Nexus Hearts: Uther and Kharazim

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Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine. I have no ownership over them or any of the other cast members or settings described. They are present in one of my favorite online games together, Heroes of the Storm by Blizzard. I do however find them to be incredibly sexy so I thought I would spin a yarn about their exploits. I hope you enjoy the read! - DB

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CHAPTER 1: Strange World

The world in which I have found myself is one of swirling shadows and endless violence. It is a place that has been called the Nexus by those who have become trapped here. It exists independent of space and time, as near as I can determine with my limited resources and knowledge on the subject. When I stop to ponder my situation I often wonder what has lead me here. Perhaps this is a punishment, perhaps this is the afterlife I never envisioned. Here there is no real night, no real day, only many battlefields that seem to be displaced arenas gathered from other worlds.

My name is Uther, the Lightbringer. A lifetime ago I was a figure who sought justice for my fellow men and women as a paladin and upholder of the light. I was strong in my convictions, my faith, and helped tutor future leaders and mentor new followers to my order. Despite the constant, looming threat of war there was still goodness in the world, if you could see beyond the harship. No matter how bleak it got I tried to remain optimistic, to be a beacon of hope for those not as capable of battling back the encroaching darkness. I had been tested in combat, time and time again yet somehow, through sheer grit and tenacity had come through the other side, not always unscathed, but alive. That is, until a young man I knew well, the future king of the great city of Lordaeron fell from grace and robbed me of my life.

His name was Prince Arthas Menethil, and he was a great young leader of men once. The world where we had lived was facing an undead scourge that began to consume and turn every living soul it touched into soulless monsters. In a desperate gamble to seize the upper hand, Arthas had found and taken up a cursed blade only to fall victim to its unholy power. I wanted nothing more than to save him, even after the atrocities he had begun committing in the scourge's name. We met on a vast plain near our homeland, still damp from the morning rain. Our fight was something worth remembering, but in the end, he plunged his blade deep into my chest, forcing its way through the plate chestpiece with otherworldly strength. I slumped to my knees and fell onto my side, blood draining down my front.

The feel of lying there on a crimson-soaked battlefield, cold in the mud as the energy left my body was the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced. I had assumed, at my age, and after a full life of fighting for my king and my order that I would be ready to leave the mortal realm. I was not. At that time, I could sense the light fade from me, tumbling me into uncertain darkness and abandoning me to despair.

Even now I cannot be sure what became of me on that day. I awoke in the Nexus, still lying on my back, blinking into the strange new world around me. The clouds overhead were colors I had never seen, with a peculiar, shining blackness beyond, yet there was somehow illumination as if it was day. My eyes found no sun in the sky, only a churning storm of shape and confusing weather. I was still clad in the heavy armor of my paladin order and clutching my mace tightly. The book of the light was still fastened by chain to my hip. I was alone, on a new battlefield. Strange-looking brothers and sisters in arms, standing nearby, looking me over, were unknown to me. Unfamiliar hands reached down to help me to my feet, even as I patted myself from head to toe, searching for the wounds I had only recently sustained. There was no blood, no fatigue, I was completely baffled. By the light, what had become of me?

From the moment of my arrival I have been forced into countless engagements, apparently without end, seemingly without purpose. This new world, this supposed afterlife was not one I had ever considered. It wasn't hell, nor was it any heaven I had ever read about in my studies. Something like purgatory, that would be the best description I could find. There was no way to gauge how long I had been here or how long I might remain.

I knew that I had died by the hands of Arthas, no, the Lich King as he had come to be known. For some time it was one of the few clear memories I possessed from my past life. Living in the Nexus is a strange thing to be sure, it can play tricks on your mind, if you start to doubt yourself. It seems to be a world that exists with only one purpose: to host relentless battles between teams of mighty warriors. More warriors arrive in this place often enough, and each one has unique tales and remembrances from their past life. The only common trait that each warrior has in common is their strength. Everyone summoned here has great power and combat prowess.

The most difficult adjustment proved to be mental, but it wasn't the hazy memories. When we warriors are forced to battle, it is not by our choice, and it is apparently beyond our control. There is a prickling that starts in the back of our minds as a connection is made. The Nexus has people and other denizens that are born and live here but there are other entities, perhaps the architects of this patchwork place. They tap into the bodies of those brought here in death and other mysterious circumstances and team with them mentally to do battle without actually getting their hands dirty in the process. To us they are known as Nexus Commanders. Their voice is strong and their will is impossible to ignore when they invade our minds. With great dedication, their presence can be forced out but it is a challenge. For the most part, we try to work in tandem with them until a battle is concluded at which point they sever the telepathic connection and leave us to our own thoughts once more. Some of the others don't mind the presence of the commanders in their minds but it is not a thing to get used to easily, at least for me.

My first few... days? Perhaps hours, spent in the Nexus were confusing and unnerving. I had been through three engagements, controlled by three separate commanders until I was able to explore a bit on my own the places beyond the battlefields. There were towns, even cities, filled with people who told me they were born and grew up here. They seemed normal enough, very similar to humans, (most of them) but smaller in stature. Interestingly they explained that much of their livelihood was acting as caretakers and attendants to Nexus Heroes who arrived, even providing me a small house in which to live. They understood how taxing it could be to enter countless skirmishes and wanted our time to ourselves to be as familiar and relaxing as possible.

More time passed and many warriors appeared and took up residence in this world. Eventually it somehow became routine to me, being here, fighting, and also meeting each new combatant that arrived. I made some friends, found things to occupy my spare time and began to start over. There was no paladin order, but there didn't seem to be a need either. In truth, though I was adjusting, I felt devoid of purpose, conflicted over what to do or how to feel in my strange new life. I had become unfulfilled and didn't know how to regain my motivation. Despite others in my situation, I felt very alone most days. Life, or perhaps whatever I should call this new plane of my existence moved forward, but for the first time, I had no idea what I wanted. Though I worked to remain positive, I felt myself slipping into a deep depression.

It was a new day. I had been in the middle of a breakfast of a fresh fruit pie in the merchant district near my house when I felt the familiar sensation in my mind of a Nexus Commander trying to connect with me. It was a commander I knew well. They had guided me to countless victories and I trusted their battle strategies. It is always a strange thing, to feel another's voice in your head, instructing your actions and guiding your very movements. Still, this one was trustworthy and had proven their mettle to me through countless battles. Perhaps I even felt a sort of begrudging respect for their strategies.

I waited patiently where I sat at a small table but collected my mace and book of the light as the sensations of an impending teleportation began to course through my body. There was the vaguely nauseating pull of being transported to the battlefield and I shielded my eyes with my mace as a bright blue haze suddenly flooded my vision and crackled with electricity around me. I found myself outside on a stone terrace I knew well. Around me were four others, blinking in the bright light and taking stock of one another.

"Uther, good to see ya!" A familiar fellow nodded to me.

"Jim, glad you're doing well." I replied.

"As well as can be expected in this place." He replied with a sigh.

Jim Raynor was a talented man who used an enormous firearm in combat and had an incredible knack for sidestepping tricky situations. He had never heard of my homeworld, and I was unfamiliar with his. I had helped him learn his way around, find his bearings when he first arrived in the Nexus. He wore rounded, heavy metal armor, similar to mine in some ways and foreign in others. It was navy blue and futuristic to my eyes. He had an easy, likable way about him. We had become fast friends.

"This is Dragon Shire, has everyone formulated a strategy?" Asked Zagara, a large female insect from a race calling themselves the zerg. She hailed from Jim's universe, though a distant planet from his as he had explained. Her voice was raspy and rather unpleasant. Despite her somewhat grotesque appearance I knew her to be adept in her role, cunning and powerful. We would be lucky to have her with us. She shifted on her many legs as she regarded each of her allies through glittering green eyes.

A formidable woman in plate armor as heavy as my own and sporting a five-foot tall shield by the name of Johanna rolled her eyes. "Of course we do, we've been here countless times." She said with a huff.

Jim nodded his head to the back of our small group of five. "Not quite all of us, this one's new around here."

We all turned to see a bald-headed man, perhaps ten years or so younger than myself with a long bushy brown beard watching us carefully. His stance was formidable, ready, sure of himself.

"Hey man, are you familiar with this battleground?" Jim asked him casually.

"Strangely enough, it is known to me, or so this voice in my head tells me." Responded the shiny-headed man with a thick accent I couldn't place. He rubbed a hand through his full beard as he sized us up and took in his surroundings. I was impressed that he didn't appear rattled by the Nexus Commander's presence in his mind.

"What are your strengths?" Zagara asked him, cocking her ornate, crested head to the side.

"My strength is my strength." He replied proudly, causing Jim to chuckle.

I moved toward him and stuck out a large gauntleted hand as a token of my goodwill. He stood a few inches shorter then me. "My name is Uther. I am a paladin, and for the sake of these encounters, something of a healer, and you are?"

He reached out and shook my hand firmly. "I am merely a humble monk. You may call me Kharazim." He said with a thin smile. "Where I come from I am a hardened fighter, though I am capable of healing as well."

"Fair enough." I replied. "For this engagement, leave that to me, you focus on dealing damage to the enemy. You'll follow Jim Raynor here." I said, pointing out my friend. "He's something of a seasoned marksman, he'll show you the ropes."

Kharazim nodded. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but it is not needed. I am capable of looking out for myself."

Johanna eyed the monk warily. "Don't be stupid." She growled. "We work together as a team or we die, one by one, in avoidable situations." She sighed. "I'll be on the middle road. You all damn well better call out when that statue is available. Let's give 'em hell."

The gates before us opened and melted away, magic of the Nexus, allowing us to enter the battlefield. I called my warhorse from the stable nearby and Zagara spread mighty wings from under her carapace and we made our way into the northern lane. We approached the center of the road, neutral ground between the two teams. A large sculpture sat above a curving set of trimmed bushes nearby. I moved my way quietly into the soft hedge and knelt down, hiding myself from view. Zagara remained in the lane, spawning her hive material across the stones on the ground. Her body worked efficiently as she spun the nesting material from her abdomen, making a suitable path for her children. I looked away. It was imperative for her to do this to give herself every advantage in this skirmish but it was still difficult to watch.

Within a few more moments, a large, round man who was actually a black and white bear met us at the far side of the narrow road. Behind him emerged a lean, strong assassin with a blindfold over his eyes. I recognized them immediately as Chen Stormstout, a Pandaren fellow I sometimes enjoyed conversation with when off the battlefield and Illidan Stormrage, a malevolent night elf wielding wicked twin blades. They were a formidable combination, but for now they didn't know where I had hidden myself in the bushes.

As expected they advanced on Zagara, ignoring the soldiers who had followed us into combat, Nexus denizens who would die and be resummoned in every battle alongside the rest of us. Illidan pressed the attack hard, too hard as he became overzealous with an impending kill on Zagara. She fled on her many legs, skittering back toward the safety of our nearby towers. Each tower was outfitted with powerful cannons that shot at enemy soldiers and warriors as they came within range. Their power wasn't immediately lethal, but they would deter anyone foolish enough to pass too closely.

Illidan had just stepped within range of them, expecting to deliver the killing blow when I burst from the hedges and brought my hammer down against his back, bringing him to his knees, stunning him where he stood and allowing the cannons to pummel his body with a volley of rounds. Pinned between me and Zagara with the turret firing on him he didn't last long and fell to the ground, dead. He would be back soon enough and the pain we inflicted would be all but forgotten. To die and be reborn, countless times, this was the greatest mystery the Nexus held. Chen had wisely stayed further back, out of the turrets' range, becoming swarmed by our Nexus friends, who forced him to retreat. I laid a healing hand on one of Zagara's arms, easing her pain and refreshing her for the next skirmish.

We pressed the advantage on our lane and through our Nexus Commanders whispering around our minds, learning that our other teammates were gaining the upper hand in their fights as well. As the battle wore on we became stronger, gaining experience and confidence. When our team began to group up for concentrated team fights, I was finally able to watch the monk showcase his abilities for the first time.

He was really something to see. He was always on the move, so fluid and focused in his movements. He seemed to tap into an energy, not so dissimilar from me, using it to heal himself and others as needed. He wore light, short cloth robes of orange and red with heavier leather armor accents that billowed around him as he rained volleys of punches and kicks on our adversaries. Around his strong neck was a large necklace of round, wooden beads, the largest in the center over his chest almost the size of my fist. He was a dervish of speed and precision as he fought, it almost became a dance. He was strong indeed, he hadn't exaggerated that point.

We found ourselves back to back as we fended off the Butcher, a hulking monster wielding an enormous carving blade and clad in a bloody apron. He looked like something out of a sick nightmare.

"I have fought and killed this beast before, how is it that he is here?" The monk asked in alarm as we fought the creature back.

"Strong warriors find their way here, it is the only constant of this place." I told him.

We worked together and pressed the Butcher back behind his team's closest tower. He would need to tend to his wounds before returning to the fray. For now we could relax briefly and reconvene with our group.

"This place, it is strange. I wonder what other fragments of my past will find me here?" The monk mused with his thick accent. I detected a note of trepidation.

"There are monsters from all of our pasts here." I told him grimly, thinking of each battle where I would find myself looking the Lich King Arthas in his cold, dead eyes. I shivered at the memories. It might be easier to move on if he hadn't also been summoned here in his afterlife. The only comfort I had was knowing he wouldn't be terrorizing my old home since he was destroyed.

"It, takes some getting used to I'll admit, but it has its positives as well." I said, trying my best to sound believable.

He gave me a questioning look. "Oh? Like what?" He asked.

"You don't get sick here, can't truly die, and you get to meet new people frequently." I gave him a wide smile, forcing a short laugh from him.

"I suppose those are good things." He conceded slowly.

"When this fight is through, I can show you around if you like. I've appointed myself as something of a guide for this place." I informed him.

"Very kind, I shall take you up on your offer." The monk nodded.

The battle ended and though we sustained some casualties before its end, we emerged victorious. One by one our Nexus Commanders severed their links and left our minds, leaving us alone in the still air of the Dragon Shire roads.

Jim came over and lightly punched me in the arm. "Nice job out there old timer."

"I've told you I'm not that old." I reminded him irritably.

He ignored me. "You too, monk. You've got some nice moves, I look forward to teaming up again, and hopefully not seeing you in the enemy ranks next time!"

"Thank you for your assistance, it was an interesting experience." Kharazim replied.

"Ain't that the understatement of the year." Jim laughed. "You should join us for a drink. We go unwind in the tavern nearby, there's actually a little town just north of here. Nexus whiskey is pretty decent. Good to find some normal stuff in this place, whaddaya say?" Jim asked him.

The monk looked to me. "I believe Uther was going to show me around?" He asked.

"Have a drink first, then let ol' greybeard here show you the sights." Jim insisted. I sighed at the nickname.

"Very well, if it is the custom." Kharazim said agreeably.

I took pride in showing new heroes around the Nexus, helping them make the adjustment to living here. No one had shown me around, taken the time to be welcoming, so I made sure that I would always extend that courtesy when I could. Johanna and Zagara had left separately from us as Jim, Kharazim and I left the battlefield behind and moved toward the town sitting just over the next rise.

After a brief walk we found ourselves at the Dragon's Breath Tavern, probably the best bar in the Nexus, at least, that was what Jim had told me. I don't drink and never have as I suspected it would dull my senses and potentially harm my following of the light. However I still enjoyed the social aspects the place provided, giving us a refuge to talk and relax. My old friend Muradin sat at a table off to one side so we moved to where he poured over a mug and pulled up chairs for ourselves.

"Muradin!" I said heartily as I sat down. "This is the monk, Kharazim. He fought alongside us today, a very skilled fighter I might add."