JJ: And so begins chapter 7. Good riddance to Cornelius. Writing about him just bored the heck out of me.
Karkon: I'm just glad I didn't have to do anything to kill that necromancer.
JJ: Haha. Indeed. In this chapter, we take a look back in the past.
Thorka: ...I feel weak...
JJ: Eh, deal with it. Disclaimer please.
Karkon: World of Warcraft does not belong to JJfats.
Chapter 7
Several days later, the trio were making their way back to Horde territory. The hike back to Ratchet was neither easy nor short. They had to cross the winding paths of the Thousand Needles, take the Great Lift up to the Barrens and make a weeks trek all the way to the Crossroads. From there, it would be smooth sailing all the way down to Ratchet. Unfortunately, weather was not on their side. The minute they sat foot over the border,they were greeted by a dust storm.It was getting late and the last rays of light were beginning to fade. It was almost certain that they would get lost in a storm at night, so they decided to make camp near the Feralas border.
Fortunately, by dawn the next day, the storm had subsided and the group was able to make good time. Although, the trio traveled in awkward silence. A hard-faced Nell led the group at the front, followed by Karkon, who was walking quite a distance behind the elf, and finally Thorka at the rear, confused as to why Karkon was avoiding the girl (He was unconscious half the time, remember).The trio arrived at Whitereach Post by noon, just before another storm began. They were greeted by a friendly faced tauren by the name of Mortega Firemane, who provided them with supplies and shelter from the oncoming storm.
The storm continued until nightfall. The group set up camp at the outskirts of the Horde outpost, kindly refusing the offer of lodging given by Firemane. Nell sat next to their campfire, while Karkon, still suspicious, sat at the opposite side of the fire, untrusting eyes never peering away from the girl for more than a second or two. Thorka was having a fascinating conversation with a goblin engineer about strange gizmos and the like.
After several more hours, Nell finally broke the silence. "You know, you are going to have to stop staring at me. Or do I have to help you do that too?" she asked, finally getting annoyed with the constant breach of privacy.
"What are you?" said the orc. That was surprisingly straightforward of him, thought Nell. He must have been really pissed when she revealed her true form.
"Its none of your business." Nell replied blandly before lying on the ground and rolling to her side, facing away from the orc. Karkon, wanting answers now, got up , strode over to the elf, and kicked her in the back, flipping her over so that she was facing him again.
"Ouch," she said in her usual flat tone. She was obviously faking it. The orc's kick was hard, but not hard enough to hurt someone in such high quality armor like Nell's. The orc reached down and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off the ground one handed. The elf showed no expression of surprise, pain or suffocation. She just continued to stare blankly at the orc with her crimson eyes, highlighted by the orange flames of the fire.
"You will tell me what you really are, and you will tell me NOW, girl." Karkon growled. This action finally caught Thorka's attention, who came rushing over.
"What are you doing, warrior? Put her down! She is your ally!" he shouted.
"My ally? I never considered her that. And now that she showed her true colors, I am even more doubtful of her than I ever was before. Do not stop me, druid. She will explain everything now!" the orc tightened his grip on the elf's neck, "Or I will snap her in half, like the little twig she is."
Obviously confused, Thorka continued to protest.
"This is madness, warrior. What do you mean by true colors? She has done no wrong! She-"
"Done nothing wrong?", roared Karkon, " There is something wrong with this girl! She harbours a great evil within her and I will not be in party with her until I know the truth!" As he finished, he threw the elf down. "Now, speak! What are you?"
"Enough!", yelled the druid. Stepping in between the orc and elf."I cannot just stand and watch as you beat on someone who refuses to fight back! I will not allow you to-"
"Stop it, druid" Nell cut in, picking her self up. She glared at Karkon. The orc could see the usual emotions in her eyes. Hate, resentment, anger, but wait...there was something else there. Karkon couldn't believe it. Was there a hint of sadness in those unforgiving, blood red eyes? "Fine. I can't hide it anymore. I will tell you my story. I hope that after that, you will stop looking at me as if I had just grown another head."
Karkon was stunned that Nell had agreed to it so easily. He stood there opened mouthed for a moment or two before nodding. Nell sighed and began telling her story.
"Let us start from the beginning. I am Nellera Brightarch, the youngest of five siblings.The Brightarch line is long and respected, spanning back around twelve generations."
"Twelve elven generations of paladins? That is a long time." Thorka commented. Karkon remained silent. He knew that the elf did not like to be cut off like that. He was right, of course. Nell sighed again in annoyance at the interruption, but kept her anger in check.
"Yes indeed, druid. Twelve elven generations is a long time, but I did not say that my family was respected for being blood knights. My kind only began following the ways of the Light fifteen years ago. Heck, even the humans did not have paladins back then.", she replied, putting a certain edge in her voice. Thorka got the picture and remained silent. Nell continued.
"No, my ancestors were not paladins. The Brigharch name was respected for their spell casters. Mages, priests, warlocks, battle-casters, anything to do with magic." Nell emphasized 'spell casters', her voice full of malice.
"I'm guessing that you were the first to break the blood line," queried the orc. Nell stared at Karkon for a moment. He knew better than to interrupt her. She then realized that the orc was trying to test her patience. In a way, she couldn't blame him. Therefore, she held her tongue.
"Correct, I am the very first of my line to not become a spell caster. In truth, I was born with the affinity with the Holy Light. My family had decided then that I would become a priestess for the rest of my life." The elf gave out yet another sigh and continued, "I was young and naive then. I did not wish to be kept in a temple,fasting five times a week and healing everyone with a scratch. I always had the dream of seeing the world outside the Silvermoon gates. Luckily for me, three years after my birth, the academy of blood knights was introduced."
"And you immediately joined?" asked Thorka. Nell shook her head, disappointed.
"I was only three summers old back then. Were you not listening to a thing I was saying?" the tauren looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"No,it was thirteen years later. Lady Liadrin approached my family and requested that I would personally train under her guidance. My family, of course refused, but they had no right to speak for me.They had no power in the presence of the lady. Only I could decide, and obviously, I accepted her offer."
"What did your family say about that?" asked the orc, raising an eyebrow. Nell winced.Karkon could tell that the elf really did not want to talk about the next part. He decided that he shouldn't push her too far, although he wanted to find out what really happened. He figured it would be enough for now, but before he could say anything,Nell, to the orc's utmost surprise,continued her story.
"My family was furious." She said. There was a slight hint of sadness in her voice. Her expression looked as if she was going to burst into tears at any second, but it was only for a moment. She immediately recovered and continued in her same arrogant tone again.
"My parents disowned me the next day. I was kicked out of my home by my own blood kin. My father, mother, and my three sisters sent me out the door without sympathy or remorse." Karkon was surprised at the new information. He had always thought that the elf had been a spoiled, rich brat who one day decided to leave home for a life filled with adventure. Instead, her true story was actually much similar to his own. He too had been exiled from his clan.
"I wandered around Silvermoon, not knowing what to do next. I should have reported to Lady Liadrin, but I did not have the courage to tell her back then. Finally, as the last light of the day began to die, I met my brother." Karkon and Thorka both raised an eyebrow. Nell ignored them.
"My brother was the oldest among us siblings. He was a successful mage and had long ago moved out of my family's home and had purchased one for himself. Unlike my parents and sisters, my brother took the time to listen to my story. On top of that, he offered me shelter in his home. So to me, my brother is also like my Savior."
A smile played across Nell's face. For the first time in his life, Karkon saw Nell gave a genuine smile. Not the insane, psychotic , blood lusting smile she had in battle, but a real smile. A happy smile.
10 Years Ago...
Another soft whimper was heard from the other room. Viridiel Brightarch sighed. She was still crying? He guessed it was to be expected. Their parents had disowned her and kicked her out of her home. It must have been hard for her to accept it. Viridiel had encountered his youngest sister by the fountain near the palace. She had told him her story, of how she had accepted Lady Liadrin's offer and how badly she was treated by her own family. Deep within him, Viridiel felt a great disgust for his family. How could they do that to their own daughter? Just because she wanted to be different. It was her choice, her life, not theirs. They had no right whatsoever to have done that to her.
For a moment, Viridiel thought about having a talk with his father to make him take back his words and forgive Nell. He immediately dropped the idea. It would be of no use. Old Anetelas Brightarch was a strict and vigorous man, like all Brightarchs before him. He shared their ancestors ambition to have a family lineage of pure spell casters. Now that Nellera had spoiled that, their father could not live with the shame. Viridiel sighed once more. His family sure was terrible.
Finally putting his ink quill down, Viridiel decided that he should have a talk with his sister. He really wanted to finish writing his book, but he knew that family came first. As he entered the room, he noticed that she was still curled in a fetal position in the same corner since she arrived here. She did not even look up a Viridiel entered the room. She just continued to sob and sulk. 'She must be even more depressed than I thought. This might take awhile.' Cautiously, he approached the girl.
"Nellera, your still crying?" he asked. It was obvious that she still was, but he asked anyway.
"J-just leave me alone." she replied, in between sobs.
"Come now, sister. You have to put this behind you eventually."
"Could you handle this situation that easily?!" Nell shouted, finally lifting up her head. Tears were streaming down from her crimson eyes. "You don't know what it is like! You were always father's favorite! How would you know how it is like!?" Viridiel was stunned into silence. She was right. He did not know how it must have felt like to her. Nell was the black sheep of the family. Not only did she stain the Brightarch family name, she didn't even have the eyes of a blood elf.
"No, I don't know how you feel." he admitted. "But I can tell you one thing. I am proud of your decision. Father and mother may not be, but I am." Nell looked at her brother in utter surprise. She had thought that her brother had taken her in out of pity.
"It is your life, Nellera. Not theirs. They cannot make decisions for you. You chose to be different. So what? You are still my sister and I will always love you." as he finished, he could see that Nell had softened up a little.
"I'm sorry, brother. I spoke out of turn." she apologized solemnly. Viridiel smiled and pat her on the head.
"It is alright. Come now, sister. You can slumber in my room. I will stay in the living room." he offered.
"N-no, you are to generous, brother. I can't possibly take your room! My training takes two years!"
"Nonsense. I have been living in a cave for ten years while I was an initiate into the college of magic! Compared to that, this living room is luxury!" he said with a smile. Nell shivered as he mentioned that. She had heard about her brother's ten year isolation. It was said that all mages needed to do it to become a full fledged blood mage.
"A-alright brother, but I will repay your hospitality one day! When I become a blood knight!" with that, she left for her brother's room. After she was gone, Viridiel laid back on the expensive red velvet sofa. It really was more comfortable than the cave floor. He closed his eyes and dozed off, smiling as he dreamed of his father's expression if Nell really did become famous.
8 years ago...
Viridiel Brightarch put down his ink quill. He had finally completed his third book on the mysteries of the arcane. Over the past two years, his previous volumes had been invaluable to the college of magic, gaining him a reputation which rivaled that of his own family's.
He gave himself a satisfied smile. He wasn't the only one who had made a reputation for himself. Over the past two years, Nellera had excelled in her own studies. She was at the top of her class and was Lady Liadrin's favorite student. Today was a big day for Nell. It was the day of her graduation test. Viridiel peered at the arcane clock hanging on the wall. It was ten minutes to noon. He made his way to Nell's room. (Previously his) The girl was still cuddled under the bed sheets, fast asleep. Viridiel sighed inwardly. She had matured a lot during the two years of her training, but she was still his ditzy little sister.
With a wave of his hand, a ball of pulsing light appeared. As it slowly floated towards the sleeping elf, Viridiel quickly retreated out of the room and covered his ears. A moment later, a deafening explosion was heard. Even though he was covering his ears, they still hurt. Viridiel reentered the room to see Nell lying in a heap on the floor. She picked herself up and glared angrily at her brother.
"Brother! I thought I told you to stop using that trick on me!" she yelled. Viridiel just laughed.
"Haha. I know, Nellera, but I could not help myself."
"Jeez."
"Anyway, If you want me to stop doing that, you should learn to wake yourself up." Nell just sighed.
"Yes brother...What time is it anyway."
"Five minutes to noon." Nell gaped at her brother before rushing out the door like a rabid wolverine. "Tell me that sooner! Your an idiot, brother!" she yelled as she ran. Viridiel heard the front door slam close as he exited Nell's room. A playful grin crept across his face.
"Good luck, Nellera." He whispered before pulling on his cloak and setting off to submit his latest piece of work to the college of magic.
Later that day, as Viridiel expected, Nellera passed the test with flying colors. Both he and her were invited by Lady Liadrin to the Silvermoon inn to celebrate the graduation of the latest batch of blood knights. At the feast, Nell had told him about the test. She was sent to the an island in the Ghostlands to light a fire on an old brazier. When she did, a blood knight by the name of Sangrias Stillblade jumped out of hiding and attacked her. Nell had easily overpowered him but had also accidentally killed him in the process. Nell said that she had panicked and began to drag his body all the way back to Silvermoon. Lady Liadrin was genuinely surprised when Nell returned, dragging a dead body with her. Apparently, she was supposed to leave the body there and allow other blood knights to retrieve it later.
Nellera was later told to collect some essence from the light creature which was hidden under the blood knight academy. Nellera' description of the creature was amusing. It did not have a constant shape, yet it was pulsing with life. She said it was something called a naaru. After that, with the essence, Nellera was able to resurrect knight Stillblade. Dieing and coming back from the dead did not seem appealing to Viridiel. His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted knight Stillblade in a corner, looking as if he was going to throw up.
The following day, Nell announced to Viridiel that she would be leaving Silvermoon to begin her adventures. Although saddened by the news, he knew that this day would eventually come, and thus, he was prepared for it. He made a mistake by telling his father about it. Viridiel should have known better. When he told his family about Nellera leaving Silvermoon, the all scoffed and said good riddance. Viridiel left their home furiously. They still hadn't accepted Nellera's wishes. Even after her two year absence.
A week later, Nellera was all prepared to depart. She and four of her fellow blood knights were to depart on foot to the Undercity, crossing through the dreaded Plaguelands. It was a perilous journey, but somehow, Viridiel knew that she could handle it. He was at the front gates of Silvermoon to see her off. Giving her a tight hug before she left.
Viridiel Brightarch returned to his quarters. He held his head high, both proud and happy for his little sister. Little did he know, that they were both being shadowed.
"Come on Nell! We aren't making good time!" shouted Nero Dawnsong. One of the graduates who was accompanying Nell.
"I'm coming already! Jeez!" she retorted. Nell was lagging behind the group. Not because she had less stamina to keep up, but because she thought that they were being followed. It was unnerving. Anything could be following them in the dreaded Plaguelands. They had already encountered various kinds of monstrosities ranging from the typical undead zombie to the huge disgusting abominations that roamed the land. With all these obstructions in the way, there was no way that they could reach the Undercity by the appointed time.
Nell caught up with the rest of the group. They too, were on their guard. They had been ambushed several times and all of them had come close to death at least once on this journey. She examined her companions and tried to recall what had happened so far. Nero was a great fighter, but he was also the brains of the group. It was as if every enemy weakness and map were branded right into his skull. Following close behind him was Coria Boughstrider, the only other female in the group apart from Nell. Her left eye was swathed in bandages. When the group was fighting an abomination, Coria had severed a limb which sprayed acid blood onto her eye. The wound was sadly unhealable. Nell winced as she tried to imagine how painful it might have felt. The last two were twins by the name of Althaniar and Arthoriar Morningray. They were inseparable. They did everything together. They always fought back-to-back, creating a nigh invincible defense. All of them were armed with long blades and a mithril shield, apart from Coria, who wielded a wicked looking lance.
That night, the group set up camp on the outskirts of Darrowshire, a town ravaged and crumbled by the undead. Nell shivered as the last rays of light disappeared. The undead were more active at night. Further more, they were going to start a camp fire which would obviously alert the dead to their presence, but it was necessary or the paladins would freeze to death. Coria offered to take first watch, as usual, while the twins fell asleep almost instantly. Nero took out his quill and papers and began writing his report for the day. In truth, they were all supposed to write one too, but only Nero was hard working enough to keep up to date with his work. Nell figured that she had better start writing her own report soon.
Movement caught Nell's eye, but by the time she spun around to inspect what it was, whatevr had caused the disturbance had disappeared. She could have sworn that something was there.
"Jumpy, aren't you?" asked Nero, who had noticed Nell peering suspiciously at the surrounding. Nell sighed.
"I can't shake the feeling that something is out there. Watching us." she replied.
"There is always something out there watching us." Nero said, dully.
"Too true..." Nell stood up intending to walk over to her pack and retrieve a bottle of water. The minute she stood up, a crossbow bolt whizzed past her head, so close that it cut off a few strands of her hair. The bolt had narrowly missed her, but Althaniar was not so lucky. He was still asleep when the bolt pierced his skull and punctured his brain. Coria and Nero sprang to their feet, scrambling for their weapons. Arthoriar, on the other hand, was kneeling beside his brother's corpse, a look of shock on his face.
After closer inspection, Nell saw their assailants. They were tall and lithe and wore heavy cloaks which shrouded their body. Long scarfs were wrapped around their heads, obviously to conceal their identity. They were obviously not dead as well. Nell guessed that these were the people whom she caught glimpses of while they were traveling. Nell charged at her foes, not looking behind to see if her fellow knights were following her. The ferocious war cry that pierced the air confirmed that for her and she was filled with a sense of reassurement for she knew that someone had her back.
The sounds of battle were ringing all around him, but to Arthoriar, they were nothing but faint clangs in the distance. His brother was dead. No, that could not be. He and Althaniar had been inseparable since birth. They had played together, laughed together, cried together, joined the academy together, graduated together. They had the same life. If Althaniar was dead, then...
Arthoriar just stood there in shock. Tears were streaming down his face as he sobbed uncontrollably. The last thing Arthoriar Morningray heard was the whizzing of another crossbow bolt right before it lodged itself right in between his eyes.
Nell screamed with rage as she saw Arthorir die. She had liked the twins. They were always cheerful and happy and always thinking of the finer things in life. Now they were dead. She ducked a blow from one of her assailants and jabbed her sword into his gut. A gurgling scream ripped through the night. Nell finished of her opponent and turned to look for the source of the shriek. Her eyes widened as she saw Coria fall, two daggers in her back, buried to the hilt. With one last act of defiance, she threw her lance which impaled another opponent and pinned him to a giant mushroom. Coria managed a weak smile before she herself died.
Anger filled the paladin. She let out a scream an started slashing left and right. Where ever her blade went, blood was spilt. Strings of brilliant crimson smeared Nell's face, weapon and armor. A cloud of red filled her vision. Her body began to move on its own, as if acting on instinct. Nell could feel more and more adrenaline pumping through her veins.Finally, there were not more than ten of their assailants left. Nero was fending off three of them at once. Nell moved to aid him, but was blocked by another two.
Nell raised her sword and brought it down as hard as she could. Her opponent lifted his own blade to parry, but the old blade shattered as it made contact with Nell's new, high-quality sword. Her blade bit into her opponents shoulder and severed his entire limb off. Nell ignored him and charged at the other figure blocking her way. This assassin was quicker though, and managed to barely dodge Nell's lunge. The tip of her blade caught the assassin's scarf and ripped it off.
Nell stared, wide-eyed in surprise. What stood before her was not human, troll or undead at all. The assassin was a blood elf! Just like her and her fellow blood knights. A heavy blow from behind made Nell stumble. Her vision began to blur and she could barely stand. She tried to recover, but another blow to the back of her head stopped her in her tracks. As Nell fell forward, losing consciousness. The last thing she saw was Nero's arm being ripped from it's socket.
To be continued...
JJ: And so concludes chapter 7. Flash back has not ended yet. Which is pretty sad in my opinion. There isa new character I wanna add and this flashback is killing me...
Xante: That character is gonna be me right? Right?
JJ: No...not you...
Xante: Come one! At least give me a hint! I wanna know who is gonna get the role... (So I can backstab him and take his place. Hehehe)
JJ: I saw that dude...You know, I am typing all this stuff out...
Xante:...whoops...
JJ: Anyway, please look forward to next chapter. Flames/Consturctive Crit. both allowed.