Chapter Three
The constant sound of clinking armor and weapons was beginning to grow annoying in Aydeline's ears as her company slowly made its way to Stratholme.
They had veered off the road only slightly to avoid Corin's Crossing, but ever since, had been taking the central road to the once grand city.
The near by country side had been oddly devoid of any Scourge, or even plagued wildlife, activity, their journey had been oddly successful and uneventful up to this point.
Even so, Aydeline kept her eyes sharp as she traveled along the cobbled road.
Their essential mission was to relieve tension of Grand Crusader Dathrohan, but if things went well as planned, and as Aydeline prayed for, then they would launch a full scale eradication of Stratholme itself, hopefully finally being rid of the Scourge's main stronghold in the Eastern Kingdoms.
She sighed and pulled her eyes off the road momentarily to blink them a few times from straining her eyes so much.
She glanced back up, already seeing the enormous fungi trees of Plaguewood up ahead in the distance.
They clanked over a small bridge they crossed over another numerous scar in the land, drawing ever closer to their destination.
Aydeline slightly wrinkled her nose as the stench of Plaguewood washed over her, the ground here turned sponge like in appearance, the plagued trees falling behind them, as the new enormous fungi swallowed them up, dwarfing everything bellow them.
Aydeline craned her neck upwards, watching as green thick smog belched from the sickly mutated mushrooms and toadstools, she suppressed her rumbling stomach as it threatened to erupt from the ever more present stench of death.
They rounded a bend, Stratholme finally coming into view, its burning orange haze ever present from the painful day Arthas razed it.
A small group of mounted humans could be seen ahead of them, thankfully the friendly sight of Scarlet tabards was present.
The small mounted group caught sight of them and trotted over, giving them praises of thanks.
The lead rider said "Thank the Light, its getting desperate in there, we must hurry in, I don't know how much longer Dathrohan can last"
The leader of their company, a man named Salvias said "Aye, lets move in, the Grand Crusader is strong, but I'm sure he can use a helping hand!" he glanced back at his troops and said "Alright! Quick time in, slay anything and everything that's not one of us!"
He pulled his gigantic two handed hammer off his back and began running jogging forward with the horse backed riders.
Aydeline steadied herself with a calming breath and unsheathed her blade, and began running alongside her company inside the burning city.
As the rounded the rusted iron gates into the city, Aydeline realized why suddenly they were so needed.
Ahead of them lay a thronging of mindless Scourge whom wandered back and forth, their ugly yellow bones prodding from un-skinned areas, and their bones hung limp from their jaws and arms like sick abominations.. But then again.. that's what they were Aydeline thought.
The horseback riders dashed ahead, plowing a clearing through the Scourge for the crusaders behind them.
The Scourge massed upon them, falling easily however beneath the renewed and bolstered crusaders blades.
Aydeline chopped furiously at the few Scourge that approached her, her blade cut through them easily, as a hail of limbs followed the force of Scarlet Crusaders.
It didn't take them long to move through Kings Square and Market Row, before they finally burst through the iron gates of Crusader Square.
Boxes, sandbags, anything that could be used to Barricade the Square was placed tactically throughout the area, a small force of weary Crusaders holding out behind the Blockades.
They looked firstly confused, but finally relived as the new force of warriors poured through and into the square, vastly improving their forces.
Salvias yelled to the defensive crusaders, "Rally your fellow brothers, Tell Dathrohan we've arrived, tell him lets finally eradicate this city!"
A few of them nodded and hurried back, falling back into the Bastion to alert their leader.
Salvias glanced over his troops and said "Alright, lets just hold out here, conserve your strength for we have a long fight ahead!"
Aydeline relaxed a bit as she leaned slightly against a wooden crate, her weapons still ready none-the-less.
It only took minutes before the Steel clad doors of the Bastion burst forth again, a force of vigorous crusaders pouring through and joining their fellow brothers and sisters.
Last to come out was the Grand Crusader himself, Long blond hair and great red plate armor embodying the very vision of a crusader, despite his age, looks were deceiving as everything about him emitted a sense of power, almost outlandish.
"CRUSADERS!" He roared raising his sword in a battle cry, causing the other crusaders to raise theirs and yell vigorously.
"Onward!"