Chapter 9: By the Horns
Previously, Kulldor had placed a marker rune for the Diamond of Summoning that Darkeye held. As a result, they were transported, surrounded in green energy orbs to Shattrath itself.
They appeared at the designated place at the floor above the portals to the major Alliance and Horde cities. A few of the Aldor Defenders rushed to see what was about to arrive, and dispersed when they saw only a tall tauren with a menacing halberd and a long rifle, an elf with unglowing eyes with a great axe, and a draenei girl.
The three headed towards the slope downwards and at the gate to the inner sanctum, the orc recruit Tagar sat on the floor with his eyes closed.
Kulldor planted the polearm's arcanite counter weight on the ground as Tagar opened his eyes.
"Captain, the emissary has arrived. Vice-captain Rogash received it for you. It seems we're headed to a swamp in the Eastern Kingdoms; somewhere above the Blasted Lands around the Dark Portal. The client's complaints involved-"
Darkeye quietly cut him off. "Naga. Yes I know." Tagar's eyes widened for a second in surprise, and then his brows knotted in wonder.
Darkeye bowed his head as his hair cascaded down his shoulders. "Don't fault me for having my own spies and informants in my employers' secret employ. It's a good habit to take especially in this business."
"You should get used to it when the captain knows things beforehand. It saves you the effort of wondering how he just saved everyone's asses from death or worse." Kulldor said, walking over and offering his hand to the orc recruit for support in standing.
Tagar took it and pulled himself up, his arcanite reaper scraping along the tiled floor.
"You give me too much credit there Kulldor. Now, let's see if the preparations are underway."
The four of them headed down to the lower city, Sharaa obviously distressed by the presence of Tagar.
It took all of two days and a night to get the company ready; something that would have extended a week more if Darkeye had not made preparations in advance. Most of the older veterans were used to the efficiency by now. They trusted the elf with their lives because they had to. Hence, Darkeye needed to maintain an illusion of infallibility and omniscience.
Rogash helped smooth out the negotiations for passage from Shattrath to Orgrimmar and once there, for zeppelins to the Eastern Kingdoms. They chartered the zeppelin The Iron Eagle, and another one for their riding mounts; a few of them even brought along their own flying beasts for riding to free up room on the already cramped zeppelins. Though they put down every twelve hours if it was possible, in a couple of days they'd come within sight of the Maelstrom and the Great Sea. During those days, the flight mounts settled for landing on the zeppelins to be fed and sheltered if there were storms. For bathing their owners bade them dive briefly into the ocean below and dry in the sea air.
The storm winds and clouds surrounding the main eye and the sea vortex looked almost still, serene, peaceful. Everyone knew the true nature of the looming clouds. Aside from a few turbulent areas, they passed without harm and soon they sighted land.
Darkeye sat upon his armoured netherdrake, Eldrazaku, and stared deep into the clouds. More than a simple pet, he could hear the drake's thoughts trying to rouse him from his lucid state and finally relented when the drake dipped low into a cloud, as a few of the others in the zeppelins laughed. Darkeye didn't give any indication that he'd noticed, but simply ran a hand through his now damp hair, partly thankful and partly annoyed at the drake. Of course the young drake could have opted to shouting at him in that strangely silky, almost feminine voice of his, but Darkeye simply shrugged as it wasn't really his business if Eldrazaku cared to talk or not.
They finally disembarked at the Horde camp of Grom'gol as they were mostly comprised of Horde races. The guards asked Darkeye several questions, looked at his papers and permits and then let them pass. They did however slightly accost the draenei and humans in his band. It was understandable. The area was rife with incidents of when the Alliance would raid patrols sent by Grom'gol, though no sizeable movements against it have ever occurred.
Once outside the influence of the Horde guards, Darkeye partitioned his forces into a main line which he led atop Eldrazaku, while the others rode on. Some druids transformed and ran alongside. The hunters were paired with warriors and rogues and formed a defensive screen around the main formation, clearing the way throughout the wilderness.
Darkeye was wary of the land around him. It was a known region of pirate activity from the south in Booty Bay. Many would not try to hinder a group so large, but there were the odd few.
Darkeye originally wanted to make land there, but the time he'd saved in preparing his troops in Shattrath would have been wasted had they taken a ship to the neutral port.
After a day or two of riding, they entered the Duskwood.
Many hunters and rogues had just the right amount of paranoia to develop a mental silent alarm. And it was because of this that Kulldor heard the commotion after he felt that alarm trip. The tauren raised himself off the deer tracks he'd been looking at as Ril'zin, the Darkspear rogue he'd been paired with looked at him, both knowing something was wrong. They were both on the way back when they heard swords ringing out of scabbards and saw magical fires light up the perpetual gloom of Duskwood.
Inhuman howls and growling could be heard as well. Kulldor and Ril'zin passed through the forest from the shadow of one tree to the next, marking the many pawbeats that hit the forest floor.
Kulldor gave the order to Ril'zin to stay cloaked as he unbelted his rifle – a widebarrel flintlock - and loaded the powder charge and a large shatter round that he'd made during the idyllic flight on the zeppelins.
"Let's cut through that underbrush Ril'zin, what do you say?"
"Ready when you are, mon."
The reddish runes of flame and destruction lit up on the barrel spigot as he cocked the firearm.
In the darkness several pairs of glowing eyes and slavering mouths observed the two of them.
Darkeye had to admit that the ambush was well-laid. He'd only had enough time to command the nearest groups of his warriors. It was a good thing that many of the company veterans were nearby. Many were already fighting the beasts – for beasts these were, and not the affliction that invaded Gilneas' poor townsfolk – who slashed at them with claws.
Darkeye looked back into his tent seeing Sharaa cowering. She must feel so powerless with the collar on. Darkeye decided that she'd begin duties under Rogash, shaman like herself; provided she wasn't carried off by the beasts. He couldn't risk her in a battle without support either, so she couldn't be freed. At least the collar would allow him to locate her if a need arose. Rogash on the other hand, had a magical mail hauberk and several element-hallowed weapons; not to mention his planted totems. Sharaa had her possessions stripped from her, and except for a change of clothes that some of the female trolls had lent her, she was weaponless.
Darkeye saw Rogash and a tauren druid in his bear aspect fighting off a dozen of the rogue worgen by themselves.
Eldrazaku gleefully cantered beside Darkeye, his translucent wings folded. A worgen with a foaming maw charged at the pair of them. The netherdrake swung his armoured tail and sent it into a lit bonfire, setting its fur alight as it tumbled away with a broken spine. Then the netherdrake opened his maw and shot a ball of dark energy that created a clean hole straight through another of the mindless creatures.
Rogash cast a bloodlust spell, and it washed over the drake and the former elf.
Darkeye felt another one of the dark pulls on his soul; malicious, cunning, yet begging and imploring at the same time. Darkeye shrugged it off. Shadowmourne remained wrapped and hung on his back. Darkeye unsheathed his claymore and his dagger.
"What say you Old One? Can I make these petty beasts bleed and howl their deathwails?" the netherdrake asked him.
Darkeye nodded and grinned as Eldrazaku roared and took to the sky.
