Act 1: The Broken Retreat

The Eastern Plaguelands were a graveyard of twisted trees and blighted earth, the air thick with the stench of decay. Above, the necropolis Acherus loomed like a black scar against the sky, its arrival days ago heralding a fresh Scourge offensive. For Sergeant Lexick Ironspark, a gnome warrior of the Alliance, the world had narrowed to a desperate struggle for survival.

Lexick's unit—once a proud mix of humans, dwarves, night elves, and gnomes sent to bolster the Argent Dawn—lay in tatters. A failed assault on Stratholme's ruins had cost them dearly. Officers were dead, soldiers broken, and Lexick, barely 39 and never meant for command, found herself leading the remnants. Her steel armor, blue-trimmed and battered, hung heavy on her small frame, though she'd shed much of it to move faster. Only her legplates, boots, and a tattered blue tabard with gold trim remained, draped over a loose white shirt. Her dual short swords, standard issue, gleamed with fresh nicks from countless fights.

Beside her, Corporal James Rylan, a human with weary eyes and a dented breastplate, scanned the horizon. They'd spent days harassing Scourge patrols—setting traps, ambushing stragglers—to buy time for their comrades' limping retreat to Light's Hope Chapel. The survivors were too wounded to fight, their pace agonizingly slow. Lexick felt the weight of every decision, her mind racing with doubts she couldn't voice.

I'm a blacksmith, a fighter—not a general.

The two crouched behind a crumbled wall, catching a rare moment of calm. Rylan broke the silence, his voice low. "Why here, Lexi? The Plaguelands are already theirs, save for the Dawn's scraps and those Scarlet lunatics at Tyr's Hand. What's the Lich King want?"

Lexick frowned, absently tightening her grip on a sword. "Stratholme's ruins are close. Maybe they're staging something bigger—clearing us out to secure it." She glanced skyward at Acherus, its shadow a constant threat. "That thing's not just for show. And those… death knights." Her voice faltered, recalling fallen comrades they'd faced hours ago, their eyes glowing blue, their blades rune-etched. "They're turning our own against us."

Rylan nodded grimly. "Never thought I'd see Jenkins swinging a sword for the Scourge. What's their endgame?"

Lexick shook her head, her blonde hair sticking to her sweat-streaked face. "Doesn't matter. We keep them busy, give our people time to reach the chapel. That's what counts." Her tone was firm, but inside, she felt like a fraud, playing at leadership while her heart screamed for Bilbi, her sister, safe in Stormwind—or so she hoped.

A rustle snapped them to attention. From the mist staggered a horde of ghouls, zombies, and skeletons, their guttural moans filling the air. Lexick and Rylan leapt into action, blades flashing. Lexick darted between foes, her small size a blur as she slashed tendons and severed spines. Rylan fought with brute force, cleaving skulls. Together, they carved through the mob until the ground was littered with twitching corpses.

Panting, Lexick scanned the scene. "Clear," she called, wiping gore from her blade. Rylan nodded, catching his breath—then froze. A zombie, half-decapitated, lunged from the pile, claws aimed at his chest. Lexick reacted on instinct, shoving him aside with surprising strength for her size. Her sword plunged into the creature's skull, ending it.

"You alright?" she asked, grinning despite herself. But Rylan's face was ashen, staring at her arm. Lexick followed his gaze. Blood seeped through her left sleeve, darkening the white fabric. Her grin faded as she rolled up the sleeve, revealing a jagged bite mark. Not deep, but unmistakable.

The Plague of Undeath.

Silence hung heavy. Lexick's mind raced—images of shambling ghouls, of her own body turning traitor. No cure. No hope. Just time, ticking down.

"James," she said, voice steady despite the tremor in her chest, "you need to leave. Now. Get to the group, push for the chapel. That's an order."

Rylan shook his head, eyes fierce. "No way, Lexi. We've lost too many already. You can't—"

"Let me finish," she snapped, cutting a strip from her tabard to bind the wound. Her hands shook but didn't falter. "We both know how this ends. I'm not risking the others. I've got a day, maybe two, before…" She swallowed. "I'll slow the Scourge as long as I can. Keep them off you."

Rylan's protests dwindled, his shoulders sagging. Lexick softened, forcing a brave front. "When it's time, I'll make sure I don't come back as one of them. I promise." She met his eyes, her blue gaze unwavering. "If you make it to Stormwind, find my sister. Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. She'll know what it means. And… check on her sometimes, yeah?"

Rylan nodded, jaw tight. "I swear it."

They clasped forearms, a soldier's farewell. As he vanished into the fog, Lexick exhaled, sadness and resolve mingling. She turned toward Stratholme's distant ruins, her swords heavy but steady.

For them. For Bilbi.

The Scourge would come, and she'd make them pay for every step.

Author's Note:
Well, this return has certainly been a long time coming! For those of you following me from my previous work on RWBY, I've decided to move on from that series for various reasons, which I won't delve into here. Sorry if anyone's disappointed by that. At the very least, I hope you'll give this new story a chance. For those just finding me: welcome!

I've wanted to get back into writing for a very long time, but inspiration was hard to come by. Eventually, I turned my attention to other creative pursuits. In my spare time, I've been a longtime WoW player, and while I've dabbled on roleplaying servers, I never gave them a serious try. As a player who mains a death knight alongside a warrior and a pair of mages, I started thinking about a potential backstory for an RP character. But as that backstory grew more detailed, I realized I wasn't just crafting a character profile anymore—I was laying the foundation for a new set of Warcraft-related fanfiction.

So, here we are! Since this story was originally born from a potential character profile (not to mention that I haven't written seriously in about seven years!), the earlier chapters might be a bit shorter. It took me some time to get back into the flow of things. However, I've already completed a fair number of chapters, and you'll notice them getting progressively longer as the story unfolds. I'll mostly adhere to established lore, but there may be slight deviations for the sake of the story—especially since writing around certain gameplay mechanics can sometimes feel odd if I don't take occasional liberties with the source material.

In any case, strap in! I think you're in for a fun ride, as this story will blend adventure, drama, and tragedy. Despite the tragedy, there'll always be an undercurrent of hope: no matter how bleak things get, one can overcome a terrible situation—a spark, if you will.

Enjoy!