The Shi
By Sage of Eyes
A/n: I sincerely doubt anyone is reading this but I have decided to make this a full-fledged story which I hope I will never have to put on hiatus just to get some damn reviews *scratches back of head sheepishly* I hope that even though people will undoubtedly NOT review my hard work my self esteem will be high enough to continue writing.
A/n2: isn't guilt a powerful decision maker? The fragile self-esteem is a joke; my friends can vouch for that, since they all know I don't give a shit if I'm doing something weird only if I'm doing something naked then they stop me. Seriously, though, review.
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Ninjas… Damn…
-Geoffrey Rush; Warriors Way
…
The Burning Legion an inexperienced but vast army of demonic beings intent on laying waste to everything that their master, Sargeras, deemed unworthy, stared at a new world to conquer. This world, unlike the others they conquered, was home to beings with budding powers. Many of the beings that lived on the planet strived for greater knowledge and power before being mysteriously destroyed. Though their civilization was destroyed many survived and inherited powers unimaginable. Though many of the beings that lived on it had much power many of them were untrained making them weak and inexperienced. A small amount of the beings however mastered their powers to an almost god-like level gaining abilities that could literally wipe out entire armies.
Their existence however was offset by something even their Dark Master feared: the Juubi a living nexus of life energy that the Titans themselves created to destroy the world's powerful people but empower the survivors over time. The massive ten-tailed beast with a single gigantic spinning eye composed of multiple pupils destroyed everything in its wake but subtly imbuing the living that managed to escape it with energy. Though the beings that lived on the planet had no idea that their worst enemy was their source of power they were unable to fight it and therefore the legion was unable to lay siege on their planet.
Until, of course, now.
One of the beings that accumulated enough power faced the Juubi and sealed it away inside himself taking its power for himself. Though this deterred the Legion as much as the Juubi itself when the man was about to die he split the beast into nine separate entities bent on saving his people.
Oh, how wrong he was.
The legion crashed into the world taking its inhabitants by surprise. For weeks they spread across the land burning villages and forests to ashes as nothing could stop them. But at the end of the third month of their reign they were attacked and driven back with strength unseen before. Their enemy rallied at speeds unimaginable and fought back with zealotry single-mindedness. They were defeated by the few people with enough power to create tidal waves on dry land forests from deserts and fire in the wettest fields.
They were repulsed, with almost terrifying strength, back through their portals and into the many worlds they conquered. They waited once more for a moment of weakness and attacked once more within the span of a single decade to conquer the world once more.
Once more they were repulsed by Waves Forests and Fire.
Their master Sargeras was displeased and took careful watch of their next of their invasion. They attacked once again wary this time of those who destroyed them in the second invasion, less than a decade ago, as dictated by their master. They launched their attacks clear of the great City that the three men had created and lived in and decided to attack the smaller villages.
They were repulsed once again but not from the same elements before. They were crushed by Earth and Sand littering the land with blood. This time they did not retreat. That time they ran.
They did however discover something interesting during their third invasion.
There were in fact two different beings that lived on the planet.
While those they fought were the warriors, in many of the smaller villages they destroyed no Water, Fire and, in fact, any element came to destroy them. The beings that lived in those towns seemed to be protected by the beings with power but unable to defend themselves but provided the supplies to the larger, stronger cities.
With that thought in mind their fourth invasion begun.
…
"We cannot protect them all, Tobi, with our current strength" The Senju clan head a battle scarred man with long raven hair admonished his son. "We must always be welcome to change…no matter how much it goes against the values of being a ninja."
Tobi distastefully eyed the piece of metal in the box, which the Land of Spring had created with the Land of Iron. A weapon that was banned ever since the forging of the Ninja lands: a gun.
It was a simple L-shaped piece of gleaming metal with a grip on the long handle. The rectangular barrel with a small nub-like sight on the end was three lengths of his hands far longer than the original design but ninja were made off far sturdier stuff than their predecessors.
Beneath it were two rows of bullets each the size of his middle finger. The first row had a tip of sharpened soft lead. The second row had a rounded tip covered in seals. The First row was to penetrate then to expand as it entered the body making a larger exit than entrance made to kill their lightly armored foes. The Second row was explosive meant to batter and destroy armor before switching and killing with the second.
"I will use it father…but I will not like it." Tobi sourly answered as he took one of the cartridges before inserting the bullets into them.
Tobi's father smiled before rubbing the boy's head humorously.
"No one's asking you to like using it little Tobi," he said with a smile at the look of indignation on the boy's face. "When we use a weapon it is not because we like it but because of its effect in saving the lives of those we love. Just as my brother always says, eh? Well at least that what I think he said before moaning about paperwork again."
Tobi smiled at the mention of his other teacher who was undoubtedly stuck in the office once again, completely missing the shadow that flitted across Tobirama's face.
'Tobi you should be smiling like that all the time… not just when somebody tries to cheer you up,' Tobirama's father thought grimly before strapping the rifle he received and motioning for the his similarly black armor clad student to join him. 'We'll win this war no matter what it takes Tobi.'
They exited the tent and entered war once again.
…
Defeat.
It was a word on the lips on every messenger from each invasion force that he sent to that accursed place.
Defeat.
Defeat.
Defeat.
DEFEAT!
Each time his legion attacked they were destroyed and forced to retreat. Each time they attacked with a new plan something more powerful would rise to destroy his legion. The fourth invasion was to create strongholds instead of attacking than conquering with lightning speed as they did with the few worlds they conquered. It had taken more time to gather the invasion force and resources to create the strongholds that were needed for the invasion than what was regularly needed.
Despite all their actions and precautions they were defeated once again. The beings utilized weapons he had never seen before. When the scouts first reported the unique and new armaments of their foes that shot fire and metal he simply put it aside. Many of the worlds they had conquered had weapons that did such things but were so weak they merely ricocheted off his demons armor.
His demons were slaughtered without mercy. None of the frontline troops survived. Dread lords, the backbone of his army, were killed with alarming ease. Only the elite survived on the planet they had begun to call Shi, which in the language of its inhabitants aptly meant Death, while the weak were culled and were forced to retreat.
Sargeras' fiery visage suddenly calmed from the raging inferno it was before.
The weak were destroyed or became strong.
The strong became stronger.
He looked upon the world covered in blue, white and green the home of people far more powerful than he had ever imagined.
'This world shall make my Legion the most powerful in the universe.' Sargeras thought as he searched the planet for battlefields that will train his troops but do little damage to the people that lived on it. 'The way they advance… the power they command…their physical prowess… makes them the perfect anvil on which the scythe that will reap the universe shall be forged.'
"And when the universe has fallen they will fall with it." Sargeras chuckled mightily.
…
Shi became the training ground of the Legion. Only the demons that knew retreat was an option and to fight another day was better than dying survived. Those who laughed and held their ground were dead within a minute either from the hand, the weapons or, Sargeras help them, the powers the inhabitants commanded.
Humility kept you alive. Arrogance killed you.
Invasions were halted instead Sargeras sent them in platoons organized and a clear chain of command with the survivors of the previous invasions as the leaders. Those who listened to the leader survived, those that didn't died.
And so it was for hundreds of years.
The veterans of Shi, each one powerful in their own right conquered all opposing worlds with ease and Sargeras was pleased.
He conquered many planets with the Veterans of Death, as those who fought and survived on Shi were called. One race called the Eredar able to oppose him before succumbing to his will, but not before some escaped on a space ship with the help of the thrice blasted Naa'ru.
Out of anger they pursued them conquering all in their way. Sargeras was careful then whatever planet could survive a regular invasion, any that did so were immediately destroyed by the all the Veterans of Death. Shi and only Shi will see the end of the universe.
They came across the orcs and the last descendants of the pure Eredar, Dreanei. Orcs, beings seemingly bred for battle, with the blood of one of his lieutenants Monoroth were quickly adapted to the Legion with the bloodlust that consuming their very being. The Dreanei were a different story they resisted and fought.
They were however no match for the orcs.
Just as he was on the verge of destroying the Dreanei a world that he had never felt before showed, bathing him in its glorious magic. The some of the beings that lived on the planet practically glowed in magic while others were able to use it. Their lands were fertile and grew with vast forests. The people lived in contentment.
It thoroughly stank of Titans and their warped ideals of 'perfection 'and 'peace'.
He sent his Legion to destroy it immediately.
When his manifestation into the world was halted he simply sought another way to do things.
When the second invasion using the orcs failed, though, he sent something new… a plague.
The inhabitants of Shi seemed to be immune to it for reasons unknown to him, though he surmised that it had something to do with their power bolstering even the weakest with far more power and vitality than an ordinary being.
He sent an imprisoned orc shaman name Ner'zhul created by Archimonde to oversee the death of the world's inhabitants with nary a glace and assigned Archimonde to destroy the World Tree the source of the world's life.
Both failed. Though the tree was destroyed it was not in the way he wanted it to. Without the void capturing the trees energies the only thing that changed was the blasted elves immortality which was lost forever.
His rage grew with each failure. This world had no right to advance so quickly to destroy his Legion! This was not what this world was meant for! It will burn! Like everything else his Legion encountered. Yes…nothing survived his Legion nothing!
In his madness Sargeras forgot Death.
He forgot the only planet to survive and expand into others unchecked.
He forgot the people that destroyed each of his invasions with ease.
Sargeras forgot Shi.
…
A Dread lord opened his eyes to stark white. He released a hiss as he craned his neck to look up.
Horror filled his eyes as he stared into a white mask covered in splotches of blood.
His blood.
"Subject seems to be awake, fox." A strange voice emanated seemingly from nowhere. "You may resume."
The mask's grin seemed to widen fractionally as the man in front of him clapped hands together in joy.
"I'm so happy your alive Demon-kun!" a horribly distorted voice emanated from the mask, "We still have to measure out the rest of your small intestines!"
"Fox…" The voice over the Intercom came once again.
"…and get some information!" The masked figure seemed to dampen slightly at the thought as he approached the Demon's head and began to stroke it with bloody hands. "…but don't worry Demon-kun we'll have a long time before we need that…"
The figure seemed content for a moment before suddenly jerking the laboratory examination table upright. The demons eyes widened as he heard wet splotches hit the floor. He leaned his head downwards only to see his innards on the floor in a bloody mess.
The moment he looked up he saw the etched grin on the otherwise plain porcelain mask.
He screamed.
...
Race: Shi
Affiliation: none.
The Shi are a mysterious new race on Azeroth arriving shortly after the fall of Arthas the Lich King. They came from across the ocean that separated Kalimdor the forgotten lands and Azeroth. Though their intentions are unknown the few that witness them in battle forever remember the sheer brutality of their magic and weapons.
The general appearance of a Shi is hard to describe since all that have seen wear masks that seem to help them live on the planet. No recorded event has ever described an appearance of one Shi but their armor is easily the most awe inspiring of all the races. Each Shi is clad in the same armor giving off the fact that they are an army. Black and sleek with white plates on the abdomen arms and thighs and no joints the armor encompasses the figure with grace. Though the armor is an easy identifying point for the Shi many wear cloaks outside of battle and discard them during battle.
In battle Shi employ weapons much like muskets but much more precise and deadly. Their magic however is why they are sought by both the Horde and Alliance. Their magic seemingly allow them to bend nature to their will without qualm. Tidal waves, dragons made of flame, and even domes of indestructible ice are a few of their abilities.
Their magic both intrigues and frightens me.
Whatever communications engaged with the Shi ended in failure but not because of hostility, but, rather because of the fact that they are not able to speak our own language and us theirs.
As I write this the finest translators and magical Craftsmen of the Alliance and Horde are scrambling to be the first to either decipher or create a device that will allow us to enlist this powerful race into their own faction.
Jaina Proudmoore.
...
A/n: This story I am sad to say is under probation. So reviews are important if you want it to continue. For me to even start writting the next chapter it'll need at least more than three reviews.
Sincerely Sage of Eyes