Might of Lordaeron

by K2JC

The Black Dogs. A mercenary company that would rape and pillage anything they could get their hands on. Their numbers, unrivaled. There was no hope of stopping them. They will rule over all. Unfortunately, a certain Prince will not stand idly by while this injustice runs amok. The Black Dogs will learn to fear the Might of Lordaeron.

13. Might of Lordaeron Ch 13

"Do we have any idea where these rats came from?"

Maia, Justinia, Valerius and Sergeant Andrew looked down on the rat-infested city. What once was beautiful, is now rotten and decayed. Where humans, elves and even halflings lived here, grotesque ratmen take their place and the stench of death fill the very air they breathe in. Thanks to the efforts of both the Alliance and Seven Shields, the City of Ur was successfully quarantined thus preventing the ratmen from spreading outside the walls. But how long can they hold it, is the question.

"No one knows." Valerius replied with a shrug before his face turned grim "Lady Prim managed to escape with a few bruises. Can't say the same from the rest of the city. Barely a hundred got out. I can't imagine how many were left behind and locked in."

"Poor sods."

Andrew's grim comment made the redhead grit her teeth in anger. More than a thousand people used to live here and barely a hundred made it out. If the Ratmen hadn't gotten to them from the initial attack, then they certainly did after the gates were sealed off before they could escape. How many were damned when the gates were shut to prevent the rats from escaping? Her eyes roamed the streets and spotted groups of Ratmen doing who knows what. Maia made a disgusted noise when she saw one of the ratmen kill and eat another.

"Buncha filthy vermin." The redhead muttered before moving to leave the wall. They would strike the city tomorrow. The sun is setting and it would be more dangerous to strike at night when the rats have an easier time to blend in the shadows. If their maniacal laughter didn't give them away that is.

Valerius watched her go before looking at the city once again. When Lady Jaina said that she's reassigning him back in the front lines, he didn't expect to be thrown in the lot that was supposed to deal with the infestation. Oh, well. As long as he was fighting and not standing around for the rest of his days then he's fine with dealing with the giant rats. His eyes spotted one burning a building with a weapon that spewed hellish, green flames. He saw another one that was taller and more muscular than an orc but at least not bigger than Black Dogs Ogres. His gaze found another one pulling an unfortunate survivor by the throat with a cruel looking thing before using it to hang the poor sod.

'So we're supposed to fight those? Heh. Still beats being Captain of the Guard.'

Valerius moved away from the embrasure and made his way down the wall, securing the Hand Cannon on his belt. If he's gonna kill those Rat Ogres, he's gonna need more ammo... and a bigger shield... and a stronger blade... and a harder helmet. Actually, this may be a good time to use those weapons that bounty hunter gave him.

~Line Break~

Maia looked down at the map of the city. The only way the rats could've come from were the sewers. The city's sewer sytem was big. Big enough to hide an army. Just like in Geofu. Even if they can take out the rats on the surface, who knows how many more are down there. The redhead looked to the side to see Justinia arming herself with a Zweihänder before tying her hair in a ponytail and put on helmet with a red plume. The silverette was covered in heavy plate armor with a red cape and short toga, contrasting Maia's own wardrobe set which consisted of her red leotard, blue chaps, brown boots and her sword belt which held two pairs of daggers and the sword made by the Dwarven Duo, Bohg and Shorty.

Justinia walked over to her and stood opposite of the redhead before looking down at the map which had detailed figurines of the Ratmen placed on the different districts and landmarks of the city. She even saw a detailed figurine of the redhead and a Footman set up on the wall. Where did they even find those things?

"How many do you think there are, my Lady?"

Maia crossed her arms and tsk'ed.

"From what Prim said, there are so many of them that you couldn't even tell. Personally, I think we need more soldiers for this just to be safe. Anyway, the scouting party hasn't returned yet, right?"

Justinia answered with a shake of her head to which Maia sighed. Those soldiers were supposed to be back by now. It didn't help that it was night. Who knows what unspeakable horror they encountered inside. She turned back at Justinia only to see the silverette Knight was fiddling with HER figurine.

"Hey, drop little me this instant!"

~Line Break~

Residential District, City of Ur

"Hop over the barricade. Go!"

"K-Kill the human s-scum!"

"Fall back! Fall back!"

A party of five Footmen vaulted over the makeshift barricade in the middle of the street. One of them threw a torch at the barricade and ignited a trail of gunpowder that led to three barrels of gunpowder sitting inside the barricade. Their pursuers, the only Skaven, climbed over the barricade and didn't see the flame igniting the gunpowder until it was too late. A huge explosion took out the horde of Clanrats and Skavenslaves, destroying the barricade and parts of the buildings close to it. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the tide of vermin from pursuing their prey.

"Sir, they're not stopping!"

"Just shut up and run, soldier!"

"Where's the other scouting party?"

"Hopefully, outside the city by now."

"Wait. I think I see them."

Sergeant Andrew looked to where the Footman was pointing at and saw the Seven Shields scouting party waiting by the front gates. Three of them were aiming bows at them while the fourth was slamming her fist on the large gates. He looked to the top of the wall and saw the wall's Archers and Crossbowmen aiming down at them as well. They weren't really aiming at his party but rather the hundreds of Skaven running after them. The sound of the doors opening took his attention back the doors and saw it open and a company of Footmen marched in. They formed a shield wall and left a gap at the center as Captain Valerius walked in and beckoned the scouts to retreat through the gate.

"Andrew. Move your fat arse through this door, Sergeant!"

"Sir!" Andrew looked over his shoulder and quickened his pace. He didn't need to be told twice.

The scouting party made it out the doors as more Footmen flooded in. He looked towards the entrance to see flashes of light followed by the sound of thunder and smoke.

~Line Break~

"Fire!"

The first row of Footmen placed their Hand Cannons above their shields and aimed their at the incoming horde before, as one, pulling the trigger. The thundering boom of the Hand Cannons was quickly followed by the sounds of bodies hitting to the floor. The Ratmen tripped over the fallen bodies and the first row rotated to the back of the formation as the second row took the front of the formation and aimed their Hand Cannons before firing. This continued on until the first row returned to the forefront of the formation. Valerius, however, didn't hold a shield but carried two special Hand Cannons, Fortune's Favor. It was different from the Footmen's Hand Cannon because it had a certain magic to it that it didn't need to be reloaded after one shot but it still takes a few seconds before he could fire another and packs more of a punch than your ordinary Hand Cannon. Why would a bounty hunter give this up, he'll never know but he'll thank the buxom redhead on the next game night. If he's still alive that is. When the Footmen was on their last shot, they switched to their swords and readied themselves for the Ratmen's charge. Valerius, who was at the front and center of the formation, aimed his Fortune's Favor at the horde and closed his eyes. He let out a small breath before opening his eyes and firing.

The Skavenslave dropped dead as a huge part of it's shoulder was blown off and splattered all over the ground while the one next to it fell to it's knees as a part of it's head was blown off. It's kin trampled over their bodies as they charged at the Alliance to which the Footmen returned in kind. The two forces met in a bloody melee. Footmen would use their shields to block the Ratmen's attacks and followed it with a swing of their own. However, some were unfortunate enough to be separated from the main force and were easily swarmed by the rats. Their screams were drowned out by the thundering booms of Valerius' Hand Cannons. The Captain dodged a Skaven that lunged at him and fired a shot at it's head, blowing it to chunks before dodging a second Skaven and used the axe head attached under the Hand Cannon to cut into it's neck. He kicked the body off and saw it was still alive and blew it's brains out.

A roar broke through the battle and Valerius spun on his heel to see a Rat Ogre punch a Footman and sent him flying towards a building's window. The body slammed through the glass and landed inside the building before being swarmed by Ratmen who quickly tore him apart despite his armor. Valerius readied himself as the Rat Ogre ran towards him. He fired shot after shot at the huge rat but it didn't stop it's charge. It raised it's arms high in the air and slammed it down on the Captain who rolled to the side and avoided the hit. It turned it's head towards him but roared in pain before looking to it's side and saw the large sword in sticking in it's abdomen. It turned to glare at the armored figure holding the sword and backhanded the Knight.

Justinia screamed before her body hit the ground with a roll. She shook the dizziness away as she struggled to her feet before grabbing her Zweihänder and swung widely, taking out three unarmoured Skaven in front of her. Unfortunately, she didn't see the hooded Skaven as it lunged at her and pinned her down on the ground before attacking her with the glowing, green blades attached to it's arms. The blade was enough to tear her armor and Justinia's eyes widened in shock and fear. She punched the rat's face with all her might but it kept going, tearing her armor apart. A loud boom echoed and the rat fell dead on top of her, a chunk of it's head missing. She pushed the corpse away and took off her mangled armor. A hand was held out in front of her and she looked up to see the owner of the appendage was Captain Valerius. She took the offered hand and Valerius helped her to her feet.

"That was too close, Justinia." The Captain said before handing her back the Zweihänder and saw the state of the Knight "So much for armor, eh? Try and keep an eye out for those things."

"Captain, what happened to the Rat Ogre?"

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder and the Knight looked to see the giant rat slamming it's fists on the ground and trying to shake Maia, who was on the rat's back, off. Two daggers and a shortsword were sticking out off it's back. The redhead held a dagger on her left hand which was buried all the way to the hilt on the Rat Ogre's neck while her right held another dagger which she used to repeatedly stab the Rat Ogre. Gripping her weapon tight, Justinia ran at the Rat Ogre just as it turned towards her direction and the Knight swung her blade down. It cut the Rat Ogre's face but the action simply enraged the giant rat. It roared and punched Justinia three times but the Knight managed to block them all though she felt her arms strain from the flurry of blows. On the side, Valerius fired shot after shot at the Rat Ogre while a trio of Footmen guarded him from the Skaven.

"Why won't this big fucker die!?"

"Lady Maia, hold on!"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?"

Valerius would've chuckled to himself had he not rolled out of the way of the green flames that burned the ground he stood. Unfortunately, his guards were caught and screamed as they were burnt alive and cooked inside their armor. The Warpfire Thrower laughed like a madman as it faced Valerius and had it's weapon spew hellish green flames at him. The flames were bright and he couldn't see past it so he took the chance and fired a bit lower than where he estimated the weapon was. A scream if pain later and the flames stopped, revealing the rat on it's knees and holding on to the bleeding stump where it's left foot used to be. Valerius then aimed at the object on it's back and fired, resulting in a green explosion.

Unbeknownst to them, a Gun Rat climbed up the roof of a building and fired it's Ratling Gun at the battle below. It didn't care that it hit other Skaven or the Footmen. As long as it get to fire it's weapon and kill something, it didn't give a rat's ass. The Warpstone bullets struck anything on it's path, killing them as it tore through both Skaven and Alliance. Valerius rolled behind a crate to avoid getting killed by the Gun Rat and Justinia joined him. They looked over their cover to see Maia still stabbing the Rat Ogre. If she wasn't holding onto the rat for dear life while stabbing it, she would be tearing her hair out in frustration.

"Stupid. Fuck. Won't. Die!"

Valerius then turned his eyes towards the Gun Rat and saw that it had it's attention on the bulk of the fighting where both Alliance and Skaven were locked in melee. Seeing his opportunity, he aimed his Hand Cannon and fired at the rat. His aim was true as it struck the rat's head blew into chunks and it's body fell off the roof. He didn't have time to celebrate as a red blur smashed into the crates they were using for cover and saw Maia in a daze. The redhead was seeing stars for a second before her vision focused. Valerius and Justinia grabbed her arms and helped her up before the trio looked at the battle. Despite how many times it was stabbed, cut and shot, the Rat Ogre was still standing. It roared and leaped towards a group of Footmen. It landed on them and sent the group flying. Looking around them, they knew the battle was lost and this was just the front gate. They hadn't even reached the Residential District and already they suffered too much losses.

"Fuck." Maia cursed as she looked at the situation they were in "There's no way we can take this city back. There's just too many of them."

"What should we do?"

Valerius didn't listen to them as he kept staring at the loosing battle in front of him. Corpses lay on the ground as the rats swarmed the brave few who would fight to the last.They were damned from the start. These Skaven were just too many to fight. It's as if they magically pop up from some dark corner by the dozen. His eyes found themselves staring after the swarm of rats that were making a break for the doors. Intent on escaping to the world.

"Like Hell." He looked up at the wall and yelled "Seal the doors! They cannot get through that gate! Soldiers, fall back while you still can! Retreat!"

And retreat they did. They abandoned fighting their opponents and made a run for the doors. The Missile Infantry on the walls began firing at the horde chasing after them, covering the troops escape. Despite the retreat, Valerius didn't move. The other noticed this as well.

"Why aren't we leaving?"

"We won't make it but at least whatever's left of our soldiers will." He turned to Maia. His expression grim under his helmet "But we can still get away while they're distracted. We'll find another way out of here. Come on!"

Valerius ran towards an alley while the two women watched him go. They turned to the doors just as it shut as the last Footman escaped. The Skaven slammed into the door and the Rat Ogre slammed it's massive fist on it. From atop the wall, the Missile Infantry dropped the burning oil on the Ratmen, filling the night with the stench of burned corpses and screeches of pain. The Rat Ogre roared before falling face first into the ground, dead. Maia and Justinia shared a look before running after the Captain. There's no turning back now. They'll have to survive the night while looking for a way out or end up as food for the rats.

~Line Break~

Wolf's Den, Kühlschrank

"So my 7/7 Minion attacks your 2/3 minion. Since you have a 3 Attack Damage, my minion loses three Hit Points, leaving my minion with to a 4/7, while your minion is destroyed because mine has a 7 Attack Damage and your minion has 2 Hit Points. Now, I use my Hero Power to Damage your Hero. My Hero Power is Fireblast. Fireblast's ability is to deal 1 damage. I can use it against your Hero or your minions at the cost of 2 Mana Crystals. Now, I end my turn even though I still have 1 Mana Crystal left but I have nothing to play it with."

"I didn't understand a word you just said, stúlka. Why the hell am I even bothering with this game?"

Brünnhilde looked down at her cards then at the blonde, wondering how this was the one to conquer Wolf's Den.

"Hmph." Alicia crossed her arms and pouted "Because Hearthstone is not just a game. It's part of the Alliance's culture."

Arthas just so happened to pass by and saw the cards on the table.

"I can't believe you're still playing that. You need a new hobby, Alicia. No. You need help. You're obsession with this game is getting real old now. Oh, and it's not part of the Alliance's culture by the way, Chieftain. Alicia here was introduced to this game in an inn run by a Dwarven Innkeeper named Harth Stonebrew. Huh." The Prince brought a hand to his chin and looked up in thought "Harth Stonebrew... Harthstone... Hearthstone... Ooooh."

"I'M NOT OBSESSED!" Alicia blinked before crossing her arms and looking away. Some pink dusting her cheeks "I just happen to be a fan and avid player of the game. And what are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be doing something else other than bothering me?"

"Actually, I was not bothering you, Alicia. I just happen to pass by." The Prince replied with a shrug before looking at the younger blonde with narrowed eyes.

'Since when did she start disrespecting their elders? Wait a second. Why am I thinking that? I'm only a few years older than her! ...right?'

"Hmph. Whatever."

"Hmm." Arthas rubbed his beard before snapping his finger "Aahhh. I know what's wrong. You're going through that rebellious phase adolescents usually go to. Hehe. Oh, I remember the times I used to sneak out to meet Jaina and she would do the same."

"What the hell are you going on about?"

The two bickered like children while Brünnhilde looked between them before setting down her cards on the table and leaving. She had better things to do than watch this. Like, getting firewood for tonight's blizzard, for example. Now, where did she put her axe?

"I'm not short. You're just freakishly tall and broad!"

Now she remembered. It was leaning on the big chair in the head of the table. Taking the weapon, she rested on her shoulder before heading out of the Great Hall. Well, time to get to cutting. Hopefully, the noise would drown those two out.

'Seriously. How did these people conquer nearly all of Kühlschrank, I'll never know.'

~Line Break~

Hammerforge, The Capital

"How's the Steam Tanks goin' along, lads?"

"We're about twenty in, sir."

"Hahaha! That's what I like to hear."

Bohg smiled with pride as he looked over the Steam Tank production. Thanks to the income of Dwarves from the mountains, the Alliance now have more Dwarves among them. More Dwarves, means faster production and more Engineers, Tank Drivers, Riflemen, Mortar Teams, Miners and Dwarven Legionaries. The Dwarven Legion were made from their bretheren in the mountains and any Alliance Dwarves who seek glory face-to-face with the enemy. Despite their common affinity to technology, the Legionaries favored melee combat than ranged combat. Hammers, swords and shields. But Bohg wasn't comfortable with leaving the Legionaries with simple melee weapons like the Alliance's own Footmen. So he had them carry Hand Cannons as well. Can't be too careful these days.

"Master Bohg! Master Bohg!"

The Head of Hammerforge looked to the source of the voice and saw his Assistant, Knight Lucy. The blue haired Knight squeezed past the Dwarven Engineers as she ran towards Bohg. The Dwarf raised an eyebrow as the woman finally reached him and held out a rolled up parchment.

"A message... from... Goddess, I'm out of shape... "

Bohg chuckled and let the Knight catch her breathe and took the message before unrolling the parchment. Reading the letter, Bohg felt himself frown and made his way back to his office. A scouting party of Dwarven Legionaries from the Greybeard Legion were wiped out by a pack of Lycans near the town of Lupin. Only one Legionary made it out alive but the Dwarf was afflicted with the curse and killed himself after delivering the message. Bohg grimaced. The Lycans and their wolves are becoming a bit of a problem as of late. Ever since the Black Dogs went dark, the Lycans and their kin split from the Dogs and were running amok in the more isolated towns and villages. Terrorising their inhabitants and bringing in more people under their horrible curse. The Head Engineer turned back to Lucy with a grim expression.

"Assemble the Ironfoot Legion. They'll take care of these cursed bastards."

"It will be done, Master."

The bluenette Knight bowed before runming towards the Legionary Barracks. Bohg watched her go before going over to his chair and looking down at the multiple projects he was working on. So many things to do and no rest until all of it was done. Just how he likes it. Better than sitting around and twiddling with their thumbs or, in Shorty's case, putting their fingers in some animal's bumhole.

"Now where is that little bugger?"

"Uh, Bohg... "

Bohg turned to the muffled speaker and immediately facepalmed at the sight. Of all the things he could've done, the shorter Dwarf managed to get his hand stuck inside a teapot and his head inside of an uncooked turkey. The Head of Hammerforge rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. How did the short bugger survive this long, he'll never know?

~Line Break~

Market District, City of Ur

Valerius peeked from the corner and looked around for any of the Skaven. The whoe district was a mess. Everything was destroyed but no bodies were in sight. Just bones, blood, guts and shit. The Captain would've looked for survivors but looking at this mess, he doubt he'll find anything with a pulse here. He looked over his shoulder to his comrades and nodded before walking towards the Market Square. Once Maia and Justinia saw the carnage, the redhead gagged but kept her lunch in but the Silverette couldn't. Justinia leaned on the wall and lifted her visor before spilling the contents of her stomach on the street. Maia walked over to the Knight to comfort the woman but as soon as the stench of the bile hit her nose, the redhead couldn't hould it in anymore and vomited next to the Silverette. The Captain saw this and ahook his head in amusement. It'll be a cold day in hell before he...

SQUELCH

He looked down and saw his boot on a pile of shit. Now stepping on a pile of shit wouldn't make him spill his lunch on the street like the other two. He's done that enough times in his life. No, what did make him run over to the two to puke was the fact that said pile of excrement had one eyeball gazing through his eyes and into his very soul. There was also the fact that it blinked. Blinked! How is that even remotely possible? There's no eyelids! And shouldn't that thing be digested as well? Valerius ran over to the two and pulled off his helmet before letting it all out. As the three humans puked their guts out, a door from the inn across the street slightly opened and a Halfling poked her head out.

"'Psst. Hey, giants. Get inside before the vermin sees!"

Valerius hazily held up his index finger as a sign to 'wait a minute' before wiping his mouth and grabbing the other two's attention towards the building.

"C-Come on. The half pint's got a point... heh... we can't stay here, my Lady."

Despite their need to spill their lunches, the two women kept it in and followed after the Captain as the Halfling bid them inside. Maia looked up at the sign of the building that read: The Gnawed Adventurer's Inn. If the rats did find them, the sign might hold true after all. Once they were all inside, the Halfling shut the door and locked it before running behind the counter and poured three mugs of water. She placed it on a platter before handing them out to the trio.

"Something to wash it down, giants."

"Too right."

Valerius grabbed a mug and chugged the water in one go. Light, that was freaky. Never had he encountered an eyeball on top of a pile of excrement blink at him. Ugh, he's never getting that image out of his head. The Captain walked over to the counter and took a seat before setting down his empty mug. The Halfling walked behind the counter and hopped up on a stool facing him.

"You big folk are lucky I'm awake at this hour. Otherwise, those vermin would've swarmed you like everyone else in the district. No. The whole city."

"And with that, you have my thanks, miss... "

"Maeri Underhill."

"Miss Underhill. Though I have to ask, how'd you manage to survive this long? From what we heard from the survivors who escaped, the rats flooded the city faster than anything."

"I mostly kept quiet and took in anyone who passed by when the rats aren't around. I've housed a few survivors but they didn't want to stay. They said the rats will find them here and left." The halfling pouted and crossed her arms "They didn't even say 'Thank you' or 'Goodbye'. Just up and left. Hmph."

"Hey, now. At least you got us. Though we do have to leave too. You can come with us if you'd like." Maia added as she took a seat next to Valerius, setting her half empty mug down as well "But we're still looking for a way out, though."

"Hmm. I don't know." The Halfling replied with uncertainty "I mean. I've made it this long and I still have a lot of stuff here and oh... "

"It's alright, Miss Underhill."

Despite knowing that the Halfling was probably twice his age, Valerius couldn't help but ruffle her hair like a child. It didn't help that she looked like a child as well.

"We understand if you don't want to join us. Just be careful when we're gone, alright?"

"Of course."

"Might we stay for the night though?" Justinia asked as she set her helmet and Zweihänder down on a table "It's more dangerous to leave in the dead of night than the light of day."

"Certainly!"

The Halfling jumped off the stool she was standing on and led the trio upstairs. She showed them a room near the stairs which had the windows boarded shut. The trio hoped the rats don't notice the place but considering that Maeri has survived this long... They'll find out soon enough. Valerius sighed and lay his weapons on the bed before lying down himself. He held one of the Hand Cannons in his right while his left clutched the handle of his sword. Seeing him get situated, the Halfling led the two to the room next to it. Maia was the first to notice how large the bed was before flopping down on the mattress, not bothering to take off her weapons. Justinia chuckled before letting the Halfling show her the adjacent room. The Knight bid Maeri goodnight before leaning her Zweihänder on the bedpost before lying down on the surprisingly comfy bed. Before she left, the Halfling told them that her own room was the one adjacent to Valerius' before bidding them goodnight and heading for said room.

Despite the current situation they were in, the Skaven simply passed by the inn as they made their patrol on the streets of Ur. It wasn't until morning did the news of what happened to the trio reached Jaina's ears.

~Line Break~

Castle Feoh, The Capital

Jaina sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she finished reading the report from Ur. Captain Valerius, Lady Maia and Knight Justinia ordered for their soldiers to retreat from the city and seal the doors to prevent the Skaven from leaving the city at the cost of their own way out. She didn't want to believe that they were dead but their chances are slim to none. She prayed that they still drew breath. Light knows what manner of horror they face in that ruined city. She quickly sent out the order to have Ranger-General Sylvanas take over as commander of the Quarantine Detachment in Ur. The Archmage felt a hand rubbing her back gently and looked over her shoulder to see Prim trying to cheer her up, reassuring her with a quivering smile that threatened to break.

"Thank you, Prim."

"N-No problem."

The Archmage stood up and walked over to the balcony. She rested her hands on the balustrade and looked down at the Capital. Even with the quarantine, Jaina made sure to double the guards on everything. She didn't want to have another incident like Ur recurring so she had soldiers patrol the sewers and stationed many in the caverns deeper below. From what she learned from Elder Cain, the Skaven are malevolent and diabolical. Even to their own. Their numbers were numerous and carry the belief that the entire world is rightfully theirs. Every other race that is not Skaven is considered inferior. Fortunately, it seems they only came to Ur and not the other cities but how they did it is another question. The purple beams didn't appear as it did with everything else but Elder Cain said that the Skaven's Warpstone might have something to do with it. From what he gathered from a person that came from the same world as the Skaven, the Warpstones can do many things, most were still quite unknown, and the Skaven utilize it for almost everything they use. She will admit, the Skaven are technologically superior with these Warpstones, as evidenced by those Ratling Guns, Warpfire Throwers and many more. Ingenious, disgusting bastards but ingenious nonetheless.

Her eyes looked to distance, to the City of Ur. If the numbers of Skaven are truly numerous as Elder Cain says, can they even exterminate such a threat? Or is the City of Ur destined to fall in the corrupted and disease-ridden hands of the Skaven? Only time will tell and she hoped Arthas would return soon. After all, as Lord Admiral of Kul'Tiras, she will be the one to lead the Alliance Navy against the Blood Hook Pirate League. Someone had to lead the Alliance. The ships of the fleet were already built and docked at Port Haven in the south and the Alliance Marines were eager to quell this pirate threat. The sea is calling to her. Time to see if she still has her sea legs.

"Prim."

The pinkette perked up and made her way towards the Archmage.

"Yes, Jaina?"

"Would you like to accompany me to Haven? I'll be inspecting the Marine Barracks there and see our ships off."

"Of course. Just let me get my thi- " Prim stopped mid-sentence before looking down on her feet "I forgot that they're all back in Ur."

"Hey, now. Don't look so down." Jaina placed a comforting arm around the girl's shoulder as she led them out of the room "Little things like clothes and trinkets can easily be replaced. They're ordinary. You, on the other hand, are unique. There's only one of you out there, Prim. Be thankful you got out of there with your life intact."

"You're right, Jaina." But the pinkette brought a finger to her chin and looked up "But there was that nifty, shiny, gold lamp that cost me 99,999 Gold Coins. They said something magical would happen if I rub it but nothing has happened so far."

The Archmage halted in her tracks and looked down at the pinkette with wide eyes before shaking her head with a small laugh and continued on.

"Prim, we need to have a little talk about your spending habits... and the rather questionable merchants you buy trinkets from."

~Line Break~

The Walls of Ur

Sylvanas Windrunner made her way up the stairs that led to the top of the wall. When command of the Quarantine Detachment was transferred to her, she knew something bad happened to the previous commander. Add in Jaina's orders to bring more troops to reinforce the ones lost and the High Elf knew that today was going to be a terrible one. Once she reached the top of the wall and saw the full extent of the damage in the city, she wondered if anything other than the rats were still alive down there. Behind her, Rangers carried crates filled with bows and arrows and set them down in a neat pile near the stairs. More Rangers came up and did the same to different sections of the wall, resupplying the Archers and Crossbowmen with much needed arrows. As the Ranger-General looked at the city and wondered how long will the quarantine last, Sergeant Andrew approached her.

"Hail, Ranger-General." The Sergeant greeted.

"Hail, Sergeant. I hear you were part of the scouting party, correct?"

"Yes, milady."

"What did you find in there?"

"The whole place is a nightmare. We barely made it out alive, milady. The rats are everywhere. In every corner, alleyway, even in the rooftops."

"Is there a way they can get out?" The High Elf inquired "Holes in the walls, other entrances to the city and the like?"

"The other entrances were sealed off and guarded just like this one. They could use the sewers but we had all sewer exits sealed. We can't risk leaving them a way out."

"Good." Sylvanas looked back at the city and eyed the Skaven patrolling every street "Do you think there's a chance your former commanders survived the night and are still alive in there?"

"I can't say, General. But I believe Captain Valerius will find a way out. He's studied the city's layout and has been finding routes that could lead him to the western gate faster. That's the closest one from here, milady." The Sergeant explained "But to get there, he'll have to pass by the Market District. The Market Square was crawling with rats when we scouted the area. Those rats are the very same ones that were chasing us during our retreat."

"So there's hope that he's still alive, maybe with Maia and that Knight, as well." The High Elf muttered to herself before her eyes landed on the west wall. Turning to her second, she ordered her Rangers to reinforce the Archers and Crossbowmen at the west wall. If they would be heading for the west gate to escape, then they need all the help they can get. This would also give her the opportunity to see what kind of enemy the Skaven are. How fast they are or what tactics they use?

"Sergeant, what can you tell me about the vermin down there?"

While the Sergeant explained what he could, a small part in the back of her mind wondered what Falric was and how was he fairing.

~Line Break~

Outpost 7, Kühlschrank

"Captain, look."

Falric looked to were the Footman was pointing at and grimaced behind his helmet. The path that led to Outpost 7 was littered with headless, naked bodies impaled on pikes. If it hadn't been for the blizzard, the crows would have already feasted on the bodies. He spurred his horse forward up the path until he reached the entrance of Outpost 7. Three headless bodies were hanged by their ankles on the arch over the entrance.

The Captain climbed down his mount and walked over to the large set of doors before pushing it open. He cursed at the sight before him. More impaled bodies were left in the Outpost's courtyard. Some were piled into the corner while others were hanged on to places where they can be hanged. There were even bodies impaled on a large spiked ball. Bar from those bodies, all were headless and naked. His eyes landed on the unmistakable form of a barbarian. More were littered around, meaning that the Outpost's defenders managed to at least fight back. He heard his men behind him curse as they entered the Outpost.

"Men, search the whole area. See if there's any barbarians who decided to stay. Be on your guard. These hairy bastards are crafty."

The Footmen silently followed his order and scattered throughout the outpost. He walked over to the pile of bodies and knelt down on one knee to inspect them. Falric sneered in disgust when he noticed that parts of them were missing. A few even had bite marks on them. Human teeth by the looks of it.

'Bloody savages.'

Falric rose from the ground and made his way to the Outpost Commander's office. Once inside, he saw the room was trashed. Blood flooded the floor. Bodies of barbarians strewn about. Shelves were toppled. And the body of the Outpost Commander lie spread eagle on the table. His own blade buried in his chest and his severed head rest atop his abdomen.

"Captain."

Falric turned his gaze away from the corpse and looked to the Footman.

"What is it?"

"We found a survivor, sir. But... it doesn't look good. The Priest has done all he can."

"What happened?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself, sir."

The Captain nodded grimly before following after the soldier. As they made their way to the cellar, the Footmen were busy digging up graves or taking great care in bringing the bodies of their dead to the graves. They walked down a dimly lit staircase before reaching the cellar below. Two Footmen guarded the door nd saluted him before letting him inside. Once there, he was met with the sight of five dead barbarians. Still bleeding from the looks of it.

The Footman led him towards a woman sitting on crate while covering her bloody and naked body with a blanket. A Priest was next to her, doing his best to console her. Falric then turned to the Footman for answers.

"What happened, soldier?"

"We found her when we heard the screams. We ran as fast as we could and kicked the door down. Once we did, we saw three of the hairy bastards violating her while the other two were busy eating her severed forearm. We killed them as swiftly as we could but... " The Footman shook his head in dismay "They tortured and violated her since they came back for her. Light, she had so many bleeding scars we thought she would've died from blood loss. Turns out the bloody bastards wanted her for themselves and locked her in the cellar before returning this morning. Light, I dread to think the horrors she had to endure."

The Captain grunted in agreement before looking back at the young woman. She was clutching the blanket around her body but Falric could still see her stump. He shook his head and turned back to the Footman.

"Sergeant, I want you to give her everything she needs. Food, water, clothing. Anything. We'll bury the bodies then we leave. Outpost 7 is lost. The Prince must know. We'll take her with us back to Wolf's Den before sending her back to Eostia on the next supply convoy. She'll never have to see or think about Kühlschrank again."

"Understood, sir."

Falric watched him go before looking back at the poor woman.

'Light watch over her and give her the strength to live on. Light watch over us and give us the strength to slay the Barbarian King and his army. May their souls rot in the deepest, darkest depths of Hell.'