Ganked V 2.0
AN: Since attunement is no longer needed, I didn't feel like adding that whole quest chain just to get into the Eye, which probably wouldn't have been necessary if this were a real world and not a fantasy game. Also I thought of it in terms of actual battle and not instances, so each different ship is actually part of the whole and not a separate "battle." I don't go into detail with the siege since that's in the game.
Chapter 11 Siege of Tempest Keep
Netherstorm was a barren, violent waste, topping off the last bit of habitable land left on Outland. Old ruins dotted the violet tinged rock while violent magical storms churned about the atmosphere, leaving few places for safety. Few ventured there for long, but those who did, like the enterprising Goblins, were either brave or foolhardy. Some thought it was both.
For once, Sol was not there for the money. His eyes were locked east, toward Tempest Keep. It was the reason he arrived in Outland in the first place, and it was there that Sol hoped to come face to face with Kael'thas Sunstrider and end the traitor's life. He didn't relish the idea of fighting fellow Blood Elves, many of whom he knew personally and had fought alongside in battle, but their fight had become madness.
The madness needed to end then and there. However, he was limited by the sheer scope required for the Siege. Tempest keep was no mere Dungeon, it required a raiding party greater than his party of five. It was long known that twenty-five were sufficient, with more if needed.
However, finding a group of twenty able-bodied Horde sell swords proved more difficult than expected. More than one fighter would agree to join the assault, only to flake a few days later because of some personal obligation. Then there was pregnancy. The two primary losses in troops were death and pregnancy, in that order. Although this was more problematic among humans, it proved to be a surprising source of attrition with the Blood Elves. Time and proximity, plus the intimacy which comes with it, erupted in quite a few pair bonds that resulted in children. Although they were necessary, as the Blood Elf race was a dwindling one teetering on the brink of extinction, it posed no end of frustration for Sol, who found himself suck in Netherstorm all geared up with nowhere to go.
In the past year and a half, Tempest Keep had been assaulted no less than six times with all assaults ending in failure. One hundred and fifty troops, fifty of them Alliance, committed to the assaults only to be pushed back. Most did not come back alive. At least three parties disappeared completely. Those who returned, half dead and exhausted, told tales of mad elves, elementals and demons.
During his time planning, he pushed back all thoughts of the human girl away. But there was one person who did not forget. Lucilin had overheard enough of the conversation to become intensely curious about his time in Nagrand. But proximity with Sol did not allow her to investigate until months later.
Although the armor he'd worn then was quickly discarded for armor won while securing the Eye of the Storm, he was as yet unable to sell it, so he kept it stored away in their room. One day, she found herself alone for an extended period of time and she took the opportunity to examine it. She'd noticed a nick in his right shoulder brace that just screamed for investigation. When she pulled it out of his pack, she observed that the nick was actually a bullet graze. She could see from the trajectory of the bullet's path that he'd been shot from behind. She knew just how accurate hunters at their level were from experiences with Guntag. The possibility that a hunter had declined to aim for the large target that was his back in favor of a smaller target, that was his shoulder or head, was ludicrous. This was not meant to be a kill shot. No, that was a warning shot. The Hunter, whoever he was, gave Sol a chance to escape once he was discovered. But why would he do that?
Sol's words, emphatically spoken to Guntag that night, denying that he would ever betray them, where etched in her mind. It was one of the few things she could overhear, but they revealed much about the rest of the conversation. The only reason that Huron and Guntag would even suspect Sol of treachery would be if they watched him communicate with a member of the Alliance. The fact that he spoke common was an absolute secret that she'd kept from everyone. Even though it was known that some Blood Elves understood Alliance common, it was illegal to communicate with them. For his protection, she kept silent. But if Huron had spied Sol speaking to someone, perhaps a woman, then he would think them betrayed.
Curiosity got the better of her and she opened his personal bag that was laying beside his bed. She rummaged until she found his journal. Opening it somewhere about a third of the way to the end, where she'd seen him write recently, she began to scan the entries. Since each entry was only two lines, each page actually had three columns of ten to eleven entries, depending on the length of the month. Therefore, each page held a month worth of entries.
After finding the appropriate month, the First of Summer, she scanned the columns until she found the very last entry before traveling to Netherstorm.
"Shadowmoon Valley...Shattrath...Terokkar forest... there! Nagrand..." she murmured as she scanned each entry with her finger.
Her eyes widened.
Nagrand Summer - Day 14
Neiana.
That woman again! So she had survived their ganking in Winterspring and he'd found her. Jealousy struck her heart like a barbed arrow. Although he'd told her to return if she accepted his feelings of filial love, she had not returned for that reason. She'd returned because she refused give up. Had he no idea? Her feelings where not of some childish infatuation or misplaced childhood yearning for paternal love. No, she'd known her father, and he was not Sol. She was bound to him in the same way that he'd bound to a memory. She would have him and none other.
The sound of footfalls falling against stone disrupted her investigation. She quickly jammed the journal back into the bag. She swiftly scrambled on to her bed, grabbed her brush, and began to brush her hair. Sol entered the room and scanned it suspiciously. His keen eyes noticed that his bag had been rummaged through.
"Lucilin, what were you doing?" he asked, amused.
"Oh nothing. I was merely brushing my hair," she replied as nonchalantly as she could.
"Well, your hair looks fine. We are having a meeting. It is almost time," he announced.
As they walked to the designated meeting place, which in the commons area of the Inn, Lucilin glanced at him as he walked before her. She thought the new Vindicator armor looked very good on him, the silver contrasting nicely with jet black hair and the gold and sapphire complimenting his eyes.
Suddenly, she felt a surge of hope. If he were falling in love with a woman, it meant that his heart was once again ready to bond. How could he possibly form a pair bond with someone with whom he never spent any time? She was in a much better position than she'd realized. This was no threat. No, this was an opportunity. All she had to do was find a way to make him think of her as an elf woman, not a girl.
She found herself smiling happily at the prospect. That is when they reached their destination. He opened the door and turned to let her in, when he noticed she was smiling like a fool.
"Well, that's rare," he noted.
"Oh, I'm just excited about the assault on Tempest Keep is all," she replied, still grinning.
"Smother it. This is no ordinary expedition. This isn't a dungeon filled with loot and gold for us to explore, but a fight for our very survival. You may even recognize some of the people you will call enemies very soon," he commanded seriously.
She smothered her smile, suddenly feeling dejected.
"Still, it suits you. Try it more often and perhaps you wouldn't always be so cross," he teased before urging her through the door.
When they entered the room, she immediately noted that besides her party members, there were a pair of elves in the middle of the room. One of them, the male, who seemed to be a little over venerable age, was blond. His elaborate red and violet robes delineated him as a mage, while his wife wore the black and pearl robes of a priest. Her flaming red hair was pinned up in a smart bun, and she looked only slightly younger than the man. But she was no less fearsome. Their age and experience cast a large shadow in the room, and she felt the weight of their collective knowledge press upon her soul.
"Lucilin, you are the last to meet them. These are Lord and Lady Silverstar," Sol said. "They were commanders under Kael'thas. I fought with them during the Third War."
A married couple, she thought jealously.
"Lord and Lady Silverstar, this is Lucilin Aeyou, my ward. She is a competent rogue and makes the last of my party."
She bristled over being called a ward. She was nothing of the sort!
"She seems competent enough, Lightbringer," the woman said. "And you have gathered a very formidable party."
"Indeed," the man interjected. "You are as discerning with talent as you are with jewels. You were always one of our best recruiters, Lightbringer."
Sol nodded deferentially at the praise.
"I have also gathered ten others who are willing to charge into Tempest Keep this very night if need be. Each of them are just as competent as these you see before you. But, as I have explained in my letter, it has been almost impossible for us to find another ten who can commit."
"Indeed, Lightbringer, we have heard of your plight and have come with our own forces. Together, we will join our strength stop this madness," the Lady declared.
"But let us remember that Kael'thas was a competent leader. He is the last true Prince of the House of Sunstrider, and heir to the throne. He saved us from the abyss when all was lost, even to the sacrifice of his soul," the Lord said.
A moment of silence was observed. Guntag shifted slightly and Huron scratched an itch on his back with his axe. There was nothing like Blood Elf posturing and speeches.
"I am willing to wager that Kael'thas talks as much as these guys," Huron whispered to Guntag in Taur-ahe.
"If not more," Guntag retorted.
Lucilin gave them a cold glare and hushed them.
The next day, the rest of the forces mustered by the two venerable commanders arrived. No less than twelve Blood Elves, Forsaken and their retinue made the trip. As they passed through the Gyro-Plank Bridge and entered Area 52, a few Draenei and other Alliance members became uneasy. The alignment of the area shifted too strongly toward the Horde, and they could sense something afoot. The large number of Blood Elves meant only one thing: an assault on Tempest Keep.
Later, Sol and his party, along with the two Blood Elf commanders, were having supper at the Inn that was now brimming with patrons. As they ate, they could feel Draenei glaring at them with hostility. A few insults were thrown in their direction. The Blood Elves merely continued their meal with poise and decorum. Although the woman could not help but smirk with satisfaction. Like Sol, the older pair could understand Alliance common perfectly well.
"It's a shame that we can't just join forces and attack together," Sol remarked offhandedly, shocking them all.
The Lady was in the middle of putting a fork in her mouth when he spoke, and remained in that position for a good minute. The Lord froze as well, holding his cup in mid-air, as though in suspended animation. The other members of his party where no less affected. The table became entirely silent, with Huron giving Guntag a knowing glance. All stopped in their tracks, except for Bill, who was engrossed with a bowl of Crunchy Spider Surprise.
Noting the effect of his words, he merely shrugged before explaining himself.
"Well, since we have the same goals, it makes sense. We get Kael'thas, they retake the Keep. Either way, both of us want him gone and we get what we want."
"Absolutely not! They are barbarians!" the woman declared emphatically.
Lucilin then found the need to defend her future husband, at least that is what she'd thought of him.
"I can't believe they'd be more barbaric than Bill here," Lucilin observed sardonically. "I don't see them eating spiders."
"I'll have you know that this is the best serving of Crunchy Spider Surprise I have had since my stay here in Outland," he declared.
"How would you know that, Bill? You don't have a tongue, remember?!" she shot back.
Guntag laughed despite the gravity of the situation, nearly choking on his Beer Blasted Boar Ribs, which induced a coughing fit. Huron had to beat him on the back several times before it finally subsided. But Lady Silverstar was not amused.
"They are absolutely savages, Soliandrus. For example, you may not be aware of this but right now, at this very moment, there is a hunt going on in Nagrand targeting Blood Elves," she declared forcefully.
This made Sol perk up. He turned from his meal and gave the woman his full attention.
"What do you mean by hunt? Are you saying that someone, or a group, is deliberately targeting Blood Elves?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," she replied. "We've had Forsaken scouts confirm it. It's three Draenei youth and some human mage. They seek out Blood Elves, or teams with them, kill them, and lay them bare, taking their clothes as trophies. Imagine the indignity of being resurrected naked."
This time it was Huron's turn to be amused. The thought of a bunch of proud and vain elves being undone by a youthful prank was almost too much for him to hold back. But to preserve the peace, he was not about to let it show. He hid his snout behind a large glass of ale as he smothered a laugh.
Sol was also amused, especially since it was implied that most of the Horde victims were actually being resurrected, which meant few people actually dying.
"Naked, you say?" he asked with faux outrage.
Lucilin also hid a smile behind her ale. Aristocratic elves could be quite thin skinned.
"Yes! Left in naught but their unmentionables! It is too much to even consider. Isn't it dear?" She said, turning to Lord Silverstar.
"Yes, indeed. Quite shocking. We will be getting them for this outrage soon enough. Especially the mage, who seems to be the ringleader in all of this," Lord Silverstar explained.
"The mage is the ringleader?" Sol asked, still enjoying their aristocratic outrage.
"Yes, a woman in fact. They've been at it for three months now," she continued. "But you needn't concerned yourself. We've already issued a bounty on them. There are Horde party members traveling to Nagrand right now with an eye for gold and retribution. They'll be put to justice soon enough."
"You will put a bounty on their heads for a prank?" Sol asked, incredulously.
Although he was steadying his voice, those who knew him best could see that he was concerned. Bill at last looked up from his meal and became quite interested in the conversation. He keenly observed Sol's expressions, as they ran the gamut from shock to anger to concern.
"It is more than just a mere prank, Soliandrus. It is humiliation and theft. It strikes at our very pride. We will not be trifled with! They will die by our hands and they will not return. We have instructed that we want their heads in return for the bounty," she explained.
Sol placed down his fork and excused himself, immediately leaving the table without another word.
"Must have been something in the meat," Guntag said, covering for his friend.
"Indeed. I don't trust these Goblin chefs, but what are we to do in times like this as we are forced to align ourselves with barbarians?" Lord Silverstar asked rhetorically, forgetting that two on the table were the very barbarians he'd just mentioned.
Huron frowned and excused himself as well, barely hiding his disgust. Guntag, accustomed to Blood Elf snobbery, took it in stride. After a few minutes, Lucilin excused herself as well, anxious to find Sol.
"My dear," The Lord began. "What have they been putting in the mutton? I don't believe I'll be finishing my meal tonight after all."
"Indeed not, husband. I seem to have lost my appetite," she agreed.
Lucilin burst in their room, looking for Sol, but he was not there. Huron was there, though, looking out the window.
"Huron, do you know where Sol went?" she asked.
"He is outside, by the wall," he replied tersely.
It wouldn't be until much later that Lucilin would consider just how ominous Huron's behavior was at the time. But at the moment, she didn't care. She rushed outside and headed to the wall to the west, closest to the inn. That is where she spotted him, a small figure against a violent magic filled sky. His brow was furrowed as he stood with his arms crossed, looking towards the empty, void of the Nether. She could tell he was grappling with himself, trying to find a victor in a personal struggle.
She approached slowly, so as not to startle him.
"Sol," she began. "I am sorry."
He turned to her, curiously.
She glanced down to the ground before continuing.
"I lied, you know, earlier today. I read your journal. I read that you met her at Nagrand...that's...Neiana, she's the human mage hunting us, isn't she?"
He silenced her swiftly, raising his hand to her lips. A small, yet robust, figure ran past them, heading for Dash's place for supplies. It was a dwarf woman, followed by her pet Wolf. Even though she wore a heavy Deathstalker helm, he could see the hair peaking from beneath the helm was golden. The struggle that had marked his features lifted, as he came to a firm resolution.
Sol turned to Lucilin, giving her that serious, earnest look that could compel her to do anything.
"Lucilin, you must promise me something."
She nodded with agreement, finding it impossible to refuse him.
"Go back to the Lord and Lady. If they ask, tell them that I am indisposed and in my room. Do you understand? Go now, and whatever you do, do not turn back!" he ordered.
She nodded and followed his orders. As soon as Sol watched Lucilin head to the Inn, he vanished into the shadows and followed the Dwarf woman to her destination. Just as she was going to enter the squat, stone home, he called her name.
Geldie turned to the shadow, and saw a Blood Elf appear from the gloom. She stepped back, unnerved that he should call her, although she recognized him at once. It was the same elf who stayed with them at Winterspring. It was the same elf who stole a kiss from Neiana not three months ago. She had carved his armor with a warning.
"Geldie, you must listen to me very carefully. Neiana's life depends on it," he commanded in common.
She was too stunned to do anything but comply.
The next day, early in the morning, nearly thirty Horde companions that comprised the large raiding party that would brave the dangers of Tempest Keep and remove Kael'thas once and for all, left Area 52, heading due east. They left with much pomp, each person following in a two line formation. Lord and Lady Silverstar flew up front, one leading each line, with Sol and Guntag right behind them. There were banners and livery aplenty, making it seem as though an army was parading for a great battle. Some of the Horde who were not part of the party, watched from bellow and cheered.
"Go get Kael'thas!" an Orc called from the throng.
"For the Horde!" a Troll female cheered, her heart fluttering with excitement as the small army flew only a few feet above her, their armor gleaming and swords glittering in the violet light.
The Alliance member's response was much more muted. Half openly jeered, while others merely stood with a mix of anger and hope. After all, Kael'thas was a mutual enemy, if the enemy of their enemy were to fight, would it not make them allies, even if for that moment?
Among the throng was Geldie, who stood with her Gray Wolf and two friends. Lorenna remarked on how handsome the Blood Elves looked as they passed by. Daela was too preoccupied with contempt for them to notice. But Geldie was looking for one in particular. As he hovered close, he shot her a questioning look, which she returned it with a small, barely perceptible nod. He breathed a sigh of relief before turning to the road before him.
After a day's flight and a night's rest, they split into three groups and took the first three wings of Tempest Keep. Sol led his team and took the Mechanar, while the Lord and Lady split their forces and took Alchatraz and Botanica. Instead of retreating, which had been the mistake of the previous raids, they stayed and held them against incoming troops, preventing the fallen enemies from being resurrected and the won areas from being retaken. After a night's siege, they joined forces and attacked The Eye. For five hours they inched their way through the corridors, fighting vicious enemies along the way. Many of those who fell, Sol knew by name. At long last, they took Tempest Bridge after a heated battle and finally, once again, met face to face with Kael'thas Sunstrider. They were exhausted and nearly spent.
It was a bitter-sweet reunion, as Sol and the Lord and Lady stood before their corrupted Prince. The Lords had known him as a child, while Sol had fought with him against the Scourge and suffered with him through the tortures they endured while in the Dungeons of Dalaran. Many of the other Blood Elves in their company had known him too either by experience or reputation. They remembered him when he was uncorrupted, young, and brave. They remembered him as he was then, and compared him to the beast he was now, and were grieved. It was a grim work, but his madness needed to end.
Even in the end, he was just as loquacious as Huron the Tauren had predicted.
They returned as heroes. Sol, being the one who organized the party, got first choice of loot and made out quite well, as usual, as did his party. But everyone, from the Sol and the Lords to the least Forsaken, came out of the dungeon fitted like kings. Their bags bulging from whatever useful items could be scavenged from the corpses of the Blood Elves that lay dead, scattered like dried leaves upon the floor.
Far from Netherstorm, in the grassy fields of Nagrand, Neiana woke the morning after the siege of Tempest Keep. News of it had not yet arrived and only those in Shattrath knew of the siege and that Kael'thas Sunstrider yet lived. But to her, it was just an ordinary day. She stretched and prepared herself for another day of hunting, when the Inn keeper alerted her of newly arrived mail. Thinking she was getting yet another letter from Skinflint, she didn't open it until after breakfast. But it was most definitely not a letter from Skinflint. The contents of the letter alarmed her.
Her hand shook with fear as she read the short note:
Neiana,
The Blood Elves know of your hunt! Flee at once to Shattrath! A bounty was placed on your heads!
Geldie
The four packed up and left that very day. They followed Geldie's advice and went to Shattrath, the only place in Outland where they would be safe from any bounty. So a full month before schedule, Neiana found herself renting a room at Aldor Rise Inn, with nowhere to go and no way to supplement her income. Once there, the siblings decided they wanted to continue to explore their new home of Azeroth, and leave Outland all together. Because it was just three of them, they would be safe since the bounty specifically called for three Draenei and a human mage.
"There is nothing here for us, Neiana," Tula explained. "So we must go and explore our new home. After you reunite with the rest of them, perhaps you can join us. We'll keep in touch, I promise."
Sen, the younger brother, seemed the saddest to go. He gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek before turning to go, which elicited teasing from his siblings in their language.
"Don't get too attached! They are like vapor!" Tula exclaimed.
"Loving a human woman is like loving a wisp!" Durn teased.
So she was left alone in Shattrath. Although she was not one who needed company, and was used to living on her own, the fact that she spent most of her time ganking Horde in Nagrand instead of working for the Alliance or exploring Dungeons made life a little difficult.
Too proud to ask for help and too embarrassed to admit the that she'd wasted her time, Neiana lived as best she could on her own without telling Denevell or Skinflint of her predicament. Since there was no auction house, she was forced to sell the herbs she'd acquired in Nagrand for much reduced merchant prices. Once every potion she'd made and item of use she'd found was sold, she didn't have any other source of income. Although she was good at saving money, lodging had become expensive. The Inn up at Aldor's Rise was pricier than the one in the lower commons, but she would not live there for fear of running into a vengeful Horde's blade in her sleep.
Shortly after the defeat of Kael'thas, he reappeared at Quel'Danas, besieging it and taking residence at Magisters' Terrace. Sol did not participate in his ultimate defeat. The Lord and Lady thought it better for him to remain in Outland and help retain the Horde's presence there. Kael'thas was greatly weakened and they judged that a smaller siege force would do, anyway. But he guessed at another, hidden motive. Lady Silverstar's greedy eyes lingered on several of Sol's acquisitions. It was obvious to him that she was not happy with him getting some of the more choice items, considering his working class background.
It didn't matter too much for him. He knew how to work, and wasted no time with resource acquisition and making his favorite items, jewels. By the time a month passed, Sol's wealth had increased proportionately, and he arrived in Shattrath with an equally enriched party. For them, Outland had proved a profitable venture, but they were more than ready to return to Azeroth.
AN: I hope this chapter was OK. I am actually nervous about this. Thanks for the reviews.