Enemies at the Gate.
A combined Human and Orc force continues to move through Ashenvale to ensure that the demon threat to the planet no longer exists. However, the Night Elves are not too happy about this intrusion. Tyrande Whisperwind, a leader in the Night Elf ranks, feels these intruders will bring doom to her homeland. She stands atop a mountain starring out towards an encampment. Some of the other Night Elves are worried about Tyrande.
An archer named Shandris Feathermoon approached her "Pardon, Priestess, but you've been staring out across Ashenvale for hours".
Tyrande was silent for a moment before she spoke "I sense something dark stirring within the forests, Shandris. It feels as if it's heading this way".
"The greenskins who killed Cenarius?" Shandris asked.
"Perhaps. Perhaps something more" Tyrande said as she relases one of her owl scouts who flies over the encampment.
A human paladin named Duke Lionheart is in charge "Put your backs into it! Jaina, Lucina and the orc warchief expect this base to be built swiftly!"
A Footman scowled at the orcs "Bah! We shouldn't even be here! Or siding with the Orcs".
An orc Grunt glares back at him "We're here to hunt the remaining demons, human. You're lucky our goals are the same".
"Enough" Came the voice of Severa as she walked between them "Non of us are thrilled about all this, but until our common enemy is defeated for good, we have no choice but to tolerate each other. Any bickering will only slow down our goal".
Lionheart nods "She's right. Mind your business! Back to work!".
Back to Tyrande and Shandris, Tyrande was not pleased by what she saw "So, these Orcs and humans presume to run rampant through our lands? They will regret ever stepping foot into Ashenvale. We will establish a base and deal with these outlanders as they deserve".
Tyrande's forces prepare themselves for an attack, gathering the necessary resources they needed . Back in the base, Severa watched the forests with an concerned look. She could feel like they were being watched by something or someone in the trees. Putting a hand on he sword, she approached the forest with cautious steps her eyes scanning her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. A Night Elf was standing on a tree branch above her, mildly impressed that Severa sensed them sneaking around. Regardless, she carefully pulled back an arrow, aiming straight for Severa's heart. A quick and merciful death.
However, when released the arrow, Severa looked up just in time to move aside, allowing the arrow, to pass by her, barely gracing her clothing. She quickly pulled out her sword, ready to fight her attacker, who looked annoyed that her shot had missed, so she leaps down and pulled out a pair of smaller blades. Severa stood ready as the Elf attacked her with her duel blades. Severa fended of her attacks, being the child of one of the best warriors of Ylisse had it's perks, so after defending herself from her opponent's attacks, Severa countered with a quick pommel strike to the Elf's face, who fell on the ground.
Severa points her blade at her face "Who are you? Why are you here?".
The Night elf only glared "Killing me means nothing. My sisters are already dealing with your allies".
Severa got wide eyes. She kicked the elf in the face, knocking her out before she rushed back to camp, only to see her allies being attacked by a small but deadly army of Night Elves, who's deadly aim was making quick work of her allies. Severa looked around until she saw Tyrande among the attackers. Glaring angrily at who she figured must be the leader of these attacks, and charged at her at full speed.
Tyrande noticed her just in time to block her strike with her powerful bow. They entered a power lock with Severa glaring daggers at the Night Elf leader who had a calm look on her face "You are little more than a child. Does humans send their own children to fight?".
"You murderer! We had no qualms with your people, and yet you attacked us without reason!" Severa said.
Tyrande glared back before kicking Severa away "You accuse us of attacking unprovoked? You invade our lands, destroy our forests and you dare claim you did not provoke us?".
"We didn't invade anything! We were hunting demons!" Severa said.
"There are no demons here, child" Tyrande said, however, her words would soon be proven wrong.
As her troops made quick work of the base, and just as it is finished off, the nearby stags run off, the sky darkness as a laugh echoed through the area, and begins to spew fire. Members of the Burning Legion and undead shows up, a vast force of demonic and undead monsters broke through the forest.
"It's the undead! Defend yourselves!" An Orc shouted.
"They must have followed us from Lordaeron!" One of the footmen said.
What remained of the alliance and orc forces tried their best to hold back the army, but where hopelessly outmatched and quickly overwhelmed.
"Elune save us! The dead advance in waves!" An elf archer said.
With several Abominations running amok, and the skies still pouring fire, it is clear all the armies of the living are doomed.
"Quickly, my sisters, back to the trees! We are no match for a force this vast" Tyrande ordered.
"Wait! You can't just abandon us! This is the threat we came her to fight! We stand a much better chance if we fight together!" Severa shouts.
"Your words may have been the truth. But we will never ally with your kind" Tyrande said coldly as she climbs on to her white tiger and rides away.
Severa watched in disbelief for a single moment before her rage erupted like an volcano "DAMN YOU! I WILL NOT FORGET THIS! YOU HEAR ME!? I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS!".
"Impressive anger, young child" Came a dark voice.
Severa looked and saw an enormous, imposing being. Curled horns thrust from his skull, which also possess glowing eyes and sharp canines jutting out of his mouth. He are equipped with large bat wings, powerful goatlike legs that bend backwards and end in cloven hooves, and fingers adorned with long, bladelike claws. He also have dead, gray skin like that of a corpse. He looked somewhat familiar, and Severa remembered demons fitting his description... a Dreadlord.
"Greetings young warrior. I am Tichondrius. I saw how those cowardly Night Elves fled while your allies were being slaughtered, and I can sense your desire for vengeance towards them. I can offer you a chance for vengeance" The Dreadlord said.
"You mean if I serve you, you will grant me vengeance? I want those cowards to pay for what they did, but I will not sacrifice my soul for it" Severa said as she held her blade ready.
"Don't be so swift to refuse my offer, child. This world will burn before the might on the Burning Legion, there is no stopping it. But you don't have to burn with it. Submit to Lord Archimonde and not only will your desire for vengeance be granted, you will lead our forces to victory and you may even earn the favor of our one true leader: Sargeras" Tichondrius said.
Severa noticed more undead and demons approaching, she didn't have much time "I would rather die than ever serving your kind! You may have corrupted Arthas, but you won't get me!".
She quickly ran away, knowing that trying to fight the Dreadlord would not end well. Tichondrius said nothing as he just motioned for some of his undead servants to hunt her down and kill her, which they obeyed with no free will to refuse. Severa ran through the forest as quickly as she could, but the undead were relentless, and unlike her, they do not tire. At this rate, Severa would grow tired and the undead would have an easy time catching her.
She reached a cliff and knew she had no chance of outrunning her pursuers, so she turned around, ready to face the undead. She attacks the leading undead killing it with a swift strike. She brings two more down with her sword...leaping into the large rocks surrounding the area, as others close in on her. Severa battles the undead, amongst the boulders and blocks a strike from a skeleton which she quickly smashed against a boulder with her body. Despite her bravery, he is quickly being overwhelmed and had to fall back a bit.
She grabs a rock as she runs back before swiftly turning around and threw the rock in to a ghoul's face, distracting it long enough for her to deliver a killing blow. Using the boulders as cover, Severa outmaneuvers and kills several more undead and it was beginning to look like she was going to make it... but suddenly, one of the boulders were moved aside as a large Abomination looks down on her, letting out a hideous moan. Severa was repulsed by such a horrific monster, but she quickly dodged aside as it brought it's large meat-cleaver down at her, narrowly avoiding a killing blow.
Severa retaliated with slash to the monster's side, but the Abomination could not feel pain, so it barely even noticed the injury as it swings it's hook, which Severa ducked under. She ran to the remaining boulders, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the undead Abomination, which kept moving boulders aside as it hunted her. Once it looked like it had Severa cornered, the Abomination was ready to finish her... only to notice she was not there. It did not have time to find her, as she leaps from one of the boulders and stabs her blade through the Abomination's head.
The undead atrocity swayed for a moment before collapsing on the ground, dead. Severa pulled her sword free, breathing hard from such an exhausting battle. But she heard more undead in the distance and knew she could not stay. She had to make it back to Lucina and warn her of what happened... and hope the Night Elves would not finish her of.
Three hours later, in the foothills of Mount Hyjal, Tyrande and her troops are still running from the undead, who are mowing down the forests just as fast as Tyrande can get through them. Archimonde and Tichondrius are near the front line of pursuit.
"The undead are tireless. There's no way to outrun them!" An Archer said.
Tichondrius gave them a mocking look "You see, Lord Archimonde? We need not fear the night elves. The Scourge can-".
"Archimonde... After ten thousand years, how is it possible?" Tyrande asked.
Archimonde smirked evilly "The Legion has returned to consume this world, woman. And this time, your troublesome race will not stop us".
Two doom guards kill the two archers near Tyrande. As they go for her, she disappears.
"Fools! You let her slip away!" Archimonde said as he angrily kills a doom guard "Find her,damn you! Find her and kill her!".
They run off, and Tyrande reappears. The ability to hide is indigenous to most night elf when it is nighttime.
"The day we have long feared has finally come. The Burning Legion has returned! I must cross the river and warn the rest of my sisters before all is lost!" Tyrande weaves her way through the forest, hiding herself when undead draw near.
As she moved she couldn't help but to think of that human girl she left to her fate... for some reason, she felt guilty about it, but had no idea why she would feel guilt over leaving an enemy... She didn't have time to dwell on it right now, but part of her hoped the child escaped safely.
.
Been a while. Sorry for that, but I ran in to a wall with this story and had no idea what to write. Only recently had a flash of insperation to write this, and hopefully this will lead to more chapters down the line.
.
Tell me what you think.