Expedition Base Camp

Ulduar

Bright stars cascaded their glorious light from thousands of miles above. The purple haze of the skyline complimented the snow covered hills below. Dozens of columns in the distance radiated a familiar glowing light from similarly constructed architecture just outside of the walls of this ancient Titan city. This place was more beautiful than she ever could have imagined. However, something about it made her heart sting. It was as if the majesty of the outer walls was a mere shell hiding its true wrathful purpose deep within.

The entrance appeared to be the first section of this city to be raided. A giant arcane shield protected this place from the rest of the city. Massive siege vehicles and weapons of war littered the walls of this initial encampment. Tiny green and pale-skinned creatures appear to be constructing and performing maintenance on these devices. The very sight of them turned the young elf's stomach into knots.

Lorelei slowly crept along the outside of the western stair rail. She had to avoid being detected. As much as she'd love to run this entire lot through the end of her blade, there were just too many of them to handle all at once. It was imperative that she made it towards the source of the voice. She was so close now. Its whispers were practically tickling her ears.

In the center of this encampment stood the apparent leaders of this group. There was a stocky dwarf in ragged brown clothing, with a dirty orange beard and an even filthier hat atop his hardened skull. A pair of mages in violet robes with their organizations brand stamped proudly upon their tabard stood on opposing sides. Behind them was a massive ogre that appeared to be more confused than any other creature within this area.

The oddest thing surrounding this group was the holographic projection of a stone being near the center of the camp. It was draped in a hood and covered in ancient looking armor. Flickers of light drew lines into the sky just beyond where it stood. They all led to a single point near a floating orb hovering quietly and projecting the image of the giant below.

This level of technology was almost beyond anything the young elf had ever laid her glowing green eyes upon. If that was awaiting here within the very first few steps of this city, the voice must be leading her towards something truly spectacular. The only thing that stood in her way was this pesky group of interlopers standing between her and salvation.

Lorelei took soft and precise steps along the southern wall. Out of all of the tiny laborers, only two green-skinned creatures appeared to be working on the siege engines located a mere hundred feet from her position. It would require an extensive bit of sneaking in order to make it across in a timely matter. Thankfully, her training had afforded her the skills necessary to make this feat practically seamless. If Emerald didn't have similarly developed evolutionary instincts, she would have chained him up outside of this place and left him to rot if he dared to screw this up.

Everyone appeared to be so busy with their work they hadn't even bothered to notice an intruder in their midst. The young elf searched for any patterns in their behavior and timed them properly with a rhythmic set of clicks she counted in her head. Should all other efforts fail, she could at least created a distraction with her on-hand equipment that could afford her enough time to escape passed the arcane barrier and one step closer towards the ultimate prize.

The two goblins ceased their work on the nearby siege engine and made their way towards the center group with some wrapped scrolls in hand. Whether they were delivering a maintenance report or a list of replacement parts required was of little concern to her. Lorelei quickly darted towards the first siege engine seemingly dancing on air as she silently glided. Her body softly pressed against its massive steel shell as she lowered her stance to a crawl and examined her new surroundings.

The young elf's stomach was mere inches from the ground as she slithered towards the next engine. Emerald quickly followed in kind. His soft paws bounced off the stone surface with little to no impact whatsoever. Even with his massive green frame, this instinctual beast was the king of stealth kills in his torrential domain.

Lorelei continued to move from one siege engine to the other along the southern wall. She stopped momentarily beside each to survey any changes while ensuring her cover had not been compromised. Most of the workers were engaged in idle chit chat with one another and the ones who weren't flapping their mouths were beating upon the steel behemoths with tools and other odd devices. It almost made this infiltration a boring endeavor.

Two loud knocks upon the vehicle she was currently pressed upon sent shivers down the young elf's spine. A lone worker must have buried himself within this siege engine for hours performing maintenance. Lorelei didn't even have the chance to account for such a variable as merely observing their work nearly gave away her position.

The young elf slid underneath the engine's hardened belly. She pressed her body flat against the ground and remained motionless. Even her breathing had slowed to a crawl. Every single vapor of oxygen entered her lungs with the utmost precision and careful timing. She only had to wait patiently for the creature to quickly pass and this little nightmare would soon be over.

A pair of tiny leather boots slammed immediately inches away from her eyes. The gnome had crawled from within the structure to the closest exit just underneath the hulking metal frame. Though this engine was only large enough for her to crawl under, it was perfectly size for a gnome or a goblin to just walk right through without any care in the world.

If the gnome turned around now, Lorelei would be done for. There was only one way out of this for either of them and she was not about to get caught after coming this far. She'd been through too much just be turned away at the door. The young elf's hand carefully caressed the ground swinging slowly towards her hip where her trusty dagger rested in its tight black sheath. Her heart raced as the cold steel handle was carefully wrapped around the grip of her slender fingers. With one quick tug she released it from its protective shell and drew the blade forward.

Tiny grunts and wheezes exited his minuscule frame. He must have been cooped up in there for hours. All of the ambient noise was greatly appreciated. It helped the young elf bring the sharpened steel knife closer and closer to his little throat.

"Hey Findle!"

The voice calling in the distance rattled Lorelei's nerves nearly forcing her to drop the weapon outright.

"Yea?!"

"Could you come out here and sign off on this order form."

The gnome standing inches away from her called out begrudgingly before quickly hopping towards the center of the encampment.

"Yea, yea, yea. I'll be right there."

A breath of immediate relief poured through the young elf's lips. She quickly sheathed the dagger and pushed herself back towards the end of the vehicle. That close call could have spelt immediate disaster. While she had confidence in her ability to quickly and stealthily deal with an opponent, attempting to continue this escape while potentially covered in his blood would only further complicate matters.

Lorelei took a few moments to reestablish her bearings. The threat of imminent danger had passed but something continued to trouble her. She could have sworn she'd heard that name before. Pinpointing its exact origins may take some time and effort; none of which could be afforded at this very moment. However, the run in with that gnome gave her a brilliant idea.

From within the pouch strapped to her waist, the young elf procured a small incendiary device. This handheld gadget was normally used by scouts in Silvermoon. It wasn't an offensive tool by any means but it packed enough punch to slow anything down that attempted to flee or even give chase.

She planted the explosive within the siege engine's tail pipe and slowly allowed it to sink deep within its frame by carefully pulling on the attached fishing line. One good tug on this string would set off the explosive so Lorelei had to be extra cautious when dropping it down further. Tiny scrapes of metal rattled back and form as the device bounced from one end of the pipe to the other. Her hands began to sweat as it continued to lower deeper and deeper through the core of this metal monstrosity.

A resounding clunk signified the end of the explosive's journey. It must have settled at least fifteen feet within the belly of the siege engine. Even with such a great hiding spot, the amount of damage the incendiary device would cause is still minimal. Luckily, the young elf didn't need it to do any damage. She only needed it to appear that way.

Lorelei began to unwind the trigger spool. She dashed from engine to engine, gliding across the ground as if gravity was a mere suggesting instead of a law. The young elf quickly reached the southwest corner of the encampment and parked herself next to a disabled siege vehicle carefully draped over a standing tent. A hole in the middle of the tank was just large enough for her to see through. Here she had a perfect spot to survey the rest of the grounds while being relatively invisible to anyone else.

Getting this far proved to be the easiest task. Finding a proper route to escape was the new challenged presented to her. The next closest siege engine was easily fifty feet away against the western wall and would greatly expose the young elf to anyone and everyone who would happen to glance in that direction. Then there was the issue of the giant purple barrier. If she was unable to move past it, this entire journey would be all for naught. The opening was over one hundred feet wide without a scrap of metal to hide behind in case she attempted to flee.

This was beginning to seem entirely hopeless until Lorelei's eyes spotted a peculiar looking device near the eastern edge of the opening. It didn't appear to be the same design as any of the other weapons of war parked across the encampment. The only other thing it could be is a Titan-forged device designed specifically for this city. That could very well be her ticket out of this mess. Unfortunately, if she was wrong, she'd be out in the open, exposed and ripe for the plucking. It may very well be too much of a risk to take.

They are coming for you...

The voice was loud and ominous. Its warning snapped Lorelei's attention upwards as she noticed a whole crew of workers heading in her direction. This wasn't the time to sit idly by and hope for a miracle to happen. She was being guided by this blessed voice. It traveled with her through every obstacle that stood in her path. When the cold snow threatened to freeze her soul, it provided her with warmth and courage to press on. After everything it had done for her, it wasn't about to let her down now.

Lorelei tossed her fears aside and gave the string and mighty tug. The line snapped and moments later, a loud pop exploded from within the siege engine's core. Billows of red smoke began pouring out of its cracks and crevices.

"What the hell?!"

Their collective response was exactly what the young elf was hoping for. Workers descended upon the site of the disturbance. Their eyes were fixated on the unknown source of destruction unfolding before them.

The young elf dashed ahead using the siege engines on the western wall as cover. She reached the final one a mere stone's throw away from the massive opening leading towards the larger depths of the city. The only thing that stood between here and the glowing column of teal-colored light was one short sprint completely exposed to the surrounding enemies.

All of the invaders eyes were fixated upon the disturbance in the south. Lorelei's ruse had worked much better than she anticipated. The young elf bit her lip, kneeled down, and quickly exploded from her position. Every hard step of her leather boots slammed into the stone surface with a hard slap. The links of her mail breastplate chimed as if being spun in a horrendous tornado.

In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between her and potential escape. She locked her gaze upon the device without a care for anything else in her surroundings. Her slender legs continued to pump faster and faster. A colossal thumping in her chest shut out any other sounds. The young elf stampeded towards the column of light. It was calling out to her much like the sound of her salvation had for weeks on end.

The leather boots came to a grinding halt. Lorelei stopped herself within a few feet of the Titan device. She was still unsure about how, or even if it would work. Answering either of those questions were beyond her capabilities at this point. The distraction would only work for so long. It was now or never.

The young elf slammed her eyes shut and jumping into the column. A soothing light dances upon her skin and armor. It touched her in ways no other element on this planet ever has. She could feel her body getting lighter. Whatever the true purpose of this device was, it seemed to be working. She slowly opened her eyes to reveal a new world standing before her.

Panic immediately set in. The invader's encampment stood before her in a whole new angle. Fortunately, their backs were still turned surveying the potential damage to one of their vehicles but it wouldn't provide an adequate distraction for much longer. One of the workers appeared to receive instructions to retrieve a nearby tool case. A wave of horror filled the young elf's heart with dread as the worker slowly turned towards her. Time stood still. His first eye had just become visible. It wouldn't be long before both of them set their gaze on their intruder and create a whole new mess to dig through.

An incredible blunt force slammed into Lorelei's body. She cried out in agony but not a decibel of sound escaped her throat. The world began to fade before her very eyes. Her blonde hair that violently danced as a result of the sudden impact quickly disintegrated into tiny beads of light. The last thing her eyes set upon was the vague image of a giant green cloud surrounding her. It soon vanished much like she did into the void.

The world had changed. Marvelous colors surrounded the young elf. Something appeared to be tugging at her body but she didn't feel the slightest amount of pain or discomfort. Lorelei had no idea where she was going but something was telling her she was heading in the right direction.

Wintergrasp Fortress

Wintergrasp

A rush of cold water spilled atop the warrior's body. Little spikes of steam began to lift from his scarred and exposed skin. Marcus Bloodblade tossed the wooden bucket aside and enveloped himself in the gratifying feeling. After a hard day's work, nothing felt better than cooling off with a quick shower and a nice tankard of mead sitting well within his grasp.

"Must you do that while I'm eating?"

The complaints of his gnomish companion didn't resonate in the slightest. Glimwack 'Weasel' Manifico may have been a master of assassination and a celebrated former member of SI:7 but his true talents lie within his incorrigible ability to see every glass as half empty.

"When you work as hard as I do, you learn to take enjoyment in the little things in life."

"Suit yourself," the gnome scoffed.

He took a gargantuan bit of his freshly cooked turkey leg and didn't even bother to finish chewing before finishing his remarks.

"Just don't get any of that warrior juice on my food, alright?"

Marcus let out a debilitated sigh. The sun was moments away from setting in the vast western horizon. They had been working in the vault for the past month at the request of their fearless leader. The warrior was initially apprehensive at first but quickly realized within the first few treks inside what their true purpose was. The Alliance soldiers that traveled with them were immediately inspired to be with the heroic group that annihilated the Horde defensive. It was an incredible boost to their morale and served to help them conquer the challenges before them unlike any attempts prior. Despite having a heart of gold, Rayne definitely had a brain on him that could not be underestimated.

With the combined efforts of the Valliance Expedition, Templar Soldiers, and two of the most trusted Knights in the guild, the Alliance achieved their first victory within a week of exploring the vault. The first guardian was a colossal stone giant that went by the name of Archavon. For a guy who named this entire entrenched mountain citadel after himself, he sure went down like a chump. It definitely took a combined effort to defeat him but Marcus was expecting something a little more noteworthy seeing as the Horde had been in their for nearly three months themselves and came up empty handed.

The payout from defeating the first guardian was definitely grand. The warrior could see why the Horde fought so vehemently to defend this place. Archavon was guarding enough treasure on his own to build a small kingdom and furnish an even bigger army. This was definitely a big coup in the ongoing rivalry between the warring factions. Marcus was one of the few people here who actually seen, fought, and lived through the first two bloody confrontations. Any time he could stick it to those green-skinned bastards was a win in his book.

The warrior pressed the ceramic tankard to his awaiting lips and spilled the delicious burning liquid down his awaiting throat. Nothing beat the taste of a job well done. Mead was a close second though. Any time that would be drowning in thoughts was better spent with a full glass of brown gold in your hands.

"Hey bozos."

Marcus looked up and caught a glance of the impetuous young soldier who also so happened to be in charge of a third of the standing army residing in these walls. From the neck up, she was cute in a sort of neighborly way. If she dolled herself up a bit like she could pass for a looker. Her long black hair was tied up in a tight ponytail. Everywhere else was pure business. Thick plates of heavy steel armor covered nearly every inch of her body. A bright white tabard with a bold red cross sat atop the center of her armored chest. Captain Lena Sherwood was brash, tough as nails, and stubborn as they come. While these traits weren't admirable for an everyday foot soldier, it was the ideal makings for a great leader.

"Yo Lena," the warrior waved. "Have you come by looking for a date? I have to admit, I'm booked for the next three days solid but if you're a bit more flexible, I could convince tomorrow's to double-up."

Marcus took another large swig of his delicious brew.

"That is, if you're into that sort of thing."

"Hardly," the Captain scoffed mixed with a small bite of amusement.

Lena leaned in closer towards the warrior's face. She looked at him with a stern but slightly sultry admiration.

"And even if I was," she smirked. "I doubt that you could handle it."

"I might surprise you," Marcus wink. "The last lady who tried me couldn't leave the house for three days."

She stared back at the warrior with an inquisitively raised eyebrow before raising her own counterpoint.

"Was that because you were snowed-in or sleeping out of boredom?"

Roars of laughter erupted from the gnome. Bits of slightly chewed meat spewed forth and rained down upon the cold stone floor.

The Captain pulled herself away reverting back to a more composed but still relaxed stance.

"Besides. I know for a fact that you're scheduled to stay in the encampment for another four days. It's hard to chase down hussies in Dalaran when you're cooped up in this starry-skied fortress."

"Touché," Marcus laughed. "I can see why the boss covets you so much."

Lena looked off into the distance. The wily adventurous expression that once presented itself had faded into a grim look of despair.

"Have you guys heard from Rayne at all?"

The warrior shook his head.

"Not a peep since the day of that last battle. The kid was pretty banged up but we left him in competent hands. Narula will take good care of him."

"Is that so? I hope he's doing alright."

Lena's dejected look made it seem like there was something else going on underneath that tough hide of hers. This provided an ample opportunity for some much needed payback but before he could speak, the gnome took the reins and charged full speed ahead.

"Who knows?" Weasel jeered. "Maybe he's been so quiet because she's the one whose getting banged up now."

"Weasel!"

The Captain snapped her gaze away and returned it to the stars beginning to peak out from the purple sky above. It was faint, but Marcus could definitely sense a change of color in the young soldier's face. Lena may have been as tough as a bar of titansteel but when it came to discussing romance with someone she considers a brother without sharing blood, they couldn't make armor thick enough to protect her from that embarrassment.

It was the warrior's turn to laugh at Lena's the brief moment of weakness. She may have had a set rapport with Rayne but out here, she was jumping into the lion's den. And everyone knows that you can't cry foul when the lion tries to bite you.

"I doubt the kid is that lucky," Marcus chuckled. "But even so, I'm pretty sure he's setting himself up for early retirement."

The warrior leaned forward. His eyes steeled as he reminisced on memories that could not be easily forgotten.

"Rayne's got a lot of heart, too much if you ask me. This battle was perhaps more than he could handle."

Marcus could hear the paladin's words in his mind as clear as day. The utter desperation in his tone as he begged the warrior to withhold from pulling that trigger. Out of all of the things he's bore witness to in his days as a soldier that easily climbed towards the top of the list of moments he'd never wish to relive again. They say it's always painful to hear the sound of a man screaming when his life is moments from ending. They probably never heard the sound of sheer disappointment when a friend loses faith in you, even if for just a brief moment.

"The first time you kill someone, it sticks with you."

Distinct thoughts to the days of the first war began pooling in the warrior's mind.

"The screams. The terror in their eyes. The sheer agony ripping through their minds when they suddenly realize their ultimate fate. All of it goes away in a blink of an eye for them. But in the end, you're stuck with the burden of living with that memory."

Orcish cries churned throughout his thoughts. The disgusting look of defeat in his eyes forever changed the way this young Gilnean boy looked at the world.

"Rayne is not a killer. He wasn't designed that way. And that's not just because he's a paladin."

The final blood curdling roar of the defeated monster chimed to a groaning halt. Marcus stood over the beast furiously panting over what had just transpired. The rage he felt in the heat of the moment trumped any feelings of remorse he may have held.

"The moment you take someone's life, it changes you. The man you once were is gone forever. You can either follow the flow of the river or try and swim against the current for the rest of your life. You may think you're covering distance at first but in the end, you're just slowly traveling down the same path you would have ended up if you just clenched down and accepted your fate."

The mood grew eerily quiet. Marcus was not one to spout out profound thoughts. Even someone as crash as he was had a nugget or two of wisdom to share. Whether he showed it explicitly or not, the warrior was just as concerned about Rayne as anyone else. While other soldiers bury themselves in thick layers of armor, Macus thought it best to wear as little as possible. It may have exposed him to more potential harm than the others; his scars can attest to that. However, it made his skin a lot tougher making it much easier to deal with these types of problems than you could imagine.

"You sure about that?"

Lena and Marcus turned their attention to the gnome that decidedly broke the otherwise uncomfortable silence.

"I mean, Rayne's got heart like you said but I think he's more resilient than you give him credit for. This swimming with the fishes thing you mentioned doesn't describe him at all."

The warrior gave his tiny companion and inquisitive look as he continued.

"He doesn't view the world in black and white. When you ask him a question and give him two answers to pick from, he's the kind of guy that will go looking for a third option before deciding on either one."

That was a unique way of looking at it but Weasal wasn't wrong. Even in the heat of battle with a blade pressed upon his throat, Rayne's the kind of guy that will look for any way out that didn't result in his death or that of his adversary.

"And honestly, do you really want Rayne to turn into someone like us?"

For once, the gnome was actually making honest argument for once. Usually when his mouth wasn't filled with food, it was spouting off nonsense about gold, jewels, or other treasures. It was nice to hear something other than unimportant dribble for a change.

No one had any words to say in their defense. Marcus has been a soldier nearly all of his life. He recorded his first kill before hitting puberty and lost count ever since. Weasel was a top assassin in the Alliance. He must have a closet full of belts that become useless from all the notches he's dug into them. Lena was a typical soldier of course. She went wherever she was needed, fought where they asked her to fight, and killed whoever got in her way.

All of their lives had changed thanks to the ongoing war. However they may have felt about their personal history, they all shared the same sentiment: Rayne was too pure to follow in their footsteps. He was a beacon of light in an otherwise drag and dark world. If fate had played a kinder role, Marcus may have once aspired to be just like him. Now, it's going to take everything the warrior has to ensure that they stay further apart. Azeroth needed more Rayne Templars in this world. The last thing it should ever want is another Marcus Bloodblade.

"Excuse me sir."

The warrior turned his attention to the young soldier calling out to him.

"Sorry to interrupt your meal," he stated. "But it appears you have a guest."

Marcus gazed past the soldier and caught wind of the fiery garb of a familiar face. If that kid came all the way out here just to talk, he must have something pretty damn important to say.