Part 8 – and the rivers ran crimson with their blood

"I don't like it, way too risky." warned Crimsonmoon.

"Oh don't be a spoil sport it'll work, I hope" replied Deathslayer as he motioned for the two captains to carry out their new orders. Turning to the remaining commanders and officers in the tent he continued with "Kre's expecting us to take this area. If we fail they will be able to reinforce Stormwind within days and the battle may turn against us. He sent us because we are the most able to complete this mission; Crimson and Astarrael will be leading the attack on the gates while me and the rest of the force commanders will be attacking the docks and working our way into the city. All we have to do is keep them busy until the main force finishes with Stormwind and reinforces us. We've been given a company of Dragonhawk riders to act as a rush team; they'll be attacking any position that is falling back. They will also be scouting the area out to find our primary targets."

"Should any of our lines falter the whole mission is ruined. Every night elf you kill counts; their mages are to be attacked first. I'm offering a personal bounty for each night knight mage's head I'm brought." said Crimsonmoon indicating a heavy bag on her belt.

"You have your orders, carry them out; we make land in a hour." ordered Deathslayer turning to Crimson he added. "Crimson, I have a word with you before you go?"

"Sure, what the matter?" replied Crimson moving to his side.

"When I last spoke to Kre he asked me to do something for me, with my failing health I was forced to redesign the plan. You now have my position and as such you must carry out the part I didn't tell the others. Within the city is a traitor, a high elf that goes by the name Muldan'da. He was one of the ones involved in the failed attack on Silvermoon; he had attempted to distract the inner sentries and he told them the gabs in the guard. While he didn't kill anyone personally he has been named a traitor to the Sin'dorei and marked for death. Your objective is to take him alive for trial; if it turns out to be too difficult then you have leave to carry out the sentence personally. But bring his head as proof." answered Death, taking a seat on the map table.

"You ok?" asked Crimson, her voice heavy with concern.

"I'll be ok, the living was never meant to live in undeath. Kre's found a potion that will undo a lot of the decay and then slow it but the side effect when you run out, it tries to catch up." replied Death continuing with "He's sending more with the next round of massagers' so it won't be for long."

"Good, we should get ready. Are we planning on doing a rush attack or stage it a little?" asked Crimson.

"I like a little show, anyway we have to drag this out so your side will be staging while the main force will be rushing them via the docks." replied Death.

Crimsonmoon moved the last of her units into formation in front of the stone and wood gate to the night elf city. The two great protectors stood their ground in front of the gate ready to defend their city. She moved her mount to the head of the 10, 000 battle-hardened soldiers.

"We stand at the entrance to a city our people would once ruled. As the highborn we where the elite of night elf society, now we stand as their enemies! Today we will ride into their city and take what is rightfully ours! On this day we will make them regret the day they exiled us from our very home! Make them regret accepting magic after what they did to us!" she yelled to the soldiers and city defenders alike "and the rivers will run crimson with their blood! Prepare the archers!"

She moved to the side and with a wave of her hand yelled "Unleash Hell!"

A wave of arrows flew above the heads of the assembled blood elves and rained down on the defenders as they franticly tried to dive for cover or create shields of protection. While the defenders attempted to right themselves she signalled the mounted blood knights to charge the two protectors. Screaming battle cries the blood knights charged forward and blade struck wood as their brought their holy powers down on the unprepared protectors. When the giant trees fell the ground shock and the main body charged across the land between the staging area and the main gate. The archers fired again, this time firing arcane arrows that when stuck the gate exploded it inward allowing the forces to swam through the opening. They surged towards the temple where the high priestess of the night elves would make her stand. The druids of the claw and the druids of the talon attempted to stop the attackers. However, it amounted to little the priestess was surrounded within the day and most of the city was in Sin'dorei control. As Crimson moved up the steps leading to the temple a Spellbreaker stepped forward and made his report.

"General, the priestess is holed up in the temple. We're waiting for the rush units so we can get through to the archers and distract them while we get the main force in. Lord Deathslayer also sent a message for you." reported the Spellbreaker as he handed Crimson a letter with a seal with a snowflake in the centre. The letter read:

Crimson

I have received reports that your target has been spotted in the market district. Our units have been ordered not to engage in less no other opinion is available. Be careful when you engage him; reports have shown that he is heavily armed and is very skilled with the weapons he is carrying, don't give him an opening at all.

Regards...

Deathslayer

1st Force Commander of Leviathan

Advisor of Leviathan

Throwing the letter into a nearby fire she turns to the Spellbreaker. "I'm taking two blood knights and a mage with me. Until I return or Deathslayer comes onto the field you are in command for now, I understood?" she said indicating the people she wished to take.

"Yes general, once we have the priestess or once she is dead should I send someone to find you?" replied the Spellbreaker.

"No, I should hear the cheers." answered Crimson.

"As you wish general." was the only reply Crimson heard as she walked off, flanked by her three guards.

As they approached the market district sounds of fighting could be heard from the temple. The battle-mage an elf named Jackiie turned to Crimson and said "sounds like the rush units arrived; not sure if it's a good or a bad thing you brought me along yet though."

"If the reports about the priestess are correct then she could hold that temple for weeks on her own. Kre's ordered the temple levelled if she shows any signs of that though." answered Crimson continuing with "All right, the man we are after is Muldan'da, a high elf traitor that we believe gave the humans Intel on our defences at Thalassian Pass. He is considered a master of arms and is carrying at least ten to twenty weapons on him at any point. I'd also guess that he is using a full plate armour set and is protected by a number of wards, kind of wishing Death still had this job" she laughed.

"We know if he has any knowledge of magic outside his wards?" asked Jackiie.

"As far as we know, no but I wouldn't make any assumptions since most high elves and blood elves are skilled in magic as a general rule." came the reply. "If there are no other questions, let's move out."

The two blood moved in front of the group ready to step between a potential attacks and the mage and priest. Using her arcane arts the battle-mage was able to scout ahead in an attempt to locate the high elf and to spot threats before they reached them. As they neared the main trade centre of the city she held out her hand indicating that she'd found their target.

"He's hold out in that building over there." she said pointing at a large wooden building. "There is only one way up to him though, he must have destroyed the other stairs and the windows have been blocked out."

"Damn, we could fire the building and burn him, or at least flush him out into the open?" said Crimson.

"No, this area's to packed together a fire here would burn half the city down before we could get out. If we had another mage we could create wards around the building and fire it?" replied one of the blood knights.

"Jackiie, could you create the wards needed?" asked Crimson.

"Yes but a building of this size? I'd be open to attack wards aren't my speciality." was the reply.

"Ok, one of you goes with her into the building over there." She said pointing at the house on the other side of the path. "and create the wards we'd need. I should be able to get us the fire."

"As you wish general." said one of the blood knights as she went with the mage.

"Be ready for when he comes out." said Crimson to the remaining blood knight.

"The wards are in place!" yelled Jackiie from the building she was in.

"Let us hope this works." Crimson said as she started to draw the power she would need for the spell to have the effect that she wanted. The mystic fire coming from her eyes grew more and more intense as she built up the amount of power in her spell until you could no longer make them out under the raw power. The curved runes on her checks used to ward off demons glowed brightly on her pale skin and her palms where engulfed in an arcane brilliance unmatched by any but the most skilled mages. She stepped forward, placing a single palm on the support beam of the night elf building. The fire slot through her body roaring into life as the building was consumed by fire. She staggered back, the raw power left over dripping from her body like water. The fire in her eyes dulled until it was left at its natural state for a blood elf; the runes on her checks also dulled until they were barely with only a faint lingering of power remained reviled their existence. As she righted herself she noticed movement within the building and managed to yell out "Here he comes!" just as the two large doors flew open and a large bulky warrior stormed out the door.

"So the rumours are true Kreirravia heads this attack on the Alliance; and he sent one of his officers to kill me to boot!" came a voice within the suit of armour. "Guess he didn't tell you exactly who I was though, did he?

"You where tasked to my superior, Deathslayer. He knows exactly who you are and I have no need to know." replied Crimson buying for time until she recovered from her spell.

"Guess I better fill you in on the minor details then" mocked the high elf holding his weapons in a defensive position. "Lord Kreirravia, Lord ironic he would manage to hold that title even after they banished us isn't it? Even funnier that for all his vaulted powers he couldn't stop her from trying to doom our race? Guess it's lucky that bastard for a druid stepped in and stopped her then. Amusing that he takes her second child, her daughter. The one that only a handful of the highborn knew about and when they banished us put her in the care of the new priesthood of the light."

Crimson moved between the elf and her blood knight guard, the fire next to them still raging on.

"Mother never knew he did it; she was killed before the news reached her. Guess that bit is for the best. She'd be in a fit if she knew her daughter was a flipping priest though she always liked Kreirravia too bad he didn't like her. She was still picking out a name too, she liked Shadowsong or Darkflight but I guess she'd have agreed with his choice." he laughed as he circled the blood knight, looking for an opening. "You haven't connected the dots yet have y..." his eyes widened from within this helmet and he looked down at the charred remains of what was once his chests; as he fell forward he spat out three words, three words that would forever haunt her mind "Good bye, sister."

Standing behind where the elf once stood Deathslayer walked forward, a sword of blue fire streaming from his hand. "I'd hoped I could make it before he could tell you anything." said Death as he neared her. "Not many knew about you two; even less are alive still to tell anybody. Your mother wasn't exactly loved after what she did; and even less now that she leads the Narga." turning to the burning building he added. "At least you got some of her power I guess. I'm truly sorry for keeping this from you but I guess you'd better hear the story from Kre later, for now this city is ours and we're one step closer to achieving a goal that note even that moron for a acting Warchief could have achieved. The complete and utter domination of Alliance." He chuckled at the last part and a small section of his arm peeled off and fell to the ground "bugger, the massager better get here soon or I'll be all over the place."