Chapter 3: The Harbingers
A pale white clawed hand shot out from black abyss and grasped the edge of the portal. It's wrist was wrapped in some kind of jeweled shackle. Another hand came out and grasped the other side of the portal. Then, the ghastly looking dread lord yanked himself from the portal releasing a viscous vampiric howl. He didn't look like an average dread lord. He was much larger, slightly smaller than a devilsaur, and his muscles were abnormally large. He was brutishly hunched over and his muscles bulging out from his beastly armor. His face was much more demonic than a typical dread lord. His horns were jagged and unruly and he had multiple slobbery fangs going up and down his crisp lips. This was no ordinary dreadlord. A look of sinister satisfaction corrupted his face as he saw the Horde and Alliance. Several more similar dreadlords erupted from the portal before their apparent leader exited the portal. He was larger than the typical dread lord, but not as burly and monstrous as the others, but his armor was much more extravagant and a dark aura engulfed him. His face was indescribably horrific looking. His claws, fangs, and claws were surprisingly long and jagged and his wings stretched wide with sharp tips and rips in the membrane
"I have returned!" called a horrific demonic voice as the leading dread lord hovered above his underlings.
"It is I, Varimathras! I bet you thought you were rid of me didn't you foolish mortals!" howled the dreadlord as he faced the Horde. Sylvanas step forward gripping her bow tightly.
'Varimathras you chaniving bastard! You were killed after your and that traitor Putress-"
"Shut your tongue you wench! I can't belive I spent all those miserable years in that damn sinkhole just to be killed by you and your miserable allies!…Well…almost killed." snickered the dreadlord.
"A sliver of my entity survived and was brought back to my realm where I was reborn into my new perfected form by my most generous master! His only request is that I rid you miserable mortals of this pitiful dump you call a world…I was more than happy to oblige!" roared Varimathras.
"Attack my minions! Show these miserable creatures the true force of the Nathrezim! Kill them all!" commanded Varimathras. On cue, the dreadlord brutes charged into the Horde and Alliance forces, running like apes using their large gangly arms to thrust themselves forward.
"Horde! Send these wretched demons back to the hell hole they crawled from!" boomed Thrall as he charged with his forces.
"Alliance, let's show these demons that mortals are not a breed to be trifled with!" yelled Varian as him and his forces assaulted the demons.
Though the rest of the Horde was fighting the demons, Sylvanas had charged past the brutes and assaulted Varimathras alone.
"I should have killed you all those years ago. I will now make up for that mistake!" snapped Sylavanas as she quickly shot an enchanted arrow at the dread lord. Varimathras shot a black energy blast at the arrows, vaporizing it.
"I will now have my revenge on you, you wicked wbanshee, for all those years of torment you put me through!" growled Varimathras as he soared down at the Banshee Queen. Although she was fast, he was faster, and snatched her up from the ground and ascended in to the air, his gnarly claws wrapped around her throat.
"Now feel my wrath you wicked tramp!" roared the dread lord as he dug his fans deep within Sylvanas' neck. Thick black ooze burst from her neck as she let out a scream of pain. Varimathras tossed her back down to the ground. Though wounded, Sylvanas was still battle capable, though Forsaken surrounded her and pleaded with her to allow them to assist with the fight. Sylvanas proudly declined and assaulted Varimathras again with arrows that he easily dispatched. Varimathras dove down into the ground, his clawed hooves digging deep within the snowy earth.
"You have no hope of defeating me Banshee Queen. The powers have shifted…I will kill you." Varimathras scoffed. Angered, Sylvanas charged with her sword raised and swung it swiftly at the drealord he easily dodged the attacks. His vicious claws began to swing at her relentlessly. It took every bit if strength and speed for Sylvanas to defend against the attack.
"Very good…Now let me show you my true power!" growled Varimathras as a large black mass of shadow blasted Sylvanas backwards several yards. The Banshee queen was out cold.
The forces of the Horde and the Alliance had not been fairing too well either. These enhanced dreadlords were seemingly unstoppable. No matter what hit them, they kept attacking more furious than ever. Draggo had been in just as much trouble as the others. He was facing down one of the brutes. It was sloppy but quick, and Draggo was able to land many blows on it, though it seemed to have little effect. Enraged by the dread lords resilience, Draggo charged, shield and sword raised. The dread lord swung it's massive fist at Draggo, but the orc knocked it's fist to the side and hacked his blade deep within the beast's arm, wedging his sword deep within it's pale skin. It flung it's arm upwards, bringing Draggo up with it. Attempting to dislodge Draggo from his arm, the dread lord swung his other clawed hand at Draggo who smashed his claws with his shield and tearing his sword deeper into the dread lord's arm until it fell to the ground, shriveled up, and turned into a puff of black smoke. Enraged, the beast began to become more violent and managed to knock Draggo to his feet. Just before the beast struck, a human paladin charged into the fray and smashed the beasts head in with his large silver mace. Draggo recognized the human as Drake Valarian, an honorable paladin that had aided in the assault on the Lich King.
"It would seem our path's cross yet again, Draggo." said Drake as he pulled the orc to his feet. The two respected each other greatly and even loosely considered each other as friends
"Yes, I only wish it was under less stressful circumstances." Draggo grumbled as he looked at the razing of the dreadlords. The Horde and Alliance were still separated, and losing because of it.
"We cannot win this battle divided…We must unite if we wish to survive." Draggo whispered sadly.
"You are right… Perhaps we should set an example." growled Drake as another Dreadlord charged at the two.
"Let's!" roared Draggo as the two charged. Though it was a formidable foe, the two managed to vanquish the beast relatively quick. Seemingly inspired by the companionship of Draggo and Drake, the Horde and Alliance eventually merged into one fighting force that vanquished the dreadlords.
Varimathras hovered above the armies as the destroyed his legion of demons.
"You wrecthed creatures. You may have killed my subordinates, but I will burn every last one of you miserable souls to nothing but ashes!" erupted Varimathrashe wrapped himself within his wings. Green fel flames swirled around his body as he dropped to the ground. By the time he smahed into the earth, the dread lord was engulfed in flames. He quickly released his wings sending massive waves of fel fire at the Alliance and Horde, dwindling their numbers. Draggo looked on in horror as many of his comrades fell in battle. He quickly donned his helmet and charged into battle with his fellow fighters. Varimathras sent waves of dark energy blasts and fel flames at his enemies keeping them at bay. Draggo and several other mortals managed to make it past his attack, but Varimathras caused a large dark blast of energy to engulf the area surround him, sending his foes back. Draggo laid on the ground dazed from the powerful blast.
"Are you all right my friend?" asked his druid friend, Fenron, helping Draggo to his feet.
"I'll be fine. We must kill thisdemon Fenron." Draggo grumbled.
"Yes, and we shall. No one betrays the Forsaken and lives to tell the tale." hissed Crether as he walked over with Drek'val at his back.
"Well then, Wrathchildren, let's show this foul demon what true mortals are made of." Draggo said as he and his fellow warriors charged into battle. Many people who managed to get close to Varimathras were simply torn to shreds by his claws or suffered his deadly fanged bite. But the Wrathchildren and a small Alliance group, including Drake, managed to hold their own on the demons landing a few blows. But just as Varimathras seemed to be weakened, he released a monstrous roar and waves of fel energy and shadow bolts surged through the air.
Only Drake, Draggo, and Crether were able to withstand the blast; the others had been knocked out or killed in the blast. Crether made the first move on Varimathras and dug his two poisoned blades into Varimathras' back and shoved them deeper until the came out of his chest cavity. Next, Drake encased his hammer with the power of the Light and smashed it upon the dreadlord's head, knocking it to it's knees. Draggo charged for the final blow, but just as he reached the demon, Varimathras ripped Crether from his back and tossed him at Draggo, sending both warriors to the ground. Drake tried to attack again, but Varimathras blasted the paladin back with a powerful fel blast. The dread lord was approaching the three downed warriors when suddenly a large storm cloud summoned by Thrall began to strike the dreadlord with painful lightning bolts. While Varimathras was weakend, Varian Wrynn stormed into the battlefield and began to mercilessly hack away at the dreadlord. Though injured, Varimathras defended against the King's swords and ultimately knocked him to the ground. Just as Varimathras was going to make the fatal strike upon the King's a powerful dark arrow pierced his chest with enough force to burst a large hole within him. The arrow had come from the wounded Sylvanas who was holding her bow heaving in deep, painful breaths.
"You mortal scum." growled Varimathras as he soared back into the air.
"We were merley the harbingers of our master's imminent arrival. Your world will soon be nothing more than a barren dead wasteland when we finish with you. Mark my words, we shall meet again!" preached the dreadlord as he flew into the portal. Once the dread lord disappeared into the shadows, the portal dropped back into the ground, disappearing all together. The Horde and the Alliance looked over the battle field. Only a handful of survivors had made it through the battle.
A look of disgust and anger corrupted Varian's face as he rose to his feet. He turned to Thrall who was slowly approaching with the same look.
"Thrall you are right…We need to work together to defeat this foe…The Alliance his now allied with the Horde…for now…We shall send our emissaries to your cities and discuss our next move." grumbled Varian, reluctantly shaking Thrall's hand.
"As will we." replied the Warchief just as everyone had prepared to leave, a badly injured bloodied orc flew from the skies on a wyvern and landed next to Thrall. The orc fell off the wyvern and stumbled towards Thrall.
"Lord Thrall, Durotar is under attack! Portal's have been opening up everywhere. Large monstrous pit lords have been spotted en route to Orgrimmar!" gasped the orc. Thrall gasped in horror as he rallied his troops to return immediately. Upon hearing the news Draggo raced over to Frostwing and began to fly to Durotar at breack-neck speed. He had to return to his family and be sure they were safe.