Chapter 6: Push Them Back! Darren's Decision
I woke up suddenly, the doctors rushing around me to bandage wounded on tables, priests chanting divine words I did not understand to cause golden rays of light to heal the wounded. Burly Tauren carried the wounded in on stretchers, quickly placing them on wooden tables, then rushing off to recover more casualties.
No doctors are around me, all of them busy trying to heal other wounded. Various voices cry out, in pain, in anger, in frustration. My body is bandaged, but I feel no pain, only rage. Something inside takes control of me, and before I know what I am doing, I have grabbed a discarded sword and shield from one of the dead and am rushing out of the room, through the Undercity, to the gates. Doctors, priests, and nurses yell after me, but I ignore their feeble calls. Kel must be avenged; the Scourge MUST be pushed back.
I race to the gates and see them barred, and many bodies pushing to keep them shut. Something on the other side is ramming the door, and chips of wood fly everywhere with each slam. It is futile I realize, even before the heavy oaken construct is ripped aside and I see what has done this, a massive creature made of limbs sewn together from many corpses. It carried massive cleavers in its many arms, obviously the tools used to batter at the gate.
"An Abomination! Take up positions! Slay it quickly!" A Forsaken captain calls out, gesturing at the creature with a halberd. Warlocks, Priests, and Mages fire blasts of energy: daemonic, holy, shadow, fire, ice, arcane! The blasts tear into the creature's hide, slaying it and causing the monster to topple over. The brief cheers are short lived as a cloud of noxious fumes erupt from the Abomination's corpse; the greenish clouds of gas choking Tauren, Trolls, and Orcs, though not being able to affect the Forsaken.
As the cloud dissipated, a mass of Scourge troops raced into the hall. Ghouls, Abominations, the hideous spider-creatures known as Crypt Fiends, skeletal soldiers, zombies, and other odd constructs I cannot identify. The Scourge troops slammed into our lines, and many Forsaken and our allies were brought down, only to have their corpses desecrated by consumption of the hideous Ghouls.
I, along with many around me, charge into the fray to aid our allies. I spot a Crypt Fiend just about to slaughter a young Troll female armed with a staff, and I stab the creature through the back of the skull with my sword. She rises and mutters a quick thanks, then turns and slams her staff onto the skull of a Ghoul.
Seeing her safe, I turn to cleave a zombie shambling towards me in two. I get ready to slash another that comes my way, but its chest quickly becomes filled with arrows and it drops to the ground. I do not take the time to see who has aided me, though in my mind I thank them as I charge into a skeleton warrior and smash its skull in with my shield. As I finish this warrior of wickedness, I feel something slam into the back of my head and I am stunned. I feel blades slashing into my back, and I cannot move to counter. I am unsure how much time passes before I can move, but as soon as I can I wheel around and swing my sword at my attacker. As my blow is parried and a dagger is thrust my direction my attacker utters several words:
"Did not think I'd be back, mon?" The Troll! The traitor who joined the Scourge cult! My annoyance at being attacked from behind is replaced by blind rage and I swing my sword again in his direction. "Trying da same thing won't work, mon!" He laughs, raising one of his daggers to parry; the force of my slash breaks his dagger and my sword buries itself in his shoulder. The Troll cries out and drops his other dagger, and I see my opportunity, ramming my weapon through his face and quickly pulling it out again. His defeated body collapses to the floor and something inside me seems to say 'Your revenge is only half-done.' I know this voice is right.
Trengar, he had disgraced me, not once but twice, I needed vengeance. Something else inside me tried to warn against these acts and violence and revenge, but I ignored this voice, only focusing on slaying my adversaries.
And then I saw him, that vile scoundrel Trengar, laughing maliciously as he beheaded two Forsaken warriors with one swipe of his cruel blade. He wheeled around to drive his blade through the chest of a nearby Tauren, and then kicked a Forsaken warlock in the stomach, causing the injured one to curl up in pain and collapse to the ground where Trengar could hack it to bits. This slaughter needed to end, and I needed vengeance, two birds with one stone, so to say.
As much as I wanted to bury my weapon in his chest, between Trengar and I was a sea of fighters on both sides: Scourge and Forsaken. Taking a deep breath (though I am unsure if this would have any effect, nor if my lungs were even still operational), I charged into the melee. I swung my sword in large arcs felling Ghouls, Skeletons, Zombies and Crypt Fiends with every stroke. Every one I killed seemed to bring me one step closer to Trengar. After impaling a zombie on my sword point, I looked up to see Trengar, fighting through the Forsaken lines, seemingly moving towards me. It seemed he had wanted to finish me off; well, if he came to me, all the easier to slay him.
Trengar and I came closer every second, the howling battle around us seeming to slow as we neared one another. He raised his cruel, serrated blade as he neared, and I raised my shield to block. The blow never came.
I looked up to see Trengar falling backwards, a hole blasted through his chest that was still flaming, most likely the work of a mage. I was filled with anger; I was supposed to kill him; but, as Trengar hit the floor, I saw him begin to rise; I still had a chance for revenge.
"For The Dark Lady! For Kel!" I yelled jumping onto Trengar's wounded body on the floor, pinning him down. He raised his sword arm and I quickly hacked it off before he could strike. Then, with a swift motion, I dismembered the other arm and both his legs. Trengar cried out and tried to bite at me, but his teeth could not pierce the armor I wore, no matter how flimsy it was.
I slashed again and again, mutilating his already dying form. Skin, blood, and chips of bone flew into the air, coating my blade with a sticky layer. I did not care if the sword was ruined, what mattered was making sure Trengar could never return, the same fate as Kel. If Trengar's body was mutilated to that point, I would never have to see him again. After what seemed like an eternity, Trengar's body was no more than a putrid pile of flesh and bone.
As I rose and wiped my sword on the shirt of a dead zombie, I noticed the remaining Scourge forces retreating. We had pushed them back!
Cries went up from the Forsaken lines: "For the Dark Lady!" "For the Horde!" "For the Undercity!" "For the Forsaken!" The cheering was followed by a massive charge after the retreating enemy, and I followed. I doubt a single Scourge warrior survived our onslaught as they were crushed beneath our mighty advance. The Undercity was safe!
A Forsaken general clad in full plate armor and wearing insignias walked over to where all of the army was arrayed. He raised the visor on his helmet and smiled, revealing cracked teeth. "You have done a great thing this day, and tonight we can sleep knowing we have peace." The general began. "You are the heroes of today! Though we lost many of our friends, allies, and family, we can know their sacrifice was not in vain! Long live the Forsaken!"
"Long live the Forsaken!" We cheered back.
"Now, I have one small favor that Lady Sylvanas has asked me to make sure you all follow," the general continued. "Clean this hall!"
Groans erupted all around me, but were silenced quickly as Sylvanas herself and Varimathras walked into the room. It was true, the Undercity needed cleaning, the area by the gate was littered with many corpses, and the walls were stained with blood and burn marks from magic. My sword and shield were quickly replaced with a broom and dust pan as I began to sweep up some of the corpses on the floor and dispose of them in a gigantic bonfire constructed by the generals.
"The Scourge may be plagued, and burning their bodies is the only way to be sure of safety," one general pointed out. "The same goes for the bodies of those slain, they may have the taint as well, as could any of us. Immediately after the cleaning is finished, all troops are to report to the Infirmary for inoculation." More groans met this order, but a stern glare from Varimathras silenced the room.
The cleaning continued for several hours, and was fairly uneventful, until, towards the end, Varimathras walked over to me.
"I have been informed by one of our Lieutenants that you were seen fighting Trengar, is this correct?" Varimathras asked in his deep, daemonic voice.
"Yes," I answered curtly.
"I have also heard you mutilated his corpse, which would prevent his resurrection, is this so as well?" Varimathras questioned.
"Yes," I replied again, beginning to become frightened as the Dreadlord began to scowl.
"You imbecile!" Varimathras roared, striking me across this face with one of his mighty claws. I slammed into a wall and he walked over to me, grabbing my head between his massive claws. "You have lost Trengar not once but twice! He showed so much promise! He was one who had a future as a general in our military!"
"And so does Darren, Varimathras," the sinister yet seductive voice of Lady Sylvanas cut off Varimathras. "Put him down." Varimathras did as he was commanded, and stepped away.
"My Lady, you cannot be serious, Darren is mediocre at best and…"
"I did not ask for you opinion, did I?" She responded darkly. "If Darren could defeat Trengar, what does that show? Simple: He is stronger than Trengar."
Varimathras did not know how to respond and merely stomped out of the room, muttering foul words he thought I could not hear.
"Darren you are to be commended," Sylvanas said.
"You flatter me, my lady," I say bowing. "Many other troops did the same as I."
"Yes Darren," she answered, "many did kill as many, or more than you did, but you defeated not only Trengar, but that deadly Troll Rogue. Few saw that fight, but I was watching. I do not feel Varimathras needs to know."
"Do you not trust him?" I asked.
"Let us just say, once a Demon, always a Demon. Now I must be off, goodbye Darren." Sylvanas turned and walked away. I was stunned, the leader of the entire Forsaken had just given me such a compliment. I was baffled, flattered…
That night I slept the best I ever had, a dreamless sleep, the first in a long time.
HES: The Scourge have been pushed back and thus we are about to enter the next part of the story which involves efforts against the Scarlet Crusade. Now to answer some reviews (Author's Note: I only answer reviews pertaining to the previous chapter, so if you want your reviews answered, review on the most recent chapter):
OmegaTrooper: Thanks for the compliments! I'm trying to develop Darren's character as much as I can. He isn't exactly emotionally perfect as you can tell from this chapter.
Tsabo-Tvoc Phyrexia-General: To each his own I suppose. I'm glad you enjoyed the battle. And yes, the racist Troll did come back in this chapter, and as you can see Darren dispatched him for good.
Fallencow: Thanks! The part with Scarlet Monastery is coming, but not immediately. The reason it can't happen right away should be a bit obvious, but if not you will see why next chapter.
Promise of the Ghost Queen: I'm very happy you enjoyed the chapter! Yes, it was sad Kel had to die, but it was necessary to help develop Darren's character. Don't worry, he may make more friends in the future. I hope you liked Trengar's fate in this chapter.
