Luna's horn pierced through the din of battle as she summoned another sliver of moonlight to fell an undead minion. The sliver was weak, it barely stunned the minion, betraying to the enemy how spent the priestess was. The horn's message was simple: disperse and meld away.
It had been a trap from the beginning. A supplies wagon they had ambushed, much like many they had done in the previous weeks, had instead been filled with undead warriors. It had always been so simple. That's why they had become lax. Luna cursed. What had become common in her daily routine had suddenly become a fight for her life and her soldiers. In hindsight, Luna knew she should have expected something like this.
With one last look back at the battle, she saw her soldiers attempting to disengage from combat and return the safety of the forest shadows. She saw a soldier hobble towards her; the warrior's leg was injured. The huntress was shouting something at her but Luna remained frozen. She reached perhaps six steps before a sword blossomed from her chest. Luna saw her face contort in agony as she collapsed on the ground to reveal a skeletal warrior much larger than the others. The huge warrior barely spared the fallen Night Elf a glance as he withdrew the massive sword. Freeing his sword, the undead turned his attention to Luna and roared a challenge.
Luna fled.
So many dead, her mind screamed at her as her legs carried swiftly through the familiar forest. How will you be able to face your warriors after this? You led them into a trap! Then left them there to die!
Leoric watched the Night Elf run for the safety of the trees. With a glance back at his skeletal minions he surveyed the field of battle. The skirmish was won. His plan had gone almost perfectly. His second in command could deal with the aftermath. Loading corpses wasn't exactly difficult.
The Skeleton King lived for battle, so with another roar, he followed the escaping elf deeper into the forest.
It was called the Shrine of Moonfang. One of the many shrines erected in honor of the fallen from the War of the Ancients. The locations of most shrines werewidely known and were often part of many pilgrimages. This one was however, a secret to even most Night Elves. Not even Tyrande Whisperwind had knowledge of the place before its discovery. A Sentinel scout had, by chance, stumbled upon the location several hundred years ago and it had become an ideal base of operations in Ashenvale for the Sentinel ever since.
No one knew why the Shrine had been forgotten. It had become an accepted fact amongst the warriors. Like the fact that if you entered the catacombs beneath, you would not return. These days, the entrance to the catacombs was sealed.
Luna arrived at the Shrine of Moonfang with a face wet with tears and gasping for breath. She was the first to arrive, and she was alone. Pausing a moment to catch her breath, her ears caught a clatter of bones that turned her face pale.
Turning around, she saw the giant warrior right behind her seeming none the less for wear after the long run. The skeleton clacked something intelligible and raised his sword as a large fireball shot towards her.
Barely avoiding the blast of fire, Luna heard a loud rumble behind her. A quick glance back showed the seals to the catacomb behind her had cracked.
Another fireblast whooshed past her, singeing the hairs on her skin. Behind her the seals gave way and collapsed to reveal the entrance.
Without a second thought, she ran into the darkness.
Leoric watched as the elf fled from him for a second time. His second Hellfire Blast had missed by mere inches. The Skeleton King cursed the mindlink that had interrupted his aim. His second was saying something but he wasn't listening. Leoric thought he caught the words another troll. What is that idiot second doing?
Cocking his head, the Skeleton King weighed his options. He was reckless, not stupid. The entrance had been sealed for a reason. Perhaps it had simply been erected as a warning. The seal had been too weak to be fortification, too weak to be a prison. Deal with it, and send me some reinforcements, he commanded through his mind link as he terminated it.
Crouching down on the ground, he settled to wait. He would give the Night Elf some time, she would come out. They always did. Eventually even prey had to come out to feed.
The crypt wasn't hard to navigate at all. It wasn't really a catacomb. It wasn't even a maze. It was a long corridor that led deeper into the earth. Luna ran through the darkness without turning, without stopping, without thinking of the danger she knew lay ahead.
The passage opened out into a wide chamber. Luna said a small prayer and her hand glowed with moonlight. The walls seemed to be made of some reflective substance, and moonlight reflected clearly around the room.
There were skeletons on the ground. Luna could see the worn leather gear that was standard issue to Sentinel soldiers. Some things never change, huh? One of the soldiers was wearing a helm she didn't recognize. Picking it up, she turned it over in her hands. It was beautifully crafted, something that might have exceeded even the elves in terms of beauty. However, the helm obviously had not saved the elf from death.
Looking up, Luna gasped as she saw the rest of the beautiful suit of armor. It shone brightly back at her from the centre of the room. It must have been ancient, left by the creators of the shrine. Entranced, she slowly raised her hand to feel the cool surface. Her fingers tingled.
I sense great sorrow in you sister.
"What?" Luna gasped out loud into the darkness.
Is it the time?
"Who are you?" Luna asked beginning to wonder if insanity was the cause of death in these halls.
I am the hand of the Goddess.
A figure streaked through the forest following the path, Leoric had slashed through. Nearing his destination the figure slowed to a Skeleton King hadn't seen him yet. Nor would he. The Skeleton King had asked for reinforcements. He would have to settle for the newcomer instead.
Listening for any sign of being detected, the figure nimbly ascended the nearest tree and lay on his perch to observe. Afterall, if you wanted a promotion, you needed to be able to replace someone.
Leoric crouched low as he heard the sounds of footsteps returning from the sealed door. The footsteps seemed different from before. More confident, less hesitant.
The Night Elf appeared in the doorway. Her armor was different, and she was wielding a new weapon. Both were shining brightly, as if new. The
Skeleton King's eyes narrowed as he watched the Night Elf stride past his hiding spot.
Leoric grinned inwardly, and lunged at his unwary opponent. Then he saw her face, and the grin slipped from his face.
The Night Elf's eyes were glazed white and they shone brightly, angrily at the attacker. Moonlight lit up the area around the pair. It was everywhere.
Leoric felt is frame freeze. He tried to move but his body would not obey. With a dull thud, his blade dropped to the ground. A moment later, he was on his knees. Forcing himself to look up he could see only the sillouhette of his terrifying opponent's hair fluttered wildly as she raised her strange glaive like weapon.
"Who are you?" he managed to grunt.
"I am," intoned the Night Elf in a voice that reeked of power as her weapon began its slow descent towards Leoric. "A hand of the Goddess!"
Long after the Night Elf left the clearing where the corpse of the Skeleton King lay, the figure hopped down from his perch on one of the higher branches. Making his way to the remnants of the undead warrior, he curiously poked at them with his staff.
The skull rolled over to reveal eyes that were very much alive. Eyes that glared back at the intruder.
"Dis not ah good place fo ah nap, Leoric!" the newcomer said cheerfully.
Nothing happened for a moment. Then with a click, two bone fragments reformed together snapping into place to form a spine.
Click! Click! Click! Click! With unholy speed and accuracy, the bits and pieces on the ground clacked together again to form the giant skeleton.
"Yo missing sumfin me thinks," the troll said gleefully as he looked pointedly at the area between Leoric's two massive legs.
"Shut it troll! You were late!" growled Leoric as he surged to his feet.
"Things be happening back at da camp! Wat we do now, ma lord?" his second smirked as he looked up at the towering frame of the Skeleton King.
"We withdraw for now," grunted Leoric as he sheathed his large blade. "Send someone you don't like to report to the Dread Lord. There may be a complication or two."
"Yea, I'll do dat." Dazzle sniggered and left the clearing.
The Skeleton King followed a moment later, glancing back only once towards the direction the Night Elf had left. The Night Elf was strong, he thought, far too strong for one so young. With a little luck, they would meet again when he was better prepared. Next time, he thought. She will die.