Weeks had passed since the Scarlets captured the city of Stratholme, and the situation had turned dire for the zealous crusaders.
The crusaders failed to capture the gauntlet with their initial assault, which left half of the city in the hands of Baron Rivendare and his undead forces. The baron had since then prepared his forces to push out the living from the city of Stratholme.
Alexandros had been called off to the city of Tyr's Hand to train the next group of crusaders. In his absence, Alexandros had placed a force of twenty crusaders at Alonsus Chapel under the leadership of the paladin Aurius Rivendare.
The forces of the living were able to keep the undead within the gauntlet, but a series of events would soon change the situation for all the living within the city of Stratholme.
Upon capturing Market Row and King's Square the crusaders were meet with a quite the sight. Survivors from the prince's culling and later undead attack walked out of their ruined houses and greeted the crimson soldiers. They went on and cheered them, hailing their supposed saviors.
But on the orders of Saiden Dathrohan and High Inquisitor Isillien were the surviving civilians brought before the Crimson Legion. The Grand crusader walked down to the surviving people and looked them over. He did not look happy. Meanwhile the High Inquisitor looked suspicious of the survivors, questioning how they could have survived for so long.
The grand crusader ordered the group of survivors into Crusader Square and surrounded the group with his own soldiers. Some of the survivors looked around, unsure of what is about to happen.
"In our fight against the undead most we always be on guard. Our enemy has taken on the shape of rotting undead. As our High Inquisitor has experienced, can the enemy take on the form of living people, due to the fact their flesh has not rotten yet"
Gasps came from the soldiers and the majority of them looked at the survivors in the middle of the group. All of them look fine and healthy, but it could be an undead trick. Saiden spoke again and pointed at the large group of survivors. Many of the people in the group looked scared and unsure what to think of these crimson soldiers.
"Only our enemy fears us. Only the wicked sees us as a threat. Look at these people, do they look like they see us as their friends? As their allies? Survivors? Ha, Arthas culled the city, Rivendare finished the job and now we clean up the mess"
With that Saiden lowered his hand and made an order that would forever scar the crusaders for the rest of their life. He ordered them to kill the heretics.
At first the Crusader's did not do as their leader commanded, but that soon changed when the High Inquisitor came into view. Isillien cursed at the men and striked out at one of those who had not followed the order and punished him with the light. The "weakling" as Isillien called him fell on his knees and could do nothing as the High Inquisitor burned him with the light.
"Watch what happen to those that defy the Crusade, to those who defy the Light! By the Light be purged from this world"
The poor crusader fell to the ground, his body turning ablaze from holy fire. The men looked on as one of their comrades burned and turned back to look at the supposed "survivors", who were looking at the scene in shock.
"Only the wicked fear us"
With that Crusader Alan stormed forward with the two-handed sword in hands, and cut down the nearest person, a child who were not older than ten. The people around him screamed and the mother fell to the ground, crying at her fallen child. Her cries were short, as another came from behind and cut her head clean off. It was Aliya who had done the deed.
With that the remaining crusaders stormed the "survivors" and more screams were heard. Soon enough their screams ended and the blood of the Stratholme survivors ran across Crusader's Square. All the crusaders looked at the work they had done for the light.
Saiden ordered the crusaders to place all of the bodies in a giant pile so they could burn the corpses. Once again, the majority of the men did nothing, but some of the men followed Saiden's orders immediately.
One of those were Alan and Aliya. Alan picked up the child he had killed in cold blood and slung him over his shoulder. He walked over to the mother and decided to drag her along.
"We did this for the Light. They were all enemies of the Light, enemies of Lordaeron"
Alan put down the two and lied them down on the ground. He turned around and immediately saw the one who had killed the mother, Aliya, drag another corpse to where the crusader had decided to form the pyre. He looked at her and nodded as he passed her. By now more had joined them, but some remained back.
The ones who stayed back glared at the crusaders who were picking up the dead. Alan sighed and continued to pick up the people. Isillien preached before the men making the pyre, talking loud enough for all in the square to hear.
"Remember the virtues men. Compassion, Honor and Tenacity. You showed these poor souls compassion by ending their lives before they could do anymore sin. You honor them now by preparing their funeral pyre and you show your tenacity by ignoring the guilt that has befallen your weaker brethren"
Isillien stated at the group who did nothing as he said the last part and sighed before looking back at the people forming the pyre. The High Inquisitor looked happy at the work they had done. They had purged all the heretics from Stratholme. This was a great victory.
Alan picked up the last of the dead, a young man, no more than nineteen. He slung the person over his shoulder and immediately something fell to the ground. He knelt down to pick up the item. It was a necklace with a picture at the end.
He put the corpse at the pyre and opened the necklace. Inside was a picture of a woman and a picture of a child. It had a text below the picture.
"My love and my kin. The two things that's worth everything to me" - James Blackriver
Alan shook his head and threw the necklace on the pyre. He looked around and found the child in the necklace but did not see the women. That is when someone tabs him on the shoulder.
It was the woman.
She stood before him, clad in crimson armor, just like he was. She smiled at him and nodded, before looking at the pyre. She saw where he had thrown the necklace and picked it up once more. She looked hearth broken, ready to break. He lowered down to hear and whispered in her ear.
"Do not let them see you like this. I am truly sorry for your loss, but do not show weakness before the Upper Echelon"
With that the women looked back at him and nodded. She turned around and went back to the group of crusaders. Saiden Dathrohan stepped forward and handed Alan a torch. The grand crusader looked at the crusader with a serious look and nodded at him.
"Do your duty before the Light"
Without hesitation Alan lowered the torch and lit the corpses on fire. He turned as Saiden spoke up, yelling out to all nearby.
"Today we have purged the weak from Stratholme! Today we have shown the light our determination and that we will not stop before anything or anyone! The Light wills it!"
"THE LIGHT WILLS IT!"
The Crusader roared, with exception of the group who did not participate in the slaughter and burning of the people. Saiden decided to walk back inside of the bastion, followed by Isillien. The Grand Crusader declared the two of them had a lot to discuss.
What was said never left the bastion, but the result was immediate. Half of the men who did not aid in on the slaughter were punished, reminded who they served, and demoted to the lowest rank possible.
The other half were decimated. Three days following the burning, it had been revealed that an assassination attempt on Isillien had happened, and some of those who defied Dathrohan had gotten into a fight with Aliya.
Dathrohan put his foot down and took every tenth man and smashed their chest in with his mighty war-hammer. Once more a pyre was made, and once more Isillien smirked. They were culling the weak for the greater good.
A lot of ranks needed to be filled in the wake of the executions and battles.
Immediately Alan and Aliya had been singled out for these ranks.
The man who swung first at the group of survivors were given the rank of Captain, given five men and were told to patrol the city of Stratholme on a regular basis. The mans skill with a two-handed had not gone unnoticed by the grand crusader, and were now testing him to see what exactly this crusader were capable of.
The second to swing her sword were awarded the rank of Sergeant-Verdone. Someone needed to train the men, make them into proper soldiers of the light, proper crusaders of the light. Isillien saw how quick Aliya joined in, how quickly she saw the light, and convinced Dathrohan to give her the rank.
With that the first week of Dathrohan's Stratholme campaign had passed, and it was about to turn for the worse for the crusaders.
One day everything seemed to go wrong for the Crusaders.
Scourge movement outside the city had started to concentrate around what is now known as plaguewood. The undead forces were preparing to attack the city, and the crusaders knew of it.
The day of their assault came, and it is a day that still horrifies most who survived the day.
Baron Rivendare started the assault by attacking the people at Alonsus's Chapel in full force. He saw Aurius and laughed.
"Time for you to rejoin your family"
The scourge pushed forward but the shield bearers held. The vast undead army tried to push, but the men were able to keep the undead within the small alleyway leading into the gauntlet. The old baron joined in on the battle and immediately cut down one of the twenty soldiers.
"Witness the might the Lich King has bestowed upon me!"
Battle ensued with a duel between Aurius and the Baron.
Outside an enormous force of undead, eight times that of the Crusaders within Stratholme, had gathered and were now ready to strike the city. The Crusaders prepared their barricades and formed their lines, when the nightmare came.
A loud scream was heard across the land, soldiers pressed their hands to their ears in vain to reduce the sound. The sound came from above and out of blue air a Necropolis arrived.
But it was no ordinary Necropolis. Naxxramas had come.
Arch-Lich Kel'Thuzad had risen the mighty fortress in the wast emptiness of Northrend, when he was still but a simple necromancer, from the fallen kingdom of Azjul'nerub. Inside the lich had started many horrors, many experiments and now he was ready to unleash it. He was ready to show these crusaders the might of Ner'Zhul.
Thousands of undeads joined the already vast undead forces. Death Knights lead the undead into the city and stormed the barricades. Their numbers were endless, their fear non-existing and their strength unmatched.
The crusaders cut down as many as they possibly could, but soon they were overwhelmed by the undead forces. The front Soldiers tried to retreat but were cut down by the advancing undead. The crusaders retreated inside of the city, fighting their way towards Crusader Square.
Unfortunately for the crusaders, this meant the road to Market's Row and this meant the people at Alonsus were now exposed. The undead stormed in the direction and Aurius saw it before it was too late. He summoned the light and managed to blind the undead forces around him. He ordered a retreat inside of Alonsus's Chapel where something interesting happened.
Aurius managed to enter the place with five people. They all prepared for the undead assault, but it never came. The undead tried to enter, but never managed to do so. It was as if something outside prevented them from going further physically.
Baron Rivendare growled. He yelled out for the people inside of the chapel.
"Hide in there as cornered dogs as you like but remember this! We will keep watch of this place. If any of you ever leave this Chapel, he or she will join the scourge!"
With that the Baron summoned his charger and rode it into battle. He commanded the undead forces from the gauntlet, leaving a hundred back to watch the chapel, and took the rest, atleast a thousand strong, and moved towards Crusader Square, hoping to cut the Crusaders off.
Unfortunately for him, the crusaders had already reached pathway leading into Crusader's Square. The baron prepared to lead an all-out assault on the pathway, when he was ordered to stop.
Kel'Thuzad had ordered him and his scourge to stop. He did not know why and disliked the idea, but if Kel'Thuzad decided to keep the human alive, then there is a reason behind it.
The Baron would leave the undead mass to roam the city, running around wild, while he would strike terror into the pockets of living in the plaguelands. He would return to Stratholme soon enough, but for now he had been ordered to ride out and search for the living.
Despite the losses of both men and ground were Saiden and Isillien still high in both morale and zealotry. they welcomed this challenge from the undead and prepared to strike back at their besiegers.
But it would be a strike without Isillien. Saiden had ordered the High Inquisitor to the west, telling him to prepare the west for what was to come, spreading the words of the crimson light. A guard of five veteran crusaders escorted the High Inquisitor and they all miraculously managed to slip out of undead held Stratholme.
Little did they know it set up by Kel'Thuzad and Saiden. Saiden needed the High Inquisitor away from the city for the next part of the dreadlord's plan, and Kel'Thuzad was happy to reduce the number of defenders inside of the city, who were now no more than a hundred and fifty strong and he would do anything Saiden said, if it ended as he had promised.
He had promised him the death of Alexandros Morgraine.
The paladin had been a thorn in the scourge's side ever since he crafted the Ashbringer. Wherever the paladin went, burned undead and cheering soldiers followed. The crusaders had given him the nickname, Scourge of the Scourge, as he slew them in thousands singlehandedly.
The lich had already started to make plans for the fallen knight. He intended to form a force of four riders and Alexandros would make a perfect fourth rider. He already had the three others.
But he had to wait. The Lich new he needed inside aid to kill the mighty Ashbringer and therefore waited for the signal Saiden would give him.
But that didn't matter. He would wait years if it meant he would get his fourth rider.