The Long Road
"You gunna sit there all day Taaluus?" I ask.
"Kiergann I don't know how many times I've told you, I'm meditating," he responds.
"Yea well Scyldhelm is getting antsy," I reply.
"God can't that stubby freak keep calm for at least 10 minutes?" we hear from behind us.
"Well are you ready Reivtip?" Taaluus inquires.
"Uh, yeah I spoke to Taalnorr she's going to meet us at the entrance," he informs us.
We were preparing to raid Stratholme. The service entrance as our entry point. But first I feel I feel I should introduce us all.
I'm Kiergann Jenkins. I'm a Worgen hunter. My pet Magic is a bull mastiff. I guess you could call me the jester of our little group. They say that about me because when I'm afraid or freaked out, I try to tell a joke and smile to lighten it. I have light black fur and if I'm human I have orangeish hair tied into a ponytail.
Then there's our friend Taaluus, he's a Draenei shaman. He gets on my nerves easily because he hardly ever says a thing. I swear what he said a minute ago was the most he's spoken in a week. It's hard to tell but if you try and sit and count them he has 4 tentacles on his chin. The top of his head is bald.
Now on to Reivtip. He's a human paladin. I can't STAND the self righteous bastard! He thinks that the light overrules anything in an argument. "The demon will chop us in half!" That was Taalnorr. "NO the light will protect us!" and that was Reivtip…. We got lucky. He has brown hair with a beard and what people these days call "the Jesus look". It's kind of funny but he tries to hide it but I can smell it on him that he's in love with Taalnorr.
Speaking of Taalnorr, she's Night Elf rouge. She used to be a shy little thing but after a while she really opened up. I connect most with her because she loves teasing Scyldhelm with me. She has a face painting that looks like blades going from her forehead to the top of her cheeks. She has dark, dark blue hair tied into a braid that she wraps around her shoulder.
I feel like I'm forgetting someone… oh yeah Scyldhelm! If there is anything more annoying than Scyldhelm I don't want to meet it! He's a Dwarf Warrior and god is he over cocky. He thinks he can cut, slash, smash, or crack his way through anything. So it's no surprise that he was freaking out and trying to get us to go. He has light orange hair tied into a long beard that goes down his chest and he has a short mane on top of his head.
"Get the lead out ye' wee 'fighters'!" Scyldhelm commands in his Dwarfish accent.
"Ok Scyldhelm let's get moving guys," Reivtip says.
As Taaluus led his elekk over to the path I got down on all fours and prepared to run. "Let's go!" Sclydhelm exclaims as his ram appears. Reivtip summons his charger and hops on. I've always wondered why paladins got such shiny mounts. I should ask him someday.
A few hours later…
"We're here," Reivtip states as we show up at the entrance.
"Hm, I couldn't see that already," I say sarcastically.
"You should have smelled it 15 minutes ago Mr. Wolfie," We hear from behind us.
"Oh hey Taalnorr, I could smell you well enough to know that you have been trying to trip Scyldhelm's ram since we left camp," I say.
"Hey now, I could have been ye' pointy eared giant!" Scyldhelm whines.
"Hey shut up before I use your battleaxe to sharpen my arrows!" I tease.
"Can we just go in please?" Reivtip pleads.
"I'm not one to agree wit' Reivtip but let's go," Scyldhelm finalizes.
As we enter the crumpled city, my sense of smell is assaulted. I can't believe this but it smells like an abomination ate ogre shit! Don't ask how I know what that smells like. As I was saying, it took all my will to not throw up right there.
"God it smells like my ram afta' Reivtip cooks!" Sclydhelm screeches.
"Yeah now you know how we feel when you decide not to bathe for a week," Taalnorr mutters plaintively.
"Shh, there's a group of undead up ahead," Reivtip warns.
"Oh I got this un'" Sclydhelm (of course) boasts. "Bring it on ye' undead bastards!" he yells as he lops the head off the closest skeleton. As he turns towards the next ghoul it's quickly becoming obvious that he's getting surrounded.
"Taalnorr, go help him out," Reivtip orders.
"Ugh why me?" She complains.
"Because no matter how much you all hate him, my healing isn't enough to prevent them from taking his head off," Taaluus explains.
"Ok fine," Taalnorr agrees.
She sneaks her way over to the closest monster and swiftly embeds her daggers in it rotten, pus dripping flesh.
"What the? I never hit that un'," Scyldhelm wonders, "Taalnorr I don't need your help!"
Their battle with the undead moves on quickly. It's obvious that Taalnorr changed the outcome of the fight effectively. As Scyldhelm gets the last 5 into a corner he announces, "I got this now, Taalnorr you go scout up ahead."
"Alright," Taalnorr replies.
As she starts backing away from the last skeleton she killed an abomination lumbers up behind her.
"Look out!" Reivtip screams.
As she turns to look and find out why Reivtip yelled it knocks her into the wall with the back of its hand.
"NO!" Reivtip cries.
As it weighs down on her Reivtip starts charging his way over to it but it's obvious he won't reach it in time.
"Magic let's go!" I command. As my large mastiff easily clears the distance and takes a dive at it as it raises its hand to swing down on Taalnorr. Magic collides with it and throws it off balance and taking off its weapon. I fire my crossbow and immediately reload and fire again. The first bolt lands in its collarbone and the second lodges in the monster's oversized nostril. I trudge my way over to Taalnorr while Magic sniffs her checking if she's ok. As I get close I realize that he's scaring her. I don't think she knew it was Magic. She was cringing in fear and squeezing her eyes tightly.
"Hey, are you ok?" I inquire.
"Wha- what? I- I'm alive?" She stutters.
"Well I know I'm amazing, but I don't think I'm heaven," I joke.
"Trust me, with the way you just saved me, you might just be," she assures, "And thank you too Magic. You're such a good boy!" She tanks him.
"All righty ye' love birds break it up before I puke," Scyldhelm barks.
"Hey now Magic may be beautiful, but I can't take him from Kiergann," She teases.
"Ok I can't stand this anymore!" I moan as I run behind the nearest building and lose my lunch. As I stagger back Scyldhelm teases, "I didn't think ye'd be freaked out by a thought like that un'."
"Uh may I remind you of the rotting abomination 5 feet away?" I indicate.
"Ye' got yourself a point there," he replies whilst stroking his beard.
"Well let's keep moving," Taaluus concludes.
1 hour later…
"Ok we're at the leader of this domain," Reivtip states.
"Let's end this quickly. The plants here cry for help and I can't ignore it much longer," Taaluus grumbles.
"Lord Aurius Rivendare! Your army hath been vanquished! Now by the Light show yourself!" Reivtip commands.
I tried to speak but I was cut off, "Oh yes by all means let him know we-"
"It is time to take matters into my own hands! Come. Enter my domain and challenge the might of the Scourge!" Aurius' voice echoes across the land.
As we enter the spire a group of armored skeletal warriors appear from the shadows. As one takes a wide arc swing his war hammer connects to Taaluus' temple.
"Oi' Scourge filth ye'll be scattered on the floor," Scyldhelm shouts.
As Reivtip exorcises the first two, Taalnorr plants her daggers into the eye sockets of her target. I draw my crossbow and let loose three bolts, one in the jaw and the cranium of the monster that knocked Taaluus out. The third I fired and took out one of Scyldhelm's targets. Once we kill the final monster Reivtip says, "I'll wake up Taaluus. You three go in and find some tactical points. Don't get caught." The second we open the door Taalnorr vanishes, but I catch a glimpse of her sneaking behind Aurius. I look around me and see a gigantic pile of bones. When I start to head toward it I see Reivtip carrying a disgruntled Taaluus on one shoulder.
As I reach the top of the pile I see Taalnorr right behind Aurius now. I send Magic to the bottom of the mound.
"We're ready," I shout.
As Scyldhelm begins to charge Reivtip launches his shield into Rivendare. As the horse he is on begins charging Reivtip Taalnorr buries in its rump. When he goes to turn toward her I fire and nail him in the chest and almost knock him off the animal. As he begins steadying himself Scyldhelm rams the head of his axe into one of the equine's bony legs. It feels painfully obvious we are going to beat Aurius with relative ease. Reivtip reaches him and deflects a mighty stab with his shield. He takes a grand swing with his mace and Aurius' horse bucks him off. I fire again and pin him to the ground by his cloak.
"Now Reivtip! Exorcise this demon!" Taaluus commands.
"Demon be gone from this land! By the Light I compel your evil spirit to leave this-"
"Look out!" Scyldhelm shouts.
As Reivtip turns Aurius' horse impales him on its horns.
"Reivtip no!" I think everybody yells.
I fire five bolts and pepper the beast's torso. Taalnorr jumps onto its back and rains a flurry of stabs and slices. As it stops whipping its head, Scyldhelm takes a conclusive swing and lops its head off. Taaluus runs over and lifts the dismembered head off Reivtip. He immediately removes Reivtip's breastplate to check his wounds. We all begin walking towards our fallen comrade when we hear Aurius cackle, "It's too late for him already. But I could-" TWANG! I fire a bolt into his evil decrepit heart and end his miserable afterlife.
We all kneel around Reivtip but it's all too obvious Aurius wasn't lying. As we all begin saying our final goodbyes to our fallen friend, Reivtip takes in a large and painful breath and with his final breath say, "Th-this isn't how I thought I would die. T-t-Taalnorr, I've wanted to tell you ever since I met you. I love you." And with that, Reivtip's eyes close for the last time.
End of chapter one.