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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 120
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The Rested
Ceredwyn stared across the bleak barren wastes of Northrend and sighed.
It had been exactly a year ago that the warlock Archimonde had been destroyed. But still there were demons and Undead roaming throughout the world.
The heroes who had defeated Archimonde, Tyrande Whisperwind, Furion Stormrage, Jaina Proudmoore, and Thrall Son of Durotan, had decided to remain allies after the demon’s catastrophic destruction that had saved Nodrassil and the entire world. They figured it was pointless to fight amongst themselves after they had just saved the day like they had.
This was what was troubling Ceredwyn. He was one of the two Keepers of the Grove on this mission. It was also the reason why he could spot a human base and an orc base in the distance.
The mission was to find Draktharon Keep, if there was anything left of it after the Human Expedition was done with it so many years ago, and destroy the Undead once and for all. This meant they were fighting a large force of Undead minions.
The other heroes on this mission were the Keeper Centrius, the Priestess Felore Moonray, and the Demon Hunters Terrorblade and Shadowstalker. The Orcs had Arashicage the Blademaster, Nazgrel the Farseer, and Marn Thunderhorn the Tauren Chieftain. The Humans had enlisted Fordred Aran the Archmage, Kelv Sternhammer the Mountain King, and the Paladins Manadar the Healer and Zann the Defender.
Ceredwyn didn’t even talk to the other races, and he stayed away from Shadowstalker and Centrius, but Felore and Terrorblade were two of his closest friends. Unbeknownst to either of them, or anyone else for that matter, Ceredwyn harboured a secret love for Felore. He was pretty sure that Terrorblade did as well, but he didn’t know for certain.
Ceredwyn’s contemplating was interrupted by the arrival of three large black storm crows, who landed at his feet and transformed into Druids of the Talon.
“We have a report, sir,” said the middle Druid, whose name was Irr Alsii.
“Report then,” Ceredwyn replied.
“We have scouted the area as you ordered,” Irr Alsii told him. (Author’s Note: Ha! Orc scout.) “The surrounding area is filled with creatures such as Wendigo and Ice Trolls. About 30 miles north is a large mountain range. It was so high we couldn’t fly over it. We tried to find a way around, but the nearest pass is 70 miles to the northwest of here.”
Ceredwyn thought about this for a moment.
“I see. And the Undead base?”
This time the Druid on the left spoke. His name was Algorazr. “There was a small opening in the cliff, big enough for one of us to fly through and scout the other side. There is an extremely large Undead city on the other side. With them is a large force of Frost Wyrms and Crypt Fiends. They also have a Death Knight by the name of Lord Nightsorrow, a Lich who goes by the name Rage Winterchill, and two twin Dreadlords, Nerothos and Necros.”
“I see,” Ceredwyn said again. “How are they going about the problem of the mountain range?”
Syr, the Druid on the right, replied, “They are digging a pass through the mountain range using their Ghouls, Abominations and Meat Wagons. I suggest we should set up an outpost at the calculated emergence point.”
“Very well. Irr Alsii, find Terrorblade and tell him to come to me. Algorazr, tell the Tree of Eternity to start summoning extra Wisps to help construct the outpost. Syr, tell the Archers and Felore to start neutralizing the Wendigos and Ice Trolls in the immediate vicinity.”
The three Druids nodded. They then proceeded to transform back into storm crows and fly off in different directions.
Ceredwyn sighed again.
He looked out over the encampment. Wisps circled around every tree, or pulsated in the Entangled Gold Mine. Archers practiced on targets shaped like various Undead units. A few Dryads were playing catch with a Huntress, using the Huntress’s Moon Glaive. The Huntress’s owl was perched in one of the few nearby trees that weren’t being harvested from by a Wisp.
More Druids of the Talon circled above as storm crows, or patrolled below as Night Elves. A few Druids of the Claw in Bear Form were conversing in loud grunts. Hippogryphs hovered below the mighty Chimarae, some of them ridden by Archers. The Ancient Protectors were chatting about the weather, and the Ballistae were sitting motionless by the Ancients of War, who were telling off the Protectors for talking about such a pointless thing at a time like this.
Felore and a squadron of Archers were setting out to make the surrounding lands safe. Shadowstalker and Centrius were talking to each other about something or other.
But at this moment Ceredwyn had to stop contemplating his fellow Night Elves, because Terrorblade was flying towards him in the form of a…very…large black demon.
THUD.
The demon landed in front of Ceredwyn. He watched it boredly.
“I wish you would stop doing that,” he said.
“Do what?” the demon said humourously.
“Turn into that demon thing.”
The demon made a weird noise. There was a flash of light, and Terrorblade the Demon Hunter stood before him.
“Sorry.”
“Hm. Well, I suppose you heard about the Undead from Irr Alsii?” Ceredwyn inquired.
“Yes, I did,” Terrorblade replied matter-of-factly.
“And?”
“And what?”
“Well, we have to go kill them all, don’t we?”
“That would be the barbaric way of putting it,” Terrorblade mused.
“Why aren’t you worried?” Ceredwyn said, staring at him with his yellow pupilless eyes as the two friends began to walk down the hill they were on down to the village.
“I don’t know. Do you think they even have a chance of getting through that mountain before we set up a huge base there? I doubt they could do that, let alone send forces here.”
Terrorblade then tripped and fell on his face.
Ceredwyn, reaching down to help him up, said, “Are you alright? I thought Demon Hunters could still see, even though they are blind.”
“It’s not that. I…I felt something. Something tripped me.”
They both stared at the spot where Terrorblade had tripped.
Terrorblade suddenly morphed into a demon again. “I’ll be right back,” he growled, “I saw a Goblin Merchant somewhere over there. I’m going to buy a Gem of True Seeing. Got any cash?”
“Um…” Ceredwyn moved his hands and some gold coins appeared. “How much are they?”
“I dunno, 200 Gold I think.”
“Jeez! Goddamn goblins are so expensive…here.”
Ceredwyn shoved a handful of coins into Terrorblade’s clawed demon hand.
“Thanks,” he growled and leapt into the air.
Ceredwyn scratched his antlers with his root-like left hand. He hoped that whatever had tripped Terrorblade was still here, or else they would never know what it was.
Terrorblade came back minutes later, holding a carved emerald green jewel. He transformed back into himself a bit early, and fell to the ground from a height of about 7 feet. Ceredwyn helped him up again and asked him if he was alright again.
Terrorblade didn’t answer. Instead he gaped open mouth at something behind Ceredwyn.
“What? What is it?” Ceredwyn said, turning around.
He stumbled backwards.
Sitting in front of him, scattered around the town and looking quite bored, were at least thirty Undead Shades. Most of the Wisps had seen them already, and were trying to tell the warriors, but since Wisps could not attack and could only converse in shimmery singing noises, all the warriors replied was “Go back to harvesting lumber” or “Go back to harvesting Gold.”
Terrorblade seemed to have recovered from his initial shock.
“How dare you defile our village!” he shrieked at the Shades. They all looked at him in surprise. So did the warriors.
“Hey, look! Undead! ATTACK!” yelled the Huntress playing catch with the Dryads.
It was a sight to see. The Shades couldn’t defend themselves, so they had to content themselves with trying to escape from arrows, glaives, raging bears, poisoned spears, balls of light, and Terrorblade’s demonic fireballs, as well as four Treants that Ceredwyn had summoned from some trees, scaring the hell out of the Wisps who found themselves harvesting from trees that were running away. The Shades’ tortured screaming soon filled the air.
Screaming. Screaming. The screaming…and then the silence…
Ceredwyn didn’t like killing.
Different change?!?!?!?!
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