Hey folks. This story popped into my head when I was bored out my mind raiding one night. All characters and the world really belong to Blizzard, I'm just having fun with them. ;)
Note: There will be blood, cussing, and other things considered adult material (although I'm not sure if I'll be putting a smut part in as I've never written one before) hence the rating of M when I normally am writing in the T territory. :P
Chapter 1: The lies we tell ourselves
"You are not prepared." - Illidan Stormrage
Nokami couldn't help but stare at the sprawling black stone that was the Black Temple. Even crumbling and aged it was impressive.
Her guild mates shivered some in their boots causing her to sniff at them. They acted like the building would slice them to pieces instead of it's lord. Most of them shouldn't be here, in fact none of them should've been there.
"Ready to go down in the history books Deathwish?"
Nokami couldn't help but grin a bit. The human paladin standing next to her had given her that last name. She had a habit of doing things that most people shouldn't survive through and walking out without a scratch. She said nothing to him though, she wasn't one for chatting really.
Lucien Rosen looked at the night elf hunter curiously. She was quiet and kept to herself no matter anyone's attempts to pull her out of her shell. She was rather nice to stare at minus the rather nasty claw marks on the left side of her face. No one knew how she'd gotten them as far as he knew and she refused to tell them. His bet was a training accident with a pet.
Thinking of pets Lucien eyed the huge bat hanging nearby.
"He's resting up." Nokami stated not even looking at Lucien.
"Sorry but I always hated bats." Lucien said shuddering. "They drink people's blood you know?"
Nokami bit her tongue against pointing out that Belfry was a fruit bat and not a vampiric one but decided to ignore the comment. All animals had their good and bad points. Belfry had been with her since she'd found him with a broken wing and nursed him back to health. She knew what it was like to be broken and alone in the world. She'd never allow people to suffer if she would help it. Even if she was a bit limited in ways to help them.
"Still this should be fun." The paladin said cheerfully.
"I hope your right Lucien." Nokami stated flatly. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Bah!" The paladin said with a swipe of the hand. His faith that the Light would carry them through the day unshakable, even before the hunter's superior instincts. "We've survived worse that a crazy half breed sorcerer. What could be worse then being bogged down in freezing cold of Alterac Valley for days or spending weeks in the smelly Plaguelands helping the Argent Dawn?"
Nokami grinned at him. He had cited two places she'd constantly ran into him. It had taken months but he'd finally manage to convince her to join his guild. Despite her reputation as a fierce loner.
The people in the guild were friendly enough to her. At least most of them, and most didn't ask two many questions. Mainly it was the other night elves she avoided like the plague. If anyone had noticed they hadn't asked her, though it did cause the occasional problem.
"I'm sure Miss Deathwish will be right at home in the temple." Someone said behind them.
Lucien of course turned to look but Nokami didn't bother. She knew who it was and could guess who was with her.
Eliena Stardust sneered at Nokami. Her mooncloth robes snapped in the wind of an approaching storm. She had what Nokami dubbed her minions with her. They were both night elf males. Silverblade was a warrior who prided himself on taking hits while Nokami swore the rogue Nightwalker was pick pocketing the other races of the guild. None of them had what Nokami called an adventurer's heart. They seemed almost to be with the guild cause they felt they had to instead of wanting to.
"After all," Eliena continued. "It's dark, smelly, and full of other's who need to be killed."
Nokami ignored her comments. She felt Belfry stir in his roost but she knew his training would keep him there unless she pulled the hammer on her gun or drew her blades.
"Eliena, we'll be needing to work together here. No need to start trouble." Lucien stated in a no nonsense tone.
The priestess glared at Nokami. "Your living on borrowed time you little..."
"Eliena! One more word and I'm suspending you from this raid." Lucien snapped.
With a sniff and a toss of her black haired head Eliena walked off. Silverblade glared and Nightwalker made a slitting motion across his throat at Nokami.
She said nothing to any of them and simply brushed some of her white bangs out of her face.
"Why do those guys hate you so much?" Lucien asked. "I mean all the night elves either glare at you or ignore you but those three..."
"They don't like my tastes in pets and weapons." Nokami replied with a grin. While Eliena had gone on and on about how a proper night elf didn't befriend flying rodents and use inelegant guns Nokami knew there was a much bigger reason for the animosity.
"If we didn't need a good tank and healer so bad..." Lucien started.
"It's fine." Nokami said. "I can handle it."
"I suppose that's true enough." Lucien said as he whistled for his griffon.
Nokami sighed and looked at the Temple. She pondered a moment if she was going to be able to handle the upcoming fight.
Illidan couldn't help but glare at the motley crew before him. He was surprised these fool had bested his guards and officers. He'd let them leave with the weapons they'd taken from the corpses like vultures picking over carcasses, but now they seemed to think they could best him? All because they had that stupid traitorous broken Akama.
It wasn't surprising to Illidan that Maiev showed up either, not with Akama having betrayed him. Just because he was considered crazed did not mean he was stupid.
Then he finally blew up some pathetic human paladin. Chaos descended.
It was amusing to watch them all fracture at the sudden loss of their commander. Suddenly his roof was a giant free for all of fools trying to escape his wrath.
Easy pickings.
He couldn't see Akama. The broken had apparently ran the minute things didn't look good. He'd hunt the traitor down later.
Right that moment he had a few things he wanted of Maiev. One was her screaming, the other was her death.
There were times when Nokami seriously hated having such good instincts. True to her guess the raid had broken apart and people were screaming and running for their lives.
If the idiots wanted to die then they could go right ahead.
Through the screaming Nokami saw Illidan burning Maiev alive. She couldn't help but cringe for the Warden. True she hadn't liked Shadowsong but no one really deserved such a death.
Crouching down she leveled her rifle and took aim. She'd have one chance at this...
One by one the sounds around her vanished as she narrowed her eyes at her target. It was just the smallest opening in the Warden's helm, the one her ear was sticking out of. One bullet to the brain and Maiev wouldn't be in any more pain. Nokami found the situation ironic that the Warden's one chance at a quick death lay in the hands of a hunter who was far from a master marksmen.
"Elune-adore Maiev. Ande'thoras-ethil." Nokami whispered and pulled the trigger and prayed.
Thankfully Elune seemed to agree with Nokami's act of mercy.
Nokami smiled a little only for it to vanish when Illidan glared murder at her.
"Aw shit! You just couldn't have spread that blessing to me just a little bit Elune?" She swore jumping up and running as she heard yelling and the sound of hoofs behind her.
To say Illidan was furious was an understatement. He had every intention of putting that disfigured hunter through what he'd been planning for Maiev once he got a hold of her.
Nokami knew better then to run for the stairs. With the reinforcements of Illidari and the raid fighting there she'd never get down them. Instead she ran for the edge of the roof and let out a sharp whistle.
Belfry wasn't far. He abandoned the fight with some demon and swooped in as Nokami jumped.
For a moment Illidan though the stupid woman had gone and committed suicide but when he looked down he saw her clinging to the back legs of a desperately flapping bat. The monstrous sized rodent manage to slow her fall enough that the pair kicked through an open window below.
If he hadn't been so intent on dismembering her, Illidan might have laughed at her tactic.
"You did great Belfry, thank you." Nokami soothed as she bound up the bat's wounds from the fighting. "We'll get out of here and I'll get you every fruit you could possibly want in your life buddy."
"I wouldn't make that a promise. You'll be a ghost soon."
Nokami looked up to see Eliena and her cronies again. "If you really think you can take me."
Eliena sneered. "You outnumbered, wounded, and your rodent is probably exhausted from your stunt. Not to mention that using that gun of yours is impossible at this close of range you little murderer."
Nokami's eyes narrowed but she said nothing.
"So your not denying it? That you murdered the druid Tanavar Greenleaf?"
"I killed him in self defense thank you."
Eliena glared. "Don't lie! Tanavar was as gentle a soul as one could hope to meet. You however were a raging little rat long before!"
"Don't like hearing that your former lover was a monster? You certain have bounced back in the, what thousand or so years he's been dead? Most priestesses take vows of celibacy you know." Nokami stated and watched Silverblade and Nightwalker shift uncomfortably.
Eliena made a noise that reminded Nokami of an annoyed cat. "My Tanavar was a wonderful druid you little bitch!" She raised her hand to slap.
Belfry dropped out off the ceiling with a shriek and bit at Eliena. The priestess screamed having forgotten the blasted bat in her rage.
"Belfry!" Nokami yelled as she stepped forward to help him, only to have Nightwalker jump at her as Silverblade went to pry the bat of Eliena.
It took a moment and a dagger to the arm but Nokami manage to cut Nightwalker's leg and dodge around him. She was to late though and heard her bat give a resounding scream.
"Belfry!"
"Blasted rodent." Eliena stated kicking the now dead bat in the head.
Nokami gave a ferocious cry and dove at Eliena, intending to remove her head but Silverblade was there blocking her with his shield forcing her back toward Nightwalker and his daggers.
Instinct had her ducking down and away from the daggers. She did a somersault and cut at Silverblade's leg as she passed before springing up and taking off down the hall.
I'm so sorry Belfry. Nokami thought as she swallowed her tears. She didn't have time to cry right now.
Illidan was annoyed. While only a few of the attackers had actually gotten away via a mage with a quick portal, there was four lurking in his temple. All were night elves and one was that white haired hunter from the roof.
"Find them! NOW!" He roared at his lackeys. The raid had done enough damage to his organization. He was surrounded by idiots now.
Illidan himself didn't return to his roof. He joined the search and really was not all that impressed with his followers when he found the night elves first.
Well, three of them anyway, and none were the one he wanted.
"I can't believe you let her get away you idiots!" The priestess was hissing.
"But the bat..." The warrior started to say.
"Was under control!"
"She can't have gotten far Priestess Eliena. I caught her arm pretty good while you guys killed the bat."
"Still," The warrior stated again. "Eliena she said she killed him in self defense..."
"It doesn't matter what the little lying murderess said. Staghelm wants her dead and she killed Tanavar. She's been marked for death for almost as long as Nordassil has existed. If we'd known where she'd been hiding she'd have been dead long ago."
"Shh!" The rogue said. "I thought I heard something."
Blending in with the shadows, although a lot harder now due to his size was still second nature to Illidan. The rogue loked right past him frowning.
The loud bang of a gun shot rang in the air and the priestess shrieked.
Hidden down a dead end hallway that was serving as a storage area Nokami cursed her luck.
She scolded herself for once again being more interested in befriending animals then in learning how to kill non-observant people in one shot. She'd had a perfect shot at Eliena's head and had screwed it up.
At least her trap was set when Silverblade came charging down the hallway. It was rather amusing watching him turn into a block of ice.
Taking aim again Nokami aimed for Eliena and stopped. Hadn't the rogue been right next to her?
She felt the wire snap around her neck as Nightwalker yanked her off her feet. She grabbed at the garrote wire but could only grab at his fists.
"Time's up you little bitch." Eliena sneered in her dimming vision.
"Couldn't agree more." Someone else growled out.
Nokami found herself suddenly dropped to the ground as Nightwalker burst into flames, screaming horribly. She couldn't help him though as she gasped and coughed as air rushed back into her lungs.
Silverblade lay cut in half and still frozen solid as Illidan advanced on Eliena who couldn't seem to find her voice as she stared up at him, abject terror stamped all over her face.
"Run!" Nokami choked out. "Run away!"
Still Eliena didn't move. Much like a deer suddenly finding themselves before a hunter. Nokami thought for a moment she heard Eliena say a prayer before Illidan crushed her skull.
Taking a deep breathe Nokami grabbed her swords and, though still panting for air, stood up. She'd faced death to many times to truly fear it and she'd known many forms of pain through her life. No matter what Illidan did to her, she could take it, and she'd take it without giving him the satisfaction of her being anything but defiant and calm.
At least that's what she told herself, even as she felt her knees shake.
Did the damn hybrid have to be so blasted tall?
Illidan stared down at her pondering. She honestly did not look like much up close. White hair pulled back into a short ponytail and her silver eyes glared back defiantly. Even her left one which was marred with claw marks. She was skinny like one who didn't have regular meals all that often and Illidan would've bet that she could stare any night elf male in the eyes with how tall she was.
What made him curious though was the aura. All creatures had an aura and hers sparked of magic more then a hunter's normally did. He'd seen enough hunters in his life to know they had predominately blue auras, with a bit of other colors thrown in. This woman however, had a green aura, with pockets of blue mixed in.
Added to the conversation he had been overhearing from the other night elves, she was a rather interesting fool.
Why the hell is he staring at me? Nokami was thinking to herself. She was sore, tired, and just wished he'd get on with whatever he was going to do to her. The weird smoking green orbs screened behind the cloth just seem to look through her as if assessing her.
Her legs were gonna give out any minute if she didn't do something and she wasn't about to die on her knees.
With a cry she stabbed at him with her swords. Illidan simply dodged out of the way and grabbed her wrists in one hand before his elbow ran into her face.
Nokami swore she saw stars and felt herself hit her knees as she tried to blink her sight back.
"Jerk..." she muttered right before she hit the ground.
