As you will soon find out, I have revised this chapter to something I prefer. If you like the old way better, say so. If you haven't read the old one, too bad.
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It was dark in the camp of Kurzan. All the partial-immortal beings that followed Kurzan were sleeping soundly, minus the two guards at the main road, the two near a large cave, and the two guarding a broken tower. Torches were everywhere, lighting the camp in case of sneak attacks, which were fairly common in the camp.
Aionis thanked any god he could think of for learning the basics of stealth from the rouge lords. Wearing black garments he asked for at the Rebel Camp, Aionis snuck quietly through the shadows. His staff was in his hand, having no light bounce off its polished surface.
His first stop was a large inn-looking house. Having spied on the camp earlier in the day, Aionis knew that lots of Kurzan visited this place. They usually held boxes or scroll cases. Aionis figured that it be the best place to start.
Silently as he could, Aionis crept to the only door on the building. Jiggling the handle, he found it to be locked.
Figures, Aionis thought, pulling out a set of lockpicks he asked for. Taking out appropriate picks, Aionis carefully undid the lock. Aionis could only do simple locks, but his luck held as the door had such a lock. Silently, he opened the door and peeked inside.
There wasn't anyone there. Re-assured, he tiptoed inside, careful not to make the floor squeak from his weight. Looking around, he saw a set of stairs leading to the second floor.
Lets work up to down then, Aionis thought. Continuing his sneaking, Aionis crept upstairs. He peered up to the second floor. There wasn't anyone there. Aionis felt wrong. It shouldn't be that easy to sneak into any house that easy. There wasn't anyone there, not even a guard. Despite his doubts that there was anything there, Aionis continued forward.
What he thought was the meeting room was on the other side of the doorway, with no door. He crept inside and saw a small desk. He tiptoed inside and started looking through various drawers. Nothing seemed to catch his eye. It was letter from a loved one this and pen pal that. It all seemed like useless drabble.
He opened the main drawer and found a rolled up piece of paper. On the front of it was a list of items that were sent to the Kurzan. What interested Aionis, though, was the symbol on the back. A curved kite shaped shield was on the back. On the shield was the figure of a lion's head. At the bottom of the shield was a set of arrows connected by a gear. Either side of the shield had a griffin looking at eachother. At the top, it looked like the head of a large hammer with an anvil embedded on it. It looked like a royal emblem, from what Aionis knew of the such.
Instincts swelled up inside of him. Aionis grabbed the paper and his staff and jumped through the window, through the glass and all. A second after he did so, the entire building exploded. Aionis was kicked back a good ten feet from the shockwave before landing on the ground, rolling. He got up fast, ignoring the pain from the various cuts from the glass, and held his staff ready.
From the flames came a man. A short sword hanging from his hand, he was dark skinned and his hair was dyed silver. A wand hung at his side. Everything on him was spelled, making the fire roll right over him.
"Dear god," Aionis muttered, remembering that look. "You!"
"So this was your plan, night elf," Anton grimaced. "Don't think because you're the enemy of the enemy makes you my friend."
"You dimwit!" Aionis shouted. "Your stupidity just revealed us to practically every Kurzan in the area! What the hell were you thinking?! Were you thinking?!"
"It doesn't matter!" Anton shouted. "All I care about is the death of one more night elf!" Sword raised, Anton charged. Aionis prepared to block and immobilize him.
Twin spells launched from an unknown direction. Aionis barely missed the one aimed for him. Anton wasn't so lucky. The spell detonated, making Anton unconscious. Another spell launched itself at Aionis. Using his staff, Aionis reflected it into the direction from where it came from. A third spell slammed into his back, rendering him unconscious…
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Aionis woke up, his brain foggy. When he tried to move, he noticed he was sitting up, bound up to something. As best he could, he turned his head behind him. Tied to Aionis by the wrists was Anton, awake and glaring.
"God," Aionis muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Don't blame me for your stupidity," Anton said, looking away.
"My stupidity, huh?" Aionis asked. "Who lit the signal flare here?"
"Does that even matter in your book?" Anton asked.
"Yes!" Aionis shouted. Toning down, he said, "I don't go and attack your kind for what you are."
"You do too," Anton replied.
"You don't even know me!" Aionis shouted.
"I know your kind, and they're all alike!" Anton shouted back.
"Prove it!" Aionis shouted.
A door opened. Aionis and Anton looked at the door. In it was a man. His plate armor shone in the dim light as his falchion sword on his back had an errie glow. Helmetless, this man had short black hair. Aionis automatically recognized him as a night elf.
"I could tell you were awake from the screaming," the man said. "You certainly have nerve for breaking into my lord's camp."
"There's your proof," Anton told Aionis.
"Shut it," Aionis responded.
"Shall I introduce myself to a fellow night elf, despite our separate sides?" the night elf asked. "My name is Illidan. My blade is an exact copy of the great blade, Frostmourne."
"Wait a darn minute!" Anton said. "The blade, Frostmourne, belongs to the ancient corpse of the Lich King!"
"And Illidan had been slayed in the Great War five hundred years ago!" Aionis added.
"Your both naive," the so-called Illidan said. "I said it was an exact copy of Frostmourne, not the real thing. And I never died in that war." He smiled. "You two have been poorly informed."
"I'd give you the middle finger if my hands weren't bound," Anton said.
"At least we agree on that," Aionis said to Anton.
"And here I was going to be nice and untie you," Illidan said.
"I'd rather be tied to a night elf than be ordered around by one," Anton said.
"Very well," Illidan said. "I'll be back later to introduce you to Kurzan. Maybe you'll lose your attitude." With that, he walked out of the cell and shut the iron door.
Aionis and Anton looked around their cell. Four solid metal walls with a solid metal door and one simple cot were everything in there.
"Finally," Aionis said. A low-level Moonfire struck the ropes binding him and Anton, releasing them both. Aionis stood up and, rubbing his wrists, sat back down and leaned on one of the walls. Anton went and sat on the bed.
"So, how do we get out of here, night elf?" Anton asked.
"Even if I had a plan, you said yourself you'd rather be tied up to me than being ordered around."
"Despite what I said, desperate times call for desperate measures," Anton responded. "I'll swallow my pride and help you if it means getting out of here." Anton glared. "Be honored. It took a lot of pride just to say it."
"I'll bet," Aionis muttered. He was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to get out of this place.
Two hour past and the two still were trying to make a plan. Anton got a little rest during the period, but Aionis kept on thinking.
Aionis had closed his eyes for awhile. His thoughts bounced off ideas, with no prevail. If only I knew the layout of this place, Aionis thought. Now I know how a blind person feels.
Aionis suddenly felt a little tired. Curious, he opened his eyes. For some reason, everything he saw had turned a shade of blue.
Am I dead?! Aionis thought. He looked at his hands. Instead of looking ethereal, like before, he saw a solid arm with a type of spiritual borderline. Looking over to Anton, he saw the same thing. Anton had nodded off again, so he didn't notice Aionis staring.
The door opened. Anton stirred out of his sleep and looked at the door. Aionis followed suit. Illidan stood in the doorway, looking at both of them.
"I should have known you'd free yourselves," Illidan muttered. Not sure how to shut off the odd sight, Aionis saw Illidan in the blue stage. Illidan had a spiritual borderline around him, but it didn't look like him, like Anton's and his own. Aionis couldn't describe the shape, but he didn't like it one bit.
"Shall we go, you two?" Illidan asked. Not sure what else to do, the two stood up and followed. The vision seemed to dissipate in Aionis' eyes. Illidan led them through a series of tunnels until they entered a giant room. Kurzan troops lined the walls in two layers. In the middle of the room was a throne. In it was a knight in black armor. With no features to go on, Anton and Aionis both knew it was Kurzan.
"So here's the human and night elf who blew up one of our houses," Kurzan said. All the Kurzan people looked at the two that just came in.
"Just as you asked," Illidan said, bowing. He led Aionis and Anton to be right in front of Kurzan.
"Night elf, Human, it seems you have trespassed on my land and I cannot forgive you." Kurzan said.
Aionis and Anton didn't respond.
"Now to the matters at hand," Kurzan continued. "Despite the amount of valuable information in the house, I'd say its serious damage. What troubles me the most is the night elf."
"You'd think I was hated," Aionis said out loud.
"You are," Anton responded.
"So I've decided," Kurzan continued. "I'm going to enslave you both."
Both of them looked up, startled.
"You're joking," Anton said.
"I am not," Kurzan replied. "I was holding it off since I was bored. Now I have no desire to be bored and shall commence."
Aionis looked around. I wonder how many other people here are enslaved, he thought.
"Shall we get started?" Kurzan asked, almost formally.
Aionis glared at Kurzan, a wicked grin on his face. "Allow me."
Green lightning formed in his hands as he called his magic forth. Aionis chucked both Wrath spells at Kurzan with all his strength. Anton took the chance Aionis gave and blasted Illidan with a fireball. Both Kurzan and Illidan were thrown to opposite walls.
"What were you saying?" Aionis asked.
"We couldn't hear you threw the two loud thumps from the walls," Anton continued.
"Kill them!" Kurzan shouted.
"I count a good seventy-five of those idiots, not including the two big idiots," Aionis informed, quickly.
"I call Kurzan," Anton responded, charging.
"Let's go!" Aionis shouted, calling his Wrath spells forth. His twin Wrath spells struck a pair of troops, killing them both. Aionis jumped and did a forward roll, grabbing the dead Kurzan troop's swords. Standing up, his new twin blades cut threw two more troops with ease. Mana flared wildly around Aionis as he hacked up four more troops. Doing another front roll in the air, he used his twin blades as a steel wheel, crashing into another troop, but only one.
Anton drew his sword as he charged. His first unfortunate victim fell prey to the magic enhanced blade. As ten troops surrounded him, Anton rapidly chanted his spell. Pulling a 360, he launched his Magic Missile spell in all directions, ten missiles in all. There were so darn many of them, they all hit one troop or another, taking them out. "This is too easy!" Anton shouted as he pulled out his wand. An arcane ball of mana shot out and nailed an unsuspecting troop.
Of course! Aionis thought, blasting a troop with his Wrath spell. With abilities to revive themselves, Kurzan didn't need strong people, just people. Big mistake.
Aionis dropped the swords and concentrated his magic into his hands. Releasing it, a dozen Moonfire spells shot out, mowing threw five more troops with ease. Aionis was beginning to believe that this was too easy, even for wimps like these. For his test, he let one troop come close and whammed his fist onto the troop's head. Not only did the sucker die, Aionis didn't feel a skull when he punched him. What he felt was…
…compost.
"Anton! Got any high area fire spells?!" Aionis asked.
"For these creeps? Forget it!" Anton responded. "It'll only not burn-". He cut off in thought. He had a wicked grin. "One area fire spell, coming up!" Throwing the fireball he had prepared beforehand, he began chanting his spell quickly. The troops charged at him, but he had completed the spell.
"Fire Storm!"
Walls of flame shot out in any direction, lighting the entire room aflame. The troops turned to ashes as the fire engulfed them. Instead of blood, the smell of burning leaves filled the air.
"Good riddance to foul garbage," Anton told to the heat.
"You tried to take me out too, didn't you?" Aionis asked, now behind Anton.
Anton jumped. "How the hell did you get out alive?!"
"Shield spell."
"Damn."
The room became instantly colder. They turned to the directions of Illidan just as he swung the copy blade, Frostmourne. In that one swing, Illidan extinguished all he flames in the room. Kurzan slowly stood up from the opposite wall.
"Now I'm pissed!" Illidan shouted, readying Frostmourne.
"You're not making it out alive!" Kurzan added, drawing his own long sword.
Anton readied his sword against Illidan, but Aionis stepped in front of him.
"You called Kurzan, remember?" Aionis reminded him, malice behind his eyes. "This reject is mine."
Don't cross paths with an angry night elf, Anton's instructor said awhile ago. Anton followed those words and turned to Kurzan. "I'm your killer. Don't forget that." With that, Anton charged.
Aionis sprinted towards Illidan, his rage at its peak. Illidan came for him, Frostmourne blazing with mana. Illidan gave Aionis a horizontal slash, but with new speed and dexterity, Aionis jumped and landed on the flat of the sword as it passed by. Taking momentum from the sword, Aionis launched himself onto the wall behind Illidan. Instantaneously, he flung himself at Illidan and swiped his fist at Illidan's face. Thin drops of blood came out of the cut wound from Aionis' flying punch. What scared Illidan the most was the impact felt like a blade.
Anton locked swords with Kurzan. Anton forgot he lacked strength as Kurzan easily made him go flying. Anton landed on his feet with ease and charged once more. Kurzan and Anton struck their blades against eachother as they tried to get leeway in the fight. Anton struggled to chant his spell as he reflected Kurzan's sword over and over. His spell complete, Anton slammed his palm into Kurzan's chest and released the spell. The fireball exploded, sending them both flying in opposite directions. Anton staggered up from the blast, very weak. Since it was his spell, his hand was only missing half of the skin that was supposed to be there. Anton was more concerned with the fact that Kurzan was getting up with his chest armor puncturing his chest and half way melted. His helmet was off due to the blast, giving Anton the clear image of Kurzan's lifeless eyes and missing jaw.
Illidan couldn't believe Aionis' speed as Aionis gave him no chance to swing his sword from all the punches. Aionis swung at Illidan's face mostly, but he threw in some swipes at the gut. One of Illidan's blocks caused an opening Aionis couldn't refuse. With added speed, Aionis did a high kick at Illidan's right shoulder. Illidan took the chance that Aionis gave him and brought his sword down to rip Aionis' gut open. Aionis used a free hand to grab onto Frostmourne with his bare hand. Bringing his foot back to the ground, Aionis used the sword to chuck Illidan at the wall. Illidan let go of Frostmourne by mistake and was sent flying. Darkness swirled around Frostmourne and ensnared Aionis' arms. Aionis, snapping back to reality, tried to claw the darkness off his arm, but it just spread. In moments, His entire body, clothes and all, was now covered in pitch black. Illidan grinned evilly. Frostmourne was consuming the night elf piece by piece.
The black form of Aionis pulsed, sending ripples all over. While the darkness tried to keep Aionis' shape, Aionis was changing. The fingers began to bulge with points as it looked like his back was becoming humped. Frostmourne was shifting under the darkness and was now being held by the deformed Aionis in warrior fashion.
Anton was thrown to the wall by the zombie Kurzan's strength. New wounds sprouted on his back, soiling his shirt with blood. Anton staggered up, determined to kill Kurzan. Kurzan ran for Anton, his sword raised. Anton gritted his teeth for what he was about to do. As Kurzan brought his blade down on Anton, lightning encircled his body. The sword fell short by mere centimeters as the lightning pushed it back. Expanding to its full size, it was Kurzan who was thrown to a wall. Anton started chanting a spell as Kurzan stood up, his left arm in an odd position.
The darkness holding Aionis burst in every direction, revealing the transfigured Aionis in all his terror. Fingers now pointed claws, new scales covered his body, colored the same color of his skin. What was the hump unfurled into dragon wings, each reaching a good five feet from Aionis' body. His teeth were now slightly pointed, along with his ears now even more pointed than a usual night elf. Now a height of 6' 2", Aionis charged for Illidan. Purple energy played around Frostmourne's blade. Illidan condensed a ball of mana in his hand and chucked it at the creature charging at him. Frostmourne sliced the ball in half, shattering it. It exploded, engulfing the area in flame. To Illidan's horror, Aionis had jumped before the blast and was now flying towards him, Frostmourne ready to slash Aionis' enemy.
Kurzan charged for Anton, who was deep into a chant for his spell. Kurzan swung his sword at the barrier, but it repelled the blade, sending sparks through it's metal and into Kurzan. Kurzan froze from the shock for a few seconds, but came to and rammed the tip of his blade into the barrier. Lightning ran through Kurzan's body faster than it was suppose to as Kurzan suddenly was still from the shock. Anton's barrier fell then and there as soon as Kurzan shook off the paralysis again. Grinning, Kurzan rose his sword to slice Anton in half. Anton finished his spell just then and released it. A bright red beam came shooting out of Anton's outstretched palms and struck Kurzan.
The two-pronged dagger that Illidan had produced blocked Aionis' slash with ease. Channeling mana into his free hand, Illidan was about to release it when he and Aionis felt a giant surge of mana surround the whole area.
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Back at the Rebel Camp, Staldin was looking over some stolen Kurzan notes while sipping a cup of coffee. A giant explosion rang out, making the ground shake. Staldin managed to get out of the tent to see the cause. A humongous blood red hemisphere had formed at the Kurzan camp. The explosion was still roaring, causing everyone to cover their ears.
"What the hell?!" Staldin shouted.
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An earthquake came suddenly, followed by a loud explosion. Verne managed to grab a tree to stop him from vomiting. Brom and Mevan fell on their butts from the quake and were being flung around like they were on an inflatable bouncer. Eris stabbed both her daggers into the ground and dulled the shaking for her. Phoebe grabbed onto Eris in pure fright, cutting off Eris' airflow. Legionair, oddly, stood still as the chaos went by. His pupils had turned to mere dots as thin sparks of shadow played around him. When the earthquake and the explosion ended, everyone slowly got up. Phoebe let go of Eris and broke the silence with the question Verne wanted to ask first.
"What in god's name was THAT?" Phoebe asked everyone.
Legionair's eyes turned back to normal quickly as the sparks died down. He looked at Phoebe.
"What happened?" Legionair asked.
"Even you would have felt an earthquake of that magnitude, creep!" Mevan shouted.
"Earthquake?!" Legionair proclaimed. "Why didn't I feel anything?!"
Eris sighed. "The spirit broke through your bodies natural barriers for the period of the earthquake. That's why."
"I don't care!" Verne cut in. "I just want to get out of the vicinity!"
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The Kurzan was now a barren crater. All the trees, rocks, and buildings were now dust flowing in the wind. Anton was in the middle of the crater, on his knees and barely conscious.
"The Mage's Guild is going to kill me," Anton muttered, now with no more strength.
Aionis landed behind Anton, still as his transformed form and holding the sword. Landing next to him was a small purple sphere of highly condensed mana, shaking from trying to burst out.
"Can you explain to me what the hell you just did?!" Aionis shouted, his personality back to the way it was.
"A serious mage taboo," Anton answered. "That's all you need to know." Anton fell to the ground from the lack of energy. Aionis sighed. Frostmourne produced its own sheath as Aionis put it on his hip. He picked up the sphere and pocketed it while he was at it Walking over to Anton, he picked him up and put him on his back in the piggyback fashion. Now asleep, Anton couldn't argue.
"Illidan managed to escape because of that trick you did," Aionis told the sleeping Anton. "But you at least killed Kurzan. As for that rebel camp," Aionis continued, walking into the forest that wasn't decimated. "I'll let them find out by themselves."
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I hope you like this new, revised chapter of "The Change." If you don't, tell me so. This chapter has so many things in it, the clarifications won't come.
Read and review, please!