbreak, “I am truly sorry.” That was not the face of a man that would fire bomb a city full of civilians. “But you have to go. Please.” Xanelen’s hands glowed a brilliant gold briefly before giving Garren a shove towards the Temple.
Whatever the healer had done gave him a little boost of energy after he thought he would pass out from the sudden scorching pain he felt in both his arms and his chest. He ran, stopping only to help others make their way to the Temple with him. His grandparents would be there, or on the other side of the portals. They made it out, he knew it in his heart.
@daily-writing-challenge
@xanelen
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