Taste of death

you don't remember me but i remember you
i lie awake and try so hard not to think of you
but who can decide what they dream?
and dream i do...

Evanescence - 'Taking over me'

"We are under attack! We're under attack!"

The boy, scared and exhausted ran into the inn, yelling.

""They're coming!The horde...orcs and undead...they're here!"

Laandra almost jumped out of the bed, hearing the screams downstairs, in the hall of the Scarlet Tavern, where she had rented a room. It was slightly after midnight and she had barely managed to get asleep.

Rushing to the window she glanced outside briefly, to see dark forms creeping on the dimly lightened streets of Darkshire. A bell started to toll somewhere in the church.
Fumbling with her clothes, Laandra managed to slip into her battle gear and hurried downstairs, as she felt the sudden wave of adrenalin rising in her blood.

Bursting out of the inn, together with a handful of other travelers, Laandra was stricken by the devastated sight of the piazzeta, bodies lying everywhere. A handful of members of the Night Watch were still battling the enemies, without being able to drive them back. Falling one by one.

This was the end, Laandra thought, desperately trying to figure out a way of escape. But there was none, as the few men that tried to run away towards the wood
were caught and slaughtered as well, their screams for mercy raising through the sounds of the battle.

The attackers had by now gained control over the streets of Darkshire and were surrounding the inn, and Laandra found herself pushed aside from the entrance, to a wall.

"So this is where I make my last stand" she bitterly said to herself. " Funny though how I always believed it would be somewhere in the Outland, in a mighty battle against the demons..."

She hadn't had the time to panic. Not even enough to feel regret. Using the wall behind to cover her back, she threw out spell after spell at the enemies, blasting with fire and shards of ice, until her fingers went numb from summoning, leaving her drained, wasted, barely holding ground.

Then she saw him. The toughest opponent a mage could face, Laandra shivered, if only for a brief moment. A fully fledged undead warlock and his Voidwaker minion. Heading towards her, a skeletal arm raised towards the dark sky of the night. Fear. Utter, terrible fear, drawing away all sense, all reason. Laandra stumbled back, tripping on a stone, as she fought to regain control over herself. A last blast, hardly inflicting any damage upon the magic shielded creature.

That was it, Laandra thought, hands falling sidewards, as strength failed her. At least she got rid of her unwanted duty to find Erieannan Saralonde.

Strange how that should be the last thing to cross her mind, she noticed, as the shadow bolt hit her straightly in the chest. Agony filled every muscle, every tissue ; she opened her mouth to scream and yet no sound escaped her lips. Locked in silence and pain, such horrible pain, her knees gave away and she fell to the ground, spasming uncontrollably.