Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Last Breath	By : kalla Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 5528 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: World of Warcraft, Azeroth and the concept of Blood Elves and Trolls within the universe are not mine. No money is made from this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Thank you to those of you who have voted and/or reviewed! I like to know that others are enjoying reading my work as much as my boyfriend and I have enjoyed writing it!

Full Disclaimer:

World of Warcraft is not mine, nor are the concepts of Trolls and Blood Elves within the World of Warcraft setting. The Setting of Azeroth is not mine.
Tshion, my Blood Elf Paladin, IS mine.

Jelah, the Troll Mage, belongs to my boyfriend and is used with permission.

Part of this story is/has been Role-Played in game and out.
The title is inspired by Evanescence, "My Last Breath".

The chapter titles are inspired by The Last Dance, "Once Beautiful".

I claim neither song to be my own.
This work is purely for archival/entertainment, and no money is being made from it.
Thank you for reading!
VIII. Remind Me How to Smile
“No.”
“I've been good for a week!”
“No.”
Jelah growled, crossing his arms. The splint on his wrist had been removed, and his leg was no longer elevated, but none of the Healers had said anything close to resembling indication that he could stand up.
In fact, considering his femur was still knitting, he was to put no weight on it at all. Since his other ankle, which had since been discovered to have been fractured and not just sprained, was still splinted, allowing the mage to stand was preposterous.
“I can't stand this much longer,” the mage all but whined.
“Well, then stop pyroblasting mad Warchiefs' faces and then getting attacked by walls and floors,” Tshion said, without heat, but without pity. He was busy running a sponge down the leg not splinted, trying to ignore the nasty bruise where the Healers had popped his leg back into his hip.
Since he had arrived, and had a long talk with the Healers once Jelah had been given a sedative after they'd talked, he had remained at the Shado-Pan Monastery to help care for the mage, volunteering to do anything short of actual Healing, his own connection to the Light in that regard very weak. The other bed in the room had been moved closer so Tshion could hear any call during the night – or whenever the paladin got any sleep, close enough that Jelah could reach out and touch him if need be.
He knew the enforced idleness was driving the mage out of his mind, but there was little to be done. Tshion had left long enough to procure a deck of cards, a few of his journals and scribing supplies, and a few of the mage's personal items as well to help alleviate the boredom. They learned the pandaren's game of jihui, ironically from not only some of the monks, but others who came to check in on Jelah – including Vol'jin, to the shock of them both.
The new Warchief had only come once, and the visit had many purposes, one being to speak with Taran Zhu regarding Hellscream's fate, but also to keep up on his mage and the odd mate he had chosen, unsatisfied with the reports he had gotten from others who could move through the world freely. He seemed more satisfied with Jelah's progress after witnessing it for himself.
Unfortunately, Jelah still spent much of his time staring at the ceiling, unwilling to sleep as much as he was supposed to.
Tshion began to suspect he had stopped taking the sedatives that were supposed to send the mage into a Healing sleep, and on learning that Jelah had in fact only taken them when he was tired, threatened to make sure they got into his system in more creative ways.
Tshion could tell that the mage itched, horribly, to get out of bed and move around, and perhaps actually be allowed to bathe on his own for a change, but the Healers had quelled that idea with a look – one pointed look at his leg, and then his ankle.
“I have to get out of this room, Tshion,” Jelah pleaded as Tshion bathed him nine days after he had been brought to the Monastery. “I can't stand being like this. There must be something that can be done...”
Tshion paused in the act of dipping the sponge into the basin of hot water. “I will talk to the Healers,” he said quietly, squeezing the sponge out and working on the mage's abdomen. “I will see what we can arrange.” He noted the troll was thinning out, and frowned. He knew the mage was eating, he saw to it himself, though he made certain that the monks knew that he was a disaster waiting to happen in a kitchen. He could brew teas and tisanes, but other than boiling water, he was mindful not to offer aid in cooking. He did, however, work the fields and offered fresh vegetables and fruits from his own tiny plot in Halfhill when he could.
True to his word, he spoke with the monks the next time Jelah slept.
“We could bring him to the courtyard for a while,” one of the burly pandaren mused. “On a day with fine weather.”
“He loves a good view,” Tshion offered. “Is there a place he could look out on Pandaria where he won't be in danger of falling off a balcony?”
“There is such a place, of course. The courtyard has many places, in the gardens.” The pandaren tapped his chin in thought. “How to get him there...”
“I.. I could carry him, if it is not too far.” The Healer leveled him with a long, appraising look. “It is not far, and as long as we had a comfortable place for you both, would be a pleasurable way to spend an afternoon. I'll arrange it for you, on the next warm day.”
Tshion bowed to the Healer. “Thank you, very much. I think it would greatly improve both his spirits and his temper.”
“A raised spirit heals better, that is for certain,” the Healer agreed.
Two days later found Tshion helping Jelah into a silken robe that would be just warm enough for the troll. One of the monks carried a pair of cloaks and some extra blankets out to the courtyard, where an area had been set up for them. Once he returned from the task, he returned to lead them to it.
Jelah was a bit too gangly for Tshion's liking, but he was able to lift him, so long as Jelah had his arms around the paladin's shoulders to balance himself.
“I could have cast something to make me lighter,” Jelah offered as Tshion lifted him from the bed.
“No magic for you for a while, Jelah. You need every bit of your reserves to go toward that regeneration of yours,” Tshion grunted back. He knew most of the weight was due to the splints, and having one leg splinted straight made the mage a bit more difficult to manage, but he didn't complain.
The monk led them out of the room, down a short hall, and out a set of doors to the courtyard, where it was clear which direction their destination lay. They turned to the left, and found a lounge and a comfortable chair with a table between them, facing outward over a balcony where a scenic view of the mountains and the sea lay before them.
Tshion carefully set Jelah down on the lounge, and helped him arrange himself until he was comfortable, then draped a light blanket over him. Some thoughtful soul brought them a tray of honey-sweetened ginseng tea and light finger-cakes.
Tshion and Jelah thanked the monk, who grinned at them. “Taran Zhu's orders,” she replied as someone else brought a third chair from a cluster of them nearby. “He will be joining you for a little while, if that is satisfactory?”
“He would be welcome, of course. We are on his grounds,” Tshion replied. The monk bowed again and left them alone.
Jelah stared out at the landscape, breathing deeply in the cool, fresh air. Tshion watched him, closely, and could see the tension draining from him, just from being in a different environment.
True to the monk's word, Taran Zhu did join them, not long after they had settled. He didn't stay long, and he kept the conversation light, at least until he prepared to take his leave.
“Tshion, might I have a word with you?”
“Of course.” Tshion stood with the monk, and brushed Jelah's shoulder as they moved back toward the doors leading back inside.
“I wanted to thank you for your help in restoring your comrade. You have done more here than many who have passed through.”
Tshion shook his head. “I'm only doing what I should be. It is we who should be thanking you for your aid.” He looked eastward, frowning. “Especially after-”
“You did not have anything to do with what happened in the Vale. You were there, fighting, where it counted. You risked much more than even you are aware of.” Taran Zhu looked back toward Jelah. “And nearly lost something you yourself are not aware of.”
Tshion bit his lip. “We had to take the risk, and he … took a greater risk still,” he started, but the monk shook his head.
“Have you searched yourself while you have been here, caring for him? Have you seen what it is you may have lost?”
Tshion looked confused. “I'm not sure what you mean.”
“Ah, so you have not seen it for yourself, yet. It will come, in time. Perhaps at a time when you are not looking for it, or thinking about it, it will come to you.” The pandaren bowed, and slipped back inside.
Tshion returned to his chair, and picked up his half-finished tea, looking thoughtfully at Jelah, who looked slightly agitated.
“What is it?” the paladin asked, finally.
“I dislike being idle,” Jelah sighed, sipping his own tea. “I feel like I need to -do- something.”
“In time,” Tshion said softly. “You're recovering remarkably well, according to the Healers.”
“It's not enough, though. While I enjoy your company and appreciate all you've all been doing for me, I feel as though I need to do something more,” Jelah muttered. “I don't feel like I should just be laying here.”
“The only thing you need to be doing, Jelah, is healing.”
Jelah's free hand curled into a fist, then uncurled again. “I am no longer in pain, isn't that enough?”
“Until your leg and head heal? No. It isn't. I'd rather not risk something worse happening because you tried to do too much too quickly.” Tshion reached over and touched the troll's arm. “I prefer you whole, healthy, and cheerful. If I could do more, I would, seeing as it's because of me that you're like this.”
“No,” Jelah said, sharply, turning his head. “No, don't you dare blame yourself for this. I was the one who made the decision. I was the one who cast the spell. I was the one who tore his gaze away from you. I'm the one who worried you, and I … I made you think I was dead, Tshion. How can you stand to be around me?”
Tshion stared at him, an incredulous look on his face as he mouthed the last words. He stood up, setting down his cup, and crossed to the lounge, taking Jelah's cup from his hands and setting it on the table as well. He perched carefully on the edge of the lounge so he wouldn't disturb Jelah's leg, and leaned towards him. “How can I stand to be around you?” he breathed. His hands lifted and pulled the troll's head closer to him so he could kiss the mage, startling him. It was meant to be short, fierce, and a statement.
It turned out to be fierce, desperate, and much deeper than intended.
Oh, and it was also a statement.
Jelah's arms lifted and pulled the paladin closer, returning the kiss once the shock of the action faded. His hands curled into the fabric of Tshion's shirt, but didn't move otherwise. Tshion led the dance, one hand running down the back of the mage's head to brush against the area shaved bald where a network of abrasions and open wounds lay beneath a smaller bandage taped in place, his fingertips glowing faintly with the Light's energy. The other hand drifted down to the troll's back.
They separated only for the need to breathe, and without a word, dove back in at the same time. One of Jelah's hands drifted lower, tracing a pattern as it drifted to Tshion's hip, the other remained curled into the back of the paladin's shirt. The drifting hand began to tug at Tshion's hip, enticing the paladin to move, to straddle him, to move closer, something.
Tshion broke the kiss with a soft gasp for air, the tug bringing him crashing back to his senses. His eyes wide, he looked at Jelah, noting that some of the fire had returned to his eyes, as well as a touch of heat. “We can't do this,” he whispered, regret deep in his voice. “Not here.. not like this, not with you like this...”
Jelah made a soft sound of longing. “Why not?”
Tshion, with effort, drew away slightly. “In the Shado-Pan Monastery. On a balcony. Do you know how visible we are?” He stopped Jelah's answer before the troll could speak. “Not to mention what this could do to your head injury, and Sun forsake the thought, what if we moved wrong and did something to your back, your head, or your ankle, or your leg? We can't risk it. -I- can't risk it.” He leaned to touch his lips to Jelah's forehead. “No matter how much I want it...”
Jelah made a soft noise in the back of his throat. “Too long,” he whispered. “'s been too long.”
Tshion kissed the mage's forehead again. “Then next time, don't be so quick to get yourself killed, Squishy.”
From then on, they spent every third afternoon on the balcony, sometimes entertaining visitors, sometimes not. As time passed, Jelah became increasingly agitated, upset that he couldn't move much on his own, even after the splints were removed from his ankle. His head injury and his mending leg still had a ways to go.
“How can you not be itching to do something else?” Jelah burst one afternoon over a game of Hearthstone. “If I were in your position, I'd want to go -do- something.”
Tshion frowned at his cards and then at the table. “You need me here,” he said simply, before laying another minion and turning over several mana counters. “You're doing a lot better, and don't need to sleep as much.” He sighed and turned his mana counters back over. “I can't do anything else; your turn.”
Jelah drew a card and rolled his eyes at it. He turned over a few mana counters and played a spell. “Five damage, frozen on you,” he said, dropping the spell into the discard pile next to him. He turned one of his minions slightly to the side to indicate it had been used. “And one damage to your taunt, two to my troll.” He placed two red counters on his minion to indicate the damage. “I may not need to sleep, but I'm not exactly much entertainment.” He frowned at his hand and placed another minion, turning over the remainder of his mana tokens. “Your turn.”
Tshion removed five life counters from his pile and dropped them into the bag containing the rest of them, muttering to himself. Jelah had gotten very good at countering him, and usually wiped the floor with him, no matter what class he played. He drew a card, and grinned. He turned over half his mana tokens. “Two life to each of my minions, and myself,” he said as he placed a minion, and removed damage indicators, and added back two of his life tokens. “You do entertain me, Jelah, just by being here with me. You don't need to do anything special, remember?” He turned over two mana tokens and pulled a card from a small stack beside him. “Ugh, what does it take to get a Healing Totem?” he grumbled as he placed a Searing Totem card on the table. “Two damage to your mirror image, killing my murloc.” He removed said murloc from the table and discarded it. “Your turn.”
Jelah sighed as he drew. “I just feel...”
“Restless? Forced idleness can do that, I know.”
Jelah grunted and placed a card over his class indicator. “Secret, revealed on attack,” he said, turning over nearly all of his mana tokens. “Oh, and a fireball to that totem you just summoned for two,” he said, turning over the last two. “And.. um.. That's all I can do.” He looked up. “It's more than just restless. I feel like I want to rip my skin off and jump in the lake.”
Tshion hummed thoughtfully as he drew a card, and grinned. “And there go almost all of your minions,” he said, putting down a spell card, and removing two mana tokens to the side to prepare for his next turn, and turning three over. Jelah groaned and scooped up all but one of the cards he had on the table, dropping them into his discard pile. “Another totem,” he turned over two tokens and put down a Healing Stream totem. “About time... Please don't jump in the lake. It wouldn't do much for your leg or your head.” He looked over his cards and frowned. “And it's your turn.”
Jelah drew a card and grinned. “And have a fireball, with just enough to end you.” He put the fireball down, and sighed happily.
“Damn. Ah well.” They gathered up their cards and dropped tokens into their appropriate bags. “You've gotten very good at this. I call 'unfair', with your quick thinking.”
Jelah snorted. “Less quick thinking, more luck.” He leaned back into his pillows and sighed. “My head hurts again,” he said softly.
Tshion finished clearing the table, and shifted it back to the head of the bed. “Then rest. I don't like these headaches you keep getting. Do you want me to bring you something for it?” Jelah shook his head. “Are you certain?”
“I can't rely on pain potions, Tshion,” the mage murmured, his face scrunching a bit. “Though... I may rethink that. This one's-” He stopped talking, abruptly, and raised one hand to the back of his head. “Bad. Sudden.”
Tshion looked up sharply. “How bad?”
Jelah moved his hand away from his head. “Very. I'll take you up on-”
“Sun be damned,” Tshion cursed, grabbing Jelah's wrist and turning the hand into the light, the blue skin smeared with red. “I'm getting a Healer. Don't move. Keep your eyes closed. Relax.”
He was up and out of the room before Jelah could reply. The first Healer he found was a young female pandaren, sweet tempered and soft-spoken. Her eyes grew wide, and she returned to their room, and looked at the back of Jelah's head, and swore at the blood on Jelah's pillow.
“Nothing to worry about,” she said quietly, taking the pillow and cleaning Jelah up. “This can happen sometimes, it's just a bit messy.” She drew Tshion aside, and murmured to him, pitched so only Tshion could hear her. “Find Yalia. His head is swollen, and this could mean trouble. Bring a snowpack and some extra bandages back with you.” Tshion's eyes widened and she patted his shoulder. “It does happen, but with an injury like this, we thought all the danger had passed by now. Go. Quickly.” She turned back to Jelah, saying brightly, “once he gets back with a snowpack, and some extra bandages, we'll have you right again.”
Tshion shook his head as he left the room and went in search of the monk in question, and once he had explained to her what was going on, she took off toward their room as he went in search of pain numbing tea, a snowpack and extra bandages.
Extra bandages were easiest on the list, as they were kept in a storage area. The tea was next, as it was easy to fill a pot with the herbs and boiling water to steep as he went outside to fill a skin with snow. As he filled it, he felt a twinge, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He felt the twinge suddenly snap, then fade. Magic. That was Arcane magic. He finished filling the pack, and returned to their room, and stopped short at the doorway, nearly dropping his burdens.
There were now three Healers there, as well as Briyanna and Selarcis. Briyanna was clearly holding Jelah's head still, and Selarcis was clearly there to intercept him. One of the Healers extracted his burden from his hands before he could drop it, and let Selarcis lead him back outside.
“What the hell is-”
“Shh.. come on. I'll explain everything, I promise.”
Selarcis led him out into the courtyard, pushed Tshion down into a chair, and pulled a second one close to it, facing him. “First of all, there was some confusion. Second, he will be fine. Third, it's a head-injury, and you know that when they decide to bleed, it looks awful.” He took a deep breath. “All right. What's wrong with him. He's bleeding. It's normal with many bad head injuries, and it's happening late, which is why we all thought it was avoided. The pressure is causing the headaches. This also triggered his brain's recovery, so he wasn't communicating properly. We had to explain his accelerated brain function being the cause of his stunted speech. He's sedated, heavily, because he started to panic. They're taking care of the internal bleeding now. He's going to have a bit of an ugly face, but he will be all right.” Selarcis stopped talking, watching Tshion closely.
“He panicked?” Selarcis nodded, slowly. “What did they do to him to panic him?”
“They started asking him questions. He couldn't answer them. More Healers were called in, and Bri and I walked in on the confusion. They were about to crack his skull again before Bri intervened. By then, Jelah was … well. You know what he's like when he panics. Before he could hurt anyone, or startle anyone, she grabbed him and calmed him while they sedated him. One thing we can't do for him is something about the magical backlash. That's something you'll have to soothe away – that's way too personal for either Bri or me to get involved in.”
Tshion paled. “But he'll-”
“He'll be fine. His frustration is likely to be much higher, now that he'll have trouble speaking again,” Selarcis warned. “If that's the case... If you want Bri or me, or any of the guild to check in more often, all you have to do is ask. Many of us understand what you're going through, only some of us-” he stopped and drew a breath, “some of us weren't so lucky.”
Tshion reached out and rested his hand on Selarcis' shoulder. “I'm sorry this is bringing up painful memories, Sel.”
“It... You shouldn't be worrying about that, Tshion. The soul of your heart is in that room, and you're worried about me?”
Tshion blinked. Soul of his heart? Is that what...
“Either way, once Bri comes out, you can go back in there with him. I am supposed to instruct you, however, that if he should get so much as a twinge of a headache, you're to find a Healer at once.” Tshion nodded, numbly. His hand dropped from Selarcis' shoulder, and the other man caught it. “Tshion, listen to me. It's obvious to us all about how you two feel. You've traveled together as long as I've known you. You share a room. Anyone who has had the timing to be on that balcony at just the right time has heard you. You can't tell me you don't love him, and you can't tell me he doesn't love you.” He looked at Tshion for a long moment. “He knows... right?”
Tshion looked up, and for the space of a few heartbeats, Selarcis wondered if the other paladin would jump the balcony. The look on his face said he hadn't said it, but... “If he doesn't, he's a fool,” Tshion whispered. “If I lost him.. and I've told him... if I lost him, I'd... I'd be nothing.”
“No, you wouldn't be nothing. You'd be lost, heartbroken, feel like you'll never be happy again, and then someone would come and cheer you, bringing you out of the haze of loss and pain, and you'll go on with your life, savoring the memories of the person you loved. That's what we're all here for – we don't just support each other in battle.” Selarcis reached forward and hugged Tshion. “You idiot. We're here to help you. You'd do the same – have done the same, are doing the same. You don't have to bear this all by yourself.”
Tshion tried to pull away “No you don't,” Selarcis snapped. “Did you forget I'm also a practiced Healer? Out with it before it rips you apart. This won't be the first time, and it sure as hell won't be the last. Come on. Over here.” He pulled Tshion to his feet and onto the lounge where Jelah usually gazed out over the landscape. “Even someone who does little but comfort and support needs the same. Healer, Heal Thyself, remember? Even you got that kind of basic training.” Selarcis gently stroked Tshion's hair. “I'm sorry I didn't come out here sooner, Tshion. We knew what we were leaving you to, and some of the things that were likely to come up.” Tshion's breath hitched, and Selarcis nodded to himself. “That's better. You're tenser than a bowstring that's too short, and I'm willing to lay gold down that your temper is just as frayed. It's time to repair that. No better time, since Jelah is out of your reach for a while.”
Tshion finally broke; though it was much quieter than the last time, he wept against Selarcis' shoulder, listening to words of support, and promises that he wouldn't have to deal with the rest of Jelah's recovery on his own.
When Tshion tried to pull away, Selarcis let him, but only let him go so far, and it was so he could look him over, and to discreetly pull a handkerchief from his pocket and dab at the other paladin's eyes. “Feel a little better?” At Tshion's nod, Selarcis smiled. “Good. You're not where you need to be, but it's better.”
Tshion tried to pull away further, but the other paladin's hold was firm. “No you don't,” he admonished. “You've gotten used to a lot of physical affection from your mage. I know I'm not him, and it's not the same, but a little contact never hurt anyone.”
Tshion stayed where he was for a moment, then leaned against the other paladin with a sigh.
“You're worried about him. You're supposed to be. You're -not- supposed to keep that inside, however. I'm sorry to say that's our fault.” Selarcis reached up to card his fingers through Tshion's hair. Tshion's eyes closed, and he sighed. “He'll be all right. He's a troll, Tshion. If this was you or me, we'd still be recovering from that broken wrist. Think about it. Remember what you learned as a Healer.”
Tshion nodded. “I know, it's just...”
“Difficult because your feelings for him get in the way.”
“It's my fault.”
“It is -not your fault-! Tshion, he tried to protect you. He made the decision on his own. He's told you as much, hasn't he?” Tshion nodded, turning his face against the other paladin's shoulder. “Well then-”
“He could have died, Sel. He -did- die.”
“We wouldn't have let that happen. None of us. Not you, not me, not any of the other Healers. They converged on him the moment Hellscream was on the ground, and proved that he wasn't getting back up any time soon. Did you forget what our guild is built on?” Tshion shook his head. “Of course you did, for those few moments, and like I said, it's our fault for not being here with you to stop you from going this far.” Selarcis gently lifted a hand to turn Tshion's head, and nudged him just enough to make the other paladin look at him. “You need a break,” he said softly. “You need to do something else for a little while. Once you've confirmed that he's all right, I want you to come with me for a few hours.”
Tshion shook his head. “I can't... I can't leave him.”
Selarcis sighed, but smiled. “You're not leaving him. You'll return refreshed and ready to pick up right where you left off in his care. Let Bri handle him for a few hours. He'll be asleep much of the time, and she's fully capable of helping him when he's awake.”
“He won't like that...” Tshion frowned. “I don't think he'd appreciate being left in a female's care. Nothing against Bri at all, but he's not really comfortable around women.”
“Then he shouldn't have Pyroblasted Hellscream's face and then gotten himself bashed into a wall helping us instead of casting something that would have cushioned the blow enough that he might have gotten that concussion, but not everything else. He gave us an edge, instead, and others could have done the same.”
“He's awake,” a soft voice called to them from the door. “And he's not happy, but.. well, there you are.”
Selarcis let go of Tshion, after a quick squeeze of reassurance, and Tshion stood up, opened his mouth to say something to the other paladin, but Selarcis chuckled. “Go. You'll have time to talk to me later.”
Tshion went.
Jelah, as Bri pointed out, was not happy.
“Got... used... talking,” he complained as soon as Tshion returned. “Frustrating.”
“I know, but at least this means the damage wasn't permanent. Think of all the training you'd have to put yourself through to compensate for that loss in combat.” Jelah paled. “Exactly. You know I'm perfectly capable of understanding.” He perched on the edge of the bed, and pulled the mage against him. “I'm more concerned about you getting back to your usual self than having you always able to talk, you know. Whole and healthy, remember?”
Jelah grumbled under his breath.
“I... I'm going to leave you in Bri's hands for a bit.” Jelah looked up, curious. “Sel says I need a break.”
“Been here... nonstop,” Jelah pointed out. “Want you... healthy.” He giggled at Tshion's surprise. He raised a hand and twirled a finger next to his head, then pointed at Tshion. “I do.. this. To you.” He grinned up at Briyanna. “Now … to her.”
Briyanna's smile suddenly seemed rather glassy and fixed, but she laughed at the expression on Tshion's face all the same.
- 7
- 8
- 9
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Last Breath