Father, father, where are you going

O do not walk so fast.

Speak father, speak to your little boy

Or else I shall be lost,

The night was dark no father was there

The child was wet with dew.

The mire was deep, & the child did weep

And away the vapour flew.

-William Blake

Chapter 4

"...This fog...the clouds...I don't like the looks of this..."

~BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT~

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! THIS IS ~BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT~ WE ARE LOSING ALTITUDE AND WE ARE STEERING OFF COURSE! HQ! DO YOU READ ME?! DAMN IT! I CAN'T GET IN TOUCH WITH HQ!"

"What the fuck happened!? A fucking light just came out of fucking nowhere and all of a sudden we're not in our destination!?"

"How the fuck should I know!?"

"Land ahead! Prepare for emergency landing!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

~BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT~

(Marco's pov)

0024

Who would've thought a trip to the Iraq desert could be so...complicated. a flashing light in the middle of the night that had me and my squad in a unknown zone. Our chopper crashed in a forest cause of the damn fog...casualties: 1 wounded. 1 dead pilot.

Jackhammer, our demolition, had his leg banged up from the crash. Nothing serious but looked like he got it either sprained or twisted. He'll live...the pilot however was dead...not surprised this would happen...

Our medic, Angel, was treating Jackhammer's leg with the med kit she always carried as I hear Jackhammer groaning in pain. He wakes up and was looking around his surrounding...

"Lupe...where the fuck are we?" Jackhammer asks me.

"No fucking idea...where's the F.N.G?" I asked him as I looked around the forests.

"Outcold. No major wounds. Just some scrapes but he'll manage."

"Alright. Angel. Tend to the wounded. I'm gonna scout in this god forsaken forest to see what's going on. Anything happens, signal me. I'll come back here to back you up." I ordered her .

"Roger that, Major." She nods.

I got to the crashed chopper to take the weapon crate off the debris and noticed the pilot's body was no longer on the seat.

"What the hell? He's gone!" I shouted.

Angel rushed towards and she also noticed the body was missing...

"There's no way he could've left in that condition."

"Okay. Change of plans. I'm gonna find out where that pilot is. Watch your sixs til I get back." I said as I took my Dragonov sniper rifle out of the crate along with a couple of ammo clips.

I followed a trail of footprints with my flashlight on that lead downhill and noticed his damaged pilot helmet on the ground. heard groaning...not taking any chances I readied my rifle and began investigating where the noise was coming from...

...

...

...

Sure enough...it was Jackal...shambling like a zombie...

"Jackal?" I asked with legit concern in my voice.

He stops and stares at me with his dead eyes with that feral snarl he had...no...this wasn't Jackal...not anymore...its a husk of his former self...a zombie...as if it had some sort of memory in its brain, it takes the .44 revolver out of the holster and points the gun at me hunched forward and...

*BANG!*

Shot my helmet out of my head as I quickly took cover. It was growling in anger as I hear it shambling towards me.

I put my rifle down as I got my combat knife at the ready and just it got close, I quickly stabbed the zombie on the head and I just kept stabbing it's head as it tried to claw my face. It finally stopped as I did one last stab as it collapsed on the ground. In complete utter rage, I kept curb stomping it's head until it was nothing but paste. I was furious...that guy was one of my brothers in arms and to see him...look like a reanimated corpse...boils my blood. So...I decided to burn his body with my lighter so that he can finally rest in peace...I wasn't aware that the body was twitching and spazing out like it was trying to get the fire out...then it stopped. That creeped me out a bit...

As I got my rifle back, I took the revolver and dog tags that I found near the footprints and headed back to my team. Angel looked freaked out as the F.N.G recovered and got off the ground.

"Lupe! What happened?! I heard a fucking gun shot and I thought you were in trouble!"

I showed her the dog tags and Jackal's custom revolver as she looked shocked.

"I saw Jackal...well...was him..." I said with sigh.

"What? What happened?" Jackhammer asks me.

"I...I was there...Jackal was a reanimated corpse shambling forward like if he was following someone."

"What...?" Jackhammer gasped in shock.

"Shot my helmet off...I had to put him out of his misery and burned his corpse so he can rest in peace."

To prove my point, I pointed to the fire down the hill and they couldn't believe that our former comrade was now a charcoal corpse.

"What the fuck...this is fucked up..." The F.N.G says with disbelief.

"You burned his corpse?" Angel asks me.

"I had to. Turns out the body was still functional even when I curb stomped his head to a paste out of anger. When I burned the body, it was twitching and spazing out."

Now this got their attention and knowing that I kept my stoicism still on, they knew I wasn't making shit up and know that I was serious...not taking any chances, we decided to pack up our guns and went away from the crash site in case those zombies came again.

(Roman's pov)

Earlier

We kept walking on the road when we saw an abandoned village up ahead...ominous but we had to find somewhere safe...so we headed there and I hear fighting going on. We crouched down and quickly hid behind a house when Giovanni saw the fight and told me that he saw a death knight night elf killing a squad of dark rangers. I took a peek and sure enough it's a female night elf death knight cleaning house on the dark rangers and she is absolutely livid. Limbs were being chopped left and right. I saw a flash of light near one of the houses as a male night elf mage appears next to the death knight and he had this look on his face that tells me that he's lost his patience. The death knight notices this and back up behind the mage as the mage uses Dragon's breathe on an entire squad of dark rangers. As expected, they were nothing but charcoal and ashes.

As the flame started to diminish, I hear...

"Roman? Giovanni? What are you two doing here?"

Keep in mind he wasn't even looking at us and there was no doubt in my mind that it was Dante's dad. The death knight looked where me and Giovanni were hiding and she looked like was about to go manhunt mode until me and Giovanni got out of hiding hands in the air fearing the death knight was gonna kill us. The mage turns to us and had this neutral look on his face.

"You can put your hands down. She won't hurt you."

So we did...I was still on edge of the death knight but he seems to know her. He walked towards us and Giovanni says...

"Mr. V?"

Giovanni always called Mr. V in short for Mr. Vera and sure enough...it was Dante's dad...

"Yes. It's me. Tell me. How did you two get here?" He asked genuinely concern.

Me and Giovanni told him that a power outage occurred at our house and that a huge flashing light blinded us and got us here. He nods.

"The same story Dante told me..."

"What?! He's here?!" Giovanni asked in shock.

"Was. He's at Darnassus with my sister. He's in safe hands."

"What? Why did you do that?" I asked him.

"In case you haven't noticed the burnt corpses over there, they were after Dante...I don't need to remind you two what they do to fallen foes since you two read stories about it..."

The death knight looked at Vincent(Yes that's his name.) confused as my eyes went wide in realization.

"They were gonna turn him to a forsaken..." I said with shock.

"Seems that way. Knowing them they'll kill anyone they see to turn them a forsaken...well...if you're lucky that is."

Oh...right...sometimes your food for the undead...

Vincent notices Giovanni as a Night elf and looked quite shocked to see him.

"Giovanni. How are you a night elf?" He asked rather concern.

Giovanni shrugs. He explains the moment he got here he was like this and has no idea how. The death knight on the other hand was not convinced. Vincent notices this and glares at her. I asked him what's up with her...he says this...

"Don't mind my wife. She's hasn't been herself since she was resurrected as a death knight."

WIFE?! Oh god...that means that Death knight is Dante's mom...Jesus...

Dante's mom just glared at Vincent and heads to an abandoned home no doubt doesn't want any part of the conversation.

I just wasn't sure to bring up about how he wasn't going to talk to us cause he was staring at the death knight with a mournful look.

"So you mind explaining who you really are?" I asked Vincent.

"Not yet..."

"Why?" Giovanni asks him.

"Marco is coming..."

Marco too? Shit...

(Dante's pov)

Present

So this was getting weird...I told the night elf my name and the next she told me not to leave that she was getting someone(Probably because she knew my name? Fuck If I know.)...not one minute and she comes back...with another female night elf. She looks the same as the one but looks more of an adult. She looks at me with awe and I will not forget the two words she said.

"It's you..."

"Excuse me what?" I look at her dumbstruck.

She ignores me and tells her kid to leave so that she and I can talk privately. The kid leaves and I was getting really worried...The woman walks up to me and I backed up a bit.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

She's taken aback about this and was not expecting me to ask her...she then said this...

"You...you don't remember me? It's me, Saragon. Your aunt. Vesra." She tells me.

I was going to tell her I have no idea what she was talking about but I was suddenly clutching my head...

I see the same night elves children playing with their toys as the woman I was talking to enter the house and oh boy were they hyped to see her.

"Auntie!" They shouted with joy.

The kids rush down stairs with smiles in their faces and hugged her

"Hey, kiddos. How are you two doing?"

"Good!" They said in unison.

"That's good. Where's your father?"

"In his room."

"Saragon! Dad said-"

"It's alright, Edos. I wanted to talk to her anyway. Why don't you boys go to your room for a minute? This is rather private." My dad showed up with a closed book on his hand

"Okay, dad."

The boys went upstairs and I see dad glaring at my aunt...oh boy...

"Why are you here? To convince me to go back to mother and father?"

"No...I...I ran away...they...they have lost their minds." My aunt said rather scared.

Dad went silent registering the information he got and didn't like it.

"What? What do you mean they lost their minds?"

"I don't know. Ever since you and Olor ran away from home they weren't themselves...mother gave me beating and father..he..."

"What did he do to you? Tell me now!" My dad shouts in the verge of a meltdown.

My aunt's mouth was quivering and was in the verge of tears...she said this...that haunted my dad for days.

"He...raped me."

To prove her point she showed her belly and sure enough she was pregnant...fucking hell...

"No...by Elune...no...this can't be happening..." He said with pure shock.

She cried on my father's chest as he held her tight...I see one of the boys near the stairs and he looked depressed hearing that...

The memory stopped there as Vesra, my aunt, walked towards me...this time I stood my ground and look at her with sorrow.

"Are you alright?" She asked me.

"Yes...I am fine...it's that I saw a memory...you...you were raped and...you got pregnant...I...I'm sorry...I'm sorry if I didn't remember you..."

Vesra stops in front of me with sorrow in her eyes and embraced me...

"It's okay...it's not your fault. Your father erased your memories to protect you."

"I guess that makes sense...but how did you know who I am?"

Seriously...the kid looked shocked as if she knew me and all of a sudden she acts like I know her.

"Your father. He told me of the new identity he gave you...I suppose he also didn't give you another reason why..."

"No? Why?"

She was silent briefly and then she sighs...

"Your grandmother..."

Could she be the one my dad was talking about?

"Oh great...I have a grandmother night elf...what's the worse that can happen?" I groaned sarcastically.

"This is serious, Dante." She somewhat frowned at me.

"Oh I'm serious. I just can't believe my family is complicated as it is." I sighed.

She looks at me that just says "Really?".

"Why is she after me? What have I done to her that would cause her to go after me?" I asked her.

She was silent...then...she drops the bomb...

"Dante...you're a highborne..."

I quickly got out of her embrace and immediately I am shocked to hear her say this...she notices this and realizes that I was not in a mood for jokes.

"Is this a joke? Cause if it is, you are doing a bad job."

She looks away and sighs...

"I'm afraid not...you bear the blood of one of the surviving members of the Highbornes."

"Auntie...Highbornes are hated and feared among the night elves, they-"

She quickly turns around to face me and stops me from going on a rant.

"I know. But we have strayed that path many years ago. Many of us became priests and druids to stray from our heritage. Then there's ones like your father who use their arcane powers to protect the lives of innocent people but keep to themselves away from their people to avoid a commotion."

That last part kind of stung. This reminds me of that time from a WOW story(and correct me if I fuck up.) I read that involved a player who became a highborne and the moment he lost his shit, he unleashed his arcane power and was put to trial. I wonder if that guy ever continued that story...

"I have no intention being some puffed up ignorant noble who thinks he's superior than everyone." I shuddered.

"I can assure you that won't happen. Come with me. We'll talk at my home."

She leads me to her home but stopped when I got a real good look on the place...it was...

"Darnassus..." I muttered.

My aunt noticed my dumbstruck expression and smiles.

"Beautiful is it?"

"Yeah...I read stories about this place. Home of the night elves and a place full of nature..." I said as I looked around.

Seeing Darnassus in real life puts the game's visual to shame...I just can't believe I am actually here...

Sure enough the locals are staring at me with curiousity as a priestess rushes towards Vesra.

"Sister Vesra. Sister Tyrande wishes to see you."

"Oh. Vevanna. You caught me at a bad time."

The priestess notices me and looks at me curiously...

"Oh? Who's this?" She asks Vesra.

"This is my brother's son. The youngest one I told you about."

"Oh! You must be the one called Saragon." She chirps.

I just scratched my head thinking "What am I going to say about this?". Thankfully my aunt stopped me from talking.

"He doesn't remember his past. My brother put him in this form with a new identity to protect him from the...incident I told you about."

The priestess looked shocked...

"Oh...terribly sorry to hear that."

"It's quite alright. Tell sister Tyrande I will be there shortly once I finish getting my nephew comfortable."

The priestess nods and leaves.

"You sure that's a good idea to tell her about me?" I asked her rather worried.

"You needn't worry about it. They know who you are."

"I prefer keeping my identity safe safe thank you very much. For all we know some spy could be hearing this and would be passing information to those assholes who tried to kill me." I frowned.

By the time we got in Vesra's home, she looked at me with a horrific look on her face.

"Who tried to kill you?" She asks me.

"The dark rangers. They somehow caught wind of me when I was warped at Silverpine forest. I was shot a few times by a blood elf hunter and was about to welcomed by the dead when mom showed up and saved my life."

The moment I mentioned my mom, she had a mournful look on her face. She was dead silent for a good 3 minutes but then says...

"Oh sister...you still care about them after all..."

I sat down on a chair relaxing as she asked me if I wanted some tea. I told her cold herbal tea is fine as she went to the kitchen and her kid sat next to me...I was immediately shy to see her cause one she is beautiful and two she was acting like a teenager girl who would sit next to a guy who would try to start a conversation and hoping they would spark a relationship. Yeah...one of those days...I can't even make this shit up...

"Hi...you didn't introduce yourself to me when you ran to Auntie." I said rather shy.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! It's that I didn't think I would see you again after these years. Anyway my name is Viviya."

"Dante. Nice to meet you." I introduced myself to her.

Vesra came back with the cup of tea I asked for and gave it to me. As I was drinking my tea, she tells me(and I shit you not) I had a crush on Viviya when I was 8 and she was 8 as well and I would kiss her in the cheek and I was always embarrassed about it...my mind freaked out as if it was Jontron screaming "WHAT!? WHAT THE FUCK!?" cause she just said that out of nowhere and I was shocked to hear her say that...apparently this got Viviya embarrassed too as she she didn't want to hear that too.

"Moooooooom!" She whines.

"Sorry I can't help myself but it's true. You two liked each other when you were kids." She giggles.

I'm gonna have a word with dad about this...cause this is fucking ridiculous...