Expedition Base Camp
Ulduar
The icy touch of the frozen landscape continued to permeate well passed the entrance of this magnificent Titan creation. Ulduar's true form paled in comparison to its descriptions. All of the wondrous architecture outside served as a mere blueprint for the final design buried in the northern most peak of Azeroth. Rayne marveled at the sight revealed before him. It was a shame they had to come here on the direst of circumstances
A short trek down the massive stairway led the Templar Knights down to the Expedition Base Camp. Dozens of siege engines, demolishers, and other technological marvels lined the walls. Tents were huddled in the corners where the soldiers rested. Goblin and gnome workers alike worked in unison tinkering with the vehicles and ensuring all of the final preparations are ready.
The paladin moved towards the small gathering in the center of the camp. A pair of mages draped in Kirin Tor tabards stood around a commanding dwarf in leather garb. His fiery orange hair was tucked neatly into the robust brown hat tightly nestled at the top of his head. A long beard hung from the end of his sturdy chin and braided into two separate tails that sat just above his stocky knees. The three appeared to be in deep discussion concerning a particular parchment rolled out on the table before them.
"Excuse me," Rayne began, "I'm looking for Brann Bronzebeard."
"Lookin'?" The dwarf spat without looking in the human's direction. "You've found'em right here."
The paladin smiled appreciating the humor offered by friendly dwarf. He extended his gauntlet and presented an open hand to commemorate this meeting. Brann Bronzebeard truly needed no introduction. His travels and explorations have been well documented throughout the echoes of history. It also helps that his older brother just happens to be Magni Bronzebeard, the king of all dwarves and ruler of Ironforge. One would be hard pressed to find a greater explorer, archeologist, or historian on any corner of Azeroth.
"I'm Rayne Templar," he stated. "I was asked to assist you on this expedition."
Brann pulled himself away from the table and acknowledged the paladin's presence. A wide grin formed on his lips as he reciprocated and shook hands with his new ally.
"Well if it isn't the Champion of Wintergrasp himself," laughed the dwarf. "I heard about yer victory at that lake a while back. Very impressive lad. We're honored to have ye on board."
"Thanks," Rayne smiled painfully.
The title bestowed upon him by King Varian was one he hoped would have faded away by now. Apparently living in seclusion only helped to keep the spirit of its grandeur alive. However, this wasn't the time to get lost in sorrowful memories. There was plenty to do and if Cayden's analysis was correct, they had their work cut out for them.
"Where are my manners?" The dwarf sighed. "This here's Archmage Pentarus and Archmage Rhydian. They're here to assist us on behalf of the Kirin Tor. Thankfully, some people are taking this mess more seriously than others."
"Pleased to meet you," Rhydian smiled.
"Greetings Sir Templar," Pentarus nodded and offered a handshake of his own. "I've heard quite a bit about you from Cayden. It is a pleasure indeed."
Rhydian had short blonde hair parted to one side with a pair of black earrings with the Kiron Tor emblem etched in the center. Pentarus was completely bald much like a certain Knight save for his orange goatee. Unlike others in their craft, they relinquished their robes for a more streamlined set of grey and maroon colored armor much more suited for combat.
"Allow me to introduce the rest of the Templar Knights."
Rayne proceeded to go through the names and titles of his companions. One by one, he described their feats in brief detail. This wasn't done in a way to undermine any of their previous or personal achievements. Rather, it was an act of humility. The last thing they needed was to be boastful in front of a man who nearly lost his life in this deadly citadel.
"And I believe you've already met Ademski and Saelena."
"Aye," Brann grinned. "They've been a great help to us in the Explorers' League. I hadn't even gotten the chance to thank ya for lending them out to me."
"Nonsense," the draenei laughed. "We had a great and good time with this one. Not only does he have a good head between his soldiers, but his stomach is made of solid iron. I would be happy to do battle with him again be it taking up arms or ale."
The paladin shared a brief chuckle with them. This was a good way to start. They needed to ease the tension a little bit before diving into the dangerous road ahead.
"Speaking of the Explorers' League," started Rayne. "Why did you decide to assault Ulduar anyways? Your forces are quite formidable from the stories I've heard but they're not trained soldiers."
"You think I would have gone into that blasted fortress if I knew what was waiting for me?!"
Rayne laughed at the dwarf's exaggerated response.
"Fair enough."
"Besides, we hired a squad of mercenaries to accompany us as well. Would've hired more but given the circumstances, our choices were slim to none."
The paladin sharpened his expression and peered at the dwarf inquisitively.
"What do you mean?"
"You think a bunch of orcs and trolls are going to come here after they found out Rayne Templar would be joining us on this expedition? The ones we had quit the very second they heard yer name and everyone else has been avoiding us outright."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Bad?!" Scoffed the dwarf. "That's not the half of it. Wintergrasp has given you and yer men a wicked reputation with the Horde. I even heard their Garrosh Hellscream has put a bounty on yer head."
"And just how much are they asking?" The rogue chimed in.
"Weasel!" Scolded Marcus.
"What?" He scoffed. "I was just asking."
The paladin's mood quickly shifted into one of grim regret. He could feel the mage's eyes on him. Cayden tried to warn him last night but he was preoccupied with a few other matters still plaguing his mind. Rayne never liked the idea of anyone hating him. Now it seemed he earned the scorn of the entire Horde. That alone was bad enough but it still paled in comparison from the way the blood elf looked upon him with those malice laden eyes.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Brann shrugged.
He must have noticed the sharp change in the paladin's expression and tried to ease his worries.
"I doubt any of those cowards would have the brass to try and collect anyways."
"What do you mean?"
"I think ye know exactly what I mean," Brann smiled while giving Rayne a sharp pat on his back. "No one's going to be messin' with ya. Not after ya bested one of their greatest champions in single combat."
That's not exactly how Rayne would put it. The truth of the matter was, he was seconds away from being on the other end of that story. It was hard to take credit for something the paladin knew in his heart was wrong. He hoped to forget everything about that terrible day but some things aren't easily buried. It didn't help that he hadn't even bothered to return to using a traditional mace. Even though the sword played a large role in his current condition, it was the deciding factor that saved his life.
"Don't look so grim lad," the dwarf cheered. "Ain't no one here that's gonna try and collect either."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Marcus sighed.
"It was a simple question!" The gnome defended.
The paladin ignored the foolish antics of his companions and surveyed the rest of the actions going on around the camp. Gathering historic intelligence on their previous efforts will help set the tone for the new strategy Rayne was planning to initiate. Cayden's original battle report was very thorough but couldn't compare to seeing the battlefield with one's own eyes.
"Where is the primary entrance to the fortress?"
"Follow me and I'll show ya."
Brann made his way towards the eastern side of the camp. He pointed towards the large opening where the arcane barrier shielded them from the armies of the Iron Lords.
"Just down this path about a quarter mile. We used siege vehicles to charge through and ease our assault towards the main gate."
The paladin lowered his goggles. He switched the setting to the zoom function for a closer examination.
"And what of their defenses? Should we be expecting a similar resistance?"
"Not likely." The dwarf scoffed. "We have already shut down their primary orbital defenses. There are four towers stationed to the east and west. Each of them was built by one of the Keepers of Ulduar. They are the primary guardians of the Formation Grounds just before the entrance."
Rayne nodded and peered ahead. His eyes locked upon a tall hallway that appeared to be blocked by a thick defensive barrier. A pair of iron giants and squads of their smaller minions guarded this structure.
"The entrance is just beyond that wall? How were you able to get past it?"
"Well first we drove in and – wait, wall? What wall?"
The dwarf appeared dumbfounded at the mere mention of this updated news. He retrieved his own spyglass to confirm the paladin's findings.
"Well I'll be a trogg's uncle. Would ya take a look at that? They're actually fortifying their defenses."
"How were they able to build something of that size so quickly? Didn't your initial assault begin a week ago?"
"Mimiron…" Brann groaned. "It must've been him. Only that blasted tinkerer could have come up with something that quickly."
Rayne had heard that name before in the mage's initial report. Mimiron was one of the Keepers of Ulduar; a Titanic Watcher tasked with guarding this fortress and its prison hidden deep within the depths. A legendary tinkerer in his own right, his servants helped construct this city. If the Old God had corrupted him fully, there's no telling what awaited them beyond the gate.
Small contingents of flying helicopters were flying in a specific pattern between the entrance and alcoves within the pathways. They carried large golden colored barrels filled with a strange, glowing blue liquid.
"What are those barrels being carried onto the battlefield? What purpose do they serve?"
The dwarf grunted in a pleasing fashion.
"That must be the pyrite," he smiled. "I've heard about that stuff. It's an incredible substance used to power large devices. It looks like they're using it to help the reconstruction of their towers. We were able to retrieve a small sample of it earlier but be careful. It's highly volatile and ignites the second it gets in contact with air. Anything within fifty feet of the detonation site is couldn't be put back together with even the finest healers in all of Azeroth."
"So you're saying it would be best to avoid it entirely?"
"Not exactly," the dwarf sheepishly grinned. "It may prove useful as a weapon assuming you can shoot one down without setting it off. The demolishers are already equipped to hurl boulders. I'm sure they could chuck those barrels with easy as well. Assuming of course they don't start leaking on ya."
Rayne didn't want to be messing with anything that dangerous but he noted it just in case. Anything with that type of destructive power could prove useful if harnessed properly. He didn't want to give any indication of that to Brann. This sort of thing was much more useful as a last resort than a planned tactic.
"What about the Iron Lords? If they're being cut off from the entrance, how will they be able to reinforce their defenses?"
The dwarf pointed just ahead towards the cluster of towering columns carefully spread throughout the open path.
"Those structures house an endless supply of steelforge defenders. From what we can tell, those are an advanced teleporter that can bring units from within the fortress to right out here when they're needed. I haven't figured out exactly where they're hiding inside but I imagine that's another one of Mimiron's inventions at work."
All of the structures Brann mentioned didn't appear to be as threatening in description as they were in sight. The columns were cracked, smashed, and most reduced to rubble. Stone debris littered most of the road. The threat of the Iron Lord's defenses grew weaker with every passing second.
"The columns have all been destroyed. Was that you're doing as well?"
"I can't take the credit for that one," Brann chuckled. "Yer boys back there came in last night all fired up and ready to go. The hot-headed young lass over there gave them the go ahead and they started bombarding the columns from afar to make things easier for ya this morning."
Rayne flipped his goggles back to their previous threat-assessment setting and rested the lenses on his forehead. He gave the Captain a curious look. She simply replied with a wink and a brief thumbs up as Brann continued.
"They battled throughout the night until the wee hours of the morning. Saved us half a day's work those lads did. They're resting now but they sure earned it."
The paladin offered Lena a short smile in approval.
"I tell ya, whoever trained them deserves a medal. They were able to clean out their defenses with minimal damage done to our vehicles."
"Then we can still use them to take down that wall of theirs?"
"Aye," nodded Brann. "That's probably the best way to go about it. Most of the sieges should be good to go. Our engineers have been working hard all week getting them restored. They should be done with the maintenance after last night's run."
"You've put together quite a team here Brann," Rayne complimented.
A quick glance at a closer vantage point on some of the vehicles showed a lot of care and detail went into their construction. Whoever was running the show much have been one impressive guy and Rayne always looked for any opportunity he could to learn more about his favored craft.
"Who's leading your engineering staff?"
"Who else?"
The paladin quickly snapped his head down to the squeaky voice that so quickly answered his query.
"Findle!"
"The one and onl-"
The gnome was swept off his feet and into Rayne's tight grip. He pleaded and groaned for release but those were immediately denied.
"It's good to see to again! I came by your shop to visit last night. When I heard you haven't been around, I got worried so –"
"Yea, yea, yea," Findle whined. "I'm fine as you can see. So put me down already will ya? I like you as a friend and all but my lug nuts don't tighten in that direction if you catch my drift."
"Right, sorry," laughed Rayne as he set the gnome down. "What are you even doing out here? I had to twist your arm enough as it is to come out to Wintergrasp. Hasn't Brann explained the situation? Why are you neck deep in this mess?"
"Actually, I should be thanking you for that."
"Me?"
The paladin was at a loss for words.
"Thanks to that little battle of yours, people have been beating down my door to get a piece of my tinkers. Even the King Varian himself offered me top coin to reconstruct those walls of there after you came storming into the place."
Rayne overlooked the reminders of his previous battle. He was very excited to hear good things were happening to one of his friends that the thought didn't even register.
"So what improvements have you made to these vehicles since we last spoke?"
"Improvements," the gnome scoffed. "Wait till you get a load of what I've done to your favorite ride."
Findle led the paladin towards the northern end of the camp. He escorted him over to a wide beige sheet covering meticulously covering a familiar shaped vehicle.
"Behold!"
The gnome boasted proudly as he ripped the sheet clean off.
"The Mekgineer Chopper 3.0!"
"I can't believe it," Rayne gasped. "You've built another Mekgineer Chopper just for me?"
"Not just any chopper, this is your chopper Rayne."
Findle's grin was wide enough to encircle Azeroth twice over.
"How did you even…?"
Words needed to describe the paladin's overwhelming feeling of joy and astonishment haven't been invented yet. The pristine look of the gleaming steel bike radiated its awesome glory. Each chrome pipe shined like mirrors. Its armor increased but the hull appeared sleeker and more aerodynamic than its previous counterpart.
"When you left the battlefield that day, I thought you'd want to see the old girl again so I thought I'd spruce it up as a token of my gratitude. Before, I couldn't keep the lights on without you. Now, I'm looking at early retirement."
"It's incredible," Rayne smiled. "I haven't such advanced tinkering in all my life."
"I'll say," Findle grinned. "I amped up the turbo booster and wired it to the fuel injectors instead of a separate tank. You can rip into high speeds indefinitely assuming you allow it a minute or two in-between bursts to recharge. I added a sonic horn in the front at the request of your dwarf buddy back there. Got the idea from one of the goblins on sight who has a thing for loud music. The amplifier on this baby can blow down a stone house with just one blast so those tin-skinned cronies back there won't know what hit'em."
The gnome pointed at a peculiar looking black button on the side of the handlebars as he continued.
"In case you're getting chased and want an out of this situation, tap this button over here. It'll release a blot of tar on the ground that'll slow anything down right in there tracks. Careful though, it's highly flammable so don't go and try to impress the ladies over there by spinning donuts."
Rayne stepped over and took a proper seat at his new vehicle. It felt amazing to be in its comfortable grip once more. He almost lost himself entirely in the euphoric feeling before something peculiar caught his eye on the side the bike.
"You can thank your buddy Weasel for that one," the gnome interjected. "I saw that move you pulled to zip into the center road at high speeds so I thought instead of a fragile piece of silk rope, I added a reinforced titanium chain. It's great for making those quick turns that you love or even picking up and clearing debris on the battlefield."
"Amazing," the paladin smirked.
His gaze shifted upon the mesh covered dome sitting just below the odometer. This device wasn't a part of the previous blueprints. Rayne raised an eyebrow as he gave the newly added feature a gentle pair of taps.
"I knew I couldn't sneak anything past you buddy," jeered Findle. "That right there is your pride and joy. I took that little communications thingy you tinkered and modified it on all the other vehicles to create an interconnected relay between all users. Instead of that sensitive little toy that can easily get lost or damaged, these babies are hard wired into the bike and the rest of the sieges allowing you to communicate freely with everyone."
"You've got to be kidding me," Rayne gasped. His excitement soon dwindled as a particularly obvious question came to mind. "But, wouldn't that be extraordinarily difficult to hear everyone? With all of the movement and working parts of each vehicle, I don't think we'll be able to get a word in at all."
"Nothing to fear my golden-haired companion," smiled the gnome. "In order to operate the communication function, you need to hold down the button on the right handlebar. That will allow one person, and one person only to communicate with the rest of the vehicles. Just make sure you release it after you're done talking. Someone else could be saying stuff to answer a question and no one else will be able to hear it."
"Right, sounds good."
Everything was perfect. Findle's work went above and beyond any expectations Rayne could have had even if he lived another hundred years. This gift gave his spirits a lift that would have otherwise been swimming in the deepest parts of the maelstrom. Of all the things the paladin could ask for, all he needed was a little sunlight to part the clouds hanging overhead.
"I owe you my deepest gratitude Findle," Rayne stated. "Thank you for all that you have done for me."
"Aw shucks," the gnome blushed. "You sure do know how to hit a guy's soft spot."
"Just as long as I'm not turning your gears in the wrong direction, right?"
Findle shot up as if swallowing a jagged piece of fruit.
"Very funny Rayne," he groaned. "You're almost as bad as some of these other miscreants."
"The goblins aren't giving you a hard time, are they?"
"It's hit and miss, much like their work ethic," he sighed. "But I think one of them may have been trying to sabotage us."
"Sabotage?" Rayne implored. "You cannot be serious."
"Fraid so."
Findle reached into his pocket pulled out the remnants of a small incendiary device. Black stains of burnt embers covered most of the remaining debris. He placed it in the paladin's open palm so he may take a closer look.
"Where did you find this?"
"Inside one of the siege engines. Happened about two days ago. Not sure who did it but it certainly made a mess of the one I'd been working on for the last week or so. Funny part is, nothing really got damaged. A few cogs needed to be replaced and we has to sweep the interior to remove all of the soot but otherwise, it set me back maybe only a few hours."
"I see."
Rayne peered deeper into the device's shell.
"I guess they were shooting for some more overtime. But if that was the case, there are much better methods to use to try and log in some more time on the clock."
The paladin nodded. Upon further inspection, he found something peculiar engraved on the shell's interior.
"There appears to be an inscription on here."
The words were faint but they weren't of the common tongue. Only one person amongst the Knights could translate such a difficult word.
"Cayden," Rayne called. "Come take a look at this."
The mage dashed over quickly after hearing his name. Rayne carefully placed the specific fragment in his awaiting palm. Cayden carefully examined the remnants piece by fragmented piece before returning with his findings.
"This is an incendiary explosive. It's a simple device that releases a cloud of colored smoke in a small area. Trappers use these on game and other wild beasts. Animals inhale the fumes and become disoriented for a few moments allowing them to disable or kill their intended target."
The gnome raised a peculiarly high eyebrow.
"So this wasn't designed to disable machines?"
Cayden simply shook his head.
"Perhaps it could do some moderate damage with the exploding shell fragments but none of the actual chemicals inside are corrosive to wood or metal."
"What about the inscription Cayden?" Asked Rayne.
"Oh, right," the mage began. "I wanted to be sure of what I was holding before translating. It appears this device is elven in origin."
"Elven?" Findle gasped. "There hasn't been anyone at this camp with pointy ears since I've been here. Save for the pretty young minx over there with the purple hair."
This newly revealed piece of evidence sent Rayne's mind into overdrive. The one thing they could certainly rule out was goblins being the cause of this mess. They're crafty engineers in their own right. Using a device from another race is just not their style, unless of course they were able to procure it at a major discount.
There was only one other option to consider. It was a long shot but they had to rule out every theory if they wanted to get down to the bottom of this.
"Has anyone snuck into the camp in the last few days?"
"Not frick'n likely," scoffed the gnome. "This place is running non-stop. We've got teams working in shifts round the clock. There are so many prying eyes around this place it would be virtually impossible to move through here without someone spotting you. And even they did, where would they go? The teleporters have been offline for over a week. You have to enable another one manually to get them working. That means they would have to cross through the main pathway swarming with iron dwarves and all sorts of nasty things that could turn you inside out in seconds."
Findle made a very compelling argument. Unfortunately, that did not lead them any closer to solving this mystery. Rayne didn't want to continue pounding his head against a wall. Despite it being a minor annoyance to a close personal friend, this little incident had little relevance on the mission at hand. The paladin committed this information to memory and hoped they may stumble upon the answer sooner than later. He only hope that this answer wouldn't cause him or his companions any unnecessary trouble.
"Sorry we couldn't be of help Findle," Rayne sighed. "But if I find anything else out later, I'll let you know."
"Don't mention it," he shrugged. "With the amount of gold I'm making, I can afford to be a little annoyed every once and a while."
The paladin's smile returned. He continued to follow the path of good thoughts by going over all of the wonderful new features of his upgraded chopper. It would be nice to rip into this machine on an open field but the mission took precedent.
Rayne stepped off the bike and addressed the mage directly.
"Cayden, tell everyone to get ready. We will begin this operation momentarily."
"Yes sir!"
The mage took off running. His bold enthusiasm could help bolster the morale of the rest of the Knights. The paladin didn't even notice the saddened expression befalling his engineering mentor.
"You're really serious about going in there, huh?"
"Yes," Rayne nodded. "I know it's not the most enticing of circumstances but we'll manage. I have faith in my companions."
"Look, I'm not one to get all sentimental and everything but…"
The gnome paused and gritted his teeth.
"Be careful in there Rayne. Don't do anything too hasty, okay? If gets thick in there just call me on the radio and -"
"Relax Findle," implored the paladin. "I'll be fine."
The gnome returned an unconvinced look.
"I certainly hope so."
A light bulb snapping off in Findle's mind nearly took him off his feet.
"Oh crap, I almost forgot!"
The gnome reached into his tool bag and procured one dozen familiar looking tiny cylinders. He reached up and placed them in the paladin's awaiting palm.
"I thought you could use some more of these seeing how effective they were in the last battle. Half are flares and the other half are rockets. Sorry I didn't have time to make those special ones you love so much but that burly dwarf over there is one whip short of being a slave driver."
"Findle!"
Rayne could hardly contain his grin.
"This is too much. I don't know what I'd do without you."
The paladin knelt down and placed his hand upon Findle's shoulder.
"I'm glad I got to see you again," he smiled. "Take care of yourself Findle."
"Again? Take care?" The gnome snapped. "What's with all this cryptic talk? Hey Rayne!"
The paladin walked away as Findle's confused tirade trailed off. He stuffed the rockets into his side pouch and approached the Knights with a stern look glazed upon his face.
"We're going to begin the operation. Is everyone ready to go?"
The Templar Knights acknowledged in unison but each in their own unique way.
"Good," smiled Rayne. "We'll be charging the gates in the siege vehicles. Marcus, Weasel, Ademski, and Saelena will go in pairs on the demolishers. Your job will be take care of any outlying forces the Iron Lords left behind and clear the path towards the wall.
"Sounds good," the warrior grinned. "I've been meaning to get behind the wheel of one of these bad boys."
"I'm good just as long as the wheels stay on the ground this time," barked Weasel. "That last jump took years off my life."
"Why so gloom my tiny friend?" Questioned Ademski. "I hear the air at higher altitudes is good for one's lungs."
Before another squabble broke out between his companions, Rayne continued.
"Since the others have previous experience, Cayden, Narula, Samuel, Zariyana and Lena will follow behind in siege engines. Once the pathway has been cleared, we'll need you to break down the wall as quickly as you can. We have no idea what could be lurking behind so as soon as it's destroyed, back up and let the demolishers take care of anything that may be waiting for us."
"Must I be forced to pilot one of those things again?" Groaned Samuel.
"You did a magnificent job last time my dear brother," Zariyana smirked. "I will be counting on your skills once more."
"You could always ride with me silver-locks," Lena added. "The little princess here could use a few days on the real battlefield if you ask me."
For a brief moment, Zariyana actually appeared to be irked at a comment made by someone she believes to be inferior to herself.
"Little princess?"
The elder Legend twin chuckled quietly to himself.
"The female brute does pose and interesting offer. Perhaps I shall do my duty as a gentleman and escort her as requested."
"Female what?!"
The Captain slammed her plated heel into the cloth boots of the priest. Samuel cried out in unspeakable pain. It took everything he had to not completely break down and lose his otherwise calm composure.
"With a mouth like that you'd be much better kissing my ass than riding alongside it," Lena scoffed.
"I do believe she makes an excellent point Samuel," smirked Zariyana ever so slightly.
"Touché my dear sister."
"Lena," Rayne cut in, "Have the rest of the soldiers on standby. We may not need their support during the initial charge but if things should head south, it would be nice to know we have backup waiting for us."
"Will do!"
The spirited Captain took off immediately and began howling orders at the troops nearby. Samuel quickly realized he had gotten off lightly in his previous bold proclamation. As much as the paladin wanted to express his joy at the sight, he had to keep a serious face to implore the gravity of their upcoming mission.
"I'll be leading the charge on the bike. We'll be communicating via radio affixed to everyone's vehicle. Brann will be providing support as well so be mindful when his voice comes through. Is everyone clear?"
The Knights simultaneously showed their approval.
"Good," Rayne smiled while taking a deep breath. "Everyone, to the sieges. We will begin the operation shortly."
Everyone nodded and quickly dispersed to their assigned vehicles. The paladin walked with tremendous purpose towards his mekgineer chopper. It was finally beginning. The one thing he had sought would soon be in grasp. This was exactly what he needed.
Rayne took a gracious seat atop his bike. He stowed his shield and blade in the attached compartments on the side. With one twist of the key, the ignition started. The engine roared with a furious might. It quickly slowed down to a gentle purring. The paladin could feel the immense power vibrating through its core. He carefully lowered his engineering goggles into position and turned them to the threat assessment setting.
All of the remaining Knights boarded their vehicles. Adrenaline did not course through Rayne's body as he had hoped. He hadn't experienced that overwhelming numbness in far too long. That is why he was here today. That is what he was planning to remedy. This would be his moment to make everything right.
"Brann!" The paladin yelled. "We're ready to go!"
"Pentarus, you heard the man," the dwarf smiled. "Have your mages release the shield and let these brave souls through!"
"Of course, Brann," the mage acknowledged. "We will have the shield down momentarily."
"Okay! Let's move out. I'll speak to you from here via the radio."
A burst of arcane energy exploded from Pentarus' extended palms. He raised them up high and pointed at the glowing shield above.
"Mages of the Kirin Tor, on Brann's Command, release the shield! Defend this platform and our allies with your lives!"
The brilliant violet dome that surrounded the encampment began to fade. Rhydian and Pentarus channeled their power together. The protective shield soon dissipated. Sweat begain pouring down their faces. This extensive ritual proved to be nearly as taxing as it was to create the barrier.
"Our allies are ready. Bring down the shield and make way!" Brann cheered.
The Kirin Tor mages let out one final boisterous cry as they forced the shield to vanish from sight.
"For Dalaran!"
The pathway had been opened. Rayne revved his engine and let the bike rip through the clearing. Rubber slashed the hardened stone surface. He burned through it with ease and began roaring down the damaged battlegrounds.
"Everyone follow me," the paladin ordered through the radio. "I'll scout ahead and report back any unique findings."
"Roger that kid," Marcus blared through the speaker. "Just don't go digging into any trouble before we get there."
"He's right Rayne," Brann added. "Your boys did a pretty good job of sweeping up but don't let your guard down. There could be a few stragglers left behind waiting for their opportune moment to attack."
The wind cut through Rayne's face like invisible razor blades. His goggles protected his vision through the icy atmosphere and provided some much needed insight into any suspicious activity. So far, the readings were calm at near green levels but the sooner he approached the massive guardians ahead, the sooner it would be filled with crimson warnings.
The bike came to a screeching halt approximately halfway between the encampment and wall ahead. Rayne parked the vehicle near a recently destroyed column with plenty of rocky debris, large and small, in the surrounding area. He took a moment to assess the situation. His allies were still trailing behind him. Give the sieges speed, it would take them a few minutes to reach his position. The paladin used this time to snap his wrist down and load a flare into the hand-mounted pyro launcher. The colored cylinder was nestled tightly into its confines and lowered into the gauntlet's protective casing.
A quick survey showed no immediate threats in the area. Everything was relatively calm with the exception of a small screeching whine tickling the back of his ear. The hum of the bike almost drowned it out entirely. However, the noise was not rhythmic, nor did it have a specific pattern to it.
Rayne carefully stepped off his bike and retrieved the gleaming red blade locked onto the side. This was the first time he carried the sword onto the battlefield since his encounter with Jean. It felt incredible in the tight grip of his gauntlet but weighed his heart down considerably. The paladin tried not to dwell on it as he inched closer and closer to the source of the disturbance.
Just beyond a large chunk of broken masonry, Rayne spotted a lone iron dwarf trapped from the waist up underneath the rubble. His left arm had been brutally severed off from the elbow. Sparks of blue energy crackled in a wildly painful display. The lights of his glowing blue eyes had grown dim. This construct was dying but hadn't fully succumbed to death's embrace just yet.
The paladin dragged the blade over towards the creature. It reached out to him, clawing away at thin air in the vain attempt to fight back despite its predicament. This reminded Rayne of the true nature of this construct. It was not a man nor a mortal. It was a machine built for the sole purpose of killing anyone or anything that stood in its way.
This should be easy. Rayne was well versed in the difference between life and machine. He was an experienced engineer after all. However, the sword continued to sway slightly in his grip. Even though this being was devoid of all emotion still looked upon the paladin with cold and menacing eyes. It reminded him of the horror he had desperately tried to run away from. That lifeless stare desperately trying to accomplish its goals before fading into the great unknown.
Metal slammed into the iron dwarf's forehead. The blade quickly punched through its reinforced hide as if it were made of parchment. Light vanished from its eyes. The resistance it put up faded. The construct laid on the ground as a lifeless husk; a shell of its former glory. The paladin continued to repeat the ongoing mantra in his mind. This was not a being, this was a machine.
Rayne returned his bike and placed the sword back in its place. His mind was running rampant with curious emotions. Unfortunately, remorse was not among them. With so many feelings and memories pouring through that moment he expected to feel only that and yet, it was completely absent throughout his thoughts. The only thing that bothered him about the entire situation was how truly easy it was to drive the blade through its iron carved skull.
"Hey Rayne," the mage called from the speaker. "Is everything alright?"
The paladin sat down upon the bike and took a deep breath. He glanced over at the approaching sieges and was surprised at how much distance they were able to cover. Maybe he spent a little too much time staring at the fallen construct and dealing with his breadth of emotions on the matter, or in this case, lack thereof.
"Everything's okay Cayden," Rayne replied. "You're all clear on this half. I'm going to move up ahead towards the end of the columns and report back."
The bike ripped into the hardened stone surface. Rayne blitzed towards the end of the pathway. He allowed his goggles to point out any transgressions nearby. His mind was focused on reaching the final destination. Any other blips on his radar would be nothing more than a minor disturbance.
Rayne slowed down near the final wall of columns. He parked the bike just out of sight behind one and a tall pile of leftover debris. The paladin twisted his goggles to the zoom setting and began relaying his findings.
"There are approximately two hundred iron minions on the Formation Grounds. They are all standing at the ready. Behind they are two colossus-sized iron defenders. I'm detecting no other movements."
"Stand by Rayne," Marcus called. "We're en route and should be there within a few minutes."
"That's funny," Rayne said to himself while walking towards the iron-forged army.
The paladin slowly crept past the column and over the debris. His presence should have been easily spotted by the iron dwarves. Rayne flicked the goggles back to the threat assessment setting and was immediately surprised to find a hue of faint yellow across his screen. It was odd to say the least. Any other army would have charged ahead and tried to tear him to shreds but the way they were stationed appeared as if they were waiting for something. Whoever was giving them these orders must have some trick up their sleeve. No one in their right mind would leave their final defensive force out in the open and ripe for the picking.
Rayne proceeded to take another step forward, and then another. If they weren't going to move at this range, maybe he can coax one of them to do something by creeping up right next to them. It was worth a shot to solve this mystery before any surprises soon followed.
"Rayne!" A voice shouted from the speaker. "What are you doing?! Pull back at once!"
The noise nearly startled the paladin right out of his armor. It was faint to his ears but whoever was at the end of that communication sounded pretty upset. Before he knew it, Rayne was almost one hundred feet away from where he parked. Stealth wasn't a part of his renowned skill set and whoever called him back was trying to remind him of that.
The paladin returned to the bike and gathered his thoughts. That was a little too close for comfort but his nerves didn't appear threatened in the slightest. He would give anything to feel that blood-pumping surge of anxiety once more but there was not a scant trace of anything remotely similar residing in his heart.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "I was a little too curious for my own good."
A little humor never hurt anyone. Rayne hoped that little quip would ease his the tension of his companions. The last thing they needed was a leader who was nearly flying off the handle. He had to remain calm, focused, and a source of positive affirmation that they could all look and rely upon when the time came.
"I'll say," the warrior boasted. "If anyone's going to stick there neck out for no reason, it should be one with the least amount of meat between his chin and chest."
"You bald-bastard!" Cried Weasel. "I know you're talking about me down there."
They didn't even need to bother using the radio seeing as which they had all simultaneously arrived at the designated positions. Both demolishers were positioned up front while the three siege engines were stationed in the back approximately twenty feet behind.
"Alright," the paladin ordered while raising his gauntlet high into the air. "On my mark…"
The demolishers revved with the sound of blissful chaos. Weasel and Saelena were in the gunner position equipped with a volley of long range rockets. They might not pack as much of a punch as the boulders but it would be more than enough take out any outliers from a distance.
"Fire!"
Boulders launched with a wicked velocity. The demolishers released a torrent of explosives at the stationary iron dwarves. Stone erupted from the site of the blast. In the blink of an eye, the dwarven defenses crumbled by nearly thirty percent.
"Keep up the pace!" Rayne ordered as waves of explosives moved overhead. "Here they come!"
The iron dwarves moved from their stationary positions. They charged the defiant group of invaders with unrestrained fury. Steel slammed upon stone in thunderous succession as their powerful legs pounded the ground while making their tremendous approach.
"Hit'em in the front!"
Explosions rang out from the siege engine turrets. Narula and Zariyana peppered the foreground with devastating blasts. Their shots tore through the sky and rained down upon the charging dwarves while the demolishers littered the back defenders with a constant barrage of catastrophic damage.
Everything was proceeding spectacularly. Rayne watched as blips quickly disappeared from behind his lenses. The armies of the Iron Lords were being trampled without a single spec of resistance. If these were the kind of minions awaiting them from beyond the barrier then perhaps this would not be as dangerous as the paladin originally anticipated.
Deafening movement began to quake the ground. Fragments of the fallen dwarven bodies rattled against the oncoming might of the two giants steadily approaching their position.
"Colossuses en route!" Rayne called out.
"I've got them in my sights," Weasel grinned.
The gnome unleashed a torrent of rockets squared at the jaw of the hulking monster. Saelena followed in suit unleashing a volley of her own at the second. Tiny explosions tore into their iron skin covering their faces in shards of vicious shrapnel.
Although the overall power of the rockets was considerably weaker than any other weapon on the vehicles, they appeared to be doing just the right amount of damage to throw the colossi off their game. With every successful hit, they began slowing down and gradually veering off course. If they were going to clear the area of any and all resistance, the demolishers needed to end this now before they got another inch closer.
"Finish them off!"
Two fiery boulders flew into the air with a frightening velocity. Each of the colossi caught one square in the chest. The previous stream of unending rockets proved to be their undoing. The colossi reared backwards, unable to maintain their balance, and collapsed with a titanic thud against the unforgiving ground.
Stone quaked with a tremendous ferocity. Sparks of blue light crackled and snapped from within the core of the colossi. Their bodies had reached their limits. Detonation was rapidly approaching.
"Everyone take cover!"
Rayne dove behind the safe confines of the pillar just moments before the gargantuan iron dwarves exploded. The furious sound deafened the surrounding area in its unrelenting wake. Carcasses of the smaller defenders lifted from the ground and rushed into the pathway. Their broken and defeated bodies danced against the masonry as well as the stout siege vehicles that caused this commotion and came to a skidding halt hundreds of yards away.
The ringing slowly subsided. The paladin inched the bike forward and surveyed the remains of the battlefield. Two smoldering black smudges resided were the bodies of the colossi once lay. The ground was clear and not a single scrap of defiant iron remained between them and the entrance to this Titan-forged city.
Relieving breaths passed through the paladin's lungs. This was but the first of many victories still waiting to be claimed just beyond the stone barrier ahead. He was hoping to feel a little excited or even pleased at the work they had done. Again, nothing but emptiness filled his heart. This sickening feeling was playing Rayne's nerves but he couldn't dare show it.
The rest of the Knights enjoyed a few moments of silence as their initial work had been done. All they had left to do was knock on the door and let themselves in.
"Alright, let's begin phase two," the paladin ordered.
Rayne rushed forward towards the center of the clearing. He instructed the demolishers to move head and station themselves at the southwest and southeast corners. The siege engines huffed through their massive steel pipes and began their charge forward.
"You've done it! You've broken the defenses of Ulduar."
Hearing Brann's excited voice on the radio gave Rayne a much needed lift. They had only been here a short while but if they're presence could assist in any way, the Templar Knights would be more than happy to lend their aid.
"Thanks Brann," replied the paladin.
"In a few moments, we will be dropping in to..."
The dwarf's voice cut off. Rayne could hear his exasperated breaths funneling through the receiver. He couldn't cut in to ask what was going on because Brann's finger was still on the button.
"What is that? Be careful! Something's headed your way!"
"What?!"
Rayne's gaze shifted to the newly forged barrier. The siege engines were still on their way to take it down. They hadn't even gotten halfway before Brann's horrifying cries came blaring through the sound system.
"Quicly! Evasive action! Evasive act-"