"You're always too slow!" Shouted the turquoise pegasus at the head of the line in the air with a mocking grin, easily managing to dodge obstacles in his path while his black-coated teammate followed.
"How come I can still hear you then!" Replied the stallion with that same playful smile at his friend's foolishness.
"Because Sptifire told us both to go, and I know you'd get lost if you didn't have my flank to follow."
"But I'm the one with the map of the area, and you have to turn left if you don't want to end up in the swamp." He warned, seeming offended by the last comment.
She sensibly followed his call and turned her flight direction at the first sight of the Âprefange swamp. The two Pegasus heading their way, Lightning Dust and Thunderlane, were being sent on a mission by the woman who had trained them to become strong and proud warriors of the horde, the general of the Orgrimmar Air Force.
"They said members of the alliance were being observed on this island, so we're going to hunt them down and make it our territory." Lightning Dust cheered high into the air, already thinking of the glory that awaited him as he returned triumphantly while Thunderlane scanned the surroundings. They were now flying over the ocean, and apart from the sight of the swamp on the coast, there was nothing on the horizon to give any sign of life.
This was not to the duo's displeasure, as they began to glimpse the island of Alcaz, their destination recognizable by its abandoned lighthouse in the center, which seemed to be the only interest of such a rock out of the water.
"We should be discreet, if there are any here, they'll spot us." Advised the Pegasus stallion before climbing aloft, the gloomy weather helping his coat to conceal itself.
"No sense Thunder, it's much better to swoop down on our opponents, they'll be on the ground before they see what attacked them." Dust reacted, choosing to aim for the center and dive straight in, changing trajectory as soon as a living being came into view.
"Damn it, Dust! We're not in training anymore, this is serious business." He replied but forced himself to follow her, he didn't want their first mission as a duo to end badly, or for his friend to end up in a bad way without him.
With the help of a strong wind, the two Pegasus reached the island and circled it, looking for someone or something. Thunderlane concentrated more on the deep, dark waters they were flying over, trying not to think of a sea monster ready to pounce towards them, preparing herself just in case.
"FIND!" Lightning yelled suddenly, seeing a ship moored on a wooden deck with an easy-to-recognize flag, a golden lion on a blue background. She wasted no time in pulling her two lightning-charged war hammers from her belt.
"WE'VE BEEN SPOTTED, NOTIFY THE CAPTAIN!" Ordered one of the ponies as the others abandoned their activities and drew shotguns, quickly aiming at their assailants.
Thunderlane redoubled his speed, bringing out his weapons as well, so much for stealth. He and Lightning Dust began to twirl in tandem against enemy bullets and spells, dodging them with ease, before the mare sent a first bolt of lightning from her weapons at the first shooter, sending him flying into a tree. Instead, the stallion aimed at their ship and struck the base of the mast with force, the lightning bolts and the weights of her weapons sending its trunk flying and sinking further.
"DON'T DIE, PRIORITIZE YOUR LIVES OVER EVERYTHING ELSE!" Insisted the captain as he hurried out of his cabin, all to see Thunderlane on his deck having broken whatever kept the boat running, then Lightning continuing to manhandle the other ponies of his crew on the dock.
"So you're the captain? We'd like to ask you a few questions." Said the stallion as he strode confidently towards the paladin, his uniform making no secret of his Lightning affiliation.
"Look, we don't mean you any harm." Began to defend the stallion wearing the classic silver hand outfit, his arctic white coat and navy blue mane. He wanted to raise his hands in submission, but Lightning ended up throwing a guy onto the deck, forcing him to surround him with light so he didn't end up with a fractured skull against the rudder.
Having finished with the intruders on dry land, she joined her companion on deck, seeing the enemy captain attempt no resistance to attack them. Thunderlane was only a few steps away, but it was she who tackled the stallion to the ground with violence, shocking even her friend who must have been expecting it.
"Ouch, stop it, we didn't do anything..." He implored as she grabbed him so he wouldn't try anything.
"Shut up, you alliance vermin, we're the ones asking the questions!" She shouted, forcing an intimidating stare, something that worked too well as the downed Pegasus closed his eyes and imagined very hard that it was all a dream.
"LIGHTNING, THAT'S ENOUGH, YOU'RE TERRIFYING HIM, HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO REVEAL ANYTHING TO US WITH THAT ATTITUDE!" Thunderlane often took his behavior in jest in training, but their first mission was to be an example of what he could accomplish, giving birth to his look.
The mare noticed the forced change, released her grip and turned back to him in frustration and annoyance.
"Calm down Thunderlane, dammit you should take that broom out of your ass before you question him." She said as she approached and stared at him like the alliance member earlier, except that Thunderlane more used to his colleague managed to keep his cool and maintained eye contact, loosening his own intimidating face.
"Hostages will always be more useful than corpses." He said but thought that some people like the zebra Zecora would be satisfied with the second option for his twisted experiments.
"You say that as if you've forgotten who killed your parents..."
"It certainly wasn't them, they're too young to have taken part in that war." He argued, making Lightning Dust gasp in exasperation.
"It's the alliance, it's all the same, they all deserve the same fate." She swore as she headed toward the defeated group to herd them back to the ship, avoiding an accidental escape or a game of hide-and-seek. She'd be sure to break their wings or legs at the slightest sign of resistance.
Thunderlane breathed more softly and moved towards the captain still face down, keeping her even to meet his gaze.
"I've got it out of the way, you can raise your head now." He assured as he waited for him to straighten up, a paladin's armor shouldn't fall into such disgrace even in the face of the horde.
Instead, the white pegasus to swear a few whispers, too softly to be heard.
"I don't get it, stop mumbling to yourself and tell me." Thunderlane continued, bringing the vanquished back to his harsh reality, pulling him into a sitting position, Dust having really banged him up too much to have to handcuff him, one eye remaining closed as he bled.
"I want to go home..." he said finally.
"Me too, so the sooner we finish this questionnaire, the sooner I'll be happy, so let's go, what are you doing here?" Started the pegasus shaman directly, his upright, serious posture giving the downed paladin little hope of getting away with trying to escape.
"I... we were preparing to rehabilitate this lighthouse, nothing more." He agreed. "We're only carrying equipment to get the machine working again and renovate this lighthouse that's all, please don't hurt my men any more." He dared to ask after his explanation.
"It's Thunderlane who asks for things, not you."
"Pleased to meet you Thunderlane, I'm Soarin." He said quickly in terms of introduction followed by a nod, which made the shaman in front of him sigh.
"Very well, you'll come with me to see if you're not lying." The black pegasus took the white man by the neck and led him into the ship's hold.
"A paladin doesn't lie, know that... and I'm sorry about your parents." Added the prisoner once below, the angry mare wouldn't bother them here at least.
Thunderlane tightened her grip on his neck, making him groan in pain.
"I don't want your excuses, I want the truth, show me the hidden compartments of the ship." Even an alliance barque could contain secret rooms for all he knew.
Soarin cautiously approached the various pieces of furniture to provide the nooks and crannies with what was inside, placing everything on the room's table, no weapons but various tools as he had announced.
"Why do we have to fight, we're both ponies." He let go, continuing his exploration under Thunderlane's shining irises. Sensing no attempt to want to fight, the black stallion relaxed in the knowledge that he had the advantage.
"Ask our respective leaders, I can only see the old feuds still animating all its endless conflicts." He replied confidently, though maintaining his role.
"You see, even you think it's all nonsense. Why don't you stop it all?" Soarin replied, stopping his actions to turn back to his interlocutor.
"Because you think Garrosh Hellscream is going to listen to you, a ridiculous paladin falling foul of two novices like us." Thunderlane almost laughed gravely at imagining Soarin in front of this monster of muscles and red veins.
"Look, I know what they say about your leader, but ours will know how to listen, I swear." he implored.
"A certain Varian, I've heard he's as violent as Garrosh on the battlefield, how do you expect me to believe you when faced with this obvious trap?"
"It's not a trap, Varian is quite brutal it's true, but he's starting to change thanks to his son and our next king, Anduin Wrynn, he's a really touching young priest who only wishes peace between us." Soarin said with a smile at his words, remembering his meeting with the sweetest teenager he'd ever seen, they'd even blessed them before this trip, which proved of little use given their current situation.
Seeing the paladin daydreaming about his memories, Thunderlane allowed himself to think about it: was peace really possible? Countless battles across the ages had already claimed so many lives, many of them innocent, so why should he stay as he was and carry on? It wasn't by carrying on that he and Rumble...
"...oh, what are you holding?" Soarin asked after regaining his senses, seeing the shaman pull a jewel from his belt, at least part of it.
"It's... a piece of a bracelet, the other is my little brother's... he's my biggest reason for fighting, and my only living family." He let go, observing the iron trinket. "I and offered him half after our parents died... so that I'd always be by his side this way." He smiled as he imagined his youngest at school right now, or impressing with his flying.
"That's a very noble reason to fight, worthy of the paladins of the Silver Hand." Said the paladin, not knowing how well this would be taken by a member of the horde.
It was after a few seconds' reverie that Thunderlane's mind refocused, his smile disappeared and his treasure disappeared beneath his accoutrement. Even if the odds were stacked against him, even if their warlord was a conquering madman, even if this was perhaps too obvious a trap to fall into, the shaman was the kind of calm pony who could become an extreme if need be. He'd always been that kind as a big brother.
He stood up straight in front of his prisoner, whom he now considered his chance.
"Promise me on the light that if I come with you, there's a chance to stop it all!" He ordered the believer, the few members of the horde who believed in the light being the most devoted to their cause, this should be the case with them too.
Soarin responded by dropping to one knee, lowering his head and smiling brightly despite a still injured eye, his clenched fist would be the one to seal his oath.
"By the Church of Light and on the life of my king himself, I swear that no harm will come to you, we'll go all the way to Theramore where Lady Twilight Sparkle is, she'll be seeking an audience with Varian." And so he finished his sentence.
His words invigorating Thunderlane's thoughts, he made his way out of the ship's corridor, Soarin following, regaining hope.
As expected, Lightning Dust was waiting for them on deck, having rounded up and silenced the other members of the alliance, some of whom were completely stunned, and it was with her usual scowl that she greeted them.
"So you've finished with him?" Smiling provocatively at her teammate.
"Yes, go back to the echo islands alone, I'm going with them!" Said Thunderlane with that same smile.
"HAHAHHAAAAA! Weren't you the one who told me to take this mission seriously earlier." She argued as she moved closer to him, not glancing at Soarin even though he was free to move.
Thunderlane didn't release her smile.
"But I'm dead serious about this. They weren't doing anything wrong so we'll let them go back, and I'll go with them." He tensed his muscles now, knowing that negotiating with his partner would be, even more than his commander's arduous training, the hardest thing he'd have to face so far.
Lightning's friendly demeanor disappeared and his face transformed too, stepping forward to advance even further from Thunderlane as his hands rested against his war hammers.
Bury the Light:https/watch?v=Jrg9KxGNeJY _channel=shadowhunter
"Ahoy... what are you talking about... we're supposed to take this island and get rid of them, Spitfire's words, not mine. So you stop raving and come back with me to the house, where we'll be welcomed and rewarded for our work." She swallowed as she finished her sentence, not believing herself that she was about to threaten Thunderlane, her only teammate, on their first mission.
"I won't let you kill innocent people who are already down. I've chosen to fight to end wars rather than create them, something the horde must understand if they want to finally live in peace without having to watch their backs every hour of the day and night." The stallion advanced, almost bumping his head with his friend.
"Always only peace in mind, except that to get it there's only one solution, to bring down the alliance once and for all! Just like our other enemies, you know that, so don't play the hero with ME!" She threw out the last word with such conviction that Soarin took a few steps back, wanting to check on his men but not daring to take a wrong step. He swore the battle in the center of his ship was more tense than any political debate in Stormwind.
"The alliance cannot be defeated, our forces are equal, and even if we were to prevail, thousands of us would die!"
"AND I'M READY TO DIE FOR THE HORDE, AREN'T YOU?" Lightning howled, making the thunder rumble for the first time over the island, the lightning in the glow of her headdress illuminating the broken lighthouse.
"I'M WILLING TO DIE FOR MY BROTHER AND FOR THOSE I LOVE, BUT AVOIDING CASUALTIES SHOULD BE TOP PRIORITY!" Thunderlane snapped back, a bolt of lightning the same color as her headdress invoked at the same moment.
"What, the weather wasn't forecasting any storms today." Said Soarin in the background, shocked while beginning to understand where this was coming from.
"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES BECAUSE YOU DON'T LOVE ANYONE IN THIS WORLD, ALL YOU SEEK IS GLORY!"
"DON'T LIE, I LOVE SPITFIRE, I LOVE OUR FRIENDS, I LOVE RUMBLE, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE THE HORDE AND I'LL ALWAYS DEFEND IT!" Dust confessed, now spreading her wings and releasing a gust that struck Soarin in the side. "I'LL EVEN DEFEND IT FROM YOU IF YOU DARE TO BECOME A TRAITOR!" She threatened as a gleam in her eyes lit up.
"ALL I SEEK IS THE COMMON GOOD, THE ONLY ONES FOOLISH ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THIS FIGHT IN COLD BLOOD ARE OUR BEWILDERED WARLORD AND THOSE WITH TOO MUCH EGO LIKE YOU TO ADMIT INADEQUACY!" Thunderlane copied Lightning in his actions, Soarin falling backwards and his eyes shining with a golden glint that would be a sign of exceptional destiny if he were of another race.
Black clouds gathered around the island of Alcaz, despite the alliance's weather forecasts. Rumbling and threatening, seemingly summoned by the two shamans not expected on the scene.
"IF YOU CHOOSE THIS JERK TODAY, YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO TURN BACK, I'LL HAVE TO SMASH YOU HERE AND TAKE YOU BACK TO THE JAILS TO AWAIT YOUR JUDGMENT!" Lightning flashed from every part of his body, scorching the wood of the ship and forcing Soarin to protect himself with a light spell.
"YOU'LL ALWAYS BE DEAR TO ME, BUT IF YOU GET IN MY WAY, I'LL BE FORCED TO FIGHT YOU TO ACHIEVE WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED, WHAT THE WHOLE HORDE WANTS, WHAT THRALL WANTS!" The cyan thunder spouting from the stallion shocked Dust's yellow lightning creating sparks of pure electricity, Soarin decided it was now or never to get away.
"HOW THE HELL CAN NOVICES BE SO POWERFUL!" He shouted at random as he headed for land.
Meanwhile, Lightning Dust and Thunderlane were now brandishing their similar hammers, forged by the same craftsman just before they began their shamanic lives as a duo. Except this time, it was all except training.
"RUMBLE IS GOING TO HATE YOU FOR THIS!" Dust hurled as his lightning-laden weapon charged.
"HE'LL UNDERSTAND, HE KNOWS I LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD!" Lane retorted, sending out his own bluish mace.
And so, for the first time on the seemingly abandoned island of Alcaz, with no real sign of combat until today, lightning struck.
Soarin managed to leap out of the boat just before the resulting explosion of lightning.
Not far away, on the isles of the echo...
A rumble buzzed the senses of all those present, as trees bent northward in the wake of the violent wind that battered the shores, some falling over altogether. It was only after a moment's concentration that a local noticed something to the south.
"Over there, what's going on?" he pointed to the position where, even without long-sightedness, it was easy to see the mass of black clouds that had formed near the swamp, as well as the lightning that was falling.
"This storm isn't natural." agreed another, noticing the strange clustering in the sky when the rest of the air was clear or at least calm.
"It can only be the work of shamans." Vol'Jin realized from his hut. "Send a message to Orgimmar, and prepare sentries just in case!" He ordered, and the village set to work.
Without moving from their seats, the two shamans had summoned lightning from the sky darkened by their call, the deafening shock seeming to do them no damage, while the surrounding environment was turned upside down. First of all, the ship on which they'd been standing was nothing more than a random cluster of wreckage still floating on the waves or scattered along the shore, reaching as far as the lighthouse and Soarin, who was shielding his head. The island floor was partly charred, the few trees toppled and torn up. The sea was raging as if summoned by its two lightning experts, the element running across the surface of the waves and several sea creatures rising from electrocution.
The two culprits of this mess flew over the empty expanse with their wings, the electricity running through their bodies reflecting off the waters below and giving a clear sign to all living creatures: stay away from what was happening.
Without another word being exchanged, Thunderlane and Lightning Dust left their positions and set off in a race of air and hammer blows, skimming the ground of the island of Alcaz before unleashing their might, demolishing the place and then swiftly stepping aside. The two apprentices had fought countless duels during their training, sometimes with a clear winner, sometimes with Spitfire stopping everything before it destroyed their camp, and despite Lightning's incessant teasing when she won, the next one would always be for Thunderlane, who would just smirk to frustrate the mare.
"It was fun, but I doubt we'll ever get back to that point now." Laughed the stallion over the din of clashing hammers and instantaneous gusts and shifts that were no longer for show. He dodged another assault to his left and kept flying to try and stop it.
"COME BACK HERE, YOU'LL PAY FOR BETRAYING ME!" The furious mare continued to chase him and throw everything she had at him, giving the image of unstoppable chaos.
On the island, Soarin finally found his companions on the shore, all in a bad way, some inadvertently hit would never get up again, which tied a knot in his throat, so he tried to heal those who still could.
With a slowing maneuver and a swerve to the side, Thunderlane managed to level with his rival as his attack grazed her mane, the stallion taking advantage of the opportunity to land a blow on her rib and sending her straight into the raging seas. With Lightning's scream ringing painfully in his ears, he quickly made his way to Soarin after spotting him.
"WE DON'T HAVE A BOAT TO LEAVE IN, DO YOU HAVE A TELEPORT STONE?" The shaman asked hastily, surveying the waves. The paladin didn't look at him as he nursed his allies and answered with equal breath to make himself heard.
"NO, THEY WERE IN THE SHIP, I CAN FLY BUT I'D HAVE TO CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS FOR MY COMRADES!" He shouted above the ambient typhoon.
"THERE'S NO TIME!" He managed to reply before seeing a glimmer under the water and a sea monster heading towards the gasoline with its mouth open, followed by a terrifying thunderclap that blinded him.
He reacted instinctively by putting his hammers in front of him before receiving a blow similar to the one he had delivered, the impact sending him crashing against what remained of the lighthouse. The remains of the tower crashed down on Soarin and his group. Two of the paladin's comrades saw the debris before their captain, who was worried for them, and pushed him out of the way before he was buried under the rock, smiling at their friend with this action.
Soarin, on the other hand, found himself destroyed inside, he quickly got to his feet to help them and found Thunderlane on top of the mountain of debris, painfully getting up too.
"THUNDERLANE, you're..."
"WATCH OUT!" Reacted the shaman first, pushing Soarin aside again as a bolt of yellow lightning slammed into their location. The explosion sent them both flying several meters away, reducing whatever was on impact to ashes.
Getting up again, Soarin had to face the facts: his companions were gone.
"M-My friends, i-they..." He tried to express but couldn't, his vision blurring and unable to stand on his legs without shaking.
"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER AND HIDE, WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Thunderlane told her before blocking a new assault shining like light, but this one had nothing soothing like the one she'd been taught in the Silver Hand. It was a gleam of pure rage and incomprehension, followed by a scream and growl to match what he was seeing.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS THUNDERLANE!" Lightning spoke again as they exchanged blows. "WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE WE WERE LITTLE, WE'VE PROMISED TO BE THE BEST TEAM IN AZEROTH, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SCREW IT ALL UP FOR SOME STUPID ALLIANCE PALADIN." She accelerated her strikes, gradually moving towards the reason for the unruly battle they were waging.
IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU WON'T TAKE ME THUNDERLANE, MY THUNDERLANE, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU.
His look of fury easily equaling that of a warrior specializing in rage, Soarin began to regain control of his body and moved away from the decidedly mad mare as quickly as possible.
Seeing himself out of options, Thunderlane began to intensify his attacks, needing to carry the other stallion out to sea as soon as Lightning's threat was dealt with. He also shouted to get her attention and launched a series of strikes, all of which were blocked by the mare, who kept pace with him. The two seemed perfectly coordinated, despite their conflicting feelings on the subject.
The duo's training showed that, between them, very few people could resist them except their captain Spitfire and surely the greatest fighters the horde knows, the yellow and cyan lightning bolts following each other, striking at the same points to multiply their effectiveness.
Today, these lightning bolts clashed as they were never meant to, each wanting to emerge victorious from this confrontation, there was no room for defeat in their shining eyes that never left those of the pony in front. So their defense was abandoned, weapons and elements hitting their target more and more as the duel continued across the whole island and its airspace. Soarin was unable to follow them from the battered ground, the multiple weather conditions and breakneck speed preventing him from making any contribution.
A new shock hit the two Pegasus, sending Thunderlane into the dangerously charged waters and Lightning Dust against the last remaining rocks.
This is it!
Dust rose to her feet with blood on her face, moving towards the stallion's impact to continue the fight, when a bolt of blue lightning struck her clearly from high in the sky. Although quite resistant to her element, it paralyzed her for a second too long.
The second that would change their destiny forever.
Thunderlane emerged at full speed from the oceans to find itself in front of her, preparing its hammers for the final blow. No hesitation was perceptible in her golden irises, those that looked at the mare with understanding and envy contained only bitterness. Lightning Dust turned her angry expression into a shudder she didn't recognize... before they fell on her.
The impact caused the sky to rumble all the way around as if to warn of the end of hostilities, as well as camouflaging the sound of the mare's body against the island's unrecognizable ground, creating yet another crater that completed the picture of today's events. Motionless for good, Lightning Dust kept her eyes and mouth wide open in the face of the realization that her body would no longer respond to her demands. She had just lost the most important fight of her life.
The victorious shaman landed a few meters away from his partner, legs straight to prevent her from falling due to a wrong move, hammers firmly glued to his trembling hands, soaked like the rest of himself. His now empty gaze stared at the mare on the ground for a few seconds, before he broke the silence that reigned now that the lightning and rain had ceased.
"Soarin, let's go, let's hurry before reinforcements arrive!" He declared as calmly as the situation would allow, taking no time to comb back his atypical hair.
The alliance stallion in question stepped out from behind the rubble and rushed to his new ally to nurse him back to health. Thunderlane let him do so just long enough for him to feel like flying properly again, continuing to stare at the horde member on the ground. Soiled and humiliated by the one she considered her closest friend, she spoke uncertainly.
"Thunderlane, how did you..." she shifted her gaze to him, their irises meeting one last time before the stallion closed them, beginning to spread his wings.
"Theramore's not far away, but I want you to fly right above me, so I can catch you if you fall." Affirmed the paladin, preparing himself as well.
"Good." Just affirmed the shaman without protest.
"WAIT!" The mare's vocal functions suddenly regained control, but it was insufficient as she saw them above ground, no longer paying attention to her. She finally broke down, while without the rain, tears were recognizable on her cheeks.
"I SWEAR I'LL FIND YOU THUNDERLANE, AND THIS TIME I'LL KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS! YOU BETRAYED ME AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF YOUR LIFE! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN THROUGH AZEROTH AND BEYOND IF I HAVE TO TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS DAY! YOU WON'T SLEEP AT NIGHT BECAUSE YOU KNOW I'LL BE THERE READY TO CRUSH YOUR HEAD AND YOU KNOW I WILL, BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO KNOWS ME BEST! I CURSE YOU !" She swore again, unable to move a muscle in her jaw.
With his heart clenched in his chest, the dark stallion bit his lip to prevent himself from retaliating, reinforcements would be coming to the island now that the chaos was over. He saw Soarin's pale face, terrified by what he'd just heard, forcing himself to ask.
"She... isn't serious, is she?" He asked warily, his proud paladin armor contrasting with his body that wouldn't stop shaking.
"I'd like to..." Thunderlane said simply before focusing his gaze on the direction to follow, both now over the sea and now that he'd betrayed his camp, not knowing if he'd ever be back even without Garrosh at the top of the horde.
I hope I'll find a way to put an end to all this, but in the meantime, be strong Rumble, you'll probably ask yourself a lot of questions, but stay strong and wait for me, when we meet again, I hope it'll be when the wars are over.