Eternal Requiem
Chapter 8: Nine Tribes, One Fate
The jungles echoed with the sound of critters and beasts. A kaldorei, stealthed underneath the brush and canopy of Stranglethorn Vale, made his way east, far beyond the Venture Co.'s construction and machinery. As the thickets became more scarce, more ruins could be seen, hidden from the sun by the tall trees. Eventually the jungle came to an almost sudden pause, and before him was the city he desired to find. Putting away his sword, he strolled up the tall and wide stairs. After ten meters up, two troll guards stood waiting for him having seen his approach.
"Stop where you be, mon!" shouted one to the night elf.
The Kaldorei that emerged from the jungle was fitted in white plate armor, embroidered in gold. A black and white dragon was his symbol, but his weapons were not drawn for a fight.
"We see where you be, elf!" barked the other troll. "I am a champion of the Skullsplitter clan and he of the Bloodscalp! You no stand to us with yer fancy trinkets and wish safe pass!"
"Oh, I think you will make an exception of me." said the night elf cooly.
"And what makes you think tat, mon?" laughed the two trolls.
But just as soon as the spoke, the Skullsplitter troll fell to his knees in searing pain. His head was decapitated, and his arms broke in different angles. The Bloodscalp troll looked down at his fallen comrade in fear and turned to the night elf. His mind went into bloodlust, and he lunged at him with axes in each hand. His eyes flared red in a fit of chaotic rage.
"Ah... just what I need..." said the Kaldorei.
Just then the Kaldorei jumped above the Bloodscalp's assault and landed on his back. Before the troll he held up a pendant of blue runes. From the troll came forth a dark green gas that poured into a bottle the night elf had secreted under his armor. The troll lay where he once stood, twitching and turning in agonizing despair.
"Do not worry yourself, troll." he said to the Bloodscalp. "Do not believe you will be scared for life. You will die in only a few minutes."
The Kaldorei turned away from him to walk up the stairs, but then turned around again to face him one last time.
"Oh, and by the way, thanks for the mojo, baby." laughed the night elf.
He then continued to ascend the stairs, until he entered the ruins. All around him adders, trolls, crocodilisks, and wind serpents roamed. Across many bridges and pathways he could see a temple that seemed to touch the sky. In front of it he could make out a huge, serpentine figure lurking. After journeying all the way into Strangethorn Vale, he had finally made it into Zul'Gurub.
A large, titanic troll of the Gurubashi tribe suddenly came toward the Kaldorei in anger. He lashed out at him, but he dodged and cut him down with only the daggers he drew a second sooner. He feel down at his feet, but because of it more came. He cut down every last one of them. He fought all the way to the first bridge. But as he fought, he noticed some smarter trolls cutting the ropes that held the bridge over the ravine below. They cut it, and he along with a few other helpless trolls fell down into the waters below. And waiting for them were hungry crocodilisks belonging to the Zulian tribe. The trolls that fell with the Kaldorei were devoured before they could swim to shore, but he was left unscathed. He swam to shore faster than any troll could, and behind him he tossed a glowing light that exploded in the water. Everything that dwelt in it - the crocodilisks and that near-devoured trolls - all evaporated in a flash of light.
He continued to make his way to the vast temple beyond. But first he had to deal with its guardians. Many beasts and trolls came at him. The serpents of the Sandfury tribe, the crocodilisks of the Zulian tribe, the spiders of the Razzashi tribe, the wolves of the Vilebranch tribe, the blood drinkers of the Witherbark tribe, the axe throwers of the Bloodscalp tribe, the warriors of the Skullsplitter tribe, the berserkers of the Gurubashi tribe, and the priests of the Hakkari tribe. The entire Gurubashi Empire charged him, but to no avail. Like the trolls from before, they all submitted to his god-like might and tactics. No one could touch him.
At last, the main bulk of Zul'Gurub's defense was wiped out, and the mysterious Kaldorei made his way slowly to the temple that lay not too far. The remainder of the trolls cowered behind the trees and bushes as he confronted the massive serpent that made the temple its home. A massive creature, serpentine and covered with blood-red scales and feathers. Its wings spread long and mighty, its sleek, snake head hissing at the intruder.
"Mortal..." hissed the feathered serpent. "What power possessesyou to trespass into the domain of the Bloodflayer?"
"You give yourself too much credit, Hakkar." laughed the night elf. "Your end is near, blood god, and your zealot's mojo shall be mine to control."
Hakkar hissed and bobbed his head back and forth. His eyes burned crimson blood, and his wings spread their full length. His tail lashed out at the night elf, but missed him slightly to his right. He did not flinch, did not budge. He just stood there. Hakkar looked at him with a grin only a serpent like him could bear.
"You act as though you have courage, child of Elune." said Hakkar. "But there is a fine line between courage and stupidity. Not even your moon god will save you!"
"I have no god..." spoke the night elf.
The feathered serpent attempted to strike him with a head blow, his fangs beared. The night elf dodged, and so Hakkar swerved around and right back at him. He dodged again, but this time he had jumped to do so, soon landing on the blood god's head. The night elf, mustering powerful arcane power within his very fist, thrust it into Hakkar's head. Hissing and wailing though he was, the Bloodflayer could not shake him off. From where he embedded his hand, the Kaldorei slowly pulled out a sword from Hakkar's head. StillHakkar screeched, but still he continued to pull the sword from his head. It was long and massive, exactly the night elf's height. It was silver and had a emerald gem placed toward the end of the long blade. Its aura pulsed with the blood god's power. The few trolls that decided to watch the fight were slowly burned alive in the presence of the mighty sword. At first it began with one, but then another and another. Soon the only trolls untouched by its destructive tribulation were those who fled into their housings and temples. Finally the sword had been completely pulled from Hakkar's head, but the blood god was not yet dead.
The night elf jumped from Hakkar's head and landed before the snake. He hissed mightily as he recollected himself. Again, ready to attack, Hakkar dove at the Kaldorei with all his might. The Kaldorei held the blade high above his head and struck at the blood god's left wing as he just barely moves out of the way. Having thrown off balance, Hakkar stumbled and swirled around like any wounded serpent would. For the first time in ten thousand years, the might Bloodflayer was bleeding. How ironic.
"That sword..." wailed Hakkar. "How can the sleeping destroyer be reborn onceagain? Such is only the will of a god!"
"Well, your looking at one." said the night elf. "I am Darithal, Emperor of the Grand Requiem Empire, soon to be the God of Tribulation!"
Hakkar's eyes grew sharper than ever and his crimson scales turned slightly paler.
"The White Dragon?" he hissed. "I have heard of your efforts. You may be able to conquer the Horde, but you shall never destroy a true god!"
"I do not intend to." said Darithal as he readied the massive sword. "Your essence is all I need."
Hakkar made one final strike at Darithal, but he was ready. As Hakkar swooped down,
Darithal dodged and sliced off the blood god's head. The sword absorbed Hakkar's blood like a sponge to water. Soon the body was dry and empty. A wind picked up and blew the remains into dust that was gracefully swept away. The sword now glowed a more sinister, crimson aura. As he felt its power flow through his very being, one could here his troops barging into Zul'Gurub and capturing theremaining trolls as they wept for their fallen god.
"Do not fret." Darithal said. "You shall be used for 'suitable' needs, as will your felled god."
He lifted the sword with his right hand and looked in awe.
"The sleeper has awakened..." whispered Darithal. "Finally, the Destroyer of Worlds is mine to control! Let thewhole world know..."
...Zin'rokh has been reborn!