Chapter 20
Tamuura's new robes weren't at all what she was used too. Like her old ones they showed her belly but the neckline dipped far lower, giving more than a glimpse of the rise of her breasts. The majority of the robe was nether weave dyed sky blue and embroidered with spell fire thread. Her legs slipped out of slits in the front when she walked, and the hem and sleeves were woven so loosely that they were translucent. Yet she was thankful the spaulders and cowl were a little more substantial. The design of the embroidery was completely draenei but it was an elf who made it. She was older than Quin'Thalan but she seemed decades younger, smiling and laughing like a carefree child as she worked.
Quin'Thalan couldn't stop staring at Tamuura. The mage probably didn't realize it but that set of robes borrowed heavily from High Elven wedding dresses. He gave the seamstress a look when he first saw it, and she winked at him. Quin'Thalan's new armor though was quite similar to his old set, only instead of being saturated in reds and golds there were large patches of white between the crimson and gold that looked like bird's feather being spread over him. It was something inbetween High Elf and Blood Elf.
He twisted and flexed in it, getting used to the new weight. Really this set was lighter than the last and allowed him a far greater range of movement. He smiled as grew accustomed to it and picked up his old blade. It had been sharpened and polished and gleamed like a solid beam of sunlight.
They left the armory and headed straight down the old Dawning Lane, flanked by Shattered Sun fighters. Demons assaulted both sides of the Lane but were easily repeled by Shattered Sun archers. At the entrance to the Sunwell complex about a dozen adventurers of Horde and Alliance were gathered. Tamuura noticed a marked change in their demenors. There was no cocky banter between the factions, everyone was quietly milling about getting down roles and duties, everything was pure business.
She was relieved that Horde/Alliance rivalries were off their minds, if anything could make this assault fail it would be a fight between the members of the group. Though there were many adventurers outside she found out quickly that the majority were all ready just inside. She and Quin'Thalan walked through the giant gate, ironically guarded by a huge statue of Kael'thas, and found one of the formost Draenei healers tending to wounded. Tamuura walked over to him while Quin'Thalan made his way to the two commanders.
"Tamuura, I am glad to see you." He said.
"Anchorite Elbadon, we have not yet met."
"No," he knelt down to cast a spell on one blood elf's wounds, "But we know of each others deeds, and we will need each other's help soon."
"How so?"Tamuura was a little confused.
"You have come to fight the evil that has taken hold of this once holy place, I have come to heal those who fall to it. I need your help now to keep the enemy at bay, you may need mine soon should a battle prove too much." Elbadon wasn't meaning to be so grim but Tamuura felt her stomach sink at his words.
"Yes, I understand what you mean."
"I though, that you will not fall so easily, not with your new husband by your side."
Tamuura's heart fluttered when he said 'husband'. She was still wrapping her mind around it and she looked over to where Quin'Thalan was, talking with the commanders, getting as much information as he could.
"My husband…" she murmured.
Elbadon looked up from his work and smiled faintly as Tamuura gazed at her spouse. He dipped his head and whispered a prayer that the two of them make it through the coming battle alive. Tamuura stepped over to Quin'Thalan's side. He was speaking with Vindicator Moorba about the layout of the many gates. Captain Selana interjected occasionally, speaking of the various forces posted around the complex. As they spoke more and more adventurers flooded in till there at least 25 of them filling the plaza.
Three of them in particular seemed to be leading the rabble, a rather imposing Orc Warrior, an unusually cheerful and flirty blood elf Warlock, and a quiet blood elf Hunter. The warrior, who called himself Bloodyugerex, 'Bloody' for short, was organizing the majority of the force, spilting them into groups of 5 based on roles and assigning a leader to each one.
Tamuura apparched the warlock and introduced herself.
"Oh, Hi! Welcome, I'm Carismo." She extended a hand and Tamuura shook it.
"I'm afraid I've not yet heard of you," said Tamuura, "but I've heard whispers of you companion." She nodded towards Bloody.
"Yea, Bloody's awesome." Said Carismo with a grin. "There's a few more people I want you to meet."
She led Tamuura over the shy hunter;
"This is my friend Rusafa," the blood elf was running his hands through his pet wolf's fur, he looked up and nodded to Tamuura, "He's kinda new to adventurering but he's a good hunter."
Carismo bent down and pinched his side. Rusafa yelped and growled at her, his wolf growling with him. Carismo frowned and gestured towards Tamuura. Rusafa sighed, stood, and bowed gracefully.
"Pleased to meet you," he said, his fair face obscured behind his fiery red hair.
"Are you ever going to stop being so shy?" Carismo said with a small smile.
"It's my nature." Rusafa said it with an annoyed tone, like it was the thousandth time he'd said it to her.
"And that hunk there," Carismo pointed to a large Tauren Shaman, happily moving on the next thing with out another thought, "is Nogginbasher, or just Noggin."
"Her boyfriend." Said Rusafa.
"Anyway, Rusafa is going to be leading the main damage dealers, so you'll be following his lead most of the time."
"I thought you said he was new to this?" said Quin'Thalan, walking up behind them.
Carismo shrugged.
"I caught on quick." Rusafa said with the hint of a smile. Carismo pinched his check and he batted her away.
"Paladin Sunfire," said Rusafa, "You should stay by Bloody. He's our main meat shield and you fall into the category."
Quin'Thalan quirked an eyebrow at the hunter.
"To make things easier, we separate ourselves into three types, tanks, healers, and damage dealers. It's pretty self explanatory." Said Carismo.
"But before we start our attack, there's a few more people I want you to meet." Rusafa gestured to two Alliance members heading towards them.
"A few friends I met in Kalimdor. This is 'OldnSlow'," he pointed to a gray haired human rouge, "and his partner Domoarigato." The tall night elf hunter next to him nodded.
"OldnSlow…" Quin'Thalan said in a sarcastic tone.
"Just a nickname," said the human, "I was tired of being challenged to duels all the time, now no one challenges me."
Domoarigato snorted.
"You still get challenged, just less often."
"As long as I can get through Stormwind City without having to sneak through I'm happy."
"May we know your real name?" asked Tamuura.
"Eh, I'd rather not. There's a bit of a price on that name see, and you never know who anyone talks too, you understand?"
Tamuura nodded.
"Just call me Slow if things get hairy. Not Old." He pointed with the last two words.
"He hamstrings anyone who calls him that." Domoarigato said with an unnerving smile.
"Interesting friends you have, Rusafa." Said Quin'Thalan.
Rusafa shrugged and again smiled faintly.
"Comes with the territory." He said.
A great orc battle horn sounded and Everyone began gathering around Bloody. Carismo rushed back to his side with Noggin in tow. Tamuura hung near Rusafa and his pet with Quin'Thalan still by her side.
"Alright, time to confirm groups!" said Bloody. "All tanks with me, everyone sound of your name and class loud and clear, HEY! You back there, quit chatting and get your asses over here. You need to everyone's name so if things get bad and they will, you will know whose in trouble and who needs help. Ok, tanks, loud and clear, I'll start. Name is Bloody, warrior, next one!"
He pointed at Quin'Thalan.
"Quin'Thalan Sunfire, paladin!"
"Rakegan, Druid!"
As the members sounded off like soldiers doing drills Tamuura found herself surprised just how regimented this raid was. She had imagined most adventurers to be more like brash brawlers who simply charged into great battles. She felt a little embarrassed that she had thought of them as such as they neatly filled into their groups.
Quin'Thalan pecked her cheek before joining the other 'meat shields'. As she stared at him standing among the rest and listened to Bloody and Carismo layout the plan of attack she grew more and more worried about him. He was going to be one of the people making sure that the rest of the group was safe by taunting all their foes into attacking him. Tamuura drew her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders.
Suddenly she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder.
"It'll be fine," said Rusafa's soft voice, "its tanks that the healer's pay the most attention too, and Bloody recruited the best. He'll make it just fine."
"Have you ever had someone you love go into battle before your eyes?" she asked him.
"No, I'm afraid not. But I've seen enough raids to know that it's usually the tank who falls last. Honestly you should be more worried about yourself."
Tamuura snapped her head around to look at him.
"What does that mean?"
"The foes we face here are more powerful than any you've ever seen, and mages, cloth-wearers period, are the first to go unfortunately."
Tamuura shivered.
"Thank you for the kind words." She said, turning away from him.
Rusafa frowned.
"This is why I don't talk much." He said under his breath. He then knelt down and murmured something into his wolf's ear. The beast perked up at his words, licked his face, and then trotted up to Tamuura and rubbed against her leg, inadvertently almost knocking her over.
"I told Skoll to look after you." Said Rusafa, "he'll protect you well."
Tamuura forced a smile and patted the wolf's head. Slow got Rusafa in a head lock and tussled his hair.
"Sorry about him, he's very awkward, takes some getting used to."
Tamuura smiled a hint and nodded. Rusafa manage to pry his head free in time to sound off for Bloody. Soon everyone was assigned a 5 man group and they were allowed another two minutes to cast helpful spells and down any potions they had. Rusafa strung his bow and tested its strength, the taut string humming as he plucked it. Slow ran his knifes along a wet stone quickly and he held them ready, the razor edges glinting savagely. She heard a click as Domoarigato loaded and primed his gun, Carismo cast a dark spell that summoned a great Fel Guard to her command, Bloody and Noggin readied axes and maces, and just past them she could see Rakegan transform into a huge bear, with Quin'Thalan casting Light spells on him, then drawing his own double blade.
"Dear Light, protect him, protect us all." She whispered, then Bloody's horn sounded once again.
Tamuura saw quickly why raids were so tightly controlled. The organization proved extremely effective. Whole mobs of powerful fel elves and rouge sentries were downed quickly, and like Rusafa said, the healers did amazing work. Quin'Thalan ran at the forefront with Rakegan and Bloody near, and though he took immense amounts of damage and rage from their enemies he never faltered, any wounds she saw on him were closed almost instantly by the healer's spells.
They beat their way along the paths leading up from the Plaza, heading to an area called Apex point. For all the ease they had cutting through the groups of enemies progress was still rather slow. The occupiers of the Sunwell complex were intent not to give up the slightest inch of it until they breathed their last. As they approached the point Tamuura's keen eyes made out a great blue Wyrm lying under the canopy of the point. But she also made out a great dark spell surrounding it.
"Bloody!" she yelled, but the raid leader was too far ahead to hear her.
"Need some assistance?"
Tamuura jumped and looked around as she ran.
"Slow?"
"I'm right next to you, what is it?"
"Something is very wrong up at the point, there's a huge amount of dark energy around that dragon."
"We noticed."
Tamuura raised an eyebrow at the space his voice was coming from.
"We're adventurers, Tamuura, we make our living off this. And we wouldn't live very long if we couldn't see when something was that wrong."
She didn't have much time to muse on that because they ran into a patrol. After a few more small fights she was actually beginning to get bored with the rhythm, attack, kill, rinse, repeat.
"Save you energy," Rusafa said as he circled around the damage dealers, never taking his eyes off the demon he was aiming at. "Once we get to the dragon everything will get much harder."
Finally they reached the point, and Tamuura saw the great Wyrm lying in the pool of dark magic, looking tired and completely drained.
"Kalecgos," said one of the raid members, "That's Kalecgos."
"Be careful when approaching," said Bloody, "Give us a few seconds to get his attention before to the rest you start attacking."
Bloody, Rakegan, and Quin'Thalan inched towards the blue dragon, who reared his great head and fixed them with a burning blood red gaze, mists of super heated magic blowing from his nostrils.
"Kalecgos, we are champions of the Shattered Sun Offensive, sent by K'iru and A'dal. We have come to take back the Sunwell and help you rescue Anveena." Said Bloody, his shield held at the ready.
Kalecgos made no acknowledgement of Bloody's words, only kept breathing out that noxious smoke and lashing his crystalline, club-like tail.
"Kalecgos, we are your friends."
Still nothing.
"In the name of Malygos, it was you…"
"Malygos?" the wyrm hissed. Bloody and the other tanks paused. Kalecgos' features twisted, a fearsome snarl over taking them.
"No longer will I be a slave to the will of Malygos!" he climbed to his clawed feet and snorted out a cloud of hot magic smoke, an arcane fire twisting about his needle-like fangs.
"Challenge me and you will destroyed!"
He flapped his great wings and stomped his front claws on the ground, causing the stone beneath to crack with his weight. Despite his ferocity Tamuura saw a distinct stiffness in his movements, a glazed look in his eyes. Something else was warping his mind, and to her relief he was fighting it.
"Can we free him?" she was hoping Rusafa would hear but it was Slow who answered.
"No idea, we'll have to see."
She spotted a shadow moving through the group, Slow was getting into positioned.
"For your own sake Kalecgos," said Bloody, "we must."
He then charged the dragon, all the other tanks fast on his heels. Kalecgos released a huge blast of arcane energy, breathing it out over the entire raid.
"Get on his sides!" screamed Carismo, "Get on his sides! Avoid the tail and the head at all costs!"
Tamuura ran over to the dragon's right side, trying to follow Rusafa closer to him but someone yanked her back.
"Stay back here," it was Domoarigato, "It's safer back here." He then raised his gun and fired his first shot, his great insect rocketing through the air almost as fast as the bullet. Tamuura threw her most powerful spells at Kalecgos, thankful for the totems Noggin had placed nearby. Though she was spamming her spells her mana pool was barely dropping.
"I…need…"
Tamuura was startled, she thought a raider was asking for help.
"I…need…you help… cannot…resist him…much…longer."
The dragon in front of her was still fighting fiercely but she recognized the voice. The real Kalecgos was calling out to them.
"How can I help?" she asked.
The instant she said it she felt as if she being picked up out of her skin, and found herself standing in a spectral version of the Apex Point. She looked ahead and saw a man with bright blue hair and small pointed ears fighting desperately against a Nathrezim. The demon also spotted her, along with a few other adventurers who had come into this plane.
"O-ho? You think to stop me? Haven't you heard? I always win." He bared his teeth in a demonic grin.
"Think again demon." A blood elf priest stepped forward and cast several spells on the blue haired man, healing him and giving him more strength. Rakegan in his bear form appeared and roared as he charged the demon, the second he'd bashed into the monster's shins Tamuura and the rest attacked without mercy. Yet even with their combined strength the demon was dying too slowly.
"Kalec!" said the healer priest, "Summon more!"
"I will try!" he called back.
Tamuura saw Carismo and Slow appear, followed by her Quin'Thalan. A few more made into the spectral realm and pitched in to cut the dreadlord down. Tamuura felt her grip on this plane begin to weaken and she fought to remain. Just as she felt she was going to return to her body the demon suffered the killing blow, and fell to his knees, practically holding his won entrails in his hands.
He looked up at his slayers with disbelief.
"But…I'm…never…on the…losing…side."
As the dreadlord expired their connection to the spirit plane faded, and they came to back on the real Apex Point. Kalec stood before them in his full form, panting and bearing large wounds but very much himself again. With one great spell his close his wounds and turned back into a half elf. He approached Bloody and placed a hand on the Orc's shoulder.
"I am very much in your debt. But out fight is far from over, and should we be victorious, this entire world will owe you everything as well."