This story is rated M for some language, some adult themes and violence.))
Through the Hour Glass
A World of Warcraft fanfic
By Heidi Cautrell
Part 5
The next week was spent fighting daily and moving ever closer to the Gates of Ahn'Qiraji. The two friends thought of nothing but the next swing of their sword, or the next spot to pitch their tent. Many Silithid died, yet twice as many were there the next day and twice as many as that the day after. Fatigue engulfed the battalions, sucking the morale from the very heart of the soldiers, weakening their determination and will to live. The casualties were monstrous.
On the tenth day of battle, Xyra, Gelles and Allorna were scouting a rock outcropping around noon. It was a foolish mistake that would have cost them their lives if any of them had gone alone.
A scraping noise drew Gelles' attention to the top of the closest rock. The boulder was several hundred feet across and at least eighty feet high. A fine dusting of sand trickled from the edge as the human-turned-elf watched the edge. Slowly pulling just right on her mounts reigns, Gelles had the saber back up slowly until she could see the top more clearly. A shadow flicked out of view before Gelles could get a proper look. She whistled sharply.
Allorna came toward her from the left and Xyra from the right, both wearing identical expressions of caution. Gelles pointed to the top of the boulder. The mother and daughter nodded. They both turned their mounts in time to see a group of seven blackly colored dragonkin rush from the shadows of the rock. A faint golden glow from the shade told them a portal had been opened.
The three grouped up and drew their swords in together. Gelles said tautly, "The Infinite Dragonflight. See the flaking black skin? And the bright blue glow between the cracks in their hands and feet. Kill them quickly before they can undo anything."
The other two nodded grimly, then prepared to meet the charging creatures. Several of them were racing along on four legs while they had two arms full of weapons. Others had hands shimmering with dark magics.
Xyra's lips curled in a nasty smile as she watched her opponents come. "I'll take the casters." With that she slipped into the shadows and slid from her saber's back. She knew the beast would fight along side its mate, whom Gelles rode, so she wasn't worried it would bolt.
Waiting until the creatures neared, Xyra edged around the outside and the struck as one of the casters paused to chant a spell. Slamming her sword into the back of the creatures neck, Xyra used her dagger to probe for the heart, spine or some vital organ. The creature shrieked and twisted, clawing at Xyra's throat.
It finished its incantation just before Xyra' slit its throat. Shadow magic slammed into Xyra's shoulder, burning and numbing her left arm. Swearing at her own stupidity, Xyra slipped back into stealth and went for the other caster.
Gelles swung her sword about her, using two hands to wield the giant blade, jabbing and slashing expertly at the three dragons who had surrounded her. Her armor protected her well, though a cut on her cheek was burning and throbbing fiercely. She took the time to mutter a small healing spell to stop the distracting pain, but it almost cost her a limb for her trouble.
Allorna was not only laying about her with her dual swords, but she was using her feet and her saber's protective instincts to lay into the dragonkin. A fierce grin, much like her daughter's, touched Allorna's lips. The two dragons snarled and snapped as they attacked with pike and claws. A parry from each sword took care of the first few attacks until the creatures wised up and tried other tactics. An unexpected thrust from the jagged edged pike, required both swords to parry. Taking advantage of this opening, the other beast slashed under Allorna's right arm with sharp claws, opening furrows that bled instantly, coating Allorna's side with sticky red.
Screaming her rage, Allorna kicked the one with the pike, then jabbed her sword up through its chin and into the brain. The other creature went for the kill only to be knocked to its back, throat torn out with a savage wrench of powerful saber jaws. Allorna's mount snarled and spit out the burning black blood that now coated its mouth. Jerking her blade from the dragon she just skewered, Allorna turned to give her saber praise, only to watch in horror as a shadow bolt slammed into the furred face, knocking the saber onto its back where it lay quivering and then went still.
Xyra's blade was just in time to stop the second caster from killing her mother with a second shadowbolt. She took of the caster's head half off its neck, using her sword and dagger, slicing from opposite directions. She frowned at her mother, who stumbled to her fallen mount's side.
A groan from Gelles, had Xyra racing toward her friend. Gelles had downed one dragon, but if the red spots all over her armor were any indication, the other two were finding her weaknesses too quickly for Gelles to keep up. Doing a running leap, Xyra landed on the back of one dragonkin and began slicing away at its neck and back. Free to ignore the now flailing dragon, Gelles focused on the other. She parried a few sword thrusts and then raised her sword with both hands, slammed it home with all her might, shearing the dragon's chest armor in half as she cut in between neck and shoulder, her sword stopping at the base of the ribcage.
Burning black splattered along Gelles neck, scalding her as black spots swam before her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she wiped off the tar like blood and healed the burn as her hand passed over it. Glancing at Xyra, who was cleaning her daggers on the fallen dragon, she saw no obvious injuries. A soft groan from Allorna pulled Gelles' attention to the commander who was now almost prone across her fallen mount. Blood soaked almost all of her armor by that time and was pooling on the sand by her right hip.
Cleaning her sword with a bandage from her belt, Gelles raced over to Xyra's mother. Finally sheathing her great sword, the former paladin fell to her knees. Allorna looked paler than usual from the loss of so much blood. Gently pushing away the hand clenched over the sliced open wound, Gelles grimaced. Four deep, wide claw marks had shredded the chain mail under Allorna's arm and dug all the way to the bone. With gentle hands, she began to heal the deep cuts.
Once finished, Gelles reached for a fallen saddlebag that was a foot beyond her fingertips. Almost rising to her feet, she found the bag nosed into her hand by one of the forgotten mounts. The pair had black blood stains around their furred mouths and down their necks. Perhaps another wave of dragonkins had arrived and these two had dispatched them. Making a mental note to give them extra raw meat when they returned to camp, Gelles took out food and water for Allorna.
"You'll need to gain all that blood back that you lost," she said as she helped Allorna drink. Nodding, the commander slowly began to eat bread and cheese.