The Prison of Yogg-Saron
Ulduar
A sea of black stood before the night elf. In the center, the light calling out to her was in grave danger. The red creatures were standing on all sides. At any moment they were going to move in, attack the light, and destroy it before her very eyes.
Narula clenched her fists. Nature's unbridled wrath flowed through her blood. She had to stop them. She had to kill them before they killed the light. She promised to always protect him. After failing him once, she would not let the same mistake happen again.
Balls of silver light filled her palms. The night elf pledged to make quick work of these foul beasts. She moved forward towards the closest one. It flickered with a venomous red shine. Sparks of light danced off its crude frame. This one would be the first of many to fall. She had to protect him.
Something was strange. These creatures were not moving. Narula would have thought they would be all over him right now. He was ripe for the picking. The night elf expected to enter the fray quickly and dispose of the monsters as they all piled atop the light. However, they just stood there as if curiously awaiting their end.
Destroy them minion, your master commands it!
Narula's eyes widened. She frantically scanned the area for the source of that ominous sound. Pain clutched her chest. The night elf dropped to her knees. She could feel the rage within her crying out for release. All of her efforts were spent trying to comprehend this madness gripping her mind. She was so lost and confused. This helpless feeling had not since been felt since the day she washed up on the shores of the Eastern Kingdoms.
A soothing melody tickled her heart. Elune's grace was calling out to her. She remembered this feeling. Only through deep medication were they allowed to beseech her glorious voice. The Goddess was extending her grasp. She drew Narula's attention. The light grew before her eyes.
No…!
The night elf had no master. She was no one's minion. Someone was playing her for a fool. Her mind sharpened. These red creatures were not her enemies. They were her friends. Why she now saw them as such must have had something to do with that chaotic black energy that struck her,
Memories poured in. The light in the center was growing with great fervor. All of the surrounding creatures returned to their true forms. The Templar Knights stood amongst the darkness and battled against the creatures it commanded.
She remembered why she was here. The Old God had tried to use her against her friends. It played her for a fool. This being fed off the malevolence of others. Narula would not allow her to succumb to its will for a second longer.
The voices dissipated in the atmosphere. Light expanded in the center. She could see him clearly now. He was so close she could almost reach out and touch him. The night elf did just that. Her slender arm carried forward. She longed for his presence again. The light circled around him brighter than she had ever seen. Her hand was inches away from him. She begged it to come closer.
Daggers pierced Narula's heart. A second image came into view. It stood next to him. Though hazy at first the details slowly revealed themselves. This creature had long hair. Its face rounded to reveal a soft complexion.
Nooo…!
The numbness had returned to the night elf's body. She trembled before the image. A woman had taken him by the hand and began walking away from Narula. She couldn't move. All of her strength had depleted. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be left alone again.
"NOOOOOOOO!"
The darkness shattered. Tiles of black void rained from the skies. A vicious battlefield came into the light. The sickening mess lying in her stomach had been quelled. She meditated on the feelings of balance and peace. That last image she saw was just another one of the Old God's tricks. It had to be. She would not believe any other explanation. The time had come to pay back this monster for all its treachery. Yogg-Saron would have nowhere to flee from her unbridled and concentrated wrath.
Silver light exploded from the night elf's eyes. Her presence quaked in the room. A humbling essence lifted from the ground. Wisps rose from the cracked tiles. They circled the battlefield carrying a calm and healing essence. Tiny sparks of light struck the bodies of her companions. Their vigor was being restored before their very eyes.
The wounds on Samuel's head had closed. Air returned to the mage's lungs. The draenei and warrior rose to their feet. Renewed strength funneled through their bloodstream. The Templar Knights were being restored back to their full fighting prowess. Confidence had been restored in the prison. The night elf had turned the tide of this battle in a single beat of her reinvigorated heart. This damned Old God had absolutely no who it was trifling with.
"Gather yourselves Knights," ordered Narula. "Let us destroy this monster once and for all."
Her voice boomed throughout the room. Elune's glorious presence had trickled on every word. With their vitality restored, it was time to strike back at the heart of the beast and turn the tide in their favor.
The Knights spread out and launched their assault on the Old God once more. Their weapons dug into the sickening fleshy appendages of Yogg-Saron. Whips of teal fluid splashed onto the ground. Samuel and Cayden appeared to need more time for recovery. The new vitality granted by the tranquil touch of nature had granted their allies all of the strength they needed to make up for it and then some.
"Combat matrix enhanced. Behold wondrous rapidity!" Called Mimiron. "The bindings are almost fully repaired. Please proceed as normal until stabilization has been completed."
"Ya hear that boys and girls?!" Marcus taunted while hurling his mace with a sickening velocity. "This party's almost over! Let's stick it to this bastard!"
A wily tentacle lashed out towards her. Its malicious snap sought to crush the night elf right where she stood. Narula caught the head of the appendage. She squeezed it tightly in the grip of a single hand. The night elf cried out and with one mighty tug, ripped the limb straight from its root. Its blood spilled before her. She tossed the torn appendage aside. There was no time left to play with its arms any longer.
Narula widened her stance. Her arms slowly rose into the air. She called upon the moon and stars above to lend her their strength. It would take some time to channel this energy but she implored their boundless aid. The night elf was prepared to drop the very moon itself atop this creature if it would guarantee its defeat. After the spiteful way it had attempted to corrupt her mind, even a death like that would not be fitting for such a monster.
The fortress of Ulduar began to shake. Its architecture crumbled under her tremendous might. Chunks of stone and metal fell from the sky. Not even a structure constructed by the Titans or their creatures could stand up to the glorious power descending upon it. She only needed to channel its righteous energy for just a bit longer.
Sweat fell from the night elf's brow. Her arms began to quiver underneath the rampant power being channelled. Narula had never once attempted to harness such magnificent energy in her entire life. Even her Shan'do cautioned her of manipulating too much of nature's blessing. It could cause catastrophic results to the one that dared to wield it foolishly. The night elf paid no mind to those warnings. If this Old God was allowed to do as it pleases, more people would suffer because of it. She couldn't allow that to happen. She had to protect this world. She had to protect those that lived in it. She did it all to protect him.
Light from the night's sky pierced through the prison. It radiated magnificently in the glow of the purple atmosphere. The ball of majestic silver gleamed in the distance. Stars fell from the heavens. Narula was going to decimate the Old God and whatever barrier it dared to hide behind. After all the pain it had caused, it deserved nothing less. Trying to use her strength against her allies was despicable but nothing could compare to the haunting vision that stood before her. She would tear her own eyes out of the sockets before daring to witness it again.
Bolts of black energy pelted off the night elf's body. Sara unleashed more chaotic spells in her direction. Though tremendous in speed, they did little to sway Narula's resolve. She did not wane and she did not waver. Their end was rapidly approaching. The Old God appeared to be getting desperate. The night is always darkest before the dawn. Yogg-Saron's darkness had plagued them long enough. The light had finally come for it.
The Mind of Yogg-Saron
Ulduar
Golden locks of hair trickled downward. They rained upon the ground. Lorelei's blade ran clean through. Even the air cried out in agony. She carried the swing almost to a full revolution. The haunting grimace upon her face would forever be etched in his eyes.
A single white cloth dropped upon the rocky surface. The paladin's binding had been broken. His ponytail had fallen forward spilling his long blonde locks over his face and chest. Desperate breaths escaped his lips. He had barely dodged the vicious strike with his head in tack. If the only casualty was the battered hilt in his hand and ruined hairstyle then it was a price well paid.
The young elf finished her spin. She came to a complete stop less than two feet away from Rayne. The anger in her face had dropped. Sorrow filled her brow. Tears exploded from her eyes. A slender hand slowly reached out to him.
"Jean…"
The paladin's mind snapped. His hair had fallen in a way that may have once resembled her brother's style but they looked nothing alike. The water welling her vision coupled with the still maddening darkness enveloping her must be causing more hallucinations. Yogg-Saron's grip upon her remained firm but at the very least, there was still a part of the old Lorelei dwelling in the void.
"Is it true?" She sobbed. "Have you really come back to me?"
The young elf took a careful step towards him. Her intentions appeared to be genuine. If this was truly a ruse by the Old God then it was truly a monster beyond all comprehension. Rayne could think of nothing else than to placate her wishes. It may be the only way to bring her back into the light.
"Yes Lorelei," he calmly replied gazing deeply into her eyes. "I'm -"
A brutally wicked kick cracked the paladin straight in his side. Rayne skidded across the rocky surface with a hideous speed. He bounced along the hardened ground several times. The hilt of his broken blade slipped from his hands as he continued. He finally came to a grinding halt upon his face. The taste of saronite hovered just beneath his lips.
"You son of a bitch…!" She cringed. "Are you toying with me again? Do you think I'm really that stupid?! Jean's eyes are green!"
Agony ripped through the paladin's side once more. Her foot blasted him squared in his damaged ribs. He easily counted three or four broken before. There were definitely two or three more added to that mix. Despite his shield being close to his side, it still didn't save him from this overwhelming pain.
The paladin's tactic was a little foolish in hindsight but he was literally running out of options. He lowered his guard in order to save her. There was no way she could find the will to return to her former self now. Unfortunately, he had no tools left in his disposal to help her. His sword had been shattered and body brutally beaten. The delicate numbness provided by the light had faded from his crying nerves. She was still clear across the other side of the room but without a sword, there was little to stand in her way from claiming her revenge.
Rocks slid underneath Rayne's gauntlets. He slowly pushed himself to his knees. Every muscle he exerted trembled. They begged him to give up. All of them cried out to rest and relax. The paladin ignored every one of their pleas. He had to stop Lorelei here and now. For her own good and for the eternal will of the one she loved.
"Is that all you've got?" Taunted Rayne as he slowly rose to his feet. "If you want to kill me, you're going to have to do better than that."
The young elf scowled. It was working. He had to catch her off guard. Otherwise she'd spot him slowly reaching for the bomb strapped to his waist. Rayne never thought he'd need to use this but he owed that little rogue a big thanks if this worked.
"Look at you!" Lorelei scoffed. "You are wretched in form and presence. If I wanted to kill you outright I would have done so at the beginning!"
"Really?" Smirked Rayne. "I don't think you have it in you."
It proved challenging to talk so boldly without coughing in a fit of pain. However, the paladin had to continue. He needed her frazzled and unfocused, otherwise this would all be for naught. If she decided to attack him straight on, there would be nothing he could do to save him or her from the darkness.
The young elf clutched her blade tightly. She stood in a preemptive battle stance.
"You're still looking down upon me?!" Spat Lorelei. "I knew I was right about you all along!"
Rayne pressed his shield forward and resumed his guard. He slipped the explosive device through his cloak and locked it in place on the underside of the steel barrier. The young elf still reeled from his words. It may have been inciting her anger but it was also keeping her off balance which was key for this plan to work to its greatest potential.
"If you're as powerful as you say you are," began the paladin. "Then why am I still alive?"
His words cut deep. Lorelei's frown turned menacing in the blink of an eye.
"Do you think I would grant you a quick death?!" She howled back. "I wanted to watch you writhe under my thumb I wanted to prolong your suffering. I –"
"The only suffering I have," he coughed while interjecting. "Is from watching you turn into something so wretched."
Blood dripped from his teeth. The internal wounds were greater than he initially thought. His shield slipped from its bindings. Rayne caught it at the top and prepared to deal his final hand.
"What happened to the young girl I met who was so full of innocence?"
Lorelei's stance shifted. Her eyes narrowed upon the battered paladin's visage.
"What happened to the curious elf so enamored with the world she never knew?"
Rayne's strength was fleeting. He could only keep this up for some much longer. His words may yet still try to reach her. Should they fail once again, at least his shield would cover the rest of that distance.
"What happened to the beautiful woman who, no matter how many layers of armor I wore, still managed to find a way to touch my heart?"
The greatsword slipped from her grasp. Lorelei clutched it tightly before it could spill onto the ground. The tears had completely vanished from her eyes. Only burning embers of rage remained.
"She's right here!"
The young elf took off in a mad sprint. Smoky mists of charred saronite filled the air in her wake.
"You did this to me!" She screamed. "This is all your fault!"
The paladin hurled his shield forward. Golden light shined brightly around its charged path. It aimed straight towards Lorelei's destined path. The steel barrier dropped slowly and sunk into the ground several yards in front of her. It embedded itself into the broken ground and provided a perfect springboard for the young elf to leap upon and close the distance instantly.
"You fool!" She taunted. "Is that the best you've –"
Rayne slammed his thumb and middle finger together. The bomb roared with a furious cry. Lorelei shrieked as she was sent airborne. Her body slammed into the roof with an excruciating thud. Rocks cracked upon her upsetting impact. The room shook in its wake. She was embraced by its hardened touch. The lingering anguish thundered through her being. Her nerves could not keep up with all of the constant shouting. She had no other recourse than to shut down entirely.
The light from the young elf's eyes faded. Her body fell from the newly created crevice. Adrenaline surged in the paladin body. He sprinted towards the drop zone. All of the pain rendered through his haggard frame had been silenced. This was his atonement. He could not let any more harm befall her ever again.
Lorelei's body came crashing down. The paladin slid forward. His greaves slashed the rocky surface as the young elf forcefully fell into his awaiting arms. Rayne caught her in his muscular grip and held her tightly. They came to a skidding halt as his shield and her blade bounced from their similar journeys just a few short steps away.
Panic struck his conscious. The paladin brushed aside her hair and examined the young elf's slender face. Her veins had stopped glowing. The muscles had vanished. Slow breaths escaped her tiny nostrils. She may have been knocked out cold but at least she was alive.
"I'm sorry Lorelei."
Rayne clutched her closely and pulled her in for a deep hug. She was absolutely right. All of the horrors she had become were because of his doing. There was no way to change the past. The paladin could only do as he had promised. He would continue to live and give her a reason to as well until she found her own shimmering path towards the light. This was the way he would honor Jean's legacy. It is what he always wanted and now, his beloved sister was under the care and protection of Rayne Templar.
The paladin lowered her body onto the ground slowly. Their fight may be over but it appears the Old God was still looming amongst them. They had to find a way out of here and end his reign of terror on this day and for all days.
A faint flicker of light drew Rayne's eyes downward. The bright orange gem within his blade began to glow. He picked up the fractured hilt and examined it closely. Much like the vision he experienced, history has taught him that even a broken weapon could still serve a purpose. Oddly enough, the citrine stone looked painfully similar to the one carried within the hilt of the Startrider blade. It may have been better to bring an actual weapon with him given but even with the shattered Red Sword of Courage in his grip, the paladin firmly believed he was in good hands.
Rayne walked towards the misty entryway. His body no longer felt haggard or weak. Not an ounce of trepidation clung to his heart. This mystical blade had restored his will and allowed the paladin to continue with his head held high in the great unknown.
The blue clouds parted as Rayne stepped through. The room was cragged and broken. Patches of sticky membranes hung from the walls. His eyes fixated on a large astral being. It was amorphous in shape with bright while lines of light running throughout the center and down towards several extending appendages. It reminded him of the tentacles they had fought against but this creature looked nothing like the menacing form of the Old God.
Do you dream while you sleep or is it an escape from the horrors of reality?
Its voice was tremendous. The same maddening sound he heard earlier emanated from this very room. Buried beneath his intimidating figure in the prison above was this frail creature. This odd looking substance must be the true form of Yogg-Saron. There were no guards or faceless ones lurking about. The Old God hedged its bets on Rayne's death at the hands of the young elf and was soundly defeated.
There is no escape... not in this life... not in the next...
Yogg-Saron's words continued. It didn't matter if they were a warning or even an unfathomable attempt to get the paladin to cease his actions. Brann and the others made it very clear. The Old Gods couldn't be battered with, couldn't be reasoned with. They only lived to see chaos and destruction wrought amongst the world's precious living things. Creatures like this could not be redeemed. They can only be purged.
You will be alone in the end...
There it was again. Yogg-Saron had tried the same tactic earlier. It may have worked with the previously corrupted elf. Rayne's resolve was just too strong. His willpower was indomitable. After all of the nightmares this Old God put him through, it was time to lay this monster to rest.
The paladin's sword began radiating a magnificent light. Rayne could feel it churning throughout his being. Golden rays shot from his back. They melded and shaped into the majestic form of a pair of angelic wings that spanned nearly the entire width of the room. His eyes were filled with the soothing glow of the light's gracious power. This divine form of the holy avenger stood before the Old God's visage without fear nor hatred. He will only do what he must.
The gauntlet quaked with power. The paladin flicked the broken hilt to the side. A burst of holy light shot from the damaged weapon. It extended to nearly ten feet in length taking the form of a gleming sword made up of pure golden radiance. Crackles of white snapped off its translucent visage with a trickle of incredible energy. A blade of this size would have easily taken the hands of a giant to properly wield. It sat practically weightless in his grip.
Rayne looked upon the Old God one last time. His empowered frame lifted the blade high into the air. The paladin turned the hilt slowly presenting the gleaming golden edge towards the amorphous blob known as Yogg-Saron. He offered a silent prayer for those that he had afflicted, those that had been lost, and those that would be forever broken thanks to his madness. It already tried to consume him and nearly ruined the relationships with his friends and loved ones. He vowed to never let anyone suffer like that again.
The blade came thundering downwards as if it were a bolt of holy lightning. Blinding rays of golden light exploded upon impact. The gleaming sword dug into the amorphous blob of flesh. Trickles of its essence fizzled out against the almighty power of the paladin's strike. The creature's figure contorted and lashed out in agony.
Rayne let out an exultant holler as he continued to press the blade into the monster. He channeled all of the light within his being down into the Old God's being. The light-forged blade shined brightly against the darkness.
Cracks formed within the hilt of the sword. Pieces of its red legacy chipped off and faded as they were absorbed by the brilliant display of holy power until it nearly vanished completely. Though the handle of the blade had disappeared, the ominous orange gem still remained near the paladin's grip. It too began to glow magnificently.
The citrine slowly sank towards his breastplate and fell before the hardened steel. With a single crack, the gem exploded into a mist of golden energy that enveloped Rayne's body. The remaining spirit of the former blade had bound itself within the paladin and fused its mystifying strength with his own.
White light cascaded within the center of the strike. It slowly spread throughout the room. The Old God's lingering presence dwindled. Rayne's triumphant cries echoed into the blinding void.