Chapter 11

Transcendence
Chapter 11: Shady Rest
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Dustwallow Marsh
The sun was rising slowly over the miasma that was wrought by the swamps of Dustwallow Marsh. Its thinned rays shining down on the wet and muddy land which is all that makes up the swamp. This eternally hot, wet and muddy marsh is one of the most hazardous regions in the entire of Kalimdor, far worse than even the Barren's. Not because of the heat, but because of the inability of any who venture through to find suitable place to rest and the land itself is a traveller’s nightmare.
Narrow banks of slippery mud are all that separate the endless stagnant pools and algae-choked channels. The wilderness is a dangerous path to take for a traveller, and even the well-travelled paths are treacherous to those who use them. For any traveller that makes the mistake in thinking that the thick, wondering bogs of the marsh to be solid land may find themselves swallowed up by it, and to have themselves trapped below by the plants that settle on the surface of the briny water.
But it is not only the marshes and the land that makes it deadly, no, for the creatures that make it their home are the true dangers to any who venture within. A haven for beasts who crave the wetness and humidity, for beneath every pool and behind every bush lurks a predator ready to strike any unsuspecting prey. The hundreds of shallow pools that comprise the marsh hold creatures ranging from ambushing packs of Raptors to territorial water-loving Murlocs and even the undead are said to make this place their home, both ghoul and ghost alike.
Indeed, the waters teem with aquatic creatures of all sorts, everything from alligators to eels. Poisonous snakes hang from the trees, and some of the larger specimens are known to drag the unwary up into the branches.
But amidst this foul place there are only two respites one may use to secure suitable accommodations and safety from the wilderness. The First was the Isles of Theramore located on the eastern coast of the marshes. Then there was the only other settlement in the entire region, a small town of only eighty people; built around a small Inn which brought about its name sake - Shady Rest.
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Shady Rest
Ichigo and Adelina walked into the town known as Shady Rest, and Ichigo was surprised by the sight he was seeing. Dozens of large brick and mortar houses were lined up down the only street in the town, which was a simple dirt road that led towards a large Inn.
Dozens of people milled about around the town, either going to work, going to the stalls to buy food or other ware, or simply just walking about to stretch their legs. Ichigo felt like he had travelled back in time somehow. Gone back to the days of Knights and Castles; although based on what he has seen already, this possibility was partly true. He felt like he was still back on earth, the culture and the people here were so similar to the European nations about a thousand years ago.
As much as it was surprising to be in such a place, it was also very nice to be around humans again. Although he had no problem with the Elves or Adelina, it was just good to know that there were people here that actually looked like him.
They moved through the streets with impunity, only drawing the occasional stare from a merchant who wanted to sell his wares to them, but all in all there was little to no surprise among the people of him walking through the town.
As they walked towards the Inn on the far side of the town, Ichigo noticed several soldiers pass by, wearing grey and brown tunic and gear along with swords at their waists and shields on their backs with a strange stylized QR symbol carved on them. He brushed it off as the town militia. He could see a lot of shops that had food and other consumables available, which was good, Ichigo and Adelina could take some time and resupply here and maybe even stay the night.
"I've never seen a human town before." Said Adelina. Looking at the different buildings and multitude of stalls that were selling everything from food to clothing in wonder.
"Yeah, it's quite a sight, isn't it?" replied Ichigo.
"I know; I have never seen houses and buildings like this before; it's so different from how my people make them." She said, staring up at the large two story house of to her right.
Ichigo kept his eyes on the ever expanding Inn ahead of them.
It was huge, easily three times as large as the houses that were around him and with its roof, nearly three stories high, and if he was lucky then they could get a room for the night and not have to worry about trudging through the swamp.
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Ichigo pushed open the Inn door and came to a large patio which had a desk on the far wall and two entryways leading to two different areas of the Inn. The one of the left led towards a stairwell on the Inn's outermost wall and the right led to the large open dining hall.
He could hear the patrons laughing and singing inside, the sound of mugs clanging against one another and the feint aroma of well cooked meat and vegetables, which was making Ichigo's mouth water at the chance to have some.
Ichigo was brought back from his thoughts as a young woman walked up from behind the desk. She had long blonde hair; she wore a red shirt under a brown vest and a long ankle high skirt and slippers. She had a serene smile on her face as she greeted the latest visitors of the Shady Rest Inn.
"Greetings travellers; welcome to the Shady Rest Inn." She said, smiling all the same as she took in the dishevelled appearance of the two people in front of her. "My, it would seem you are in dire need or rest and food, and also maybe a bath."
Ichigo and Adelina liked the sound of that. A nice warm bath to get rid of the foul smell that seemed to have accumulated over the last week and a half will be heaven.
"Do you have any rooms available, and maybe a bath we could use?" Asked Ichigo.
The hope in his voice not lost to the woman who was serving them. She smiled and giggled to herself.
"Of course, we offer the best in Kalimdor." She said, turning around and pulled a key off a nail on the wall. On it was the number sixteen. She handed it to Ichigo and then continued. "The room will cost you three gold coins a night, which also comes with a complimentary dinner."
Ichigo pulled out three gold coins and handed them to the young woman and she placed them in a small lock box before shutting it and placing it under the counter.
"Your room is just up the stairs and on the first floor; they have a small bathing area where you can wash up." She told them. Ichigo nodded before he and Adelina moved off to their rooms. "If you need anything just ask for Lynn Hyal."
Ichigo waved and thanked her.
----
They both walked up the stairs to the first floor and found a long hallway with ten doors; each one had a bronze plate with a number on it. They moved quickly and found their room at the far end of the hall.
Placing the key into the socket Ichigo unlocked the door and pushed it open. Inside could only be described by one word: beautiful. The room was spectacularly decorated, two large beds were along the right hands side wall and passed the far wall was another adjacent room. There was a small table in the middle of the room and several chairs, a wooden bowl of fruit was placed there and several oil lit lamps were hung on the walls and illuminating the room in a golden hue. Several water-paintings and portraits with many unique ornaments decorated the wooden panel walls.
Ichigo moved into the room and towards the entryway on the far side. He entered and saw a wooden screen concealing a large finely carved stone bathtub, and on the shelves were many assortments of soups and body oils. Ichigo could see a small fire pit next to the tub to warm the water as it is placed in the bath. He was eager to just fill it up and then start the fire and take the rest of the day to soak in the warm waters but sadly he needed to deal with some things first.
They needed food, water and, if possible, a place where they could get their clothes washed and cleaned. They had enough money and travelling through the marshes would be hazardous, but with enough time they should reach Theramore in three days easy, two and a half if they were quick enough.
Ichigo put his satchel down on the bed and found Adelina on her own bed rolling around the sheet like a dog would. As much as she was an odd person, she was fun to be around. Ichigo could not help but chuckle at her antics.
"Come on Adelina, let's get some supplies and then we can see about getting some food." The Night Elf stopped her rolling and shot up off the bed and followed after Ichigo.
They both left and Ichigo locked the door behind him.
----
"We're nearly there Ichigo, just a little while longer and we're in Theramore!" Exclaimed Adelina, to which Ichigo nodded.
And all the more closer to getting back home. And when he did he was wondering what the hell he was going to say to everyone when he got back...
His paced slowed as he thought about that. He didn't exactly know if everyone was alright. The last time he was there everyone was in the middle of a battle with the Espada, there was no telling what was going on back home. He didn't know if everyone was alive or dead, he didn't know what happened to Nel or Orihime when that Espada threw him through the portal and into the Twisted Nether.
He could feel his fear starting to swell. He had no idea what he was going to face when he got back home. He didn't want to return to know that everyone he wished to protect was gone and all those he cared about were lost.
He was pulled from his thoughts when a hand enclosed around his own. He looked up to see Adelina slightly ahead of him leading him towards the stairs, a happy smile on her face and none the wiser to his inner turmoil.
"Come on Ichigo, let's look around! I want to see what kind of things this town has to offer." cheered Adelina, a broad smile on her face and the carefree attitude at full blast, which seemed to light up Ichigo's own morose one.
Ichigo let the young Night Elf Druid pull him down the stairs and out of the Inn and led him around town. It would do some good to allow his mind to wander rather than to think about what may be happening back home, only dark thoughts would greet him if he did.
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The town was as he would expect it to be based on what he read in history back on Earth. Simple brick and mortar houses with wooden roofs and architecture reminiscent of European design. He could make out most of the scripture on the stalls, although what really told him the main purpose were the items being sold: cloths, food and other items of general interest were being sold across the street.
He wondered what kind of cultures the rest of the races of this world held? If he wasn't so quick to return home he would have thought to stay a while longer...
He shook his head. He didn't come out here to mope in broad daylight.
Ichigo stopped by a stall selling several fresh fruit, as strange as it was to see bright vibrant fruit in the middle of a dull and somewhat grey swamp. It was still good to see something that he could eat without having to worry if it was off or not. He could see all assortments of fruits: Apples, Pears, Watermelons, Pumpkins, and even Bananas. He was almost willing to jump and buy as much fresh food as he could, but knew that he had to keep himself under control.
No need in buying a horde of food if you're only going to be staying somewhere for a few days. He opted to just wondering around town for a bit and seeing the sights, as few as there were there was still some interesting things to see.
A large stone carved fountain was in the middle of the town's main street, on it was a carving of a man with a large sword in hand and a baby cradled in his arm, at the base of the pedestal he stood upon was a plank. It read 'Auduin Lothar, Lion of Azeroth, one of the greatest Warriors and Commanders the Alliance and Azeroth has ever known.'.
Ichigo had no idea the significance of this man.
But based on the fact that these people would go and had a statue of him built in a small town in the middle of a swamp, where only these people would likely see just showed that he was a very prominent historical figure and worthy of any and all praise.
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For the next hour they moved around the town and viewed what it had to offer. To Ichigo's amazement, there was a stable in town, just behind the Inn and packed with large and strong horses that from what he learnt could care him and Adelina to Theramore. Ichigo spoke with the Ostler and learnt that two horses would cost him twenty gold coins, but he would only be renting them, as the stables in Theramore and Shady Rest are both owned by the city. He could rent the horses and then he could ride them to the city at his leisure, but after he got there he would have to hand it back. Luckily he wasn't going to be taking the horse with him back to Earth.
Ichigo and Adelina returned to the Inn by midday, the sun was reaching its full height and both Ichigo and Adelina wanted to take a bath and then get something to eat that wasn't a piece of fruit on some un-buttered bread. Quickly they returned to their room, and both rushed for the bath.
After an awkward halt as the side of the tub Ichigo decided to let Adelina take the first dip. She practically squealed when she heard it and without warning started to undress. Flustered and having trouble holding back a blush as she slowly pulled down her skin tight leggings, revealing thin and delicate undergarments, that clung to her well rounded rear.
"God dammit, don't get undressed in front of me!" Yelled Ichigo as he raised his hand over his eyes.
Adelina looked back at him as her trousers were at her ankles and she went bending forward in an almost alluring manner.
Quicker than a Raptor that would leap onto a deer, Ichigo twirled on his feet and rushed out of the bathing area, all the while trying to fight down the blood that quickly rose to his head and remove the impure thoughts that were circling in his mind. All the while a certain occupant in his head was goading him into going back there and giving a certain blue haired, purple skinned woman a sponge bath.
He fought against both the thought and the insults to his manhood and was able to win but not before being called a 'pussy' by one of his two tenants.
While Adelina had her bath Ichigo decided to sort out his gear and other belonging he had on his persons. First he pulled out the different vials of potions he had with him. Seven remained: two rejuvenation potions, one Mana potion and four Anti-Venoms. Luckily he didn't have to use any. He then pulled out five empty water satchels and what was left of the food they had, which included a single slice of bread and half an apple.
"It was pure luck me and Adelina ran into him out in the Barrens. If we didn't, we probably wouldn't have found this place and likely would have been starving by now." Murmured Ichigo.
Ichigo grabbed his coin purse and emptied the contents onto the table. He then started counting the gold and silver coins. Eventually he came to the total of fifty eight gold and seventy silver coins, which would likely earn him quite a bit of money back home. He pressed on and started pulling out the armour he had acquired from Dire Maul, and to say that the armour was eccentric and varied would be correct, as each piece he had had a different colour and design.
The first was the Chest-piece, a red painted hard plated steel with gold trim, that can cover his entire torso easily as wells as over his shoulders and down his arms to his elbows.
The Leg-guards were yellow plated steel over chain-mail with dull blue trimming, which covered both the legs up to the ankle and had thick plates along the joint to prevent an attack from dislocating or breaking a person's leg if struck.
Then there were the Shoulder-guards: large bile green pieces of plated metal. The guard meant for the left shoulder had a more pronounced neck guard and layering than the right, offering more protection to the head and the arm, likely due to that fact that the left arm was usually the standard shield bearing arm.
The next pieces were the bracers, which covered half of his forearms from his wrist up. They were grey metal cuffs that fitted to the arms with leather straps fitted inside the metal and were thick, likely to be used to block an incoming strike if needed.
Then the gauntlets were brought out, maroon red in color with an intricate design on the back of the hand. Ichigo could feel a strange energy move its way through the metal, small sparks of purple energy jumped out at him as he brushed has hand over the steel. They easily covered the bracers and offered even greater protection to the person's arms.
The boots were simple metal greaves, which looked grimy and in need of a good clean, but sadly that would have to wait for later on.
The final piece was the cape, a long cloak of light blue cloth with gold and purple trimming that showed off intricate lining and stitching. Although the purpose of the cloak wasn't made clear to Ichigo, he didn't mind the design.
As he was finishing examining his new gear and the contents of his satchel, he didn't notice Adelina had finished her bath and was leaning over Ichigo's shoulder. Before he could realise she was there and make himself scarce she made herself known.
"Are you going to try them on?" She asked, resulting in Ichigo practically leaping from his seat and onto the opposite side of the table and crumbling to the floor.
Adelina watched in surprise of her own at her friend strange reaction to her question. She looked over the table and watched as he slowly got back up.
Ichigo moved to yell at her for sneaking up on him but his words were caught in his throat. He looked at Adelina to see that she was in nothing but a bath towel, which covered her bust and just barely hid her womanhood. Ichigo watched in silence as the blood rushed to his face and turned it deep scarlet. There was a silence between them for a short while, Ichigo finding it hard to form a coherent sentence and Adelina having absolutely no idea why Ichigo was staring at her and why he was going all red.
"Ichigo are you alright?" She asked, walking around the table towards the Substitute to see if he was alright.
As she stood in front of him, Ichigo's head was almost eye level with the bottom of the hems of her towel, and he felt a small trickle of blood run out of his nose.
"I-I-I-I... F-Fine!" He stammered out as he shot up quickly and turned away from the indecent Night Elf, who could only be confused by his strange behaviour. Normally he was stoic and very composed. "J-just put on some cloths!"
He walked towards the bathing room quickly and like a robot, leaving a confused Adelina to think why he was so nervous all of a sudden. She never saw anyone act so strange before. When she was at Stonetalon Peak no one acted weird with her. Although they didn't like her because of her lack of talent, but they never acted strange when she just walked up when they weren't noticing. She looked down and couldn't understand what was so wrong.
All she was doing was standing there in a towel, so what was so… The thought came to her and slammed into her harder than a swing of a tree in the hands of a Mountain Giant, she was only wearing a towel. She felt her face heat up at the thoughts that must have been going through his head. He probably thought she was trying to mate with him... The embarrassment returned tenfold as she thought of that. She brought her hands to her face and mumbled to herself.
She liked Ichigo but not in that way... She just didn't think about it... She didn't think he would have minded so much... As long as she was covering herself properly no one really would care...
She quickly looked around for her cloths and remembered that she left them on the bench. She rushed over to where she left them, discarding her towel to get dressed as quickly as possible. She rushed through the door and stood in front of the bench. Looking down she searched through the cloths and found her undergarments: a brown leather pair of underwear and a bra.
She stretched the former before she raised one leg up to put them on, when she heard something. At first it was incoherent and undecipherable; she couldn't understand what it was. Then she realised it sounded like choking... But what could be choking? She turned her head to see the source of the noise and froze instantly.
Sitting in the tub was none other than Ichigo, his features morphed into a mask of pure shock, his mouth gaping and his eyes doing the same in their own manner. His face was so red that it made a strawberry look pale in comparison.
The sound of dripping accompanied the sound of Ichigo choking on his own attempts to speak. From his nose ran a trail of blood that was dripping off his chin.
As much as he was shocked, Adelina was mortified. She had just ran into the bathing room and in complete view of Ichigo, naked in all her glory, and once more been caught trying to put her pants back on. All she could do was chuckle nervously before she grabbed all her cloths and rushed out the door. A deep blush on both their faces, and in the case of a certain Night Elf, a pair of knickers around her left ankle.
For Ichigo the shock of what just happened didn't evaporate as quickly as Adelina had left. When she had entered the room he was going to shout at her to leave, but when she was practically butt naked in front of him he kind of lost his ability to speak. Also there was something more than just the fact she was naked that forced him to halt his words in his throat. As much as he didn't want to admit it, as much as it made him feel like a pervert, he had to admit Adelina looked good. She was beautiful in form, most definitely, her body was well toned and without a single ounce of fat on her at all, she had the figure that would likely drive any man back home wild.
Both his hands flew to his face when he thought about that. He needed to stop thinking about such things, he wasn't that kind of guy, and he didn't look at naked woman and admire their bodies when they weren't looking! He wasn't a pervert!
His hands slowly moved down his face and fell into the warm water; he really didn't have the energy to deal with this right now. He had enough on his mind without trying to keep naked purple woman out of them. Again he groaned as his thoughts went to places he didn't want them. He took in a deep breath before he slid down into the tub and under the water. He needed to clear his head and get something to eat and hopefully this little happening wouldn't come up again.
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Ichigo raised himself from beneath the water's surface and took in a much needed breath. He felt a lot better now that he could be clean and not covered in dirt..., or sand..., or little pesky insects... He never knew the outdoors could really be like that. But all he had to do was put up with a horse ride from here to Theramore and then he could stay at the Inn at his convenience and not have to worry about having to trudge through swamps or walk across deserts, or fight his way through rain forests.
He lifted himself from the tub quickly and dried himself off, making sure that Adelina wasn't anywhere near the door as he did so. Having one see the other naked was bad enough, but having it both ways could cause all sorts of awkwardness.
He finished drying his hair when he noticed that there was a mirror in the room. He gazed into the perfectly made piece of timber and glass and noticed the most recent scars to accompany his already large collection. Although there were many recent scars that easily blended in with his others, there were two that stood out compared to the rest.
One on his stomach and the second on his left shoulder; both of which were delivered by the same person. Prince Tortheldrin, when the Elf knocked him to the floor and impaled Ichigo onto it and when he made his last ditched effort to finish the substitute off, only able to wound his shoulder.
As much as the wounds had been healed, they easily stood out from the rest of them. His stomach had a three inch long scar just beside his navel which had been perfectly healed but still remained in an almost freshly sealed-like state. Then there was his shoulder, the flesh had been morphed into a distorted mess, with bumps and course as sand paper it stood out uglily on his shoulder. He now knew what it was like not having Orihime's healing ability at his disposal was like.
"Kurosaki-kun…"
He thought for a second he heard her whimpering voice in his ear. He shook his head quickly to clear the thought.
I will come for you. Promised Ichigo.
He will return home and he will find her and he will keep his promise! He will not allow anything to stand in his way!
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Quickly he got dressed and put on his tattered pants and sash before placing on the coat he picked up from Dire Maul. He would use this for now, but when he got back home he might test out that armour. It might actually come in handy when he got back. He doubted it would hold against a Cero but still it might actually give him the boost he needs in a tough situation.
And maybe he wanted to know if he would look any good in it.
He quickly moved out of the bathing area and saw Adelina sitting on the bed and staring off at the far wall, mumbling to herself in her own native tongue. Although he had little idea what she was saying, he could guess she was rambling about walking in on him in the bath.
"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of insanity." Said Ichigo, who was right behind her, and decided to surprise her the same way she did him.
And like that time she leapt off the bed and landed on the floor. She looked up at Ichigo with a surprised expression on her face that quickly turned away and went a deep shade of pink from the previous embarrassment that had occurred in the bathing room. Ichigo see no need to embarrass the poor girl further decided to speak up and put the whole mess behind them.
"Listen; don't worry about what happened in there." Ichigo said, running his hands through his hair and walking over to the table to pick up his coin purse. "It was an accident and you probably didn't know what you were doing."
"So, you don't think I was trying to mate with you?" Asked Adelina hesitantly.
She really didn't want Ichigo to get the wrong idea that she was trying to court him and become his mate, which would really be bad in her case.
She was too young to be someone's mate; she couldn't bear a child while she was only fourteen years old. Then the thought came to her, maybe he just wanted her, the thought made her both blush and become nervous. She hoped she didn't upset him by rejecting him, he was nice but she wasn't ready for such a commitment to someone she didn't know all that well.
Evens someone like him... She couldn't do it.
As she watched his head snap towards her and the gobsmacked expression on his face told her that he had no idea that her actions could have suggested what she had just mentioned. He stood there staring at her for a moment with a faintly similar expression as he did when he was in the bathtub.
"W-W-W-W-What?! No! I-I-I don't want to become your mate!" Said Ichigo, shock clearly evident and his arms waving in front of him in a disarming gesture. He had no idea what was supposed to be going through that young girl's head but still! Mating with her?! What hell is wrong with her! "There nothing wrong with you-I mean you're a nice girl and pretty-Wait-no, your not-I…- I can't think straight!"
Ichigo slumped down onto the bench and took in a few quick breaths to calm himself down. This really wasn't what he was expecting from Adelina. He really had no idea about how her culture worked... What kind of person asks you to be their mate? I mean sure that might be some sort of bond of marriage or engagement but it sounded so lewd coming from what he could see were some very civilised people... Well as civilized as a bunch of warrior woman living in the forest.
For the next few minutes not a word passed between the two of them, both reeling from what had been seen and said.
Adelina was happy that she wouldn't have to become Ichigo's mate; after all she was way too young for that. She didn't even know when she could actually do something like that. But she never really thought about it before. She never really thought about being with Ichigo like her mother and father were. I mean she had never really thought about it...
Never...
She has never thought about his muscles and strong and handsome features, never...
Ichigo was recovering from the next heart attack he had suffered in the span of fifteen minutes. He really couldn't deal with this stress at the moment, he needed to just unwind and clear his head. He looked down at the purse in his hand and knew a way to do that. He hooked it onto his sash and turned to Adelina, who was still on the floor and appeared to be having a heated debate inside her head. He didn't know and nor did he want to know the contents of that meeting, so he simple nudged her and she sprung back to life.
"Come on." Said Ichigo with a sigh, motioning Adelina to follow him. "Let's go get something to eat, that way we can forget about this whole thing."
Adelina could only nod to his suggestion. She needed to clear her head as did he about that whole incident. She got to her feet and followed after Ichigo out the door and down to the main dining area of the Inn. As they moved past the main desk and into the tavern they saw many more patrons inside and the aroma of cooked meet permeated the air. And as quickly as they had entered the tense air between the two quickly evaporated. Ichigo and Adelina took one of the few remaining tables and sat down facing one another, no more than a minute afterword's were they approached by a waitress.
"Hello, welcome to the Shady Rest Inn, can I get you anything?" She said politely with a smile.
Ichigo thought about it and realised there weren't any Menu's.
"Uh, what do you have?" He asked.
She paused for a moment to think before replying with a kind smile.
"We have several kinds of steak, ranging from Crocolisk, Lion, Wolf and Kodo. We serve that with some boiled potatoes and some vegetables."
Ichigo looked on for a moment and wondered what Dinosaur tasted like. Although he wasn't one to experiment he decided to wing it for the moment.
"I'll have the Kodo steak, with the potatoes and the vegetables." Said Ichigo.
The waitress nodded her head and turned to Adelina.
"Um, do you have anything that isn't meat?" She smiled nervously, not sure how to talk to people offering food to them.
She didn't want to seem impolite by not accepting what they have.
"We have fish and some dried fruits if you wish, would you like the Bass?" Said the waitress, to which Adelina smiled and nodded. The waitress returned the smile and nodded. "I'll return shortly with your meals."
"Thank you." Said Ichigo.
As the waitress walked off Ichigo and Adelina descended into another awkward silence, which wasn't uncomfortable just a little boring considering.
"So… why don't you tell me about yourself?" Said Ichigo, to which Adelina looked up at him, cocking her head to the side. She had already told him that. "How about the Druids, why don't you tell me more about them?"
"Well, Druids are similar to you in a certain way..." Said Adelina. "You said Shinigami are balancers between your world and the afterlife, Druids are the same, but instead of use balancing souls, we maintain the balance of life on the mortal plane and that of the Emerald Dream."
"What is the Emerald Dream? I remember Quintis telling me about it." Asked Ichigo.
"The Emerald Dream is a completely separate dimension. In fact it is almost an exact copy of this world, except that instead of it looking like this, it is a verdant rainforest populated with all sorts of magical creatures." Said Adelina, bliss was the only word to describe the expression on her face as she spoke of it. "In fact, it was said that Azeroth once looked the same before the Great Sundering and the rise of our civilization and that of the Trolls. As it is said that it would have been Azeroth had no sentient being ever rose to alter its surface."
"Wow, like a parallel reality..." Murmured Ichigo.
That was something he didn't expect. A place that shows what would have happened if no intelligent life rose up from the primordial muck. It would have been beautiful he had to admit.
"The Dream is also the domain of the Green Dragonflight, and the Aspect Ysera the Awakened." Continued Adelina, now replacing her bliss was almost reverence. "She is a mighty Drake that watches over the Dream and with her flight maintains the balance in that world, while we do the same here."
"You talk like she is your god or something..." Said Ichigo.
"We wouldn't go that far, but yes, the Druids and the Cenarian Circle venerate her, as she is a patron of life and balance in the world, and also the foster mother to Demi-God Cenarius."
"Yeah, he was the guy who taught the first Druid, Malion Stormage, or something like that..." Said Ichigo. This made Adelina frown at his improper recollection of their first and the most revered Druid in the entire world.
"His name is Malfurion Stormrage; please try to remember his name. To say something like that to a Druid would be highly disrespectful..." Chastised Adelina, which made the side of Ichigo's lip curl upwards.
She was kind of funny when she tried to be strict.
"Yeah, sorry but I tend to forget names sometimes." Said Ichigo, his small smile never leaving his face as he apologised to the Druid in front of him.
Before Ichigo could continue however he felt something bump into his chair. Looking back he saw a small brown leather ball on the ground. Picking it up he didn't have to wait long to discover who had sent it his way. A boy probably no older than nine ran up to him with a big smile on his face, he had short blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Sorry mister, I didn't mean to hit your chair." Said the young boy.
But Ichigo simply smiled back at him and handed the ball back, and a moment later Lynn Hyal came around with a serving tray and handed Adelina and Ichigo's meals to them.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Little James, I told you not to play inside." Said Lynn, to James who by now Ichigo realised was her son.
"It's alright, no harm done, right James?" Said Ichigo, shooting him a grin which made James do the same.
And then a third person came into the picture, a large man with dark orange hair and a goatee to match. He picked James up and placed him on his shoulder before saying.
"Hey son, what are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be playing with your friends outside?" He said, a large grin on his face that now seemed to be genetic as the son he was holding had the same one on his face.
"But I like it here, I like it when everyone sings!" Cheered the boy, several nearby patrons heard this and almost instantly a song broke out.
"He'll bring you Mead…" Said one man to Ichigo's right, raising his glass up, which was slowly followed by several others in quick succession.
"He'll bring you Beer…" Now half a dozen joined in on the song, raising their tankards high and swinging them around.
"A smiling grin from ear to ear…" The entire bar was joining in now, the jovial song making everyone laugh and joyful without the need to consume food or drink.
"He'll serve us from year to year…" Now the young boy was joining in, exclaiming the song loudly while his father laughed at his antic and his mother smiled heartily at her son.
"We call him smiling Jim!" Everyone exclaimed loudly before cheering and clanging their mugs together and taking a swig, all the while the man himself simply laughed at their antic, with his son still on his shoulder and calling for everyone to do a second verse.
Ichigo looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but smile at the atmosphere that he was in. It was peaceful and full of life, he never expected a place in the middle of a swamp and desert could be so joyful and full of life. He couldn't help but join in on the song that seemed to be a part of this tavern, and with every word he brought forth he felt his anxiety and worry lift itself from his shoulders.
----
It was nightfall in the town of Shady Rest, the people have returned to their homes, the stalls have been closes and the only people who haven't are those who still remain within the Inn in which the town took its name after. Still singing loud and strong and drinking and eating as if their stomach were not already filled with mead and meat. Ichigo could only compare it to a frat in a university, where everything was a party. But instead of it being a massive house crashing thing, it was more of a family-like affair. Just friends and family in a house and having a good time, chatting, talking, singing... It was great; he really never had anything like that before.
For now Ichigo and Adelina had retired to their room, having finished their dinner and had a long discussion on Druids and the Cenarian Circle. Ichigo was now trying his hand at getting his armour on. Although he wouldn't admit it out loud, he could see the benefits of having armour. It offered much more protection against slashing attacks than anything else, and also even though it might not save him from getting cut apart by a Zanpakutō it might prevent him from having his stomach slashed open by one.
But there was also the fact that he wondered if what Shikil'hi said was true about the armour. Could it really make him stronger? And also he wondered if what he would look like if he put it on. Call it childish but he wondered about it all the same.
Right now Ichigo was trying to put on the damn Leg-guards. They were simple chain-mail under steel plates, the chain-mail was easy, the plates not so much. They had to be meticulously reassembled from the ankles up. And since there were so many pieces, putting them in the right order was a pain in the ass, he hadn't even put on a single piece of armour yet and already he was ready to just give up on the whole exercise and just stick to what was left of his Shihakushō.
"What's wrong?" Asked Adelina, as she walked in to see Ichigo throwing a piece of armour plate onto the table in front of him in frustration.
"How in the hell are you supposed to put on this armour, its freaking impossible!" Exclaimed Ichigo, clearly annoyed with his inability to reassemble the armour.
Even though it was simple placing them back on where they were meant to be placed, it could be difficult sometimes.
Adelina moved over to him and looked down as the different pieces of armour. She admired the gold colour of the slightly worn metal, and she picked up the first piece and wrapped the metal around his ankle and tied it off with the leather strings along the back. Ichigo looked a little surprised by her action. He may not think she was much of a fighter, but he had no idea she was any good with putting on armour.
"Don't worry, I'll help!" she said cheerfully, before picking up another piece of armoured plate and wrapping it around his shin.
In three minutes she fully covered his left leg and was now halfway done on his right. He was honestly surprised that she knew how to assemble the armour. He guessed that using leather and plate wasn't that different from one another. Soon both legs were covered and all that was left was the codpiece. As soon as she held it up and moved to attach it, Ichigo backed up and held up his hands in an almost defensive manner.
"I-I-I'll just do that one myself!" He stuttered out, a little nervous about a woman handling him around his manhood.
She stopped momentarily to blink and then looked down at the piece of metal again and then where it was meant to go.
A blush covered her face as she handed it to Ichigo and then backed off a little. Obviously she was so focused on assembling the armour that she didn't realise that she was going somewhere a person shouldn't touch. Especially someone who wasn't their mate or lover... Definitely not.
Sighing in relief that another awkward and obviously sexual situation had been avoided, Ichigo clamped the piece over his private area and looked down at the assembled piece of golden armour over his legs. He walked around a little and found that his movements weren't as restricted as he thought they would have been. The metal was light enough to allow good range of movement and also didn't weight him down as he thought it would.
With that finished he moved on to the rest of the armour. The chest-piece stared at him intently, a solid piece of steel armour, although it looked like a solid piece of work the metal was flexible enough to allow one to put it on with ease. He slid his head in through the opening and then his arms through the slot on the side. It was a bit bulky for him sadly, obviously designed to fit someone a bit large in bulk than himself. But Adelina quickly changed that. At the back and front the armour had an adjustment mechanisms that allowed the armour to be fitting almost perfectly with the user. This allowed the armour to be worn without having to have it reforged and also improved the density of the armour.
Ichigo twisted and leaned side to side to test the chest piece flexibility, like the leg-plates he was surprised by its nimbleness. Again he admired the work these people put into their armour. They were obviously more advance in armouring than the people back in his world.
Next came the shoulder-plates. The large green pieces of metal were placed on his shoulders and fitting into his armour with straps and clamps on the interior of the plates. Once they were on he could feel them on his shoulders. He wasn't surprised that they weighed a bit, but were actually lighter than they actually appeared.
He turned to his left and right and was glad that they didn't prevent him from looking over his shoulder and to his side. Having a blind spot can be deadly. A quick sent of rotations from his hand helped him test the shoulder-plates. They didn't interfere with his range of movements, as the metal plates that flowed down the lengths of his arms moved up and down and didn't interfere with his movements what-so-ever.
Next came the bracers, boots, girdle and gauntlets. Each was simple to put on and adjusted to fit, and eventually all that remained was the cloak. Which Ichigo tied to neck guard of his armour and let it flow down his back.
Ichigo stood before Adelina in his prime, like a Warrior from the times of Knights and castles. She couldn't help but stare in awe at the Warrior before her. He looked like one of those great Alliance warriors she had always heard about.
"Wow, you look so dashing..." She said, her mouth open in awe of the man before her.
Ichigo could only chuckle lightly at her compliment, he was just glad that there wasn't another rise in the awkward situation as before.
Ichigo tested out his armour as a whole and found something odd. He didn't know how but he felt stronger. He lifted up Zangetsu, the blade had always felt like a feather in his hand but he could tell that he was definitely stronger than before. He took a few swings of his Zanpakutō and found that he was right. He wasn't what one would call faster, but every swing had a lot more power behind it. He felt the air actually displace a little with every thrust and swipe of Zangetsu.
He guessed Shikil'hi was right, this stuff is really all that. He could only imagine what he could do if he was back at full strength and in Bankai with this stuff! He could probably go toe to toe with that Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.
He smiled at the thought of getting that bastard back for putting his hand through his chest. Ichigo's hand subconsciously raised itself over his heart. He remembered the pain that rushed through him when he felt it pass through his chest and into his heart. The feeling of slowly going numb and passing out into darkness and then nothing.
It wasn't something he liked thinking about, the cold numbness of death that awaited him after he dies as a Shinigami. He shook of the memories of that day. He needed to keep a clear head and keep calm, when he got back he wouldn't have time to sit around and see what was going on. He would need to react immediately and get back into the fight.
Another downward swing from Zangetsu was performed; a small amount of dust was blown away from the ground beneath the blade. Ichigo had a stoic visage and his eye intently bore into the wall before him, as if staring through it and toward an occupant that resided on the other side. He had a mission and he would see it to the end.
Ichigo raised Zangetsu up and placed it behind his back, the cloth coiling around the crescent blade and holstering itself to his back. He looked back at Adelina and sent her a cocky grin. He had a goal in his mind and now he was going to see it to the end, and he knew that nothing was going to get in his way when he did it.
A startled cry from downstairs took his attention away from Adelina and towards the door. He didn't know what could have caused that. He looked towards Adelina and without saying a word both quickly ran to the door. Pulling it open they heard another startled scream before it was silenced with a hacking sound and then a loud thump.
Ichigo's eyes widened when he realised what he had just heard was a scream and then a body being hacked apart before hitting the floor. He charged forward leaving a startled Night Elf to catch up. Leaping down the stairs he landed to get to the ground floor quickly, to find the body of a man at the foot of the stairs. His back had been cut open as he had tried to flee.
He heard another scream, a young boy. His eyes widened before he charged into the room. There he found several bodies littering the floor, pools of crimson began to form around the bodies, their blood departing their now lifeless vessels.
He looked up when another scream resonated through the tavern. He looked up to see Lynn Hyal and her son Jimmy cowering in the corner as a large Tauren loomed over them with a sword in hand. It raised the blade over its head ready to strike.
"No!" Shouted Ichigo, charging forward and gaining the Tauren's attention.
The Tauren turned to see Ichigo charging forward and instantly slammed its sword down, this time its target the Substitute rather than the two defenceless family member huddled in the corner. With speed defying what thought possible, Ichigo drew Zangetsu and blocked the strike. He was surprised to find that the strain was no what he expected it to be. Tauren's blade weighed down on his Zanpakutō but it was less than that of what Drekhve could perform.
He was stronger.
Ichigo flung the Tauren's blade off his own and then slashed at him, forcing the Tauren to leap away or be cut in two. Ichigo forced the beast further away from the family with another swing of the sword, aiming for its stomach.
The Tauren leapt away quickly and Ichigo attacked again, this time stabbing towards its heart. Tauren raised its solid steel shield to block the attack, but regretted it as the blade made contact. The Tauren actually skidded along the ground from the force of the stab.
Ichigo attacked again and Tauren raised its shield to hold back the attack, but when it made contact, he twisted Zangetsu into a flat angle and pressed the edge against the side of the shield and flicked it outwards. The shield and the Tauren's arm shot off to the side leaving the beast wide open, which Ichigo exploited by cutting off the Tauren's arm, causing the bull to roar in pain before Ichigo delivered a severe uppercut to its chin.
The Tauren was lifted off the ground and slammed onto its back. Ichigo loomed over it with Zangetsu, and he found himself restraining himself from attacking. He didn't want to kill this person, he wasn't a killer. This Tauren was sentient and had rational thought, he couldn't kill him without it being murder. But he had killed all these people, how could he not kill him? How could he not put this bastard to death?
But if he did he would be no better than him, he would be just like him: killing for no other reason than because of anger and hate. He couldn't kill him because he wasn't human, he would likely be no better than the person he is killing then.
Before he could rationalise the situation the Tauren's body was ensnared in veins, they wrapped around its body and arms, immobilising it on the ground and keeping if from rising and continuing its attack. Ichigo looked over to see Adelina near the arch looking on in shock at the slaughter that had taken place. She took notice of the shocked and whimpering forms of Lynn and Jimmy Hyal in the corner and rushed over to them. Ichigo stood over the Tauren as she did watching him for a moment.
"Are you alright, are you hurt?" Asked Adelina, speaking with the woman and child.
They both shook their head, to which she breathed a sigh of relief.
But then the sound of explosions and screaming could be heard outside. Ichigo looked out the nearby window and saw that the entire street was on fire. Taurens were everywhere, attacking people, killing everyone who isn't of their race.
Ichigo scowled as he saw the slaughter that was taking place before him, no one deserve to die like that. He turned and looked at Adelina and saw that she was helping the whimpering family to their feet.
"Come on, we need to go!" Said Ichigo in a hasty manner, moving towards the door while Adeline led the traumatized mother and son to the door. "Adelina, I want you to take them somewhere safe. Get as far away from here as possible, and don't stop until morning, can you do that?"
"But…" She tried to start, but Ichigo pressed all the harder with his command.
"Can you do that?" Pressed Ichigo.
For a second she was hesitant to speak, she didn't want to leave Ichigo's side, and she didn't want to go around the swamp without someone who could protect her, but she knew Ichigo wanted to protect people.
She hesitantly nodded to his command. He would remain here and save as many people as he could and then he would come and find them. She brought the mother and son closer and quietly told them to stay close to her.
Ichigo went to get the door, but as soon as his hand touched the handle the door and the wall around it exploded with fire. Ichigo flew back and slammed into the desk behind him, smoke covered the now open entrance to the Inn. As Ichigo rose to his feet he saw light on the other side of the thick black smoke, but it wasn't orange or red from the fires, but blue and crackling. Too late he realised as a bolt of electricity shot out of the smoke and struck him dead centre of the chest.
He felt the electricity travel through his body and knock him off his feet. He was knocked through the far wall and into the kitchen of the Inn, and slamming through a brick support in the centre of the room he crashed into the doused oven and finally collapsed onto the floor. As he crashed into the stone floor he felt his vision go black, and then many bricks collapse on top of him with the rest of the roof above the kitchen. The last he heard was Adelina screaming his name as blackness engulfed him.
----
Adelina watched in shock as the wall of the Inn was obliterated by a powerful magical attack. She couldn't see through the smoke, but she saw that the attack had only dazed Ichigo. She was relieved that that was the case. But she lost her composure when an arc of electricity shot out of the smoke and collided with his chest.
She watched in muted horror as he was thrown off his feet and through the wall. The sound of many crashes could be heard before she finally found her voice.
"Ichigo!" Her exclamation had roused no reply, except from the source of the lightning. Emerging from the smoke appeared a Tauren female, wearing robes of black and green. In her hand was a staff of black wood and a silver coin headpiece.
Adelina raised her staff to attack but before she could she was brutally cast aside by a wave of wind that was brought about by a wave of the Tauren Shaman's hand. Adelina flew through the air and out the nearby window, and she crashed into a wooden building just outside the Inn. She felt it collapse on top of her, and as she landed she felt her vision go black as unconsciousness took hold. Her last sight was through the Inn window as the Tauren advanced on the mother and son with its hand alight with flame, and the sound of innocent people screaming.
----
The sun rose over Shady Rest the same as every other day since it was born. Slowly, with the marsh fog obscuring it from view, but the only difference in today's rise, was that the horrid smell of the bog was accompanied by another smell.
The smell of soot and cinders, of burned down houses and people, blood was also thick in the air, for it saturated the soil like a twisted morning dew. These were only a few signs of what had occurred last night: a massacre. Not a single thing moved, not a single thing stirred, all that was here were the dead, destroyed by Taurens that had attacked it without reason or provocation. And now all that remains is a smouldering remain that was once Shady Rest.
Slowly the sound of frogs croaking and insects clicking in the swamp took over that of the still burning ruins of the town, and as fast as the tragedy happened it would be forgotten by nature as if it had never transpired. But then the rustling of wood was heard over the sound of the wildlife, and outside the Inn a single hand freed itself from the confines of the wooden tomb it was imprisoned beneath.
Slowly more of the persons form became clear. Damaged green and brown leather armour came into view, a head of blue hair and long purple ears, and a long silver and gold staff. And soon above the pile off wood was the panting and injured form of Adelina.
She lost her balance and tumbled down the side of the pile and hit the soggy ground below, picking up dirt and ash on her already ruined clothing. She yelped in pain as she came to a halt, the pain of what had occurred many hours ago had not left her just yet. She slowly shifted herself onto her back and placed her hand on her injured side, a small trickle of blood could be seen soaking through her cloths and onto the ground.
She took in slow calm breaths as she focused her power into healing the wound. Slowly he felt her restoration magic seal the wound and rejuvenate her depleted body, in a matter of minutes she was ready to walk once more. But that was all she could do at the moment... Using her staff she limped her way out from the side of the Inn and to the now ruined streets.
She looked on to see that the once beautiful town had been all but reduced to ashes, all she could see were the still burning timber frames of the houses that once made up this town, and the people who once lived in it were either dead inside or dead on the street. Their bodies brutally hacked apart and their corpses burnt to cinders, leaving behind almost horrific visages of who they once were. The smell of freshly burnt bodies still hung in the air.
Adelina couldn't help but empty her stomach as the sight and smell of such an atrocity. She collapsed to her hands and knees and let what she had consumed last night be expelled from her body. She remained there panting and choking on the bile that was still rising in her throat that had yet to be expelled.
She tore her vision away from the streets and in the opposite direction, when she opened her eyes she saw the Inn.
Completely destroyed...
The first floor had been completely eradicated, leaving nothing behind but the ground floor and much wreckage. As she gazed at the sight of the building shambles, her fear of what happened to Ichigo made its way back into her mind. She quickly rose to her feet, fighting off the wave of nausea and dizziness in favour of finding him. She rushed to the Inn as quickly as her legs and staff could take her. She hobbled through where the front door once resided and was now only an opening which once had a large wall.
She moved further inside and passed the broken and charred remains of the front desk, passing through the collapsed wall which Ichigo fell through, moving around collapsed remains and charred pieces of debris trying to find where he could be.
She arrived in what was once the kitchen. It was nothing but a dump full of wreckage and soot. She looked on ignoring the thick burning smell around her, looking for any sign of Ichigo.
Then she found it, on the ground under a collapsed roof support was Ichigo's sword. The horror of what she was looking at made her want to break down and cry at that very moment.
Was he truly gone? Had the only friend she has ever had departed this world? She raised her hand to her mouth and fell to her knees, tears were welling in her eyes and the pain in her heart was starting to ache all that much harder. Her eyes still focused solely on the Zanpakutō that Ichigo wielded.
She looked at the dirty blade on the ground, covered in soot and debris and all that was clean was the white cloth attached at the back of the hilt. She followed the train of the cloth until she saw it hide underneath a pile of rubble to her right. But as she saw this, she realised something.
The cloth can extend itself between the sword and the wielder no matter the length, which means... Ichigo was under the rubble!
She jumped to her feet and rushed over, using her hands to pull aside the brick and fallen wood to find what lay beneath. Whether it be the corpse of her friend or his still breathing body, for so long she dug. She felt like she had done it for hours, but minute had only passed. So wrecked with fear over what she may find beneath the bricks she was almost hesitant to continue digging in fear of proving that Ichigo was truly dead.
She halted when she found it, the maroon red gauntlet with the white cloth wrapped around it's cuffs, and for a while she did nothing more. She simply stared at the immobile appendage before she slowly started to dig once more, revealing his entire arm, and then the green shoulder-guard, and finally a head of orange hair.
She continued to dig and dig, removing every piece of stone and dirt that covered his body. And eventually he was free from his prison of mortar. Lying face down on the ground and completely still, she used what strength she had to push him onto his back and gasped at the wound that was on his chest. His armour had taken the brunt of the attack that had sent him through the wall.
But still the charred and blackened chest-piece showed that the attack was not completely negated. He was lucky to have survived an attack like that, if he was not wearing his armour, he may have been killed when he was struck. She placed her hand on his chest-plate and she felt her heart leap when she felt the slow and even heaving within his chest.
He was breathing and alive, but she didn't know for how much longer. She needed to get him out of here, it was too dangerous to stay here. She took hold of his shoulders and dragged him out of the Inn, taking nearly twenty minutes to go fifteen feet, and she set him on the ground.
"I have to get to Theramore; I have to get him to Theramore." She kept saying to herself, like a litany she chanted it continuously, thinking of how she was to accomplish such a task. Then it came to her. "The horses!"
She rushed over behind the Inn, hoping to find the stables intact, but only found a similarly burnt down building, and not a horse within that wasn't burnt alive. She cursed and shouted into the air.
What was she supposed to do?
A neigh caught her attention; looking to her left she saw a single golden brown maned horse grazing on a small patch of turf just outside the town. Adelina stared at it for only a moment before she slowly crept up towards it.
She quickly reined in the stallions and led it back to Ichigo, grabbing a saddle and whatever reigns that had not been burnt she place them on the horse and then did the same with herself and Ichigo, who was sitting in front of her. With a quick snap of the reins the horse took off through the streets of the once populated town, passing the scorched houses and denizens. She offered a prayer to Elune for their passing, but she knew that they deserved justice for the crime that had been committed here.
She focused on the path ahead of her. She had an idea where she was going; she just hoped that she reached Theramore by nightfall. She didn't want to stay out in this swamp while Ichigo was so hurt, she hoped he woke soon.
Chapter 10	Chapter 12