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| - The sun beamed brightly in the sky, sending rays of warmth across the landscape. It was the town of Southshore, bustling as always, and the bright orb in the sky helped the dockworkers unload a fresh load of cargo which had come all the way from Menthil Harbor. Beneath the dock, the water lapped quietly against the posts which held the structure aloft. Seagulls flew overhead while a few others, too fatigued or lazy to fly any longer, bobbed along the water in the distance, like white specks floating gently with the waves. While the dockworkers strained with their shipments and sailors exited the ship, a figure lay at the far end of the dock, alone. The figure was a male, dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a white tanktop. His arms were brought up behind his head as he lazed on the wooden planks and his eyes were closed. Resting upon his chest was a large, black, leatherbound book. The Battles of Stromgarde: Realities of a Struggle was the title of the book and the volume was open wide and rested gently on his chest. The fellow was not nearly as strong or built as the dockworkers who hefted their cargo a few yards away, but he wasnt a slouch either. His hair was longer and a fiery red that stood out against everything else. A leather strap pulled most of his hair back behind him and a long ponytail, which could be guessed would hang down to his middle back, splayed itself against the wood. The lads face was clean shaven and bare and his skin possessed a tan hue of a fellow that spent too much time out in the sun. His eyes were still shut and a wily grin crossed the youths face. He appeared to be in his mid twenties. Not much older. The youth wore no shoes and instead periodically wiggled his toes as he lay, thinking on something, or sleeping lazily. For the love of God Archin youre going to get yourself killed! a voice boomed over the man lying on the dock. A shadow fell over him as another man, presumably a Southshore guard, loomed over him. The sleeper opened one eye, squinting due to the brilliance of the sun on a cloudless day, What? he replied quietly. Those dockworkers hate when people clutter up the dock, lad! And you look like nothing more than a bum sitting on the dock! If they come over and start trouble with you, I wont be stoppin them! the guard replied with a smile. Archin rolled back slightly, kicking his knees up toward his chest, and then rocked forward onto his feet. Deftly catching the book in his hand he rose and shook his head. His long, fiery hair whipped to and fro behind him, Come on, Nils, theyre not going to start with me. Im a Dalaran Mage, after all! He flashed a cocky grin and winked. You might be a Dalaran Mage in Dalaran, Nils replied, but youd be fodder to a bunch of angry laborers right now. Archin smiled warmly and chuckled, placing his hand upon Nils spaulder, I know Nils, Im just having a little fun. Are you on duty right now? The guard nodded slowly and raised a hand to his thick, brown beard as he gazed down the lane through Southshore, I sure am! Archin winked at his compatriot, Need a deputy? Not necessarily, Nils said wryly, but you can come along, if youd like. The two men strolled down the center road of Southshore, which exhibited the tendencies of a bustling port city. Men and women walked the streets peddling wares while children dashed to and fro, playing street games and pranks. The young Dalaran Mage and the older Southshore guard conversed openly, with Archins arms waving wide and prominently as he told an account of some historical story he read. The Alliance was at war, but merely in the opening stages of war. Life was still somewhat normal in the cities and villages that were on the outer areas of Lordaeron. The wind from the sea blew through the city, sending papers, feathers, and seeds from plants as well as the ever present flitting through the air and peppering the backs and fronts of those that traversed the trail. the fact of the matter was, Nils, that the battalion was overconfident when they fought those trolls! The trolls were more battle, and they were hell bent on success! Archin slapped his palm against the front of his book while he told Nils a story of a doomed Stromgarde brigade. Overconfident, eh? Nils mumbled as he looked at his younger compatriot. Aye! Overconfidence is the undoing of so many people! Archin smiled enthusiastically as he spoke, energy and excitement seemed to linger upon every word he spoke, I see it in Dalaran all the time! Those Mages, He leaned closer to his friend and whispered quietly, theyre too full of themselves to even pay attention- to the world around them. Its sad. It really is. No one is perfect. Nils nodded to his friend and waved to a passerby, before glancing back at Archin, Well lad, youll learn that once you hear that youre perfect too much, youll start to believe its true. Ive lived in Southshore all me life and Ive been close to Dalaran, and theyve always considered themselves better than me, thats for sure. The younger Brey shook his head quietly and stared at the ground, Its a sad state of affairs, really, with a sigh he glanced around, his fiery ponytail whirled in the air and swung itself over his shoulder and trailed down his chest, Ill be different, Nils. I wont think like them. Ive seen how unfair it is. Hell, Im nothing special! My folks worked in Stormwind, but theyre not noble or anything like that. Just hard working and good people. Nothing to be ashamed of, yknow? Oh I know Archin Nils replied quietly as his gaze fell on a circle of young women huddled outside of a small shop, say Archin I think that girl there is looking at you The young man whirled around in a far too noticeable fashion and looked at the trio of girls, one in particular, a dark haired girl that was probably in her late teens, dressed in a beautiful blue dress, blushed and waved at the young Mage. My word she waved at me! Archin muttered as he turned and looked at Nils. The Southshore Guard grinned, So go say hi to her, Archin. Im sure you get that all the time. Youre a strapping lad, as good looking as he is intelligent. Archin chuckled, grabbed Nils arm, and yanked him into a nearby tavern away from the women, That may be so, but Im all thumbs around women, Nils, and besides I really dont have much time for a relationship. Well make time, Archin. Im sure you can work it in to your schedule! Nils grinned and winked. The two men rounded a table and sat at it. After politely asking for two dwarven stouts, Archin leaned forward and shook his head, Nah to be courting a woman while learning pyromancy is hardly a life suitable for a woman. Besides he flushed quietly. Youre shy Archin. Nils smiled, amused. Yeah, maybe a little. The adept chuckled, You know, I can argue down anyone, speak about anything, but get this heart pumping a bit faster on account of a beautiful woman and Im all thumbs. Most men are like that, Archin, not just Mages. Nils winked as the drinks were delivered and took a draught. The two chatted and conversed for minutes, though they carried on like two old friends. Archin told crude jokes and slapped his hand on the table, letting out a guffaw and clapping his hands after the punchline. A smile radiated from his face, and from behind his brown eyes the energy of youth radiated, with a hopeful and positive gleam. Eventually, the barmaid returned to the gentlemen and requested who was paying for the drinks. With a wink at the girl, Archin gazed at his friend, I was buying but he is paying, miss! What?! Nils laughed as Archin shrugged. What? I told the cute girl that I was buying but you were paying. Isnt that how it works? Maybe in Dalaran, Nils said with a smirk, but not here you rascal! Ill tell ya what, Archin said as he leaned over the table and placed his elbow upon the wooden surface, Ill arm wrestle ya! Best two out of three! And the better man doesnt have to pay! Nils chuckled and slammed his larger arm on the table, Youre not a Mage at this moment, you cocky bugger Archin playfully looked at the waitress and then back at Nils, Remember Nils, Im a friend first then Im a Mage! And you, my friend, are going down faster than a Mountain Giant in the Maelstrom My youth just one of the simpler times when I could not care a wit about anything else, but just my friends and having fun. I guess Ive grown up. Or fallen down. Nils I remember him so fondly. I miss him. What an irony. Im a historian. The only history that I hate to study the most at times is my own
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