Azdralin's Perspective
There was a soft, chilled breeze that swept through the trees as Azdralin quietly walked along the main path of the Ghostlands, her light steps being the only sound that accompanied her. As she looked up through the crowded tree line, she could see the dull, empty sky that shrouded over the darkened land; it felt so...lifeless. Her beloved snow leopard, Loque'nahak, padded up beside her, rubbing his head against her leg. Azdralin smiled and greeted him with a loving caress. "Did you find anything?"
She had sent him out for a brief search of the forest, seeing if he could pick up any scent of the rogue she was hunting for. The beast only responded with a yawn, its massive fangs glinting in the sullen moonlight. Azdralin sighed, she knew it wasn't going to be this easy to track down someone who was practically invisible. The blood elves and void elves had been fighting over what little territory remained here that was untouched by the undead Scourge, and Azdralin was sent to stop a particularly troublesome individual. She was never that fond of fighting, especially not of killing, but such was the life of someone titled a 'hero'. Azdralin was expected to do everything she could for the sake of her people, but she couldn't help but feel like she was so...out of place.
Since the realm of the Shadowlands had spilled into the living world, and since Azdralin had journeyed beyond that realm, she had this constant, fleeting feeling within her. It was probably just the effects of being amongst the spirits of the fallen, walking through their final resting place as if she were one of them. The reminder of her time there wasn't only spiritual, as her physical form had altered as well, turning her hair and eyes a ghostly blue-violet hue. However, she didn't mind the feeling of the spirits, since her companion, Loque'nahak, was a spirit beast himself; a wild animal spirit that was in-between life and death. She sighed, trying to quell her thoughts as she continued down the cobblestone path before her, her ears twitching at every slight sound.
The rogue she was sent to kill was known for being cruel and deadly; he had taken most of the scouting parties out and had even forced them to retreat back across the Elrendar River, further away from the heart of the Ghostlands. Even though this forest used to be a part of their homeland, Azdralin wasn't very familiar with it, since it had undergone such stark changes. The void elves, however, had been exiled from the city of Silvermoon, and had taken refuge here to practice their dark magic. Azdralin felt a chill run up her spine at the thought of it. Terrible, evil magic that stemmed from even more terrible and evil beings; the Old Gods.
She stopped as she sensed a presence nearby, something above her in the trees. As she reached for her bow, a sharp object sliced through the air and whizzed past her ear, barely missing her. Loque'nahak let out a fearsome roar and took off up a nearby tree; he must have caught a glimpse of the perpetrator before Azdralin had. She turned and quickly darted behind one of the dilapidated oaks, she needed cover if this guy was planning to throw things at her. Loque'nahak's roars echoed across the trees, but they were getting further and further away.
Azdralin gripped her bow tightly and quickly notched an arrow. Why would the rogue be retreating already? Did Loque'nahak lose him? Suddenly, she heard a faint breath behind her and turned to see the figure just as one of his blades was crashing down towards her. She quickly slid out of the way, causing the blade to drive itself into the thick trunk of the tree. The rogue cursed as he tried to rip the blade free, only to realize it was stuck deep in the oak. Azdralin regained her footing and drew her bow once more, sending an arrow flying towards her assailant.
The rogue had quickly deflected the arrow with his other blade. Damn, she thought, his reflexes seemed as sharp as the daggers he held. It was only a few more moments before he was able to dislodge his blade from the tree and he was now coming straight towards her. Azdralin felt panicked, she wasn't used to fighting someone this close, she was only an archer, after all. She quickly brought up her bow to parry an incoming swing of the rogue's weapons, but her bow was mere wood; it wouldn't hold up long against cold steel.
A terrifying roar broke out from the brush as Loque'nahak leapt forward onto the rogue, sending him crashing to the ground. That was the major benefit she had when it came to battle, she had a ferocious beast that would tear apart anything that stood in her way. It wasn't long before the rogue ripped Loque'nahak off of him and he was making a break for it, but Azdralin wasn't going to let him get away that easily. She notched another arrow and sent it straight towards him and this time, it found its mark, striking him between the gap in his armor. She could hear him let out a painful grunt and before she could draw her bow once more, her field of vision was suddenly engulfed in purple smoke.
Vylaris' Perspective
Pain was prickling throughout his body as he took off towards the forest. Engaging in close combat, which was typically his strong suit, proved to be incredibly difficult when he had a crazed beast to worry about. He could probably dispatch her quickly if he just resorted to his void magic, but he preferred to only use it for emergency situations; he knew how dangerous it could be, and how it affected his health.
Vylaris scaled a nearby tree and situated himself amongst one of the branches as he tended to the arrow lodged in his side. He carefully removed it and tossed it down to the ground below, his purple blood spilling out with it. Feeling the wound lightly with his hand, he quickly reached for one of the pouches fastened to his belt and pulled out a small crystal that radiated with dark energy. He crushed it in his hand and pressed the shards against his skin and they reacted, pulsating around his wound and causing it to close, the shards seeping into his body. Vylaris exhaled sharply as the pain slowly faded to a numbing sensation, and he scanned the forest below, looking for any signs of the hunter.
He was certain that she would give chase, especially since she knew he had been wounded, but his smoke bomb would have stalled her long enough for him to get a good distance away. Vylaris unsheathed his blades as he heard footsteps amongst the leaf-littered ground below, and he peered down to see the hunter, but where was the -
His thoughts were interrupted as the massive beast pummeled into his body, causing them both to fall out of the tree. The air was knocked out of his lungs as he came into contact with the forest floor, the hunter standing over him with an arrow drawn on her bow. "You're not getting away that easily, void elf." He heard her say.
He was glaring up at her, though she wouldn't have been able to tell through his mask. "What makes you think you have the upper hand here?" Vylaris retorted before quickly sweeping his legs across her own to knock her off balance, using the momentum to push himself up. She was a lot smaller than him, and clearly, a lot weaker.
He could hear the hunter grunt as she fell back but before he could take advantage of this, that damned animal was charging at him again. Vylaris held up his blades as he faced the beast, and it seemed to stop in its tracks, not willing to pounce on him if he was prepared to counter it. The hunter was able to get back on her feet quickly, notching one of her arrows as she aimed for Vylaris. "Last time I checked, you're outnumbered." She spoke, clearly trying to sound intimidating.
Vylaris stifled a laugh. "Oh, I'm terrified." He said sarcastically.
The hunter glared at him. "You should be! Just like those scouts were when you sliced their throats."
Was she really trying to make him feel guilty? "I just follow my orders, isn't that what you're doing right now? We're both killers."
He could see her expression soften ever so slightly. "I don't slay innocents."
"I was only sent here to stop your people from killing mine, none of us are truly innocent." Vylaris tightened the grip on his blades, he was getting tired of this back-and-forth.
The sound of a twig snapping caused both of them to shoot a glance towards the brush. A ghoul was dragging itself from the undergrowth, its mangled jaw shaking as it groaned. More groans could be heard from somewhere beyond the brush and yellow, glowing eyes peered at them from the shadows.
Vylaris sheathed his blades, he wasn't entirely interested in fighting off the undead and this hunter at the same time. "Until we meet again, blood elf." He mused as he ascended a nearby tree and disappeared.
Azdralin's Perspective
Damn it, she thought, as she watched the rogue escape through the trees. She was going to have to let him go, as these ghouls would need to be taken care of first. Azdralin quickly started to dispatch the mindless undead as she sent arrows flying into their exposed skulls. Without an active necromancer, the Scourge in this area were rather weak in small numbers, and seemed to fall apart once their heads were knocked off.
It wasn't long before the small pack had been wiped out, and Azdralin leaned against a tree as she caught her breath. The rogue was probably long gone by now, and she would be better off finding a place to rest for the night. As sad as it was, there were many abandoned villages in this forest, and they would be the perfect place to hide out until she regained her strength. She caught her bearings and set off towards the opposite direction in which the rogue disappeared to, not wishing to run into him with exhaustion taking over her body.
Azdralin was able to find a nearby path as she exited the thicker part of the forest, and she followed it in hopes it would lead her to one of the villages. If she remembered correctly, Goldenmist Village should be just beyond the next hill. Loque'nahak was following her closely, shooting a few glances in the direction they came, most likely wary of the rogue coming after them. It was definitely possible, but she felt rather certain that they wouldn't be followed, considering how quickly he took off at the sight of the undead. She supposed that even void elves feared those ghastly monstrosities.
The ruined buildings of the village started to come into view as Azdralin kept on the path. She frowned as she gazed upon their once-beautiful structures, sorrow filling her heart at the thought of how many lives had been lost here. With a sigh, she neared one of the abandoned spires and looked around for any signs of the undead before slipping inside. Dust and cobwebs filled the very air around her and torn books and scraps of tapestries were scattered across the floor.
It was such a terrible sight, seeing what used to be a lively village now reduced to towering bits of rubble; it stood as a grim reminder of what the Scourge were capable of. Azdralin cleared out one of the corners of the room as best she could, moving aside most of the debris so she could get comfortable. 'Comfortable' was an exaggeration, of course, there was no way she could truly accomplish such a thing in a place like this, but she had to try for the sake of getting a somewhat decent night's rest.
As she laid her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts come forth. She thought about today, being in this terrible, cursed land, and fighting that dark, armored rogue. Could she be outmatched here? It certainly started to feel like it. Why was this even happening in the first place? Azdralin knew why, but was it really necessary? She never understood why everyone always wanted to fight.
Loque'nahak laid against her legs and rested his head in her lap and she smiled, looking down at him as she began to stroke his spotted fur. Things were much easier when she could just disappear into faraway lands, worrying about nothing but survival. Though, she supposed fights like this weren't so different from mere survival; the void elves, particularly that rogue, were relentless. Azdralin didn't really blame them, however, it's not like they really asked for any of this. Either way, she supposed there wasn't much of a reason to debate such things, it's not like the fighting would stop anytime soon. She closed her eyes once more and tried to let sleep take her.
Vylaris' Perspective
Vylaris slept awfully, but that was a normal occurrence for him. He was already up and lacing his blades with poison, today he was going to take out that hunter. As he fastened his mask onto his face, he slid his hood over his head and sheathed his blades. The air outside was about as nauseating as it was the day before, but it was slightly more tolerable than the dust-riddled air of the abandoned spire he slept in. He stepped out into the forest, his eyes scanning the scenery around him before he continued on.
The ground below him was so dead that the grass completely crumbled when he stepped on it, making it even harder to imagine that this place used to be brimming with life. Vylaris began to ascend a nearby tree with ease, lifting himself up onto a branch and getting into a comfortable enough position. He would be on the lookout for the hunter, assuming she would head this way after watching him retreat last night. If he was going to bring her down, he needed to have the height advantage, and he needed to separate her from that beast. Vylaris dug through one of his pouches and pulled out a small dart that had been soaking in a sleeping agent. While holding the dart in one hand, he reached over his shoulder with the other, sliding a smooth, wooden blowgun from the quiver that was secured to his back.
Vylaris' ears twitched as he heard soft footsteps approaching from nearby and he lifted the blowgun close to his face, sliding his mask down. The blue-haired hunter entered his view and sure enough, her pet was right beside her. Every second felt like an eternity as he waited for the right moment to strike, and when the beast was close enough, Vylaris slid the dart into the chamber, taking a moment to inhale before pressing the opening to his lips and blowing with all the force his lungs could muster.
The dart flew through the air and pierced the great feline in the side of its neck, causing it to roar and whip its head around wildly before eventually stumbling onto the ground. Vylaris quickly leapt from the tree, his daggers unsheathed, as he went for the hunter. She brought her bow or her bracers up to deflect his blades each time he slashed with them, only causing him to slash even faster. As steel clashed with wood and chainmail, the two were slowly approaching the edge of the Elrendar River.
Vylaris was getting closer to her and he could tell she was getting tired, as it was getting harder for her to parry his attacks; a few more strikes and he'd spill her blood for sure. The hunter was backing towards the river as Vylaris rained his blades down on her and suddenly, she lost her footing and began to fall backwards. This was his chance, he'd slice her throat here and the river would take care of the rest. As the blade in his right hand neared the hunter's neck, Vylaris met her gaze, her blue-violet eyes filled with fear. A strange intensity washed over him, it felt like a flurry of moths exploding from his chest. He hesitated as his blade was inches away from her throat, and instead, it came slashing down across her collar bone. A moment later, the hunter fell backwards into the river and was quickly swept away.