Chapter 9: Autumn
The wistful breezes of autumn lick at every crevice of the Undercity as the leaves transformed from dull greens to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges, only to die shortly after and become lifeless brown husks as they feel to the cold earth.
"Such is the cycle of life," I heard a druid once say. "The birth in spring, the growth in summer, the again in autumn, and lastly the death in winter. Nothing lives long in these tainted lands anyway," he finished, with a sigh.
Having long healed since the attack by that accursed rogue, I was now ready to tackle the next mission Lady Sylvanas would bestow upon me. One of her messengers summoned me towards the close of autumn, and I happily obliged to see what tasks the Dark Lady had in store for me.
"Salutations, Darren," the Dark Lady greeted me as I enacted my customary bow. "Your next task is both assault and support." She paused, wondering if I would question the mission; seeing that I was silent, she continued. "About two miles north of the Undercity lies a fairly vast farmland, inhabited by those vile humans. While they are not of the Scarlet Crusade, they supply the Crusade with necessary food in return for defense of their farms. It has come to the attention of our scouts, however, that most of the Scarlet Crusaders have abandoned their posts on these farms for the time being, as the farmers are harvesting and do not need others in their way obstructing their job. Darren, you task is to steal as much produce as you can from these farmers, and torch anything you cannot carry in this." Upon finishing, Lady Sylvanas tossed a large knapsack at my feet. "This should be helpful in carry whatever vegetables, fruits and grain your may acquire; this food will immediately be added to our granaries in order to help our own people."
"So we both sabotage the Crusade and help ourselves," I noted.
"Correct," Lady Sylvanas smiled at my realization. "You may finally be getting the idea of military sabotage. Now, go!" I stood, and bowed again before leaving the room, slinging the knapsack across my shoulders.
The walk was pleasant; no rogues attacked me on this day. I took in the scenery as I walked: the leaves floating down in a somber waltz, what birds there were flying south to the warmer climates, the sun dipping lower ever faster as the days grew shorter. I completed my walk in less than half an hour, spying the vast farming fields before me. It was amazing that in such a desolate land crops could be grown. I admired the efforts of these humans, though shook of any notions of respect I had and reminded myself of my important mission.
The farmers did not look like much of a threat, and I happily drew my sword, knowing their blood would be easy to spill. After slaying them, I could gather the food I needed and use the flint and tinder Lady Sylvanas had cleverly place in my knapsack to destroy anything I could not carry. I charged in, ready to kill the few farmers I saw as my opposition. That was my first mistake.
"One of the blasted Undead! Let's put this filth back in the ground where he belongs!" A farmer with a long gray beard holding a hoe yelled. His comrades, carrying hoes, rakes, pitchforks, and other farming tools all set upon me. There were at least six, which was more than I had expected. The group of farmers began to club me with their tools, and I was barely able to block and parry the attacks. One of them was even able to dislocate my left shoulder with a strike from his shovel, making my left arm, which held my shield, useless. Despite my injuries, I continued to fight on. I struck with as much strength as I could muster at the gray-bearded farmer and was able to deliver a stab straight to his chest. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his wound; three of the others farmers rushed to aid him, rapidly tearing their clothes to make crude bandages for his wound. The other two farmers continued to assault me, but my martial prowess was better than theirs and I was able to behead them both with a single, clean, slash. The remaining farmers, fearing for their lives, abandoned the area, carrying their friend away.
I could have chased the men down, and perhaps even killed them if I had wished. Something inside me, however, urged me to spare their lives. After relocating my shoulder, I began to collect the crops I had set out to gather; mainly carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and a single good-sized pumpkin that caught my eye. It seemed a shame to dispose of such fine food, but I knew my mission and made a torch by hacking off a bough of a nearby tree and wrapping dried moss around the tip. I light my improvised torch using the flint and tinder, and began to set the fields alight. I then packed my bag and left, not looking behind me. That was my second mistake.
It isn't wise to leave a fire unattended, especially if you happen to have a piece of cloth trailing along your leg. By the time I realized that my leg was burning there was nothing I could do, and I raced desperately to find a water source. The lake! I remembered from my mission in the summer the exact location! But what of the poison I had deposited into it? Realizing that I would die if I didn't I took the risk of jumping into the lake upon relocating it after an hour of rapid running. The water felt odd, but I pushed any fears of the poison out of my mind as the cool water quenched the fire.
Sodden, but no longer scorched, I climbed out of the lake and trudged back to the Undercity. My movements became more sluggish with each step, and I collapsed as I reached the gate of the Undercity.
A dream…this time it was of those some farmers I had fought earlier that day. The man who was with the woman in my previous visions was with them, toiling in the fields. The men laughed and talked and they harvest the fields, singing merry tunes and whistling. The woman appeared and walked to the man, her husband, and embraced him. He handed her a slender carrot which she gleefully consumed, then kissed him for the gift.
"Darren, what is it with you and injuries?" The medic sighed as she saw me awaken. "Kel was never this bad." I coughed as I sat up.
"Sadly, Kel isn't around to teach me any prudence," I stated.
"For future reference, don't go swimming in poisoned ponds," the medic responded, wagging her bony finger at me. "It took four bottles of anti-toxin to bring you back; it's a miracle you survived at all!"
"I guess I'm just lucky," I replied, realizing just how true the statement was. "What did the Dark Lady think of my work?"
"She has already taken the produce, and informed me to tell you that you are to be commended for your successful mission. As always, she will contact you when she is in need of your services."
"Good, now for some shut-eye," I answered, falling back into the hazy world of slumber.
HES: Darren gets bashed around, but he always comes out on top, eh? Sorry, as usual, for the long delay in this chapter. Thank you all very much for sticking by me and being patient! Now to answer your reviews:
Omega Trooper: Thanks! I am glad you like the way I am developing Darren's character. I am trying to make him deep, and show that even the Forsaken have thoughts and feelings.
Promise of the Ghost Queen: Yes, poor Darren. Don't worry, things will improve for him, he does have excellent luck in surviving after all. Thanks for saying you liked the lake idea; I hope you liked the mission in this chapter also! This chapter is a bit longer than the last, but don't expect a pretty long chapter until 2 chapters from now. Trust me; something big and cool is coming.
HES: Thanks again all! Please read and review if you can, I value your input!