Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Warcraft or any associated characters as they are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.
CHAPTER 1
A Cold Day in Hell
The ice capped mountains of Northrend ominously spied down on the land below them, their jagged peaks piercing the sky. A powerful blizzard actively stirring the snow as the wind whipped across the ledges and down through the valleys. A single figure stood out in the cold, not even feeling the below zero temperature on his purple flesh. He sat atop a steed of unnerving looks. The skeletal beast was composed completely of bone, without a shred of living tissue unlike its master. A pair of insidious red orbs substituted its eyes and it gave of a sinister purple aura that radiated to all sides of the beast.
The master himself was an even more impressive sight than his steed. The powers of the Lich King had transformed far beyond what he used to be. The former paladin now had empty black eyes and abnormally colored skin, though he retained his tainted humanity. His spiky blonde hair had lost its vibrant color as well, instead becoming as white as a dying old man. He wore armor that illustrated the fear that his very presence put off. The chest plate depicted a pair of demons, one with four massive legs and the other with a more human-like figure but with a pair of massive horns and a wrinkled forehead. His gauntlets held powerful enchantments that granted him power over the undead that his master controlled. At his side a runeblade rested in his grasp, emanating the same power his shadowy steed did. The fabled blade had the power to suck the life from its victims to enhance its own power.
His name was Baron Bloodbane, or at least it was now. A sudden powerful gust of wind blew his black cape in the air and signaled the approach of his guests. Just beyond the blanket of snow that blurred Bloodbane's view three figures made their way toward him. One of them hurriedly ran before the other two. His presence was that of the Undead but the ghoul seemed to be void of the Lich King's masterful control. The ghoul respectfully bowed down. "I present the Dark Ranger Mira Shadewither and her personal escort Reaver" the ghoul said in his ravenous voice which pierced the ominous silence.
First the escort came fully into view and Bloodbane could barely hold himself back from throwing up. Sure he served the Lich King and commanded a number of wretched creatures just like the escort, but he was still human and the sight still appalled him. The escort was an abomination, a zombie composed of random human body parts that formed one maniacal creature. Reaver had at least eight arms, all of varying length and all appeared to have been sewn on numerous times over again. In one hand he carried a meat cleaver, in another a blood covered sickle. The abomination smiled as it eyed the Death Knight, revealing a set of blade-like teeth.
Before Baron Bloodbane looked away from the escort Mira began to come into view. The Death Knight casually glanced towards her and was welcomed with a far easier sight than that of the abomination. Mira walked with a beautiful grace that Bloodbane had never seen in all his years. Her perfect form was apparent immediately and she dressed with elegance. A short skirt cut at both sides revealed her heavenly legs and she wore a shirt cut just above her well toned stomach. If the Baron could have felt attraction ever again he was sure it would've come at the sight of this beauty. Of course her skin was that of the Undead and was tainted a light blue color to and her eyes were a crimson red that radiated to her cheeks below. Long, dark blue hair flowed down to her chest, waving in concert with the fierce winds. Her long, pointed ears that designated her of elven descent were ever on guard for any noise out of the ordinary. On her back she carried an enormous bow and a number of pointed arrows.
"Shall we get to business?" came the unearthly voice that soothed the Baron's very soul. Mira rested on her hips and cocked her head to the side as she awaited an answer, but none came. "I am a well respected general to the Forsaken army and I demand an answer from you!" she yelled, her demeanor suddenly changing.
"Death is the only business I deal in" came the reply.
"Our leader, Queen Sylvanas sent me to negotiate a treaty with the Scourge, not talk of petty nonsense" Mira said.
"A peace treaty will never exist until your Queen surrenders her forces and all land she has stolen from the Lich King" Bloodbane said.
"That's ridiculous!" Mira cast back. "I've had enough of this, I came to make peace, not surrender!" The Dark Ranger whistled to Reaver and with a sudden lunge the abomination sprang into action.
With a quick side step the Baron's steed evaded the charging mound of flesh and he unsheathed his vampiric runeblade. At the sound of the metal sliding from it's sheath a ring of undead warriors erupted from a blanket of snow all around the area. Both ghouls and crypt fiends jumped into action, quickly advancing toward Mira and the ghoul messenger as Bloodbane continued his duel with Reaver. The ghouls that had once been considered living were now the very shadow of undeath itself. Their skeleton-like heads were decorated with thin amounts of hair and glowing green eyes. Their fingers ended in dangerous claws and their mouths were filled with teeth similar to that of Reaver. The crypt fiends looked like mummified arachnids with eight legs and multiple eyes. Though they appeared to look mostly like spiders they almost had an almost humanoid feel to them as they approached their opponents.
As the runeblade and sickle met the colliding metal rang in the air, quickly replaced by another ring as Reaver tried unsuccessfully to impale Bloodbane with a swipe of his cleaver. A ghoul charged at Mira, slashing at the Dark Ranger with its dangerous claws. The undead elf easily stepped back and dodged the attack as she bathed herself in a dark blue aura. With her powerful magic swelling inside her she stared directly into the eyes of the ghoul. In a flash of light the undead soldier turned on its brethren as she drew her bow and notched an arrow.
The Baron flipped off his steed and over the top of Reaver just as the abomination tried another swing of its deadly sickle. Bloodbane landed behind the undead brute and drove his runeblade into its vulnerable back. Reaver tried to twist and get the blade from his grasp but was immediately immobilized by the sword's dark magics. The wound where the sword was driven in flashed in an array of purple light as the weapon sucked the power from the abomination. But before the Baron could finish off his opponent the messenger ghoul was upon him and he pulled his runeblade out to block the ghoul as it tried to impale the Death Knight with a sword.
Looking to see how his other soldiers were doing Bloodbane glanced momentarily only to see that the foul temptress Mira had used her powers to manipulate more than one of the undead fighters to fight with her. With a powerful push the Baron threw the ghoul to the ground and drove his weapon its chest, watching as the runeblade sucked all the "life" out of it. Then he turned back to where Reaver had been standing and found nothing but snow. The Baron turned back to see how Mira was faring only to find that Reaver and she, along with their recruited allies, had finished off what remained of the Baron's forces.
"Your evil ends here!" Mira spat and pointed at the Death Knight. Her minions charged forward with bloodthirsty eyes. But Baron Bloodbane just laughed. "What's so funny?" Mira asked, mad with frustration.
With a simple wave of his hand all of Baron's old soldiers halted, a bright red aura covering them. They hunched over in pain. "Before our meeting I tied them all to me with a Death Pact, even though you control them they still remain tied to me!" the Baron proclaimed. The undead warriors fell to their knees as they were drained of their powers, which in turn were transferred to their master. Bloodbane bathed in the grand power he now wielded as the last of the Dark Ranger's fighters were completely consumed by his powers. Now only Mira and Reaver remained.
"Reaver, attack him!" Mira yelled. The abomination barreled toward the Baron mindlessly. Mira drew her bow and notched another arrow, aiming just beyond her escort and toward the Death Knight. Bloodbane launched himself forward, slashing furiously at the brute before him. His runeblade sliced through two appendages before the Baron was force to back off and go on the offensive. Reaver threw attack after attack at the Death Knight but never got through. Mira said a quick incantation and watched as the tip of her arrow began shining with black magic. She let loose her attack.
With a quick movement the Baron jumped to the side and dodged the oncoming arrow just in time. It fell helplessly to the ground. But before he could react Reaver was on top of him, bearing down with his weapons and dagger-like teeth. Baron Bloodbane did his best to fend off the larger warrior but Reaver's mass easily overwhelmed him. The Baron just laid there, beaten and waited for the abomination to finish him off. Knowing full well that the Lich King had plans for him, even after death.
But in a blur of movement the Baron watched as his steed charged headlong into the abomination just before the brute's dangerous teeth began to carve away at his face. The attack caught Reaver by surprise and threw him to the side and off the Death Knight. Mira let loose another arrow, piercing the undead steed's head and instantly slaying it. Bloodbane seized the opportunity and caught Reaver off guard, plunging his runeblade down the monster's throat. Finally the abomination ceased moving and was drained by the vampiric blade.
When the Baron looked up he couldn't find Mira. "I'm sorry my master, I failed to capture the foul elf" he said, seemingly to himself. The Dark Ranger ran quickly through the snow, never looking back, just focusing on getting back to her queen and reporting the treachery of the Scourge. Queen Sylvanas would make them pay for this, of that she was sure.