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Civil Discourse
It can be said that Night Elves are naturally calm and patient as a people. Their countless millennia of existence has taught them to be disciplined in all things and to live in peace with others who share this world with them. These things are true with regards to the Kaldorei. So it was not surprising that the other denizens of this world would sometimes think of them as soft and weak. Even their own allies within the Alliance share some of this belief but not out of malice or spite.
In particular, the Humans thought them to be a bunch of fair maidens who were soft of heart, and thus needed to be protected. And for the most part, Night Elves were content in not doing anything to disabuse them of that notion. It was to their advantage after all.
But the opposite of all these things said about Night Elves were also true. That when circumstances force them to be violent, they can be even more savage and bloodthirsty than Orcs. That when their lives are threatened, they can fight with a fury that would make a Troll blush. And while immortality has made them a people who were generally calm, slow to anger and forgiving, the opposite of that is also true. That when Night Elves see someone commit what they believe to be a heinous crime, they will not show mercy or forgiveness until either justice has been done or proper payment is made. And usually, the amount being demanded must be paid for in blood.
And justice usually results in the head of the guilty being mounted on spikes. Or in more rarer cases, their entrails strung from the branches of their sacred trees.
Humans have once committed a crime against them by unknowingly intruding upon and desecrating their sacred lands. But Aeterna's people were quick to make amends, offering reparations and pledging to protect Lightspear's people in times of war, so they were easily forgiven.
Orcs have committed crimes against them by doing the same thing as the Humans had done, but not doing anything to make amends. They had done the opposite in fact. Even to this day, they continue to deforest large swaths of Ashenvale without giving anything in return. And many of them continue to make attempts on the lives of Kaldorei without seeking forgiveness. They are not so easily forgiven. And the only reason the Night Elves have not collected on their ever growing debt to them, was because far more serious matters kept them busy.
That, and the young ruler of Theramore Isle had always done her utmost to help preserve the tenuous peace between the Alliance and the Horde. A peace that, in Lightspear's most honest opinion, would not last long.
But in the minds of every Kaldorei, only one people possess a debt to them so large that no amount of blood spilled could ever truly pay for it. Only one people within this world have committed a crime against them so great that it could not be forgiven. And those people were the traitorous Highborn and their equally despicable descendants, the Blood Elves.
And now, here stood one of their vile kind, looking rather smug as she calmly stared at her with a cold look in her eyes. The urge to simply cut this little witch's head off and feed her corpse to Mirana was growing more powerful with every second. Only Lightspear's thousands of years of discipline kept her from acting on her murderous desires.
Diplomacy first before war, as the Humans always say.
"Leave!" Lightspear commanded the Sin'dorei, drawing her moonglaives as she did so. "Now!"
Night Elves handle diplomacy a bit differently than Humans however.
She could see Aeterna looking at her worryingly, fearing a violent confrontation. Sadly, the Sentinel would have to disappoint her friend and confirm her fears. Violence will occur between her and this treacherous creature before her, if she fails to follow her commands and not leave immediately.
But much to Lightspear's disappointment, the Sin'dorei was not fazed in the least by her threatening actions, still standing there with that condescending look within her blue eyes. In fact, she merely smirked at her in contempt as she folded her arms beneath her sizable bosom, ones that she seem to proudly display, what with way her form fitting armor served to reveal so much of her chest. Truly, the descendants of the Highborn have no shame.
"And hello to you too Sentinel" the Sin'dorei spoke to her with a warm and pleasant tone, one that did match the ice within her steady gaze. "Glad to see you are still here, and not lying on the ground somewhere serving as the undead's afternoon meal"
"I have no time for your games, Sin'dorei," Lightspear hissed out, saying the word Sin'dorei as if it was the most vile thing to have ever touched her tongue. "Your presence is not welcome here. You must depart immediately. Or else!
"Or else what, exactly? You're gonna make me? I would like to see you try" taunted the Blood Elf, unafraid of her warnings. If anything, the woman seem ready to test the veracity of Lightspear's threats, what with the way she smirked confidently at her and how her fingers seem to hover rather closely to the hilts of her throwing knives.
This also served to anger the Sentinel even more however, making her growl her next words "I will not warn you again!"
And still the Blood Elf was not perturbed as she scoffed at Lightspear before she said "In case you don't know yet, I am actually here at the behest of Lord Mordekaiser himself."
Those words actually served to stun Lightspear, truly surprised to hear them though she did her best not to show it. The Sin'dorei still saw it however, as she smiled confidently at her and continued.
"You heard it right. I am here for him and him only. I could care less about you and these filthy cesspools that you call your lands. So if you have a problem with me being here, then go and take it up with him, instead of barking at me like some mad beast" her words served to further irk Lightspear as she tightened her hold over her moonglaives, tempted to slice off the Blood Elf's head cleanly in half.
The Sin'dorei noticed this as well, and she fixed Lightspear with a piercing stare. "But if you truly insist on pressing the issue…"
The Blood Elf then drew both of her daggers and made a ready stance, now wearing a bloodthirsty grin on her face. "Then I shall enjoy carving off that ugly face of yours!"
Finally having enough of talking to this damnable bitch, Lightspear was now ready to charge in and cut her down, and the Blood Elf in turn was ready to sink her daggers deep into her. Aeterna was ready to step in and try to help her friend if need be, her hand now resting upon the hilt of her sword. But before any of them could step in and do battle, a thunderous voice rang across the air.
"Enough!"
That served to shake all three women a little, knowing full well who that belonged to. Lightspear lowered her moonglaives somewhat as she looked towards the direction of her dear lord, and immediately her features softened upon seeing him.
And there he was, striding towards them in all his terrifying glory, his enormous, sinister-looking mace propped against his armored shoulder, his bearing straight and proud. He towered over them, a giant of a man. Glowing red eyes piercing them with his stern gaze, the only thing visible behind that menacing horned helm that covered his entire face. Many would be frightened by the mere sight of him, and for good reason. Lightspear herself was also afraid of him, especially after all that she had witness him do in their battle earlier.
But mixed within that fear was also genuine admiration and an ever growing fondness, for what the Sentinel believed to be the greatest hero her Goddess could have ever bestowed upon them in their time of need. Her hero. And in the future, if the Goddess would permit it, he would become much more to her.
For now there were more pressing concerns. And that was to convince her dear lord to spurn this corrupt creature before her lest she find some way to infect her great liege with her vile ways.
The Iron Revenant went to a halt, standing just a few feet in front of them, looming over them in his impressive height. Lightspear was no small woman mind you. Just like any Night Elf, she was naturally tall, taller than most Humans and even a few Orcs. But compared to the giant standing before her, Lightspear felt like a mere child in his presence. And for a great and powerful being such as him, she might as well be.
"As much as it would amuse me to see the two of you kill each other, don't" The Iron Revenant began, speaking to them in that same deep baritone of his, stern and full of authority, compelling all those who heard it to listen in. And for Lightspear, hearing him talk brought a small shiver to her spine. And a rather pleasant one at that.
"Better for you to save your wrath for the Legion, for they are the true enemy!" he continued, still possessing that calm air of confidence and superiority about him.
As he was powerful, he was also wise, Lightspear could see. So focused on his noble task of saving their world from their greatest enemy. It was truly commendable. All the more reason that she convince him to get rid of the Sin'dorei, for she will no doubt seek to tempt him away from the right path.
"Forgive me for my rudeness my lord, but I must implore you not to take this woman with us" Lightspear emphasized by pointing at the smaller Elf right next to her, causing the blonde haired woman to scowl at her in turn. "No good will come of her presence!"
But much to her dismay, lord Mordekaiser shook his head at her protest. "No, she will be traveling with us from now on. Her actions today have earned her that right"
That immediately brought a triumphant smile to the Blood Elf woman's face and Lightspear in turn looked like someone had just informed her about the death of her mother, what with the way her regal face twisted into a mask of shock and utter distress.
"But my lord, she is a Sin'dorei, a Blood Elf! She-"
"I know what she is Lightspear. I have eyes after all" the Revenant cut her off, eyes narrowing, clearly annoyed with her continued protests. "And my eyes do not look at the color of ones skin or the shape of ones ears. They look at ones ability and competence, especially in matters of war"
He then pointed towards the Sin'dorei. "And so far, the Blood Elf has demonstrated a level of competence and skill that I find acceptable. Just as you and the girl have adequately proven yours today. So she will be traveling with us, so that I shall make full use of her"
And then his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, now containing a cruel and predatory look within them."The same way I plan on making full use of you, in whatever manner I deem fit"
Those words made Lightspear's cheeks blush a little, as her mind briefly contemplated the implications of his statement, and what it could mean for her personally. By all respects, she should have been outraged or offended by his declaration. But oddly enough, she found herself relishing it instead.
But in all seriousness, Lightspear could not find much fault within those arguments. She already knew Lord Mordekaiser to be one who was very pragmatic and calculating, this she had discerned of his character during the time spent travelling with him. And the Sentinel was pleased to know that her lord found her performance earlier in battle to be acceptable. She would gladly do much more for him in the future, in whatever capacity that would please him.
But Lightspear still needed to convince her dear lord of the dangers of taking in the Blood Elf. She had to protect him from her despicable clutches, keep her from preying upon his trust.
"I understand your points my lord, but still I must protest your decision to take her in. Capable she may be in combat, but she cannot be trusted. Not only is she a member of the Horde, staunch rivals of the Alliance, but her people are all of ill repute. They care only about their own selfish gains, and would gladly manipulate anyone in order to further their needs. Even so far as to ally themselves with the likes of the Betrayer and the evil Naga!"
Lightspear noted that her scathing remarks elicited a distinct growl from the Sin'dorei, and she was aware of how she was now glaring daggers at her, obviously not fond of how she was disparaging her in front of The Iron Revenant. Good. Better for her lord to know some of the ugly truths about her kind than to simply have him trust her implicitly.
But to her surprise, Mordekaiser did not seem all too bothered by these revelations. He looked rather bored by them in fact, just by looking at his eyes. And it reflected within his next words.
"I care not about whatever petty disputes your people may have with hers and with those that are allied with them. Mortal affairs are beneath me. I care only about the Legion's complete and utter destruction. And any who may contribute to that endeavor, are welcome within my ranks. Only when the last demon lies grounded beneath my heel will you mortals be free to do as you like. Destroy the other till your hearts' content, if you so wish! But not before then!" was his swift and callous counter to her arguments.
Lightspear stood silent for a moment, stunned by his words. It would seem that this man was truly impartial towards both the Horde and the Alliance. No, 'uncaring' would be the better word. This mighty champion that their Goddess had seen fit to send would only use his formidable abilities against the Legion and them alone? He did not care about the other problems that plagues her people? He had no wish of protecting them from their other enemies, avenge them of the many crimes and slights wrought upon them?
It broke Lightspear's heart a little to hear him say that. And it almost brought a tear to her eye, though she did her best to stave it off.
"Anything else, Lightspear? Or must I do something else to persuade you?" The Iron Revenant spoke in warning, bringing his monstrous looking mace to his side for further emphasis, making it abundantly clear as to his method of persuasion.
"No, my lord. That would be all. I shall follow your will" came Lightspear's immediate surrender, swallowing nervously.
And so the Sentinel bowed her head slightly and finally agreed with her lord Mordekaiser's wishes. Her shoulders slumped and long ears drooping, no longer having the strength to continue in her protests, nor she found much point in doing so.
There was not much else she could do, but follow her lord's command. She had sworn an oath to follow him wherever he may go and to serve him in any manner he so wished. If this was truly what he wanted, then she would abide by it. No matter how much in pained her. And to further press the issue would only bring harm upon her. Her great liege and savior also happened to be a very cruel and violent man after all, especially to those who were unfortunate enough to incur his wrath. Lightspear would not be so foolish as to bring it upon herself.
As if to rub salt on an open wound however, Lightspear could see the Blood Elf grinning at her in smug satisfaction, looking very much like a fox who had just been given free entry into the hen house. She fixed her with a look of fierce indignation, feeling her blood boiling towards this insolent little wretch! But she stayed her hand and remained quiet, unable to do anything to change this situation for the better. Not yet at least.
"Good" he nodded curtly towards her, before turning his fearsome gaze towards he Blood Elf. "And as for you, Vala"
The woman whom Lightspear now knew to be Vala, soon lost that infuriating, gloating look on her face and quickly she turned towards The Iron Revenant. Her expression now demure and sweet.
"Yes my lord?" she said to him in acknowledgement, very polite, very respectful. The complete opposite of her earlier unpalatable demeanor towards Lightspear.
"I shall remind you of the finer points of our arrangement. When I agreed to allow you to join me in my travels in exchange for your services, it also meant that you will be working closely with the others in my company, regardless of your personal feelings or opinions towards them. You will not raise your hand against them without proper cause and you shall not endanger them in anyway. Is this understood?" Lord Mordekaiser said most sternly to the Blood Elf.
Those directives actually served to bring some measure of relief to the Sentinel. She could at least take comfort in the fact that the Blood Elf won't try and slit her and Aeterna's throats while they slept, for The Iron Revenant would not allow such a thing to happen. And to Lightspear's quiet satisfaction, the blasted Sin'dorei look genuinely displeased by lord Mordekaiser's new order, looking as if she had just been tasked with cleaning the sewers of Orgrimmar, what with the way her face scrunched up in disgust.
"I understand perfectly, my lord. I shall do as you command" was the Sin'dorei's even reply, bowing her head slightly to lord Mordekaiser.
The Iron Revenant nodded at this, pleased with her answer, before looking towards all of them and spoke once again. "Be ready to leave within an hour. We shall continue our journey by then"
Lightspear nodded towards lord Mordekaiser in acknowledgement and watched him turn around and walk away. She sheathed her moonglaives, her gaze once again aimed at the Blood Elf.
"Well, it would seem you and I will be working together from now on. Isn't that just wonderful?" The Blood Elf named Vala gave her another one of her annoying smirks as she spoke to her, now sheathing her twin daggers.
Lightspear could only frown at her in distaste. "Though I still strongly disagree with lord Mordekaiser's decision to take in someone as untrustworthy as you, my faith in him remains strong, and thus I shall do as he wishes. But know this Sin'dorei. I shall be keeping a close watch over you, all the time. Best you tread lightly from now on"
But despite Lightspear's warning, Vala did not look at all impressed by this as she slowly turned around and sauntered away.
"Good luck with that" were her parting words, shortly before she completely vanished out of sight.
Lightspear was taken slightly aback by this and she tried her best to search for any signs of the Blood Elf, straining her keen senses to find at least a subtle trace of her location. But no matter how much she tried, she could not find her.
"Cursed Blood Elf trickery" The Sentinel muttered venomously under her breath, scowling as she did so before finally walking off, heading towards her nightsaber, Mirana.
Aeterna quietly watched her friend leave, noting the rather dour look on her face, before she finally breathed out a sigh of relief. She had been watching that whole exchange from start to finish, and she was just glad that it had ended without any needless bloodshed. Aeterna can say this about Mordekaiser, the man knew how to keep people in line. Especially two Elf women who happen to possess a breathtaking amount of enmity towards one another. One that was no doubt shared by the rest of their peoples.
But just like Lightspear, Aeterna was also rather disappointed of Mordekaiser's decision to take in that Blood Elf. She personally did not bear any hate towards her and her kind. But she did not trust her either. Aeterna was Alliance and that Blood Elf was Horde. Reason enough to be wary of her. So she too will be keeping an eye on that Vala woman's actions. At least, she will try her best. That invisibility cloak she possessed might prove a bit troublesome.
The young Knight then turned towards the direction of the armored giant and cast him a look of reproach. She understood his reasons for taking in the Blood Elf, and she could appreciate his almost single-minded focus on the Legion's destruction, but Aeterna did not appreciate the harsh words he used earlier, causing Lightspear undue distress. And she did not appreciate his apparent disregard for the peoples of this world. She would have to educated the callous brute on the finer points of nobility, as well as impress upon him the importance of benevolence. But that was a matter for another time.
For now, there was one small problem that needed to be addressed. Aeterna made her way towards the Iron Revenant. She soon found him standing next to the shattered remains of an Infernal, looking at it with idle curiosity.
She stood right next to the hulking man in iron, took a moment to consider her words before addressing him. "So, um… I was just wondering"
At this, Mordekaiser turned his sights towards her, his glowing crimson eyes looking at her rather disinterestedly while waiting to hear her next words. And so Aeterna continued with her query.
"Will all these, uh, servants of yours be marching along with us as well?" she asked of him rather tentatively while gesturing towards the many undead present. "It will get quite a bit crowded later if they do."
She made it sound like she was just making conversation. The simple truth of the matter was that Aeterna was not exactly looking forward to travelling with a whole horde of undead. And so she was secretly hoping that she could somehow make him place his undead army a good distance away from them as they travelled. After all, who would want to walk alongside someone whose entrails were trailing behind him while smelling like meat that was several days rotten? Not her, that was for certain.
He did not say anything to her at first, simply looking at her curiously. He then turned his gaze towards his undead and regarded them most carefully.
"Hmm… Yes, I can see your point" Mordekaiser mused as he lightly grasped the bottom of his armored chin with his plated hand, nodding a little as he did so.
Aeterna was a bit surprise at this, pleasantly so. Was the armored giant perhaps aware of her discomfort somehow, and was now thinking of a way to remedy this? If so, then that would be very thoughtful and considerate of him. That immediately brought a smile to Aeterna's face, her fondness for the man in iron growing ever so slightly.
"The presence of so many of my warriors would be overly conspicuous, and would no doubt drive our enemies into hiding the moment they saw them. This shall be remedied" was Mordekaiser's stern assessment of the situation.
"Wait, what?" asked Aeterna, a bit confused by those words for that was not exactly what she had in mind.
He raised his free hand up and balled it into a tight fist, the aura of his dark sorceries covering it. Soon after, every undead within the entire area of the battlefield was enveloped by a pale, bluish light which had mysteriously rose from the ground directly beneath their feet. And not just those baleful spirits and walking corpses, but also those who were still lying on the ground and had yet to be reanimated. That pale blue light covered them all.
A moment later, all of the dead suddenly disappeared, along with that mysterious ethereal light. Now, all those that remained in the field were The Iron Revenant and his three mortal companions plus one nightsaber. Everywhere Aeterna looked, all she could see were the scattered remains of weapons and armor, broken and burned down trees and the earth littered with large craters. The only signs that a great battle had once taken place here. The previous participants of that battle though had now been mysteriously removed.
"That… was very convenient." were the young Knight's thoughts as she looked around her with a slightly stupefied expression on her face.
Does this mean that Mordekaiser could actually summon his undead army anywhere and anytime he wished? And can dispel them just as easily once he no longer had need of them? Does this mean that the one called The Iron Revenant, was never truly alone, but was followed wherever he went by the souls of those he had enslaved, ready to fight by their lord's side with nary a word from him?
If so, then the implications of this new revelation was simply astounding. And terrifying.
"That should do it" she heard Mordekaiser speak once more, causing her to turn towards him.
"Now the enemy won't be too afraid to fight us, and shall head straight to us like the fools that they are" he said with sinister delight. He then turned his eyes towards her, his crimson orbs carrying a look of amusement within them. "Good observations girl"
Aeterna stared at him and blinked owlishly for a moment before finally answering. "Um… Thank you. I guess"
There was not much else she could say.
"Curses!… CURSES!" his thunderous roar echoed throughout the vast underground hall, as his magics flared out and caused some of the nearby objects to fall and tumble violently across the ground.
Many of the demons and cultists present within the hall were now cowering before their master's rage, quivering as they tried their best to make themselves look unnoticeable, hoping that he would not turn his wrath towards them. And one demon in particular was now at the unenviable position of reporting to their master about the most unfortunate events that had just occurred in Felwood, and thus, bear the full force of his displeasure.
"A thousand, thousand apologies my lord!" the Satyr named Xaravan fearfully pleaded as he went to his knees and bowed low, hoping desperately that his master would not seek to rip him apart and send him back to the Twisting Nether.
"I do not need to hear your useless apologies, Xaravan!" but his pleas for forgiveness only served to worsen his lord's ire, causing him to walk over towards him and loom menacingly over his kneeling form. "Because of your incompetence, thousands of my warriors now lie slain!"
"But my lord, I did not know that things would turn out this way! Me and my servants truly believed the newcomer to have only three mortals following him and no more! I did not know that he actually had an army of undead with him!" the Satyr explained, his desperation tinting every word he said, hoping that his lord would be more lenient in his punishments in light of all that had happened.
"Well you should have known! You should have done everything to learn all about our enemy before advising me to send in our forces to slay them! You managed that with those pathetic Druids, have you not? Why can't you do the same to the interloper?!"
"I-I understand my lord, but I-"
"Oh by the Hells you understand alright!" his master cut him off before he could finish, sneering at him as he brought his wrathful visage closer to his. And by then, the Satyr knew that his time was rapidly coming to an end, lest he do something to appease his master. But by the blood of Xavius, he did not know how!
"Tell me, Xaravan. How do you expect us to recover from this loss, huh? Tell me! Before I rip out your innards and make you eat them!" he bellowed out to him, spittle flying out of his mouth and hitting the Satyr in the face.
"I… don't know my lord, but-"
"Wrong answer!" his master shouted at him in rage, before clutching his neck with his clawed hand, holding him in place. And with the other hand, he plunged it into the demon's belly, his sharp claws easily tearing through his furred skin and then grasping at his organs.
Xaravan would have screamed had he not have his throat nearly crushed within his master's grip, preventing him from crying out or even breath properly. All he managed to do was groan out painfully as his hairy face twisted into a mask of utter agony, his mouth opened and his eyes bulging out of their sockets. But it would have been better had he kept his mouth closed. So that his master would not have stuffed it full of his own stomach and intestines.
The large winged demon threw the Satyr's body away and gave him no further mind, simply allowing him to bleed to death on the stone floors while he choked. The other demons in attendance did not do anything to help their dying kin, too afraid for their own lives as they were. Venting his rage upon his incompetent servant had done much to calm him, but not enough. He slammed his fists upon the surface of the large pedestal in front of him, nearly cracking it. He growled and sneered as his mind still raged over his most recent defeat.
Five thousand demonic warriors, including two dozen Warlocks, nearly a hundred Doomguards and an equal number of Infernals . That was how much he had lost within a couple hours of battle. Full half of all his personal army.
Years he had spent gathering his mighty host and preparing them, all for the day when he would launch a renewed attack on Mount Hyjal itself. And all the while continuing the corruption of Felwood and that of the surrounding lands, weakening the Night Elves' hold upon their blasted territories and inflicting casualties upon them on every turn. Everything had been going so well for him. But not anymore.
Now, his hard work was being undone at an alarming rate. All because of that monster in metal. That impossibly powerful man in iron. What could he do to destroy such a being?!
"Now, now. There is no need to fret overmuch, Nethrazim. I would have thought you and your kind were the perfect examples of the ever calm and collected demon" came a familiar voice from behind him, mocking and amused.
"Spare me your condescension, Ered'ruin!" the Dreadlord spat out angrily, not deigning to look at the owner of that voice nor was he in the mood for his insults. "You are not the one who had just suffered a most humiliating defeat today! And you are not the one who would have to answer to Lord Kil'Jaeden for it."
The thought of breaking this ill news to his master made his blood grow cold. The punishment he would suffer for this failure would no doubt be far worse than what he had done to his incompetent servant just now.
Mocking laughter was his immediately response, serving to annoying him further. This was followed by heavy footfalls as the one whom he was talking to drew near until it finally stopped next to him. The Dreadlord glanced over to his side, and he was met with the towering form of a mighty Doomlord. And the much larger demon was now currently looking down at him, mouth formed into a wide grin, revealing his multiple rows of sharp pointed teeth.
"It would not have been a defeat, had you simply agreed to my original plan, Banehollow" the massive Doomlord said to him, his voice still dripping with contempt as his green glowing eyes stared into his own.
But the Dreadlord named Banehollow merely scoffed at him before turning back towards the images currently being conjured in front of him by the stone pedestal. These images were the memories gathered from the minds of his Shades, dark spirits whom he had tasked with monitoring the battle earlier. And through their collective memories, Banehollow was able to witness exactly how his army was butchered by their new enemy. That dreaded armored warrior and the horde of undead under his command.
"I doubt there is anything you could have done better, Kruul" Banehollow said to him as he continued to watch the images in front of him, for what might had been the fifth time now. Seeing the destruction wrought upon his army, witnessing his warriors being slaughtered like cattle, it all left him rather disturbed. And such a thing did not normally happen to a demon such as him.
"We both saw how this newcomer was able to conjure up thousands of undead in seconds. The two of us would have been torn apart long before we could even reach him" he added, rather despondently.
He heard the Doomlord named Kruul chuckle at that. He found their current situation amusing? Either this Doomlord truly knew no fear or he was simply too good at hiding it, Banehollow knew not.
"Yes, you might be correct about that. Even I was surprised to learn that this warrior was actually a Necromancer. And a very powerful one at that. The only being I know of who possessed this level of control over the dead is the Lich King himself" Kruul remarked as he too continued to watch the images playing before him, seemingly impressed by what he saw.
"That is the last thing we need right now!" the Dreadlord growled out in frustration as he glared at the sight of the armored warrior smashing through a large group of Infernals with breathtaking ease. "Nerzhul's rebellion and that of his pet human have already cost us quite enough. Now we have a second Lich King, and one who is apparently bent on slaying every last one of us!"
"This whole situation is easily rectified. You must remember, that any undead army is only as powerful as the Necromancer who created them. And an undead army will last so long as the Necromancer remains. Cut that Necromancer down, and his undead would quickly follow. And I have no doubt that the same rule applies to this man" Kruul calmly pointed out as he continued to watch the images playing before him.
"Quite the insightful deduction. And how do you propose we accomplish such a feat?" came the Dreadlord's rather snide reply, casting the much larger demon a doubtful look. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but thousands of our warriors have already tried to do that, and none succeeded"
Kruul smirked and proudly declared. "Your warriors were weak so it was no surprise that they were butchered like swine. While I do not doubt this newcomer is quite formidable in combat, he has yet to fight one such as me!"
His smirk then widened into a full grin as fierce, murderous desire shined within his eyes. "And I shall crack open that hard shell of his and tear him apart!"
But the Dreadlord did not seemed impress as he scoffed. "Perhaps. If this ironclad warrior were to fight you man to man that is. But I seriously doubt he would fight you fairly. While he has his army with him, that monster has every advantage in battle. You would surely lose"
His critique did not do anything to dampen the much larger demon's enthusiasm and confidence however "Then we shall have to simply force him to surrender those advantages"
"And how do you propose we manage that?"
The Doomlord did not answer. He instead continued to look at the images conjured before him, but this time they showed one of the mortals who accompany the dark clad warrior, fighting against the soldiers of the Legion. And he noticed the way the undead seem to guard this one rather closely, covering this mortal's flanks and rear as well as helping her slay the ones she cannot defeat on her own.
A plan slowly began to form within the Doomlord's mind.
Aeterna sighed once again, her breath steaming under the cold night air. She needed to get a fire going to bring some much needed warmth, but that proved a bit difficult as the sparks from her flint failed to cause a flame on her tinder. A small frown soon adorned her face as she continued her task. Earlier this morning it had rained, not lasting long but it was rather heavy. And so it had proved frustrating to find wood and grass that was dry enough. But the young Knight was relentless if nothing else, determined to start a much needed fire.
"Having a bit of trouble I see" a honeyed and slightly accented voice came from the side. And the frown on Aeterna's face deepened slightly, feeling her annoyance rise.
"Nothing I can't handle" was her even reply, not deigning to look at a particular blonde Elf in crimson cloak. She continued to scratch her piece of flint with the dull part of her dagger instead, causing more sparks to fly. But to know avail, as the tinder still refused to catch fire.
"Of course" the Blood Elf intoned knowingly, watching in amusement as Aeterna continued to struggle with making a fire. A few times she was able to successful create a tiny flame, a look of triumph on her youthful visage. Only for her face fall when the flames died soon after. Until finally, the Sin'dorei assassin had enough.
"Here" She said in an almost bored tone, causing Aeterna to finally lift her eyes and looked at the annoying blonde. And she watched with interest and a bit of awe as the Blood Elf held out her slender, outstretched hand, where a small ball of flame soon emerged literally out of thin air.
"Magic?" Aeterna thought in surprise.
The Blood Elf soon tossed the small ball of flame towards the pile of wood with almost casual disregard. And the wood soon caught fire, burning strong and steady. Wasting no more time, the young Knight quickly piled up more dried leaves and sticks onto the fire to keep the flames alive. Already she could feel the chill melt away from her hands, the fire's warm, orange glow a welcome comfort.
Aeterna turned her eyes back towards the Blood Elf, now regarding the blonde haired woman in a slightly new light. "So you are a mage as well?"
At that, the Blood Elf woman practically preened. "In a way. Though I am not as inclined and well-versed in the arcane arts as some of my people, I do dabble in a bit of sorcery every now and then"
"Fascinating" came Aeterna's somewhat dry remark, a little amused by the obvious pride in which this Vala woman had when speaking about her and her kind. Perhaps Aeterna could use this to her advantage? Prey upon the Blood Elf's pride to get her to talk, maybe even reveal something vital about the Horde.
The young Knight intended to do just that. Until a disgusted snort sounded off to side not far from them, and Aeterna had to suppress the urge to wince.
"Oh no. Not again…" she thought worryingly.
And just as she feared, Vala turned her icy blue orbs to the source of that sound, grinning rather viciously. "Something in your mind, Sentinel?"
Aeterna cast a wary glance to the side. Her eyes fell upon the familiar form of Lightspear. The tall, purple skinned Elf was sitting on a large root of a tree and with her back leaning against it's trunk. Her nightsaber was lying on the ground just to her side, taking a nap while she had one of her moonglaives drawn, sharping one of it' keen edges with a whetstone. And she did so in rather slow and deliberate motions, all the while her pale, moon-like eyes rested firmly upon the Sin'dorei. Oh how Aeterna wished she would not think of testing her blades' edge upon the Blood Elf. That would only cause more problems than it would solve.
Lightspear maintained her cold gaze upon Vala for a good long moment as she continued honing her weapon, until finally she spoke. "Nothing"
The finality in her tone should have been enough to put the whole matter to rest. Unfortunately, the Blood Elf was not one to overlook what she perceived as a challenge or an insult.
"Oh come on now, old girl, don't be shy" Vala said to her most sweetly, making sure to put more emphasis on the word 'old'. "Please, speak your mind. Civil discourse is considered good exercise. Especially for those of us who are not so civilized"
If Lightspear cared about those not so subtle jabs the Sin'dorei made about her age and character, she did not show it. Still maintaining her veneer of stoic calm. She placed her whetstone into her bag and pulled out a clean piece of cloth before she began polishing her blades.
"You wish to know my honest opinion?" The statuesque Sentinel spoke once more. And the crimson clad agent of the Horde quietly gestured for her to proceed, wearing a cool smile upon her luscious lips.
"I think you and your people have still yet to learn your lesson" came Lightspear's even reply.
"And what lesson would that be?" Vala said with amusement.
"That magic is evil and dangerous. And yet the Sin'dorei still practice it carelessly, regardless of the consequences" was the Sentinel's disapproving remark.
"I will have to correct you there Sentinel" Vala swiftly interjected, raising one perfectly manicured finger. "Magic in itself is not evil. It is no more evil than say a sword or a bow. And it is only as dangerous as the one who wields it, especially if that person lacks discipline and control"
"Ha!" came Lightspear's derisive laughter, shaking her head in amusement at Vala's words. "Discipline? You speak of discipline, but I have yet to see a more decadent lot than your people. And control, you say? Where was this control when the Highborn became willing pawns for Sargeras and his ilk? They all practically whored themselves to vile demons in return for whatever meager scraps of power. Only to use it to kill their own kind and poison this world they dare call their home"
Aeterna could not help but go a little wide eyed at Lightspear's rather scathing critique of the Blood Elves. She truly did not like them. Hated them actually. And not without good reason, based on what she had just heard. But if there was one thing she had also learned about Vala during the relatively short time she had spent traveling with her, it was that the woman also hated the Night Elves just as passionately. And that she possessed immense pride, especially with regards to her people and their heritage. She would not be taking Lightspear's words lying down.
"You seem to have forgotten that during the war, many of the Highborn did not turn traitor. My ancestors fought just as hard to banish Sargeras and the Legion from Azeroth. And yet despite all of their numerous contributions and sacrifices, you Night Elves still saw it fit to exile them, under pain of death. All for simply choosing to practice the mystical arts. A more bigoted and close minded group of people, I have yet to see!"
And then Vala straightened, placing her hands upon her rather shapely hips as she looked at Lightspear contemptuously. "But it was most fortunate that you did. Because if Malfurion and Tyrande had not driven away Dath'Remar and his followers long ago, my people would not have been able to create one of the greatest civilizations this world has ever seen! Unlike you Kaldorei, who after ten millenia, still mostly reside within moss covered caves and filthy burrow dens"
"At least my people do not have to live within a blighted wasteland teeming with undead, which is basically what Quel'thalas is at the moment. You Sin'dorei think so highly of yourselves, and yet look at how far you have all fallen!" came Lightspear's swift rebuttal, sneering at the Blood Elf.
"And yet despite all the odds, we still survived! And all without having to rely on anyone to hold our hands for us or keep us safe. Unlike you and your people, who for years now have been sucking up to the Humans in return for their protection" Vala countered venomously.
But then a rather mischievous gleam found it's way to Lightspear's's eyes. "Funny you should mention the word 'sucking'"
She gestured at Vala with her moonglaive. "That armor and cloak you're wearing looks rather expensive. Tell me Sin'dorei, how many stinking Trolls and barbarous Orcs did you have to suck up to before you could afford it? I'm sure your jaw must have ached terribly"
Now that served to wipe off the proud smile from Vala's face, replaced by a look of outrage and revulsion. Even Aeterna was deeply surprised at the Sentinel's words, bringing a faint blush upon her cheeks. She definitely had her claws out tonight. And based on the look on the Blood Elf's face, she too would no longer hold back.
"Go fuck a stag, you ugly, tree-hugging bitch!" the furious Blood Elf shouted at the Night Elf, snarling as she did so.
"Go and be some Goblin's plaything, you venereal decease ridden cunt!" And the Night Elf shouted back as she finally stood up to her full height, looking just as livid.
"Alright! That's enough civil discourse for one evening!" Aeterna clapped her hands together as she spoke out loud in a sweet, singsong voice. Smiling cheerfully as she did so "Time to eat!"
Aeterna quickly rummaged through her pack and pulled out a loaf of bread and an apple. She tossed the loaf of bread over to Vala and threw the apple towards Lightspear. Both Elves caught the proffered items, looking at the food they were given with a bit of surprise, their very heated debate now grounded to a halt.
Not letting them have any chance to pick up steam, Aeterna also took out a couple wooden cups and a wineskin. After filling up the two cups, she quickly handed it over to the two opposing Elves, both of whom were looking at the young Knight confusedly. With food and drink in their hands, Aeterna promptly went back to her spot by the fire, giving both Elven women expectant and slightly pleading looks, her pleasant smile still on her lovely face.
Vala and Lightspear gave their meal a questioning glance, and then turned their sights back towards one another. Aeterna was worried that perhaps the two Elves would resume their rather hostile verbal sparring. She even feared that maybe one of them would either throw their food and drink at the other, thus pissing the other one off, and then all hell would break loose. She really did not want that to happen. It was far too much of a hassle to break off two angry Elves, especially Lightspear who was much bigger than her. That, and it would be a waste of good food and wine.
But after a long and tense moment, the Night Elf and the Blood Elf finally backed away. Lightspear sat back on her spot by the tree with Mirana, and Vala walked to the side and took a seat on a large slab of stone on the ground. Aeterna watched as they both began to eat their meal in quiet; Vala breaking the loaf of bread in half and biting off a chunk out of it and Lightspear slicing her apple in half upon her moonglaive before she too took a bite. And both of them did not take their eyes off of the other, still glaring rusty daggers at one another as they ate.
Aeterna finally let out a sigh, relieved to see that both of them finally relented. At least, for now. She was sure they would be at each others throats again tomorrow. This has been a sort of a daily routine of theirs ever since Vala joined their little group three days past. And as unseemly and heated as their argument looked, she knew that this was actually more tame in comparison to the many others they had before.
Since they were forbidden from killing each other, the two rival Elves decided to use words as weapons instead. And by the Light, their tongues were just as sharp as their blades! Cutting just as deep. Once again, she had to give credit to the Iron Revenant. As brutal and callous as that man was, he knew how to keep people in line. She was certain that, had it been anyone else leading their little party through these gods' damned woods, Lightspear and Vala would have already thrown all caution to the wind and simply gutted each other like pigs.
Thoughts about the enormous man in iron brought realization to Aeterna, a simple idea forming in her mind. She rummaged through her pack once more and pulled out a small bundle of clean cloth wrapped around another loaf of bread. She also took several pieces of smoked and salted beef, already cooked and placed it inside the cloth bundle along with the bread. She then she took the wineskin and got up.
Casting an amused look towards her two near-immortal companions, Aeterna spoke once more, her voice slightly jesting. "I'll be bringing Mordekaiser his own meal. Please, try not to tear each other apart while I'm gone. I would hate to see the two of you becoming one of the undead"
That earned a scoff from the Sin'dorei as she rolled her eyes at the young Knight, though she remained quiet. Lightspear on the other hand could not resist smiling a little at her young friend's words despite her foul mood, casting her eyes towards her and nodded in agreement.
Content in the knowledge that they would at least behave themselves, Aeterna set out towards the direction she last saw their armored leader, food and drink in hand. She was going to once again attempt something that she tried to do in the past, but failed. Get the Iron Revenant to talk once more over a meal.
Though she knew that the meager fare she brought with her was no feast, she hoped it would be enough to coax the ironclad brute into divulging more information about himself. As they say, there was no better way into a man's heart than through his stomach. Of course, Mordekaiser was not like most men, so the way into his heart would take a lot more work to get into. But Aeterna had always been one who persevered, no matter the odds.
And who knows? If by some chance she did managed to get the Revenant to eat this time, then he would have to take off his helm to do so. And ever since she first met him in the forests of Ashenvale weeks prior, Aeterna had been secretly wishing to know what the man looked like underneath all that cold and unyielding steel.
Author's Notes: Yeah, you're all reading it right. An actual update for this story? Who would have thought it! Haha, well, work and all the stress that comes with it can really impede a man's writing, that I can tell you. That, and to much to my embarrassment, I might have gotten a little bit side tracked by my other story. GS simply has that effect on people.
Anyway, sorry for the long wait. Newest chapter is finally here and no action to be seen. But just copious amounts of dialogue and boy, how was that for a little bit of Alliance vs Horde? And look at that, Aeterna is gonna try and bribe Mordekaiser with food so she can see his face? Will that even work I wonder? Can an undead even eat normal food? Does he even have a face? Questions, questions. All of which will be answered on the next chapter.
Reviews Replies:
VGBlackwing: Actually, Morde still has a connection to LeBlanc. If he were to encounter her in the Summoner's Rift in game, his exact words to her are:
"Ah, the Black Rose. I remember your petty manipulations"
Plus, it also says it right in her Champion Bio that she once served him. So that right there is proof enough that Morde and LeBlanc actually had a thing going on between them back in the old days before Noxus was created. From what I can tell, she was most likely a very high ranking member of Mordekaiser's court, someone who served him directly. I look forward to exploring more of their relationship as this story goes on.
But I cannot deny that Mordekaiser is, in someway, connected to Swain as well. It is mentioned in Swains current lore that he was able to successfully outwit a demon that had been sealed within the Immortal Bation, gaining control over that demon's powers. We don't know who or what that demon actually is but I am pretty sure that the one who sealed it inside the Immortal Bastion was Mordekaiser himself. Another part of Morde's history that I am going to explore further.
And as for Mordekaiser's current state in game. New Morde is in many ways far better than Old Morde ever was. Even after the many nerfs that New Morde got shorty after his release back in June, he is still quite competitive in Solo Q. Yes, he no longer has god-tier sustain and he actually lost some damage overall. No more dragon ghosts either, which is the saddest part of it all :( But he makes up for it in being very tanky while dealing a shit-ton of damage at the same time. Think of Nautilus levels of defense combined with Darius levels of offense. Pretty sick. Plus his new splash arts are also metal as hell! Pentakill being my favorite of them all, with Dragon Knight being a close second. XD
As for builds, there is a lot of item combinations that you can try on him, it's all just a matter of playstyle and preference, but my advise to you when playing him is you must always, and I mean ALWAYS, buy Rylais' and Liandry's on Mordekaiser. Those are his core items and without them, you will not be able to melt your opponent's health bar in SECONDS. Everything else after those two is all on you.
Anyway, thanks for the awesome reviews buddy. Enjoy the latest chapter.
Guest: I am not exactly familiar with the powers of Argus the Unmaker. I have never played WoW or even WoW Legion for that matter so I can't give you a definitive answer. I can tell you though that Mordekaiser in a nutshell, is basically a very powerful Death Knight who's control over the dead is practically unmatched by anyone, with the exception of a very select few.
Guest: Good question. Will this story eventually have some Statcraft elements? Well let's see. We already have aliens present within the world of Azeroth, with the Orcs originally having come from Draenor. But the best example would be the Draenei. They are basically a highly advanced race of alien beings who are all naturally capable in controlling magic while at the same time have already discovered interstellar travel and inter-dimensional travel. Not unlike the Protoss from Starcraft if you think about it. So the answer is, yes, there will be some Starcraft inspired elements to this story. Expect to see the eventual invasion of Argus to go a bit differently. ;D
Guest: Glad you mentioned the Warlock. There will in fact be a Warlock or a Warlock-type of character who will eventually join up with Morde's party. Of course, I shall put a bit of a different spin on that person's powers and abilities, as I shall borrow a few ideas from Diablo again when creating her character. I hope you'll like what I come up with.
Guest: To your first point: I actually agree with you on that. I too have read plenty of other crossover stories here where the author simply introduces a certain Blood Elf character to an MC's team, and then simply forgets about her. Not doing anything to flesh out that character, not doing anything to further explore that character's relationship with the MC. And the worst part, is that said character is just relegated as little more than a prop, as she is given no clear purpose or significant role in the story.
That will not happen here in my story. Every character that I shall eventually introduce to Morde's team will play a significant role and will serve a purpose. This Blood Elf is one of them.
To your second point: I could try and answer that myself but it would far better to have Mordekaiser explain himself instead. And I think you would find his reasoning not at all unreasonable, considering just who and what he is.
Mr. Almond Brown: Wow! You're really enjoying my story so far huh? I'm happy to know you like my work. I hope this chapter will not disappoint. And about Mordekaiser's daughter, that little bit about his past will be explained later on, though I think one can already guess as to who that might be. Unfortunately for you, her name does not start with a 'C'. But you came close though, just missed it by a couple alphabets. XD
ShadowFictionX:Yeah, you got a point there. In my defense, the previous chapter was suppose to be fast-paced and action packed, so there was naturally a lot of things going on at the same time. But your right, I'll try to tone down the action a bit from now on and make it easier to follow. Anyway, thanks for the review. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.
And that's it for now. Hope you all enjoyed my story. As always, put in a review and let me know your thoughts. Or if any of you got more specific inquiries, give me a PM. And I'll try my best to answer your questions a definitively as I can. Without making any spoilers.
Bye for now. John out! :D