The Descent into Madness
Ulduar
The nerves on Rayne's skin stood on end after Vezax's bold declaration.
"This monster speaks?!" Ademnski shouted.
"Fall back!"
The paladins raced towards the golden dome where the rest of the allies resided. Each step they took thundered with utter desperation. This C'Thraxxi was too massive to fight single handedly. They had to distract Vezax and buy Weasel the time he needed in order to implement the proposed strategy to defeat this monstrosity.
A hazy green mist began to pour from the General's body and quickly filled the room. No matter how hard they pushed, the paladins couldn't outrun the monster's seeping aura. They barely reached their companions and were just in time to hear a chilling shriek cry out for the priest's throat.
"ZARI!" Rayne gasped.
The female Legend twin was maintaining the barrier as instructed. Beads of sweat began to pour from the base of her silver locks down her cheeks and onto her chin. Her knees buckled as attempts to remain standing proved to be too strenuous.
"What's wrong?!" Rayne implored begging for an answer.
"I – I don't know," she stammered. "My body feels weak all of the sudden. It is as if that creature is draining my strength where I stand."
"I feel it too," panted Cayden. "Vezax must be emitting some type of aura weakening our vitality."
"It's an act of attrition," Samuel cringed. "He's attempting to wear us out so that we can't fight back."
The C'Thraxxi was not to be trifled with. In just seconds after he entered the fray, the General had already swung the battle into his favor. They desperately needed to come up with a way to counter this hindrance. Otherwise, they were as good as dead.
Vezax's approach was slow and dreadful. He had barely reached the center of the room. Rayne spotted the traps laid out by Saelena beforehand. Perhaps it would buy them enough time to formulate a new plan of attack.
A wave of blue mist exploded underneath the C'Thraxxi's feet. The detonations set of a chain reaction through the room. Large patches of ice coated the tiled floor. Vezax's movements slowed even further. Finding solid footing on this newly hindering ground was a challenge in and of itself. He took his time walking forward. This minor annoyance appeared to only delay the inevitable.
The trap proved to be quite effective. So much so that it seemed to rattle the cages of the C'Thraxxi. Vezax stopped himself in the center of the patches of ice. His monstrous claw opened. Hideous black energy with ripples of violet channeled within the center. The General fired the devastating shadow bolt towards the Templar Knights huddled underneath the golden barrier.
Sparks of purple energy erupted in a vile torrent of power. The priest let out another terrifying scream as the blast rocked the barrier's structural integrity.
"Zariyana!"
Heavy pants pumped out of the priest's lungs. Her holy power waned. She was barely able to stand let alone keep this up for another similar attack. Zariyana's arms trembled as she desperately tried to maintain the channeling of this spell.
"Are you alright?!"
Rayne's grimacing look must have had some effect on her. The priest quivered for a moment but she soon regained her composure.
"Who do you think you're looking at with those worrisome eyes?"
Zariyana's form may have been unstable but she still had the energy and will to form a tiny smirk.
"This is nothing," she boldly decreed. "I will keep this up as promised. That monster will not break me."
The paladin got a chill from how powerful Zariyana sounded. He'd been so used to her acting posh and reserved. Seeing this side of her rise from the cracked visage of her usual pretentious self was a welcomed change.
Rayne placed his hands upon her shoulders. He looked her dead in the eyes and instilled a beaming gaze of absolute confidence.
"I'm counting on you Zari," he stated. "I know you can do this."
"Trying to act cool at a time like this," she scoffed as a nearly inaudible whisper. "There's a time and a place for everything Rayne."
"Yo," the warrior called as he entered the barrier. "You guys okay?"
"Fine," the paladin nodded. "And you?"
"Peachy," he shrugged. "Why? Should I be sick or something like the rest of you?"
"What do you –"
Rayne's mind snapped stopping himself mid speech. This was starting to make sense. Vezax's aura must only affect those with an affinity towards spellcasting. That is why Zariyana, Samuel, and Cayden started to feel strained after the battle had started. The paladin was feeling a little woozy himself. Ademski was probably the same though he wouldn't show it even if you had a blade pressed at his skull.
The General's foot slammed into the ground. Ice cracked in the wake of the blow. He easily kicked off the flattened shards and resumed his approach towards the Templar Knights. Just above its stocky frame, a grappling hook rose and snatched onto the cracks of his natural armor. Weasel was already preparing his ascent and their original strategy was back in swing.
"You three stay here," ordered Rayne. "Marcus, Ademski, Saelena, Narula, and myself will engage Vezax."
The paladin addressed his attacking group directly. Narula was his trump card. She was a jack of all trades. If casting was out of the question she could more than hold her own in her bear or puma form and give the C'Thraxxi a run for his money.
"If any of you are injured, retreat to the barrier," he stated returning his gaze to the priest. "Samuel, do whatever you can to help them."
"As you wish," the priest replied.
"Don't forget about me Rayne," Cayden huffed. "I'm not going to slouch on my duties either."
Even with this monster's aura bearing down on the mage, he still wanted to give it his all. The paladin couldn't help but respect his wishes. It only reaffirmed that he made the right decision when choosing his companions to form the Templar Knights.
"Very well Cayden," smiled Rayne. "But don't overexert yourself."
The paladin stepped out of the barrier with the rest of his attacking team following closely behind. Vezax has already moved through the ice traps and began his hastened trek towards them.
"Let's do this!"
Rayne exploded forward down the center of the room. His shield was pressed in front of him as his legs speedily kicked off the tile flooring. The night elf trailed behind him and began veering to the left. Purple tufts of fur grew from every part of her body. She collapsed on all fours as her hands and feet morphed into the toughened paws of a gallant puma.
Marcus and Ademski took the right side of the battlefield. They drew their two-handed weapons and let out a unified battle cry as they charged towards the C'Thraxxi's clawed arm.
The General welcomed the challengers approaching him. He lifted his foot up and kicked at the blitzing paladin. Rayne raised his shield and pushed off to the side the thundering blow. He used the trailing momentum to spin in a one-hundred and eighty degree arc, carrying his blade charged with radiant holy power and slicing at the C'Traxxi's stocky appendage. The sword slashed against his natural armor leaving only a minor white gash in its wake.
Rayne jumped back and put himself on the defensive. Much like the faceless ones prior, Vezax was also particularly susceptible to the holy light. It may have not done as much damage as the previous minions but at the very least, they would have his attention while the gnome completed his mission.
The rest of the Knights were holding their own against the C'Thraxxi. Narula was easily able to dodge and duck the swings of his massive appendage while returning a few clawed swings of her own. Her agility peaked in this form and proved to be an excellent advantage for the purposes of this strategy. Weasel would have all the time he needed to crack this monster's armor.
Chunks of stony debris erupted from the ground. The General slammed his claw downward hoping to impale either the warrior or draenei within its sharpened tip. The unexpected barrage flew outward from the site of the blast. Rocks cracked against the paladin's skull forcing him to drop to one knee.
The world began to blur before Rayne's eyes. His sword dug into the ground keeping him from fully collapsing. Monumental pain swelled from the side of his head. His goggles continually blared high threat level warnings but now he was actually seeing a new crimson color staining the lenses. The paladin carefully touched his forehead to confirm his dazed suspicions. Blood seeped from his brow and slowly poured over his face. It wasn't enough to take him down completely but it would certainly put a damper on his ability to continue should another unexpected attack come flying his way.
This strategy is dangerous. Rayne thought separating his allies would keep the General on his toes but it appeared to have the opposite effect. Vezax's presence and attacks were so imposing that he could easily catch any of them off guard without breaking a sweat. The Knights were too busy dealing with their own defenses to worry about the others. It was a critical failure on their part and continuing like this would only lead to their downfall.
The paladin pushed himself to his feet. His eyes caught the C'Thraxxi's colossal foot lunging forward for another devastating kick. Rayne lifted his shield just in time to catch the spiked toe before it had the chance to cave his chest it. The immense impact forced the paladin to roll backwards. The steel barrier absorbed most of the damage but this monster's strength was just too much to bear for one man alone.
Weight lifted from Rayne's shoulders. He grew lighter with each passing second. The paladin's eyes glanced at his companions in the barrier. Zariyana was still pushing herself to keep the golden dome active while just behind her, the mage concentrated his spell on their bold leader. It may not have been much but reducing the additional burden of carrying this hefty plate armor meant Rayne could move quicker throughout the battlefield and potentially avoid another agonizing attack as the one prior.
A ray of light rose from the roof. It drove down onto a single point just a few short feet in front of where the C'Thraxxi stood. It expanded into a thick column nearly twenty feet in diameter. Golden energy swelled over the monster. It seared its armored flesh in a torrent of holy power.
Samuel collapsed to his knees. Heavy breaths tore through his lungs. He was so desperate not to be left behind he exceeded his limitations. This sinister aura was not going away any time soon and if they weren't careful, the priest was going to wear himself out before the fight came to an end. His heart was definitely in the right place as was his spell. Vezax's momentarily stopped his attacks which was more than enough of a sign to know it had worked marvelously.
The light washed away into minuscule fragments that dissipated into the air. Narula readied herself for another incoming strike. The General raised his claw and swung it outward in a vicious haymaker. Air cried out in pain as the thickened appendage came barreling through. She collapsed on her belly as the claw grazed the raised mound of fur near her spine and followed through careening at the paladin. Rayne barely got half a gasp in before the spiked blue appendage gunned for his body.
Horrific wails erupted from the C'Thraxxi. His slithering moans signaled a tremendous amount of agony registering in his gargantuan frame. He flailed in response even going as far as taking a step back. The paladin could not believe his luck or eyes as the claw flew harmlessly out of range. Green ooze poured from the skull of Vezax. His left eye had been gruesomely damaged beyond all repair. Rayne searched for any traces of the gnome and his dagger as they were the prime suspect to cause such an overwhelmingly powerful effect.
The rogue flung from side to side holding on for dear life. He hadn't even made it over the General's shoulders yet. There was no way Weasel could have done it. There was only one other suspect amongst the Templar Knights that carried such deadly accuracy.
Plumes of smoke rose for the silent draenei's rifle. She had hidden herself behind a wall of fallen rocks. Her gun was perched atop the shortest as her eyes bore down the scope hoping to line up another similar shot. While the rest of the Knights were worrying about trying to crack the C'Thraxxi's armor, Saelena had already found the chink in it. Her great exploitation bought everyone a welcomed moment to breath.
"Fall in!" Rayne commanded. "Sweep his legs. Chop this bastard down!"
The paladin and night elf rushed in and launched their assault on the General's left leg. In kind, Marucs and Ademski happily obliged by cutting away at his right. Their attacks cracked against Vezax's armored flesh. With each blow his blue skin bruised, dented, and subsequently chipped away. The General may have been standing now but their desperate attacks were determined to bring him to his knees. They were so focused on their assault, they didn't even notice the monster aiming its powerful beam of darkness above.
Sickening purple energy swelled within the C'Thraxxi's claw. Its crackling power snapped the attention of its intended targets. Rayne's mouth opened. He let out a fierce shout ordering his companions to move. The words faded into obscurity as the shadow bolt descended towards them. A blur of purple collapsed over him and impeded his vision.
The ground erupted in a maddening torrent of chaos. Tiles shot out in response to the devastating blow. The bodies of the fallen Twilight's Hammer clansmen split apart in a tornado of bloody fury. Rayne and his Knights were driven off their feet by the incredible force. They flew into the air with a frightening velocity. Their bodies collided on the unforgiving stone floor. Each of them bounced several times before coming to a violent and skidding halt several yards away from their allies underneath the radiating barrier.
Cold tiles graced the paladin's cheeks. He mustered the strength to push himself up and verify the whereabouts of his beloved companions.
"E-everyone!"
Rayne could barely speak over the pain wrecking through his body. Though he didn't suffer a direct hit from the C'Thraxxi, the lingering singe of the chaos energy burned throughout his flesh and armor. The rest of the Knights were in similar shape. Marcus was flat on his back. His weapon and been flung from his hands and landed in the corner. The draenei was no worse for wear. He rolled all the way to the wall before being forced to a stop with his back against it crouched over his own blade.
The paladin's eyes lingered towards the puma. His mind froze in sheer terror. Her body had been blown back further than anyone. She laid on her side unmoving and with short shallow breaths.
"N-NARULA!"
He reached out to her desperately. Rayne's body would not respond to any direct orders. Fear funneled into his mind. It all became instantly clear. The night elf and jumped atop him and pushed him back moments before the impact. That's why he saw a hazy blur beforehand and easily explains why she was so much further away than everyone else.
Terror loomed overhead. The paladin's eyes widened. Vezax's second claw was radiating an ominous and familiar energy. He intended to finish them off with one final bolt of chaotic shadow magic. The nerves in Rayne's body were crying too loud to listen to anything else. He braced himself for the inevitable crushing blow to rain down upon him and begged the light to spare him and his companions one last time.
The hideous shadow bolt fired from the C'Thraxxi's arm. It crackled sadistically as it ripped into the air. Rayne's body tensed. He brought his shield forward but something was off about its trajectory. Before he even realized what was going on, the destructive mass of energy passed right overhead and crashed into the golden dome of holy light.
"Z-Zariyana!"
The priest screamed in vivid anguish. Her high-pitched cries echoed into the atmosphere. The explosive black energy enveloped over her radiant light and forced it to dissipate harmlessly into the air. Zariyana's haunting shouts came to a grinding halt as she collapsed to the ground. The swell of darkness to consumed her in the blink of an eye.
With their protective barrier down, Cayden and Samuel were exposed to the full wrath of the General. The mage fell atop the female Legend twin and frantically tried to reawaken her. Samuel, on the other hand, was still reeling from his previously delivered spell. Sweat filled his brow. His long silver locks of hair fell over his face in a dirty mess.
The Templar Knights only had one hope left. Weasel was their last chance. Rayne turned his attention back to the looming monster. He clenched his teeth and forced his body to listen. The effects of the previous gout of shadow magic still lingered on his frame. The paladin may not have been able to move but at least he could watch this colossal bastard go down in a towering inferno. He gave the C'Thraxxi one last venomous look of defiance. A rush of anger swelled within him. The growing rage helped him climb to his knees. Rayne pressed himself high enough to allow his jaw to just barely graze the cracked tiles below as he saw the brown knapsack full of explosives fall harmlessly to the ground.
Terror spread throughout the paladin's mind. The gnome's body descended from the General's backside. He bounced with a quick thud on the cold tiles below. Weasel was thrown off violently during the fray. The bombs stood in the center of the room with no one nearby to reclaim them. Their last resort was completely out of reach as Vezax stepped forward to resume his attacks on the beaten and battered Knights.
"The Black Blood of Yogg-Saron courses through me!"
Power swelled within the C'Thraxxi. Whips of dark energy snapped off his body. The monster appeared to grow larger where he stood. His head nearly touched the roof. The revolting aura grew stronger as it gave out one final fearsome declaration.
"I. AM. UNSTOPPABLE!"
A dark cloud rose in the battlefield. Every stomp Vezax took forward shook the room entirely. The Templar Knights stood in complete disarray. Rayne commanded his twitching body to move. His armor skidded across the broken tiles. The paladin inched his way over to the fallen night elf. He desperately reached out to her, calling her name with every breath. She was still breathing but barely. If the C'Thraxxi wanted to lay another menacing claw on the one he loved more than anything in this world, he was going to have to go through Rayne Templar first.
The General moved slowly, much slower than previously. This enhanced form must have been difficult to sustain. Any other creature would have completely annihilated them by now. The paladin was still over twenty yards away from his beloved. Even at the C'Thraxxi's reduced speed, there was no way he was going to make it in time.
Thunderous rapid steps roared throughout the room. Another creature must have found its way in here. It was too fast for a faceless one. The paladin slowly shifted his gaze and watched the flash of green pass straight through his field of view.
"Emerald?!"
The tiger blitzed down the path. He seized the strap of the brown bag between his sharpened fangs and raced towards the General. The beast trampled through the chamber at an incredible speed. Emerald showed no fear in his sharpened yellow eyes as he lunged ahead.
Vezax raised both his claws high into the air. He measured the approaching threat and when it was in range, drilled down upon the creature with an unbridled fury. His bladed appendages dug into the cracked tiles below. A flood of rocky debris erupted from the crash site.
Rayne's eyes twitched. A flicker of hope gleamed within. The tiger leapt onto the C'Thraxxi's arm and hastily climbed upwards. Vezax was unable to move. His hands were buried within the floor. Emerald was free to roam wherever he wished and he knew exactly where he needed to go.
The bag's strap caught the horn of the General. A single bullet pierced the leather exterior. It ripped it clean open. Bombs began to litter down over the C'Thraxx's arms, chest and back. The tiger kicked off his backside and jumped towards the open pathway behind the monstronsity. There moment had finally come. Rayne prayed that Weasel was merely playing possum.
"WEASEL!" Shouted the paladin. "NOW!"
The gnome twitched. His left hand rose up and snapped his fingers before a hazy green blur collapsed over him. Rayne braced his eyes for the inevitable.
Bright white lights lit up across the General's body. Shattering explosions rang out into the atmosphere. The room was swept into a colorless void of blinding energy. Trails of hideous moaning echoed from the C'Thraxxi's core as the engulfing detonations enveloped his hardened natural armor.
Blue plates descended onto the ground. The cracked chunks of armor disintegrated into a heaping pile of thick dust. Vezax buckled to his knees. His arms were too weak to lift his bulky mass. They bent to the side as the C'Thraxxi fell forward. His body had been completely shattered. Streaks of teal blood poured from countless wounds along his rugged hide.
Renewed strength flowed within the paladin's blood. He picked himself off the ground and back upon his feet. This second wind would not last long and they desperately needed to destroy this blasted monster once and for all. Vezax may have been down but life still remained within him.
Rayne limped towards the night elf. His sword dragged along the tiles marring their hardened skin in a thin white line. He fell to his knees near the puma's slumped body. The paladin dropped his sword and extended his free hand outward. A radiant beam of holy light launched from within his palm. Rayne poured every ounce of energy he could spare. It may have not been his calling but he certainly had a knack for the healing properties of the light.
The paladin collapsed forward. His still radiating hand fell atop Narula's body. With what little strength remained, he poured the remains of his light into the night elf's heart to ease her prolonged wounds. Darkness crept into the corners of his eyes. He did not want to be consumed by unconsciousness; not before their last resort rose to his feet.
The warrior's eyes opened. His body was surrounded in a golden aura. It filled him with a refreshing burst of energy. He picked himself up from the ground. Rage coursed through every pore of his skin. Marcus couldn't believe the damage this blue bastard caused to his friends. And yet, there he stood writhing in pain, blood raining down from his body, and the damned monster still had the audacity to keep breathing.
Heavy stomps echoed into the air. The warrior retrieved his fallen mace. It vibrated in his arms. All of the surging adrenaline flowing through his veins was almost too much for his body to contain. Marcus burst forward. He cried out tremendously as he raced for the beaten C'Thraxxi's lowered skull. The warrior leapt into the air. His mace came hurling downwards. A small flicker in the General's eye almost bore a look of fear.
Teal liquid shot into the air like a rabid geyser. Marcus hammered the General's skull in enraging succession. Each blow carried with it a heightened sense of frustration and a slew of obscenities. The warrior raised the mace into the sky. He funneled the entirety of his being into one final blow. Vezax's head twitched. It was as if he knew his end had finally come. One final breath exited his hulking body and carried with it a slurred and final comment.
"Oh, what horrors await..."
The C'Thraxxi's head exploded. Its tattered flesh slithered off its shoulders into the growing pool of fluid below. Marcus panted over the General's defeated corpse. Splatters of his blood stained the warrior's flesh and armor. His eyes twitched as the remnants of adrenaline faded away. This was one of the most brutal challenges Marcus has even come across. He wanted to savor the flavor of his victim's ultimate demise for a just one more moment.
A victorious cry echoed through the warrior's mouth. The booming sound caught the sensitive ears of the night elf in her puma form. Her eyes slowly opened. The carcass of the decapitated C'Thraxxi laid in the distance. Narula shook the cobwebs stuck in her woozy head as her furry skin reverted back to flats and bindings of her leather armor. She propped herself up upon her hands while her hip and legs lay flat upon the ground. A small weight slid off her shoulders. The night elf caught a quick glance of a silver gauntlet falling off her body.
"Raymond!"
Narula rolled to her knees. She hovered above the paladin's tired body. The shimmering locks of her purple hair draped over his head and face. She forced the engineering goggles upwards and stared back at his softly shut eyes.
"Say something," she pleaded. "Raymond… Please!"
Cold steel graced the night elf's slender fingers. Rayne gave them a gentle squeeze before slowly opening his eyes.
"I'm okay Narula," he smiled back. "Don't worry –"
The paladin's speech was cut drastically short. The night elf quickly fell atop him. Her arms carefully wrapped around his shoulders and chest pressing against him. She buried her face next to his. The luxurious fragrance of flowers wafted through her soft strands of hair.
"I am so thankful you are alright."
The paladin graciously hugged her back. It took everything Rayne had left within him to contain his glee. He wanted to bathe in this moment for as long as possible. Throughout all their years together, the paladin had never seen Narula this vulnerable. She was practically trembling atop his body. This blissful feeling would quickly revert to torture if he allowed it to continue. It wasn't that he wanted it to end. Rayne knew that the best was still yet to come. Instead, he opted for a much more sly approach.
"You're too reckless Narula."
If he could pull himself way from this tender embrace, Rayne would have seen her smiling ever too humbly. She couldn't even find the words to counter in humorous fashion. The overwhelming emotions flowing through them were more than enough to keep Narula silent for just a few moments longer.
The hardened fingers of his gauntlet found their way to the night elf's shoulders. He gently gave them a squeeze and pushed her back up. The refreshing expression upon her exquisite face nearly made his heart burst where they lie. Sadly, they still had work to do.
"How is everyone else?"
Narula carefully rolled off the paladin to a sitting position. She scouted ahead and found and incredibly bold scene taking place before her. Saelena was kneeling before her husband. The silent draenei's lips caressed those of her lover. Ademski held onto her arms and pulled her in close. Their embrace seemed to last an eternity yet only a seconds had drifted away. They pulled apart with a grand look of adoration and satisfaction befalling their tender faces.
"There is nothing to fear," he smiled. "Perhaps I have taken one too many blows to the head today."
Saelen's expression tightened to one of grave annoyance. She bounced her knuckles off the top of Ademski's skull with two powerful taps.
"You know I do not like to wear helms Saelena," whined the draenei. "It makes my head look bigger."
The silent draenei continued to pout. Their brief moment called to Narula's heart. She smiled as the paladin rose up beside her with a hand clutching his head.
"What's going on?"
The night elf's smile grew a little wider.
"Nothing," she said softly.
Narula stood back to her feet. She lowered her hand and assisted Rayne to his. The paladin happily obliged. He dusted off the remaining fragments of broken masonry from his armor. The ground was littered with various debris. This battle had taken its toll on the fortress. Rayne scanned the room to confirm the well-being of the rest of his companions.
"Are you guys okay?" He called out. "How –"
The paladin's heart froze. His eyes locked onto the sullen image of the fallen priest. Samuel was clutching his sister's body. His breaths were broken and shuddering. Rayne raced over towards them. He fell beside the male Legend twin. A distraught look of utter panic had fallen over him. In all their years of knowing each other, the paladin had never seen him look so baffled.
"She's," he stammered.
Words couldn't properly find their way out of his mouth. The priest tensed his expression and tightened the grip he had on Zariyana's waist and shoulders.
"She's not waking up Rayne."