Chapter 1
The beginning of our journey shall be the beginning of Quinn Lightfist's tale. A rogue born in Theramore, his mother was his only parent, his father ran out when he was just a baby, and his mother refuses to speak of him. Quinn Lightfist learned to help his mother through the art, of stealing. Able to bend the very light around him, and seem invisible to the naked eye. Over the years he refined this skill, and joined many brawlers clubs, and so, our story begins.
Quinn Lightfist
I saw him, but he could not see me. A warrior, down in the pit with me. He was waiting for me to come out of hiding. So he could charge, but I was smarter. I snuck around the edge of the arena. He swung his head left and right, nervously clinging onto the longsword in his hands. He was getting nervous. I reached his back and punched him in the kidney. He dropped his sword and clung to his side, gritting his teeth and groaning in pain. I stabbed him in the center of his spine, and then swung around to his front, stabbing him in the lung. My poisoned blades began to take effect on him. He stopped breathing and then clutched at his chest. He was writhing in pain. The area filled with a glowing light. The judge-priest had placed a penance spell on the floor below us. The poison began working its way out of him and the wounds on him began to heal.
"How do you do that every time?" He said as he came to consciousness.
"Practice my friend, lots and lots of practiced." He laughed.
"See you at the pub later? Drinks on me."
"Of course, but I must first visit my mother." He nodded and I left the arena. I walked up to the counter and picked up my prize of two-hundred silver coins. I ran to the bread store and bought a loaf of bread for twenty-five silver. On my way out I stole another loaf and hid it in the bag. It had become easy to sneak things right from under peoples noses. My specialty recently had been pick pocketing. I ran next to the blacksmith. My daggers had become dull, and it had been a while since I was able to repair them. I spent fifty silver on each daggers repair. I last ran to the general store and picked up a jug of milk for fifteen silver and some bread spices for thirty silver. That left me with thirty silver. Enough to cover the entry fee for the next brawler's match. I kept that in my pocket and headed home. I ran the materials inside and made my mother a plate of spiced bread and a glass of cold milk.
"Thank you son. How did you come about the money this time? You didn't steal again did you?" I did, but of course I couldn't tell my mother that.
"No mother, everything was bought."
"So then you were fighting again." I shook my head. She walked up to me and turned my face to the side. She noticed the glistening purple bruise on the right side of my face. Before I finished the warrior off he was able to bash me with his shield. "Don't lie to me son. I care about you, and I don't want to see you dead. When a child loses a parent, the realize their mortalitity, and when a parent loses a child…"
"They lose their immortality. I know mother, but I have to do something to help you with food money."
"Well, as long as you think you're safe." I couldn't ever guarantee that. I just have to hope I'm better than the other brawlers. Most were humans, but we would get the occasional Night Elf or Dwarf. My mother embraced me. "Now, do you have any plans for tonight?"
"I was going to meet Baron down at the pub."
"That sounds like fun, please, go enjoy yourself, but take a bath first."
"Okay mother." I ran upstairs and filled the tub with warm water. I took off my clothes and stepped inside. The water was still steaming when I sat down and started to relax. I drifted off into a slumber.
I was standing outside Theramore. There was a bow in my hand, and a pike on my back. I nocked an arrow and aimed at a guard on the wall. My brothers were next to me, taking aim as well. I loosed the arrow and it whizzed through the air. When it made impact with the human he fell forward and out of the tower. My brothers loosed their arrows in a volley laying down the other humans on the wall. The orcs who associated with us began charging the gates of Theramore. They broke through and started flooding the streets.
I awoke to the sound of a woman screaming. I immediately got out of the tub and put my gear on. I grabbed my freshly repaired daggers and ran outside. I was looking at Theramore, but in its death. Orcs and Tauren were attacking the humans running afraid in the streets. An orc warrior saw me and started to charge. I focused and turned invisible to him. I ran up behind him and wrapped a wire around his throat. He started to reach for it, and then frantically clawed at his own throat as the last of his breath was being consumed by his body. He gave one final effort and then went limp. I turned invisible again and ran for the gates of Theramore. Baron was fighting a troll shaman. The shaman placed a totem, but Baron smashed it to pieces with his hammer. The troll stumbled and lost its balance. Baron brought his hammer up, and down with enough strength to obliterate the trolls head. Baron yanked his hammer out of the mess of blood and dirt. He looked at me and gave a thumbs up. He gave a look of shock, as if he'd just seen a ghost. He lurched forward, and then fell on his knees. He fell forward on his face and I saw the arrows in his back. I looked down the way and saw another troll nocking an arrow and pulling the string back. He was aiming at me. I sprinted off to the side and barely dodged the arrow. I ran straight for the troll and before he could ready another arrow I disarmed him. I stomped on his bow and then kicked him in the face. He keeled over backwards, unconscious.
"LOK'TAR OGAR!" Victory or Death, the horde motto. I could hear them shouting in the distance. In their eyes, they had won. Apparently they didn't notice me. I saw my mother in the doorway of our house. She was motioning for someone to leave. She looked in my direction and paused for a moment. As if she knew I was there. An orc grabbed her by the arm and forced her out of the house. He slammed her on the floor and then put his foot on her back. I couldn't watch, but I could hear a woman's scream, and then all fell silent.
I came back to reality and remembered I was standing outside Theramore. Nothing but a burning pile of wood and stone was left of it. The horde had destroyed everything. What had caused this though? Why did the horde want to kill us, we had done nothing to them. I turned and ran, to the Northwest, and I kept running. I ran until I couldn't run anymore. I was at the edge of Theramore. There was a lodge at the border of Theramore and the Barrens. From here I would ride in a Caravan until we reached Ratchet. One of the Goblins hometowns. I would take a boat to Booty Bay and ride north, through Stranglethorn Vale, and a small part of Darkshire. From there I would cross West to Westfall, and visit my uncle, and at last I would arrive in Stormwind. The goal of this trip, is to tell the king, that we were attacked by a group of horde.
I stole from one of the lodges tenants and payed for a room for the night. I was only able to get four hours of sleep, but it was enough for now. I went to the dining area and made a cup of tea. Honeymint tea, imported from the Borean Tundra. I sipped at it delicately. It was a very sweet tasting brew. The light turned on and I almost jumped out of my chair.
"Can't sleep?" A mysterious female voice said.
"No. It's been… difficult lately."
"Mind if I ask what happened?" She started to walk towards me. She paused at the table and I nodded for her to take a seat.
"My home was, ravaged. Destroyed by a band of horde. They came at night." There was one thing I had been avoiding this whole time. I was able to see the attack happen. I saw who got killed first. I don't know how I did, but I didn't want anyone to know.
"I'm so sorry. There have been many attacks recently. That's why I'm going to the King. I'm going to tell him about this, and convince him to take action." We shared the same goal.
"What is your name?" I asked her.
"Lyvera Windsong." A name befitting to a night elf, "and yours?"
"Quinn… Quinn Lightfist." She smiled. "Any particular occupation at the moment?"
"Back at my village I hunted for food." I noticed the bow on her back. "What occupation did you have?"
"Small time thief. I am a poor person. I fight in the brawler arena daily, but that's not going to happen anymore." She looked down.
"You can always… take revenge." She looked up, and her voice was cold. She got a feral look in her eye.
"By myself? I'm useless alone. One 'rogue' versus an entire horde army."
"I never said by yourself. There's me as well, and probably countless other fighters, good men, who have lost something to the horde scum." I thought about it for a moment. If I could rally enough people, I would be able to take on the horde that destroyed my home. Then take back Theramore. I would do it for my mother, and Baron.
"If we can gather a large enough force, then I will join you."
"We do not need the kings consent to fight back. They take from us we will retaliate, and show them, the might of the alliance." I smiled. We talked about gathering an army, and how we would go about it. We would need fighters able to take the brunt of the damage, and others to mend their wounds. It would be tough, but we would do it. The rest of the lodge started to wake up. Eventually we recruited two more people for our cause. A gnome mage and a dwarf paladin. We all boarded the caravan, and it departed for Ratchet in the eastern part of the Barrens.
For days all we would hear were the occasional mumbles of other riders, and the rotating of the wheels. I had just gotten to sleep when I heard a rumbling in the distance. I woke quickly and went into ambush mode. The caravan had stopped for the night. I shook Lyvera and woke the mage and paladin. They put on their gear and took arms with me. A figure started to form in the distance. It was only one horse, with what looked to be a man slouched over. The dwarf ran up to the horse.
"He's had some intense wounds, and poison is coursing through his veins. It may take me a while to heal him but I'll be able to. Find out where he came from, and where he's going." The dwarf picked the horses reins up and led it back to the caravan. Lyvera spoke with the horse calming it, convincing it to ease up. Ingvar as we came to know the dwarf, had brought the nearly dead man back to our wagon. We laid him down on his back and Ingvar began to heal him. I walked over to Lyvera and sat down next to her and the horse.
"So who do you think did this?"
"I don't know. I don't know if I want to know either. This could be very dangerous for us." I nodded in agreement as we looked out in the distance. Searching for a mysterious killer.