GUESS WHO'S IPAD DECIDED TO DIE WHEN THE LATEST CHAPTER WAS 3/4THS DONE?! Yay! So now I'm using a new iPad to write Broken Wings, and I've lost literally every oneshot idea I had for this series! Double yay! *takes a drink*
So yeah, sorry about how short this chapter was. It was hard to make a single scene, no matter how important, very long without diminishing its importance somewhat. Also sorry about the long reviewer response panel in this chapter, a lot of good questions were asked though. XD
TehUnoman: I'm sure Anduin gave him quite a lot of beer after that one.
Fble: Well at least we can never say Gul'dan isn't efficient. Also yeah... About the chapter update speed... OOPS.
Smartjocklv: The reason I assume it was in Northrend was because of a quote Khadgar said in the Legion beta "From one murky land to another. At least it's not as cold!" (Loose quote, not gonna bother looking it up because I'm lazy.) While it's technically only insinuated the other kingdoms were also likely hit by the Legion at the same time, rendering their hands tied. And as for Ozpin... You'll all see soon enough. :3
Raging Archon: giggle-snort... Proudbitch. I'm writing that one down. The reason she acted like that around Anduin is because she is almost a mother figure to him, and I doubt she would want to act irrational in front of someone who looks up to her like Anduin does, though that's only my own speculation. With Varimas... Let's all remember, he and Wrath have known each other since childhood, so he's bound to know something no one else would... I wonder what that would be. And Ruby as a queen... Yeah. You're right, Stormwind is doomed.
Akshka: You and my raid leader would get along just fine.
DivineDemon1: Hey you have something in common with me when it comes to this story then! I never get any freakin' work done when I write it! Glad you like it so much though, sorry this update took so long.
Cody The Worldwalker: She might, but Bolvar also told everyone to say that he died with the Lich King, and maybe wanted to not reveal he could still be alive around Anduin. Oh yeah... About a RWBY cast member getting an artifact weapon... Well, just read the chapter!
Ashbringer
Jaune felt a sharp twinge in his head as he felt himself being thrust out of unconsciousness, his entire body spasming softly as his muscles all seemed to react to the pain.
He laid there still for a moment, his eyes wrenched closed as he attempted to sort through the thoughts in his still muddled mind that swam around like a school of fish in a muddied pond.
What had happened?
They had been doing alright all things considered. He, Tirion, and Pyrrha had fought their way into the main section of the isle after being cut off from the rest of the Argent Crusade after the demons had flanked their position.
Then they had confronted Gul'dan, the Orc Warlock that apparently had been responsible for the whole Legion invasion.
But... Then what?
Jaune's eyes shot open when the rest of his memory rushed back to him in a surge like a lightning bolt striking the ground, only to clamp them closed once more when a stabbing pain shot back through his skull.
Jaune had watched as Tirion had fallen into the Warlock's magical grip trying to push he and Pyrrha out of harms way when the Orc decided to make the ground cave in from under them. Pyrrha had taken a massive, possibly even leathal, hit by Gul'Dan in an attempt to save the Highlord when he had been captured.
And Jaune? Nothing. He had foolishly charged the Warlock in a blind rage, only to end up flopping around like a dying fish on the ground with a shattered blade, a missing shield, and a broken heart.
He waited for a moment, letting the events of the past few hours engrave themselves into his mind before opening his eyes once more, only to realize that he lay in a large dimly lit cavern, a far cry from the pit of lava that he was sure Gul'dan had sent he, Pyrrha, and Jaune into.
Once he had finally collected himself and the thoughts that ran through his head like angry wasps, Jaune slowly turned his head to the side in hopes of locating an exit he could possibly crawl out of to safety, or at least into view of the forces of Azeroth, who could hopefully find him a healer.
However, what he expected to find was far different from the view he received. What he saw, only a few feet from himself was a badly burnt and crumpled form beside him, with a large red and golden spear in their grasp.
His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim light in the cavern, but part of him already knew who lay beside them. He could not push the truth away now. It was staring him directly in the face.
It was Pyrrha.
Her breathing was ragged shallow, the wound in her stomach quickly taking its toll on the normally seemingly invincible hoplite. Her skin was badly burnt, with some sections of her body nearly black from almost constant exposure to fire. It was a miracle that the skin was even still attached at all.
Realzing that she was still alive, Jaune quickly reached out to begin to crawl over towards her.
The moment he began however, Jaune felt his limbs burning with a sharp stabbing pain. He looked down to see his own arms were covered in the same burns that now peppered Pyrrha's body. Despite this, he kept crawling, digging his frayed fingernails into the dirt as he pulled himself over towards his partner.
He had to reach her. He had to.
But suddenly, as if fate had it out for the young man, he felt himself being yanked up into the air by his leg, causing him to scream out in agony as he hung upside down a few meters from the ash covered ground. His leg felt as if it was about to be ripped away from the rest of his body, but something was keeping it attached by way of a stapler.
He slowly pried his eyes open, fresh tears blurring his vision. Through that blurred vision Jaune saw a creature with almost vampire like features holding him by his leg, giving him a sick smirk as its claws dug into the huntsman's leg, fresh blood streaming down the limb.
He had heard of these demons through his lessons with Tirion. This was a Dreadlord, and a particularly scary looking one at that.
"Well now... What have we here?..." The Dreadlord asked, his words running across Jaune's eardrums as smoothly as silk. He could sense the malice intent behind them however, so prevalent in its existence one would have to be insane to not hear it. "A pathetic little insect that was washed up in the chaotic tides of battle?"
Jaune shivered as the Dreadlord spoke, terror freezing his muscles for a moment before he regained his sense and reached up and grasped the Dreadlord's fingers in an attempt to pry them away from his leg.
The Dreadlord merely sighed before tightening his grip on the limb causing a shriek of pain to echo from Jaune, more tears falling down his face as another wave of fresh blood began to flow from the already injured appendage.
"Now, now, no struggling dear boy..." The Dreadlord chided, as if disciplining a small child. His tone was condescending, laced with fake affection that only barely hid the venom that dripped from the words. "It will only make the pain worse..."
After a moment of silence the Dreadlord chuckled softly.
"On second thought... Keep struggling..." The Dreadlord then added, this time his caring tone gone, replaced by a voice that displayed only disgust. "I haven't had the chance to entertain myself for quite a while."
With that the Dreadlord carelessly flung Jaune into a nearby wall, more than one rib cracking from the impact against the hard stone surface, his armor doing little to protect him.
Rubble quickly fell around Jaune, pinning him solidly to the earth and scratching up his face. Jaune quickly began to struggle to pull himself to his feet, only to glance back to find rocks trapping his legs, preventing his escape.
Instead of giving in however, the young huntsman only pulled harder, which soon ended with him falling forwards and slamming his head against a sharp rock, opening a gash on his charred forehead, the charred skin splitting open like crumbling paper.
Watched... Your... Love... Fall...
Jaune wrenched his eyes open and scanned the room slowly. Either he had taken a pretty hard hit to the head, or he was relatively sure he had just heard a soft voice echo throughout the cavern.
He shut his eyes in order to focus in an attempt to hear the voice again, only to be met with only the sickening sounds of stone being crunched under the hooves of the Dreadlord making their way to his ears.
Before he could think on the voice any longer the Dreadlord plucked the paladin from the rubble, smirking sadistically as he heard the ribs that had cracked shift about in his torso, along with the scream that accompanied them.
"I'm going to have a rather jovial time tearing you apart..." The Dreadlord whispered, his words only barely audible over Jaune's gasps of agony. "Know that I will rip the soul from your flesh and make your body my own..."
The Dreadlord then began channeling a strange power through Jaune's body, causing the huntsman to wriggle and jerk about unnaturally as he gurgled helplessly. His eyes rolled back into his head as a shadowy energy overtaking his body for a moment before fading away just as quickly, returning his eyes to their usual state.
"Know that I am Balnazzar..." The Dreadlord, Balnazzar, said as the muscles in it's forearm suddenly tensed. "Know that you are but a pawn in plans far beyond your reckoning..."
Balnazzar then snapped his arm out, tossing Jaune again, this time his body flying further into the main area of the cavern, where it impacted loudly against stone, causing a fair amount of blood to fly from Jaune's mouth.
Jaune held back a shriek as he felt a large jagged stone impale his shoulder, ripping through both armor and flesh, pinning him against the surface of the stone like a stuck pig.
Fight... For... Righteousness...
Jaune fought in vain in an attempt to open his eyes once more. He was sure he heard a voice that time. It was little more than a whisper but it was easily recognizable, even through the sheer pain running throughout his body.
"Know that you are alone in this world..." Balnazzar said as he ripped Jaune from the stone, blood spewing from the wound as he was lifted away. "Know that you will die, knowing that you are unloved, and unwant-..."
The Dreadlord was cut off as a bullet sailed into his eye socket, ripping into and sending globules of the eye all over the floor, causing Balnazzar to let out a haunting growl as he droped Jaune and clutched at his eye socket, involuntarily digging his claws into his face as he shuddered.
When he finally recovered from the attack Balnazzar glade over at the source of the attack with his remaining eye only to see Pyrrha, laying there with Milo in rifle form in her hand, which trembled violently as she aimed at the Dreadlord.
She fired the weapon again without so much as a word, causing the rifle to fly up and out of her grasp due to the recoil, which in turn caused the bullet to only graze the demon's forehead.
"You... Not dead yet I see!" Balnazzar roared as he slowly began to make his way over to the hoplite, his remaining eye burning with rage that seemed ready to boil over. And what luck that he just so happened to have a target to take it out on in such close range as well. "Let us fix that, shall we?!"
"No!..." Jaune whimpered as he attempted to get up, only to fall back to the ground with a pathetic thud. "Pyrrha!..."
Pyrrha, upon hearing Jaune's voice, glanced over and gave the huntsman a small sad smile.
Jaune, seeing the look in her eyes, began to quickly crawl towards Balnazzar, his eyes lit up with anger.
Balnazzar glanced back for a moment before generating a large bolt of fel fire in his hand, throwing it back towards Jaune, causing him to fly back further into the cavern, landing in a small pool of water with a nasty sounding thud.
Spitting out the dirty water which found its way into his mouth, Jaune opened his eyes and gasped lightly, his eyes brimmed with tears.
And that's when he saw it.
The blade of the Scarlet Highlord; Ashbringer, stood, lodged in the ground only a few feet from where Jaune lay. A small stream of light poured across the blade from a small crack in the roof of the cavern, giving the sword an almost otherworldly glow as Jaune stared.
When he was able to regain what little sense remained in him after receiving the beating from the Dreadlord, Jaune began to frantically crawl towards the blade, which seemed to shimmer all the brighter as the boy drew nearer.
Balnazzar meanwhile, drew closer to Pyrrha, dark energy dancing on his gangly fingertips like moths darting around a flame. It would only be a few more moments before he reached her, and delivered his vengeance.
Fight... For... Justice...
As yet another set of disembodied words reached Jaune's ears, he reached out for Ashbringer, grasping the hilt of the weapon and pulling himself up to his legs, which shook violently as his body tried to cope with the recent trauma it had been put through by the Dreadlord.
Balnazzar stood above Pyrrha for a moment in silence, before an insane glint appeared in his remaining eye. With a cackle that sent a chill down Jaune's spine, Balnazzar slammed his hoof down onto Pyrrha' arm, powderising the bones in an instant.
Her lungs were to badly burnt from the inside out to even let out a proper scream.
"Leave her alone..." Jaune whispered as his hands clenched tightly around Ashbringers hilt before his eyes lit up in anger. He never even felt himself beginning to pull the blade from the stone. "Leave her alone!..."
Save... Them... All!...
"LEAVE HER ALONE!"
A bright surge of light overtook the cavern, blinding all those inside of the decrepit old cave in a bight surge of light that seemed to envelop even the darkest corners of the cavern in its warm glow.
When the Light finally faded, both Balnazzar and Pyrrha came face to face with the sight of Jaune, standing proudly as he held Ashbringer out, tears on his face, which was contorted in anger.
"No!..." Balnazzar growled angrily before leaping away from Pyrrha and rushing Jaune's position, his claws bared. "Only the champions of the Light are able to wield the highblade! You're only a child!..."
His charge was halted almost just as quickly as it had begun when the Dreadlord watched as Jaune raised the sword into the air.
His remaining eye lit up with fear as he watched as Ashbringer's blade was suddenly coated in golden holy fire as Jaune held it steadily in the air, never breaking eye contact with the demonic lord.
Balnazzar then quickly began back away, shielding himself with his wings as another bright flash of light once more overtook the cavern, blinding the Dreadlord as a flurry of energy flew around him relentlessly.
When the light finally faded Balnazzar opened his remaining eye, only to glance down and find that there was not one part of his body that had been damaged by the attack. He had not been hit even once.
The attack had missed.
The Dreadlord took a moment to recheck himself for injuries, and upon finding none, opened his wings fully and glared over at Jaune. The huntsman was kneeling on the ground, leaning against Ashbringer as he gasped for air.
"Enough!... Never again will that damned blade slay my brethren!" Balnazzar roared as he prepared to resume his charge. Jaune had no doubt been weakened by his attack, an attack that was not only surely an energy drainer, but had completely missed! He could eliminate that sword once and for all! "You will DIE!"
With that Balnazzar leapt up into the air, rushing over to Jaune's position with his hands covered in shadowy energy.
Jaune attempted pull up Ashbringer in order to defend himself from the coming blow, only to find he was far too weak to even lift his arms, let alone pull the massive blade of the Ashbringer up in defense.
Balnazzar let out one last cackle as he raised his claw and prepared to strike the huntsman down, only to freeze in place as Milo, now in it's spear form, suddenly slammed into his back, ripping through his flesh and armor and into the ground just before Jaune, who stared at the weapon as if it were a godsend.
Balnazzar glanced back, stunned to see Pyrrha, standing proudly, without even scratch marring her skin.
"Not if I have anything to say about it..." She growled, beginning to stalk towards the Dreadlord with a look in her eyes that made any threat that Balnazzar could have spewed out completely ineffective.
Balnazzar stared at the hoplite, stunned at her recovery. Even her arm, which he was sure he had crushed, was completely whole, not even a bruise to show it had been shattered. "How?..."
"You-... You didn't think I was aiming for-... For you, did you?..." Jaune, who wore a triumphant smirk, spoke up in a shaky voice, his lungs fighting to retain whatever oxygen they could.
Balnazzar let out a curse before he brought himself to his feet and attempted to swing at Jaune again, but before he could Pyrrha quickly used her semblance to redirect Milo from its resting place in the ground, launching it into the Dreadlord's shoulder, sending the demon down to his back and pinning him to the ground.
"Agh!..." Balnazzar spat, glaring at the Spartan with his remaining eye. "Damn you girl!"
Pyrrha silently strolled over to Jaune and clutched Ashbringer's hilt, causing Jaune to look up at his partner quizzically. "...I need to borrow this..."
Jaune smiled softly before he released his grip on the hilt of the blade, giving the opportunity for Pyrrha to lift it up from the ground with almost no effort on her part, pointing it towards the Dreadlord.
She clutched Ashbringer all the more tightly when she saw Balnazzar look up at her laugh. Realizing that giving the demon any time to recover would only be of determent to her and Jaune, Pyrrha brought Ashbringer down on Balnazzar's head.
Just before the blade made contact however, the Dreadlord quickly morphed into a flock of bats, leaving his armor to take the blow, which turned into little more than a pile of Ash the moment the blade made contact.
"You think this is over Paladin?..." The voice of Balnazzar echoed throughout the cavern as the bats all sped away in different directions, out into the night sky. "Our journey together has only just begun..."
Silence passed over the cavern.
Pyrrha dropped Ashbringer to the ground with a clang as she turned around to watch as Jaune fell to the ground with tears streaming down his face.
"Jaune!..." Pyrrha cried as she knelt down and began looking him over for any injuries.
Thankfully Ashbringer had healed most of his more serious wounds when Jaune first drew it from the ground, with skin showing through his armor where wounds once lay. Unfortunately he was also obviously more than worn out by the encounter with the demon, and would be in no condition to face off with another foe, should one make itself known.
"Jaune?..."
Jaune's hands slowly reached out towards his partner, giving Pyrrha the opportunity to take them into her own. When she did a small smile passed across Jaune's tired face, a glimmer of hope in a sea of exhaustion. "I-... I thought... I thought I'd lost you..."
Pyrrha's eyes widened before she smiled, tears beginning to blue her vision as she stared down at the huntsman.
She slowly lifted Jaune into a hug, holding him up as he clung to her like a child would cling to his long lost mother. Or more accurately as one would cling to a lover. "It's alright... I'm alright now..."
She felt a tear roll down her cheek.
"And it's all thanks to you Jaune..."
After a few moments of silence between the two, the faint but still audible sounds of moving rock caught their attention, along with two faint voices that could be heard just over the sounds of shifting rubble.
"It came from over here!"
"Keep digging then!"
Pyrrha quickly helped Jaune to his feet before retrieving Ashbringer and handing it to Jaune. Once he was armed Pyrrha grabbed her own weapon from the floor, transforming it into rifle mode before aiming towards the source of the sounds of shifting rubble.
They watched with baited breath as the stones blocking the exit to the cavern slowly began to move out of the way before a sudden surge of Light burst through the entrance, causing the rest of the stones to fly out in every which direction, revealing a young Agrent Crusader.
The Crusader stood silent for a moment before he glanced down and gasped at the sight that lay before them. He then whirled around and waved his arms frantically about in the air, trying to alert whoever he seemed to be with. "Sir! Sir, I found them!"
The shuffling of footsteps filled the cavern for a few moments before a gruff looking paladin appeared at the exit along with a few other crusaders, all wearing looks of surprise on their faces.
"By the Light!" The gruff looking paladin spoke up, making his way down to Jaune and Pyrrha, who had since lowered their weapons. "It's good to see the both of you unharmed!"
"The Ashbringer! The boy has the Ashbringer!" Another crusader spoke up as he pointed at the sacred blade.
The gruff paladin glanced over at Jaune, a small frown forming upon his grizzled face. "Yes... He must be the one..."
"Are you sure my lord?" The first crusader asked, crossing his arms over his chest, which was covered with heavy looking plate armor that shined even in the darkness of the cavern. "The boy seems rather... Lacking..."
"Looks can be deceiving my friend..."
"The one?... The one what?..." Jaune wheezed out, his lungs still trying to recover from the fight. "What are you talking about?..."
"Forgive my manners. I am Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, is your name Jaune Arc young paladin?"
"Yes, it is. Why?..."
"In that case you must come quickly... Highlord Tirion Fordring has called for you by name..." Lord Maxwell explained, a look of sadness etched onto his face. It told Jaune all he needed to know before the Lord's next words were even uttered. "I fear... I fear he does not have long for this world..."
Pyrrha placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.
Jaune looked down at the ground for a moment before clenching Ashbringer tightly. "...Take me to him..."
Lord Maxwell nodded once before glancing back at his Crusaders, who all drew various weapons, turning back the way they had come.
"We have to get out of here before more demons come..." Lord Maxwell instructed, watching as Pyrrha propped Jaune up by her shoulder, leading him out of the dank cavern. "Quickly, the high lord is just outside the temple. Follow me."
When Jaune and Pyrrha finally made their way outside of the cavern along with the other crusaders it was nearly dark. It seemed as though the two had been unconscious in the caverns for what seemed to be the better part of half a day, if not longer.
Judging by the prevalence of demons and the lack of Azerothian forces, it was obvious the Alliance and Horde had either withdrawn from the battlefield of had been wiped out by the Legion. Pyrrha severely hoped it would be the former.
Jaune's focus however was not on the situation of the battle as a whole, but on the figure, laying amongst a ring of crusaders that surrounded him like a ring of angels, watching over a fallen hero. And a fallen hero it was. "Jaune... Come... Closer..."
"I'm here Tirion!..." Jaune gasped out as Pyrrha lead him over to the fallen Highlord, helping him kneel beside the older man before attempting to step back in order to allow the two a chance to speak, only to be stopped by Jaune's hand, which grasped her wrist. "We're both here!..."
"Jaune... You..." Tirion let out a hacking cough, a decent amount of blood flying onto the ground, staining the sand red. "You must... Take up the blade..."
"Take up the blade?... What do you-..." Jaune froze as a look of revelation crossed his face, an expression that was quickly replaced by one of panic, of desperation. "No... No, Tirion, don't talk like that!..."
"You... Must stop the Legion..."
"No Tirion! I'm no good! There are so many others who could do it!" Jaune exclaimed, looking around at the other crusaders present. Any one of them would be a million times better suited than him. They all were trained. They were all more than faithful. They were all capable. He was only a failure. "What makes you think I could possibly be worthy of wielding something like this sword?!..."
"I already told you Jaune..." Tirion wheezed out, a smile smile of pride crossing his face as he stared up at the boy he had spent the last few months of his life training. "You have... Courage..."
"Courage isn't enough! I can't do this alone Tirion..."
"I know you can... Jaune..." Tirion whispered, his voice growing weaker by the moment. His eyes began to fade as the last remnants of his life continued to ebb away from him. "Because... You aren't alone..."
"Tirion!... Tirion please... Don't go..." Jaune cried out desperately as he clenched the old Highlord's hand, watching as Tirion's eyes closed for the final time, with his last words burning themselves into Jaune's soul. The last words of a man who had given his life for Azeorth, and for the Light.
"You must become... The Ashbringer..."
Yep! Jaune gets Ashbringer! Don't worry, he'll still be a complete spazz in every little thing he does. After all, even the best sword in the world is nothing if the swordsman using it is a giant fool. So no worries on Jaune turning into an overpowered 'cool guy'. Next chapter we'll move back to Blake on her journey to smack Wrath around the head for being an idiot!