Chapter Nine: Escape
Lothar felt himself dying. His body had endured as much as he could. Around him, his men were slumped against the walls, languishing in horror. It was over. Their prayers had not been answered. They would die here, alone and unaided, and nothing they could do would deter it. He looked to his men, striving to speak.
'My… comrades…' he said, 'it… it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve alongside men of your caliber. I… I am sorry I led you into darkness… I'm sorry for everything…'
Then there was a clang and the sound of combat. A scream from the guard echoed and the door was struck. Once, twice, thrice, the sound of steel against it sounded. Then a red-haired woman entered the room, followed by a priest. 'Sir Aiden, we've found them!'
'Well done Serena,' said Aiden's voice, as he made his way forward.
He halted as he saw them. 'What has happened here, Lothar? Can you stand?'
They had come, against all the odds they had come. Lothar tried to stand, but he could not. 'It… it's too late for us, lad, you must take up our quest. You must not let Gul'dan get the tomb of divinity. It… it must not happen.'
Aiden kneeled by him. 'Lord Lothar, do not despair. We have priests with us. They will heal you… just hold on.' He looked back. 'Serena, establish a perimeter, and get the priests in here! Help these men!'
Lothar found himself fading. It was too late. Too late. '…Save the tomb, save… my people…'
'Lothar!' cried Aiden.
His voice barely reached him, seeming very distant and far away.
Gul'dan had been waiting, pacing back and forth as the fool breath what little life remained to him. Garona was over him, doing a very good job of looking concerned, even if there was no one to look concerned for. The young fool was dying, and yet Uther had not yet returned.
'Where is he?' asked Gul'dan aloud. 'He should have finished by now?!'
For a moment more, he waited. It would be unfortunate if he had to find and motivate yet another would-be hero. Then, all of a sudden, the golden shield went out. The defenses erected in the passage were lowered, and Uther appeared.
As the monk walked forward, Gul'dan smiled. 'Excellent, now give me the book.'
Uther said nothing. He didn't even seem to notice Gul'dan as he walked past him without a word. Gul'dan was being ignored, as though he were an ant. There was a time when being ignored was the best Gul'dan could hope for, and the memory of those times enraged him. Raising his finger, he sent a beam of dark energy coursing straight towards Uther.
There was a flash of light, and the guards shielded their eyes as Gul'dan fell back. Gul'dan felt agony course through him as he felt years of his life, years he had taken, torn from his body. The horror and pain were tenfold what those he had attacked had felt. It was pure hell, and Gul'dan screamed.
At last, he fell into unconsciousness.
Turylyon was fading. He felt old and worn out. His body was failing him, and the wound in his heart was bleeding. Yet as the gray mist descended upon him, he saw a light, cutting through the air. It illuminated him, and he felt his youth restored to him. He arose, looking at his hands, which were once again young.
Yet the light did not abate. It grew larger and larger with every moment, filling the caverns of the dead mines. The screams of dark creatures could be heard throughout the depths. A hand took hold of Turylyon's shoulder.
Then he looked up to the monk who kneeled by him. Around them, the ogres were screaming and clutching at their eyes. 'Can you stand?' he asked. 'Quickly boy, Garona follow me!'
He helped Turylyon up, and they fled past the guards. Under the leadership of Uther, they fled past the stunned guards. They walked on a route they neither understood nor saw.
'Uther, where are you leading us?!' asked Turylyon.
'The light is my guide!' said Uther. 'Now come quickly!'
They made their way through the halls, until at last-
And then they saw a light and their youth was restored. Lothar gasped as he felt his strength return to him. His men also stood, with renewed energy as a terrible and wonderful light filled the room. It was gone almost as quickly, and they looked at themselves now once more in full health.
Laughter bubbled up from their throats as they felt once more the zest of youth. Lothar felt younger than he ever had. Suddenly he felt a cloak flow around him, as Aiden stood beside him.
'Come, my Lord,' said Aiden 'we are not safe yet.'
They left the cells, those ghastly cells, and met up with the main force of Alliance soldiers. It was practically an army which Aiden had led with him. Lothar looked at them in awe. 'How many did you bring?'
'Several hundred,' said Aiden 'I came prepared.'
'Where are the knights?' asked a captive.
'Just me.' said Aiden. 'I felt it best to keep our finest warriors in reserve. What you see is our full force. Serena, bring our friends the weapons we recaptured. Then tell the men to prepare to locate our lost comrades'
'There is no need for that.' said Uther as he stepped out of the shadows, followed by Turylyon. 'We've already escaped ourselves.' He raised the Tome. 'We have the tome of divinity.'
'You found it?' asked Lothar, stepping forward.
It was a book of simple brown leather, yet something about it held all the wisdom in the world. Lothar took the tome in shaking hands and looked through it, tears falling from his eyes as he did so. 'I… I never imagined I would see it.'
'How did you escape?' asked Serena, 'You were captured by ogres.'
'Gul'dan shot Turylyon with a spell I could not heal.' said Uther 'He said that the only way to heal him would be with the Tome of divinity. So I sought it out, and with its power, I restored the youth to all those in this place Gul'dan has drained life from.'
'You were the one who created that light.' said Lothar in awe. 'We stand twice indebted to you then, Uther Lightbringer.'
'Three cheers for Uther Lightbringer!' cried a man.
'Hip hip hurrah! Hip hip hurrah! Hip hip hurrah!'
The men slapped Uther on the back and congratulated him on his accomplishment. Uther seemed more surprised and confused by the praise then appreciative. He didn't seem to see anything remarkable in what he had done.
Finally, everyone calmed down. 'We have the tome, we have Lothar,' said Serena 'let's get the hell out of here!'
Then Aiden looked around. '…Where is Garona?'
Garona Halforcen had been left behind. She had, of course, heard Uther's cry, but she had been in agony from the light when it happened, and so was unable to follow. By the time she followed, he was long gone, and she had to get directions from several of the ogres. She sped down the passages, noticing that the darkness of the dead mines fading away. Now it was left only as a series of passages.
As she drew nearer, she heard cheering and began to make out voices. 'I thought she was with us? Turylyon, did you see her?' That was Uther.
'I… I'm sorry I didn't notice.' said the boy from before.
'Damn it, we've got to go back for her.' said Uther.
'Garona accompanied you?' asked Lothar. 'I did not think her the type for such quests.'
'I arranged her presence.' said Aiden, voice guarded.
Garona halted just out of sight. She already knew how this would go. They were going to leave without her. She wasn't exactly a welcome addition to any faction on Azeroth.
'Sir, should we go back for her?' asked a soldier.
'…We ought to.' said Lothar 'I don't like the idea of anyone suffering at Gul'dan's hands.'
'We're all with you, sir.' said Serena 'But consider this. We have the Tome of Divinity. We have rescued Lord Lothar and his companions and beaten Gul'dan. We don't need to beat him again. The longer we stay here, the more likely we'll get captured, and we've already lost good men in this mission.
We should leave.'
'And condemn Garona to a fate worse than death?' asked Turylyon, reminding Garona of Varian. 'You have not seen the horrors he inflicts on those he captures, no one deserves that, not even a halforc.'
'She's probably a traitor anyway!' said Serena 'Aiden, you said that you suspected there was a spy in Stormwind didn't you?! Well, who the hell do you think would be most likely to betray us to a race which wants our entire species dead?!
I've lost a lot of good men in this place, and I don't want to lose anymore rescuing King Llane's traitorous whore!'
So, they already suspected Garona. This was bad. Aiden hated her. She'd best make her way back to Stormwind on her own, and not join up with them at all. Otherwise, they might take matters into their own hands. Maybe she could play for pity from Llane, and use it to discredit Aiden. No, probably not.
She was just about to turn round when Aiden spoke:
'Captain Serena, you have never said a word which became you less.' said Aiden firmly. 'Garona is no great friend of mine, but she remains the trusted friend and confidant of our King. It is, therefore, our clear purpose, and duty to rescue her if we can or avenge her if we must. That is why we will journey through the Dead Mines until we find her.
Even if we must slay every ogre within this place, we will continue until everyone who can be rescued has been.
Unless Lord Lothar intends to order me otherwise, of course.'
'No,' said Lothar 'you are right Aiden. We cannot abandon her to torment and death, whatever our doubts.'
Garona didn't know how to react to this. It didn't make sense. They hated her, most of them anyway, she had actually gone out of her way to antagonize Aiden. Yet he was willing to risk his men's lives just to save her. She walked around the corner.
'You needn't concern yourself.' she said 'I was only a ways behind you.'
'Garona, thank the light!' said Uther, moving forward to clasp her hand. 'I should have checked to see that you were following. I'm sorry!'
'It's no concern,' said Garona 'I've been in worse spots. Now shall we get out of here, before we face the ogres? Or are we looking for a fight.'
'We're leaving.' said Aiden 'All men form up around Lothar and the tome of divinity. We're departing now.'
The escape was far easier than the entering had been. Nothing appeared to oppose them, and the nightmares of the place had faded away. Thus they made their way out of the Dead Mines and into the welcome air of daylight. Lothar emerged blinking into the sunlight. For a moment, merely stood there admiring it.
They made their way down the slopes, not stopping for anything. When at last night fell, they spoke and told tales of their deeds in the Dead Mines. And all praised the valor of Uther and the fortitude of Lothar and his men. The term Lightbringer appeared again and again in what was said. Uther looked increasingly troubled.
'What's wrong?' asked Garona.
'It's this 'Lightbringer' term,' said Uther, 'it seems to imply that I was the source of the light. But I wasn't; I was just the conduit for its power. Lightbringer is deceptive.'
'You think too much about things.' said Garona. 'The way I see it, you're a hero to them, so you might as well enjoy it. People hold their opinions of you, and you can either ignore them or embrace them.' She paused. 'What did you read in the Tome of Divinity anyway?'
'Myself,' said Uther, 'it showed me myself and my place in the universe. I think it's vague now. I can barely remember it. I saw many things, and even now they are slipping away from me. Like… like dreams which seem so intense when experienced but which fall away from you as soon as they are over. I saw a knight.'
'That is somewhat vague.' noted Garona.
'He was clad in black armor.' said Uther. 'I was old, much older than now, and I am wearing shining armor and wielding a hammer. Before me, the knight is approaching. His hair is as white as snow, his face is pale as death and gaunt, and he holds a terrible runeblade. He is riding atop a skeletal steed, and the dead swarm around him like locusts.'
'So, what happens?' asked Garona.
'I don't know.' said Uther. 'The vision ended as he rode before me.' He paused. 'I fear him Garona, and I do not know why. I have faced orcs before, yet he is a threat of a different kind. Something greater, and far more terrible than what is happening here.'
'Well,' said Garona, 'it might be nothing. I mean, you're a monk. Things would have to change an awful lot for you to be wearing full armor again. Maybe you saw something that might have been.' She looked up, to where Aiden was listening some feet away. 'Hasn't anyone ever told you it is impolite to eavesdrop?'
Aiden stood without a word and made his way over to Turylyon. 'Turylyon, I need you to take my horse and ride on ahead to Stormwind. Tell them what has happened, and inform them that we are returning as we speak.'
'Yes sir,' said Turylyon, 'anything else?'
'Yes,' said Aiden, 'there is one thing.'
Garona did not hear what he said next.
Author's Note:
Well, here we have the next chapter, as usual. Took me awhile to get this one up, all things considered. I'd just like to apologize for taking this long to update Rage of the Eternal. I've found myself lacking in enthusiasm for that project, so I'm working on this one instead. As for the vision of the future, I don't really know why I wrote it in, it just kind of seemed to happen naturally that's all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.
I was kind of looking forward to this chapter, actually. Aiden's decision to go back and look for Garona is really representative of his character as he is now. He is totally loyal to the King, regardless of his personal feelings. He doesn't like Garona at all, but that doesn't mean he won't save her.
