Lam'Guld stood next to his wife, looking up at Highlord Rose as she stood on the balcony again. She was looking out at the city of Vale, just visible on the horizon, and playing with the ring on her finger her champions on either side of her. They had been here for half an hour, and she hadn't said anything, making the Orc wonder why she felt the need to call a meeting at two in the morning.
Finally, she began to speak, and it sent shivers down his spine. She hadn't raised her voice, but it seemed to cut through the air like a blade. It's was as unnerving as witnessing something that everyone present had already experienced, a violent death.
"Ever since I first learned of the Titans, I felt jealous of them. They had the ability to create children, not through reproduction, but through the hammer and forge. To someone like me, who was always more at home in battle, such an ability was to be coveted, so I went and made my own twisted parody.
I found the greatest warriors I could, heroes, who would gladly give their lives to see the death of the shadow Arthas, Kel'thuzad and I were sweeping across the world. At Light's Hope they stood, and Naxxramas sent our finest to crush them. They met the charge head on, why wouldn't they? They had already dealt a blow beyond compare when they stopped Kirkessen."
Lam'Guld felt his face lower into a scowl. This is what she had called them here for? He had been preparing ammunition for a hunting trip.
"They faced down Death, breaking the tide with their bodies, buying the Light they revered precious seconds as they died, dragging numbers beyond counting back to the grave with them. At the time I thought it inconsequential, warriors of Light greater than them had fallen to the might of the Scourge. Alexandros, Magroth, Halahk, Zeliek, Gavinrad, Terenas, Uther, compared to those legends what could they, what could you, a pitiful resistance in a dead land do?
Then, one of their members sacrificed himself," for the first time her eyes left the skyscraper, looking over at Mograine, before turning back, "bringing forth the spirits of the thousand heroes of the Light that laid in rest beneath the chapel. Even from Naxxramas, I could feel the rebuke of the Light."
Lam'Guld blinked, was that how they had been found by the Scourge? His memories of the time were spotty at best. The Forsaken he had spoken to assured him that it was natural, some lost things like the ability to speak Common.
"We paid it no heed, gathering up the bodies of the fallen on a new base, a grand citadel of death.
From the blade they were conceived, from the womb of the grave they were birthed, we nursed them on the blood of our enemies, and as I watched you, my children of death, I felt pride. Everything that Arthas and I were, we gave to you, our anger, jealousy, cruelty, malice, vengeance and possessiveness. We clad you in unbreakable armor, with blades almost beyond peer we equipped you, we gave you plagues to weaken our foes, taught you the ways of the San'layn so that you might use the blood of our enemies to continue to battle, ice to sharpen your blades, the runic magic of the Vrykul to perform these dark arts. It was to be the hour of the Scourge, it was to be the hour of our ascension, it was to be the hour of your dark rebirth.
But then, Arthas betrayed me! He sent you, who were to be mine, to die for his plans, to lure out Tirion Fordring. You laid siege to the same bastion you once defended, and you would have faced your final death. With Tirion there, no longer holding back, there was no hope. Though," she looked over at Darkfall, who had spent the entire meeting looking anywhere other that the Highlord, "Some of you took longer than others to realize that. Arthas made a error that day, one he admitted to during our meeting afterwards. He forced me to chose between him, and my children.
I stepped in, facing down Tirion, knowing that it was a death sentence. I did it because, no matter what else, I am greedy. You were mine, though you did not know it, and I would not give you back to the grave so easily.
You then rallied behind Darion Mograine, and with the allies you made, while I fought a one woman war against the man who should have been your father, marched to Northrend.
I watched, lending assistance when I felt it was needed, as you fought. You helped crush Malygos, we invaded Naxxramas, you killed a god, and then, finally, you cast down his citadels, smashing in the gates, and prepared to make your final march against Arthas…. And, while I couldn't be prouder, it also hurt. You were my children, and I understood what parents meant when they spoke of their children growing in the blink of an eye. In the span of a year, I watched you climb from your graves, clumsily using magic you did not understand, to winning a war against one of the greatest threats Azeroth had ever known. You didn't need me anymore, you were your own men and women.
After we killed Arthas, I left, the Scourge was gone, and it was up to you what you would do then, like children going out into the world for the first time. But, despite the fact that I had never told you, you were my children, and I felt that you all were better than me. It was only years later, when the Legion invaded, that you made it clear you thought the same of me.
Two hours ago, one of my children, your siblings, was injured. As it stands we do not know if York Carmine will survive the night… I don't care if he does."
And just like that, the magic was gone. Ruby Rose was that person to a lot of the Death Knights. The one you strive to be like, to surpass. Like Uther to the Paladins, or Malfurion to the Druids. Hearing her admit that she felt that they were better than her probably made everyone in the rooms spirits soar. Then to hear her lack of care, it was like a deep blow.
Suddenly she stopped playing with the ring, turning to face them, Lam'Guld couldn't remember the last time he had seen a look of hatred on her face.
"I don't care, because either way, I'm going to find the fucker who hurt my son, and not even death is going to grant release from my vengeance. Death Knights of Acherus, this is my order, as your Highlord, as your Deathlord, and as your mother, I want you out there, looking for her, and when you find her? Just make sure she doesn't die until I get there.
Lam'Guld stood there alongside the other members. They remained silent only because she had paused for only a few moments.
"What? Did you think because I admitted this meant I was going to read you a bedtime story and we could get to work in the morning? I meant now! Move your asses! Thalanor, I want as many people on that Bullhead as possible, don't stop until you run out of fuel! When you get there split up, search every hospital and clinic you can find, teams of three or more! Darmus, Pitwick, I want you to scour Beacon! Darion, Velann, I need you to find the Four, the last ping from Tirion's scroll puts them on Menagerie! GO!"
Lam'Guld barreled past everyone, he wanted to be on the first trip. It wasn't worth it to travel eight hours on horseback. Even two hours by Winged Steed was pushing it. This is what he got for not remembering to use the Death Gate before hand.
-X LINE BREAK X-
Ruby scanned the small area they had practically turned into a forward operating base since the dance two days ago. They had diagnosed York's injury, a arrow laced with Fire Dust to the lung. Any attempts to use Aura risked setting off the Dust settled there, they had set up a bubble to keep anyone from doing anything stupid.
The Knights had taken the attack of one of their own like a declaration of war, as she hoped they would. Grindstones were brought in, Runes were carved into the wall and you couldn't go more than half a foot without an Eye of Kilrogg watching you.
On the Beacon side of things, the Vytal missions had been delayed a week as the security breach was closed.
Feeling eyes on her, she looked to where Darmus and Pitwick were standing.
"What?"
"I'm just thinking, we really should have realized that you had an ulterior motive when you left Avernus."
"Really?"
"Ruby, the Silver Hand stories of your antics were our equivalent to the sitcoms here on Remnant. The one that went around for months was when you nearly convinced Uther to let you keep a dog you found." Darmus grinned slightly.
"I had a name picked out for it and everything…"
"Yeah, well, the point was that you always had a tendency to adopt strays. Also you never were quite right in the head. The idea of you deciding you wanted kids, and promptly blowing that up to a thousand undead Annihilator rip offs-"
"Do you two just spend your times watching movies or something?"
"Pitwick really hasn't had much to do and I was hospitalized, there wasn't much else to do but see what you people classify as culture."
"Just checking."
"-Anyway, you blowing it up to a thousand undead Annihilators that you were responsible for and calling them your kids is the exact sort of thing you would do."
"Are you implying I had problems back then?"
"YOU DID HAVE PROBLEMS, YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS!"
"I feel like you might be exaggerating."
"Ruby, you were in semi-openly in a relationship your murderer, and you still don't see anything wrong with this. You have problems." Pitwick deadpanned, "That's not including the fact that neither me, Darmus or Vandel could tell whether you and Illidan were trying to kill each other or flirting during your fights."
"The fights where I regularly set him on fire and he used eye beams? How did you think it was anything other than us trying to kill each other?"
"Excuse us if we got confused by the fact that you two tended to throw around innuendo and laughter as often as you threw around spells."
"Like what?"
"Like the time he impaled you and you wasted no time making a raunchy joke about 'his third blade'? I'm honestly kinda surprised it took as long as it did for you two to get a room."
"I was in a relationship!"
"With your murderer, who also, in case you've forgotten, murdered your adoptive father. Fuck, the more we talk about this the more I become convinced we are working for a mad woman."
"Don't you two have something to do other than point out that I tend to make fairly terrible life choices? Like tracking down the person who broke into one of the most important places on Remnant, nearly uploaded something, shot York, and, oh yeah, isn't damned to an eternity of torment in Crescent Rose, right now?"
"We're working on it, but the blood trail went cold, and it will take at least another day to find the owner of that scroll's manufacturing number."
Fuckity fuck.
"And the hospital teams haven't had any luck."
"I have another lesson, you two deal with this, and if Darion calls, do me a favor and tear Tirion a new asshole for me."
Ruby felt other eyes follow her as she walked down the hall. Ha! Bitch would be in for a surprise if she came to finish the job!
"-Any questions before you chose what to practice?"
"Yeah, when will we be allowed to start studying Fel magic?"
Blake watched Ruby pace around the front of the class.
"You're not."
"What do you mean we're not!"
"Ok, end of the day you can divide the magic I've discussed into two categories. Good magic, which is Light, Arcane, and Druidic magics, and Bad magics, which are Shadow, Fel, and Necromancy. I'm teaching you good magics, not bad magics."
"But you use Fel magic and Necromancy!"
"I'm also a soul improperly bound to my unrotting corpse by a black rite, so I really don't count. I barely use Fel magic as it is, I'm smart enough to avoid it when I can.
As for Necromancy, what's going to happen, I'm going to become more dead?"
Blake looked over her options again. She had been planning on learning Arcane, but something about...
"Blake? Your turn to pick."
"...Druidism."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Right then. I think I still have that book Furion gave me somewhere."
"Wait, do you not know how to do this?"
"No."
"Then why did you offer it?"
"I was trying to be polite! I didn't expect anyone to actually pick that tripe. I mean really? Who chooses to talk to plants when you could be throwing around fire or burn your enemies in righteous Light?"
Blake carefully kept her face impassive as Ruby continued to grumble about Druids under her breath.
"I want to try Druidism."
"Yeah, I heard you the first time."
Ruby added Blake's name under the corresponding column of the list. It was the only one there.
By the time they went around the room she was still the only person in that column.
"Right, I'll have copies of books on the basics of Arcane magic and Light next week. Blake, why don't you come with me and we can go grab that book?"
Blake watched as Ruby worked on something, thinking about the best way to put it.
"What was that?"
"Hmmm?"
"You just… you just started to mock me for choosing Druidism in front of everyone."
"Yeah… sorry about that. I have problems with Druids on both a professional and personal level."
"Was there anyone other than Illidan that you actually liked on Azeroth?"
Ruby complained about people on Azeroth often enough that Blake wouldn't be surprised if she said no.
"Yeah! Jaina, Li Li, Chen, Tyrande, Anduin, Baine, Khadgar…"
"So what's your problem with Druids?"
"They kinda burned a lot of bridges, even among their own people."
"Ok…?"
"I'm talking about Kaldorei Druids. At their insistence the Highborne were exiled, so mages have problems with them. Meanwhile Necromancers and Warlocks have their own problems, seeing as we're unnatural."
"And their own people?"
"When your people need your help and you show back up, take control back, and then don't do anything about the people invading your lands, it tends to breed resentment. Some Kaldorei actually started to learn Arcane magic, because they suddenly weren't sure if the Druids were right."
"Ok, so that's the professional, what about the personal?"
"The last time I spoke to the Archdruid I may have told him to do some rather unpleasant and biologically impossible things with an antler."
"Why?"
"Malfurion dragged me through the portal during the last battle of the Legion invasion… I may have taken exception to that."
"Oh-"
"Don't move!"
"Wha-"
Ruby waved her hand, and a shimmer raced down the hall.
"Sorry about that, I forgot to key everyone in, if you had gone any farther they would be some unpleasant consequences.
Blake looked around the hall, how had she missed those eyes?
"Come on, let's go grab that book."
- X LINE BREAK X-
Sally watched the confrontation between the former Highlords, and felt her lips pull upwards.
On one side, you had Darion, who looked completely unamused as he looked around the encampment, on the other, Tirion, who Sally was convinced would be sweating, if his body still allowed for it. So much for keeping it a secret, you couldn't blink suspiciously around Darion without Ruby finding out. A half built garrison with a Naaru? There was no way they were keeping this a secret without killing him… was that an option?
"You want to explain all of this Tirion?"
"Darion! What are you doing here?"
"Ruby asked me to find you, one of our own was injured in an attack. Now, I'll repeat the question. Do you want to explain this to me, or do I need to call Ruby all the way out here? Because I can assure you that it will be extremely unpleasant if she needs to get involved."
As Tirion started to explain, Sally let her mind wander, what had happened to Renault's cute little brother? Now he was constantly angry and- maybe she should have been paying a bit more attention, seeing as Darion just drove his fist into Tirion's face.
"-Given up enough! Now you want her to do this!?"
"In any other scenario I would agree, but in this one, everybody has to give every sacrifice they can."
This time, Sally saw the punch coming, and knew there was no way Tirion didn't.
"How long?"
"What?"
"How long has this been planned out?"
"What?"
"How long has, Azeroth, Elune, whoever, had this planned? How long has it been since Ruby had a choice on how her life went!?"
"... Since the beginning."
Sally watched as Darion tackled Tirion to the ground, punching him repeatedly. She moved, grabbing him, and dragging him off the Red Horseman.
"Sally! Let! Me! GO!"
"Not until you calm down!"
"LET ME TAKE HER PLACE!"
"You can't."
"Why?!"
Because, Mother has made her decision, and Mother is too headstrong to back down. A voice spoke in their heads, the song of tinkling bells echoing in their ears.
It was only then that Sally noticed the cracked skin flaking of Darion's face.
The Naaru floated over, Anduin limping beside it.
Ruby Rose will become the Life Binder and lead the Aspects, or the Lich Queen, and be their first foe, which one is a decision for her alone to make.
Darion shrugged his way out of Sally grasp, marching away.
"Velann, come on, we're leaving."
"Darion! Don't do this! You can't face what's coming alone."
Darion spoke, and when he spoke it was a contemptuous growl.
"I guess Uther was right. Once a traitor always a traitor."
Tirion flinched back slightly.
"I'll give you a warning Fordring, don't come back to Acherus for a long time. I can't promise you won't have an accident."
Sally looked over at Anduin, who was looking between the two of them. Inclining her head in Darion's direction, her message clear, she would take responsibility for the fallout.
The former king limped over to Darion. The son of the Ghost Wolf stared down the son of Ashbringer.
The older of the two relented, helping Anduin onto the the Winged Steed.
"There's going to be hell to pay when Ruby finds out about this."
- X LINE BREAK X-
Yang looked down the hall. Well, nice to see they had gone from kinda creepy to paranoid serial killer. Seriously, was that drawn in blood, and where did they get that many eyes? How was it nobody had said anything about this?
Maybe it was because people had started to head out on their missions. Ruby had been abusing the fact that they were supposed to be shadowing Qrow to delay leaving as long as possible.
Yang felt shivers down her spine as she walked down the hall. Were those eyes following her?
"Ruby, can I talk to you?"
Yang's little sister stood from where she was hunched over a set of maps.
The room was thankfully empty, the Knights were moving their injured member while everyone was out.
"Where are Blake and Weiss?"
"Weiss said she needed to do something with the SDC, Blake's in town."
"Ok, what do you need?"
"Why did you lie to me? About what happened?"
"It's over now, why do you care?"
"I thought I failed you."
"hm?"
"Your story made it sound like I had missed that there was nothing but a puppet pretending to be my sister for years."
"Oh…"
"Why didn't you just tell me? I get it was hard to believe, but was it really worth lying to me about this?"
"I wanted to recapture my memories of Beacon. It was also kinder."
"Kinder? How was it kinder to let me believe that I hadn't noticed that my little sister was gone?"
"Because it gave you hope. Hope, that I could go back to the way I was."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Yang, I'm a monster. Every one of you can insist otherwise all you want, but it is the truth. The story I told you? Whatever Velann told you? It doesn't cover the half of it."
Yang looked at Ruby.
"I spent years of my life as a loyal servant of the Scourge, and when I turned against them, there was no happy go lucky moment where I realized the error of my ways. I did it because I was greedy and wanted revenge.
Tell me Yang, have you ever heard the noise a child makes when you disembowel it? The noise a demon, a creature of pain and hatred, makes when the torture become too much and it begs for death? The sound a man larger than Dad makes when he is fed to a pack of starving ghouls?"
Yang shook her head, eyes wide.
"I have, more times than I can count. Varok put it the best, it's the sound of a swine being killed. When Arthas died, and we no longer had any goal, many of us gave up."
Yang swallowed, gave up?
"Ruby, you can stop now, I get it-"
"I remember looking down the ramparts of Icecrown Citadel, and seeing the piles of bodies. Paladins and priests who realized how close to being like Arthas they had come in trying to stop him. Forsaken and Death Knights who couldn't justify what they had done once Arthas was dead. I saw a Gnome sobbing over the body of a Troll. The War against the Lich King brought out the best and worst in us."
"How did you stay alive?"
Ruby bared her teeth, "Spite. I had just gotten my life back, I wasn't going to give it up that easily."
Yang looked at Ruby, "You really are messed up aren't you?"
"Just noticed?"
"I guess it never really sank in before now."
"Want me to leave?"
"Hell no! You might be messed up in the head, but you're still my little sister!"
"Aren't you the little sister now?"
"Oh Dust…"
"So tell me-"
"Ruby you're not doing this! Ruby!?"
"-any boys, or girls, you want to tell your big sis about?"
"You can't do this to me!"
"Because back when I had a big sister she told me that it was the the job of older sisters to threaten anyone who might break their little sister's hearts."
"Ruby!"
Ruby through back her head, laughing evilly as Yang sputtered for an answer.
Until the sirens went off.
Both sisters looked at each other, what those meant had been drilled into their head since they were little, there were drills for what to do in non-combat schools, and even Signal (though those were significantly different.)
"Oh, Dust!"
"Fuck."
Ruby rushed over to the desk, grabbing Crescent Rose, the other scythe she had, and Illidan's glave.
"Ruby, Blake's in the city!"
"She'll have to hold out until we get there! Try to call her, tell her to hunker down! I NEED EVERYONE WITH A DEATH GATE TIED TO VALE HERE YESTERDAY! VALE IS UNDER ATTACK!"
The last part was roared into her scroll, and Yang could just barely pick up a response as she dialed her partners number.
"Blake!"
"Yang! There's Grimm everywhere!"
"We're coming to meet up with you! Ruby says to find a place to hide and stay safe!"
"I can't, there are civilians who need help getting to safety."
Yang heard the roar of an Ursa from the other side, before it was cut off by the crackling of fire.
"Blake!?"
"'All you can do is talk to trees' she said, do me a favor and ask Ruby if she ever bothered to actually read that book would you?"
"Blake don't-!"
Yang cursed as her line went dead.
"How are those reinforcements coming!?"
"Not good! Something is sabotaging the the Death Gates, every time we try to open one a blast of Light destroys it! They're sending as many people as possible on the Bullhead but it will take at least an hour to get here!"
"Blake hung up!"
"Crap! Darion where are you!? Good! At least something is going right today! Land at Beacon!"
Ruby rushed down the halls.
"Where are you going!?"
"I'm going to buy some time, Grimm ignore my Phylactery so I should be fine!"
"What about Atlas!?"
"They're doing their best, but the Grimm are pouring in too fast! Whoever planned this out knew exactly what they were doing!"
"I'm coming with you!"
Ruby wheeled around, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"No you're not!"
"I can take care of myself!"
"People are going to die out there Yang, I can handle it, and I'm sure Blake has seen enough shit with the Fang to stay calm, but I need you to wait for when we go on the offensive."
"I'm not some little girl you need to-"
"FOR FUCKS SAKE JAINA YOU'RE NOT GOING IN THERE!"
"Jaina-?"
Ruby had already whipped around, heading for the exit.
-X LINE BREAK X-
Blake fought off another Grimm, blasting it with a ball of fire.
Blake didn't get what Ruby had been complaining about, this was easy!
Everything she tried worked like a charm, maybe it was because she had a detailed explanation of where Malfurion had made his mistakes?
The book (which Blake was starting to suspect Ruby had never read) was a copy Malfurion's journal from when he was learning himself.
Moonlight leapt from her fingers, piercing through the inky blackness of the Grimm.
Admittedly, she hadn't tried transforming yet, Ruby had regaled her with the story of a Druid who turned himself into a Sea Lion and was unable to turn back for a week.
Blake wasn't sure what a Sea Lion was, but Ruby's maniacal laughter was all the evidence she needed that she didn't want to be stuck as one.
Blake called upon a purifying rain, healing the injured.
The only problem she could see was that it had so much more to learn than the other styles of magic. She had been reading the book almost non-stop and she still hadn't made a dent in it.
Suddenly the ground gave way, and Blake was staring into the gaping maw of a King Taiju.
She didn't have time to use a clone to get out of there, she only had time to close her eyes and wait for the end.
Weiss, Yang, Ruby… I'm sorry.
…
…
…?
The end was surprisingly painless considering it was coming at the jaws of a giant snake.
Man, that would have been an embarrassing way to die! "Look at me, I'm Blake Belladonna, I'm the first Druid on Remnant, I'm the best!" SNAKED!
Blake cracked open one eye, then the other, and felt her jaw drop as she looked around.
She was on a long grassy field, and in the distance she could see trees, so large that only their trunk was visible, and she could tell that, had she been standing in front of one it would been as large as the CCT tower.
"This has to be a dream…" Blake heard herself breath.
Well, you're not wrong, though, maybe not the dream you were expecting.
Blake turned to look at the origin of the feminine voice, only to freeze.
Once, Blake had a single picture of her mother, it was gone now, Adam had torn it to pieces in a fit of rage. The woman standing in front of her was a mirror image of that photo except for one glaring detail.
She wore a white yukata, and Blake could see a black tail swish out behind her. Not for the first time, Blake wondered if it would have been harder to hide her heritage if she had inherited that from her mother. Black hair framed her face, where a soft smile sat, but where Blake knew there should be golden eyes, there were green.
"Mom?"
The woman tilted her head,
No, but I thought you might prefer this form over, well…
Blake staggered back, what the hell was that? … what the hell was what?
...That.
"Who are you? What are you?"
I have no name, I have no need for one. As for what I am? I am this places keeper.
"Where are we?"
Everywhere, Nowhere, Awake, Asleep, and for you, Alive, and Dead.
"What?"
This is all taking place in the blink of an eye, just like how you can play out entire lives in your dreams.
"Why did you bring me here?"
I want to make you an offer.
"An offer?"
I scratch your back, you scratch mine. If you agree to do what I want, I'll give you the power to get out of the situation you're in.
"And if I don't?"
Then you die.
"Ok…" It was jarring to have it stated so plainly, "What do you want?"
That's not how this works Blake, you don't find out what I want until after you agree.
Blake gulped, "You would really let me die?"
All things die eventually Blake, it's part of Nature's cycle. Even that filthy undead you call a friend will die eventually.
The way the being wearing her mother's face said it, in the same tone people used to talk about Faunus, set Blake off, she rose to her full height, hissing.
"Don't talk about Ruby that way."
The creature raised itself up, standing taller than should be physically possible,
I hold your life in my hands Blake Belladonna, you stand in my domain, it is at my mercy that you haven't been turned into food for a snake. Do you really think that you are in any position to tell me what to do?
"When you insult my friend? Yes."
The being before her seemed to shrink, returning to the size it was before,
Loyalty is a gift that should not be given lightly Blake, are you sure you should be giving it to her?
"Without any doubt."
Then let us both hope you never have need to regret it. Now, your answer?
"Yes."
Just like that?
"If it gets me back to them? Anything is worth that price."
Very well. My price is simple. Keep doing what you have been.
"What?"
The most important thing for a druid is balance, unity. That is what you have been aiming towards, keep it up.
"Then what was this all for!?"
To see if you were worthy of my gift. Now, Awaken from your sleep, Dreamer!
Blake's eyes snapped open, and she knew what to do.
Green smoke flowed around her, and she could feel herself shift.
Both sets of ears melted into her head, horns sprouting in their place, and flaps of skin grew from her face, which was enlonging. Claws sprouted from her hands and feet, and her teeth were replaced with fangs. Wings burst from her back. Scales started to sprout along her body as she grew.
Crushing the King Taiju in one claw she threw back her head and roared. In her head she heard the voice speak again.
All hail the Queen of Dreams.
-X LINE BREAK X-
"MINIONS OF THE SCOURGE! SERVANT OF AVERNUS! HEAR THE WORDS OF YOUR DEATHLORD!
THE HORDE AND ALLIANCE WISHES TO SEE US STOPPED HERE, AT THE DARK PORTAL! THEY HAVE GATHERED A PITIFUL FORCE TO STOP US! THE OUTLAND BELONGS TO THE SCOURGE! IT IS WHERE OUR ORIGINAL KING, NER'ZHUL ORIGINATED FROM! THEY TRY TO KEEP US FROM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS! THAT IS WHY AS THE HAND OF THE LICH KING, I AM DECLARING THE START OF A DEATH MARCH UPON THESE FOOLS! THE EARTH ITSELF WILL DIE, MARKING THE GROUND WE WALKED UPON TO CRUSH OUR FOES! WHEN THE SCOURGE RULES AZEROTH, THEY WILL MAKE PILGRIMAGES HERE, AS THEY WILL TO LORDAERON AND QUEL'THALAS, TO SEE THE GLORIOUS DESTRUCTION WE WROUGHT!"
Ruby rode upon Despair, howling her orders to the servants of Arthas. She didn't need to do this, but damned if it didn't feel good. Did this make her a megalomaniac? If so, she really couldn't blame Stormrage.
"THE MAGES OF DALARAN HAVE RISEN UP AGAINST US ONCE MORE! THEY HAVE ALLIED THEMSELVES WITH THE PITIFUL REMAINS OF THE SILVER HAND, THE SO CALLED 'ARGENT DAWN'. WHILE THESE SNIVELING WORMS ARE A MINOR INCONVENIENCE AT WORST, DO TAKE CARE, SOME OF THEIR STRONGER MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSE OF KIRKESSEN AND KEL'THUZAD."
Kel'thuzad… she had been very happy to learn that he had been defeated, and even more annoyed that the morons of the Argent Dawn couldn't even destroy his Phylactery right. Seriously? He was one of the most dangerous members of the Scourge, why didn't they give his Phylactery to Tyrosus and have him shatter the damn thing?
Now the idiot was floating around Naxxramas again, what little she had seen of him before departing seemed to point to him becoming even more obsessed with Arthas.
Point was a large part of this was the second half of her catharsis, the first had consisted of tearing the idiot who sold him back to them to pieces. Did he actually think they would give him Lichhood? Well, Arthas probably would have. He hadn't seemed to learn from Dar'Khan. Once a traitor always a traitor. Well, except for her!
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! WE CRUSHED BOTH THE SILVER HAND AND DALARAN BEFORE! WE SHALL FREEZE THE FLESH ON THEIR BONES AND SHATTER THEM! LEAVE NOTHING ALIVE!"
- X LINE BREAK X-
Nalores sighed, as she rode on the back of a supply cart to the Dark Portal. This was a promotion? She had been part of the raid to kill Kel'thuzad, now she was being shipped to some Light abandoned hellhole?
Plus…
"This is great! Do you think we'll find anything to kill!? I hope we do!"
… she had to put up with Lilsalia.
The Night Elf mercenary had been shipped off with Nalores when Lord Tyrosus realized that they weren't getting rid of the mad woman otherwise.
The woman was a savage, butchering the undead with a glee more suited for the Scarlet Crusade. There was no joy in what they were doing, they were freeing poor souls kept from reaching the Light by the real monsters.
Arthas Menethil, Kel'thuzad, Dar'Khan Drathir, Lana'thel, Ruby Rose.
The Lich King, Archlich, Dark Magister, Blood-Queen, and Pale Horsewoman.
Each of the five had sold out their people for power, the greatest traitors since Medivh.
They controlled the five strongest Scourge strongholds. The Necropoli Naxxramas, Naxxanar, and Avernus to Kel'thuzad, Lana'thel, and Ruby, the bastion of Deatholme to Dar'Khan, and Icecrown Citadel to Arthas.
Dar'Khan had been the weakest of the five, a group of five Blood Elves had beaten him. It had taken forty men and women fighting their hardest to beat Kel'thuzad and even then the bastard had come back. Meanwhile no one had successfully pierced the defenses of Avernus and every expedition to Northrend had been wiped out.
Lilsalia gasped out in shock, and shook Nalores's shoulder. The dwarf looked up, opening her mouth to tell Lilsalia she didn't care, only to freeze.
The area around the Dark Portal was dead. Blackened, the trees shriveled. Nalores knew this, she had spent years fighting it. It was the Blight.
Leaping from the carriage, Nalores rushed to the only living person in the area.
He was strung up by a chain, a set of push daggers impaled into him. It was obvious that he had been tortured and left to die.
"What happened?"
"She's here…"
"Who!?"
"The Pale Horsewoman."
Nalores felt her blood run cold.
- X LINE BREAK X-
"Lord Illidan."
"Hmm?"
The Illidari knelt.
"Reports from Zangarmarsh have come in, I thought you would want to know."
"What of?"
"Akama has been seen plotting with the Warden."
"And?"
"The Scourge is here."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes my lord. One of their Necropoli led by Ruby Rose."
"Ruby Rose… silver hair and eyes?"
"You know her, my lord?"
"We have met. I owe her something."
"You do?"
"Yes," Illidan leapt from his perch, "In fact, I think we should go give it to her now, remind her that I am the lord here, not Arthas."
