Hey everyo- THREE MONTHS!? Geez, time flies. Hopefully this won't happen again?
---
"Are you sure you're ok?" Yang asked Weiss. The further they had gotten from A'dal the stronger Weiss had gotten, she had been leaning on Yang when they left, now she was walking on her own.
And where was Fierna? She was always somewhere nearby, but she had suddenly disappeared when it would be convenient to have her around.
"I'm fine, Yang," Weiss said, eye back to blue except for a tiny ring of persistent red at the edge, "I haven't felt this good… ever."
Yang frowned as Weiss said that, "You said you would try to learn about those weird tricks of yours."
"And I will!" Weiss's grin turned slightly maniac, "We cleared a week's travel in minutes, Yang! We can reach Shadowmoon in-"
"I'm sorry," Khadgar had span in place with surprising speed for an old guy, "You want to go to Shadowmoon Valley? Why?"
"We're…" Weiss frowned, "We're trying to find our friends, we're hoping they're there."
"That's the first I've heard of it," Yang said stopping in the middle of the street, "You still haven't told me anything, Weiss. Why would Ruby and Blake be there? How do you know… you haven't been keeping that from me, have you?"
For the first time, irritation gave way to honest hurt. Yang had been worrying herself sick about Blake and Ruby, had Weiss known where they were the whole time?
"No," Weiss shook her head, suddenly unusually agitated, "I just… I just know we'll find a way to them there!"
"Is that you talking," Khadgar said, his voice calm, "or the Fel?"
"Shut UP!" Green flames burst from Weiss's hands, only for Khadgar to calmly raise a hand. A purple barrier formed, letting the flames ripple across it until Weiss stopped.
"Are you even aware of what you're using? What Fel is?"
"It doesn't matter what it is," Weiss's eyes were fully red, "what matters is what I can do with it! I can find Ruby and Blake! I can protect them!"
"At what cost?" Khadgar's voice hadn't changed, "when does it become too steep? When you're addicted to Fel, burning souls just to escape the pain? What about when your body is ravaged by Fel? Or maybe when you transform into a demon your se-"
"Be silent, mage!" Weiss's voice dropped an octave, gaining the consistency of gravel, "You will show-"
"Check," Khadgar rapped his staff upon the ground, a bubble of purple every forming around Weiss, "thank you for revealing yourself so quickly. Now," two purple teardrop shaped creatures formed, "Go get me Ishanah and Voren'thal, as quickly as you can."
The creatures lifted into the sky, flying in opposite directions.
"How did you know?" the thing wearing Weiss's body snarled, pacing back and forth.
"Weiss's illness faded the further we got from A'dal, then she couldn't give a solid reason for wanting to go to Shadowmoon Valley, she didn't know what Fel was despite her unleashing a torrent of Felfire that should be beyond the aptitude of a beginner. All it took was me listing things you might not want her to know and be prepared to have the Aldor use the Light near you. You fell for it, hook, line…"
Not-Weiss chuckled, before swinging a hand into the barrier, claws of green fire trying to dig into the barrier. Khadgar's staff flashed and the cracks sealed shut, forcing the claws back, "You're right about almost everything. I only supplied the push, she is naturally strong with the Fel. She will make a good servant for the Burning Legion when the time co-"
"Get real!" Yang said, "Weiss's not going to listen to some random ghost!"
"Really?" Not-Weiss laughed, "She wants power, I can give her it. More than you-
Yang clenched her fist, feeling it begin to shake as she stared at Weiss's laughing body.
"-Or that Succubus that's been watching from the Nether-
"You know," Yang jumped slightly as Fierna suddenly faded into existence, "You've gone from an annoyance to something intolerable very quickly…"
"-Or either of the othe-"
The mocking rant was cut off as one of Weiss's glyphs suddenly appeared around her own throat. Her body was dragged to the ground as it began coughing and wheezing.
Fierna burst into giggles, "You're an idiot, you've been dead since the Archmage began probing for you. Don't you remember what happened when Weiss summoned me? Once she realized she was being controlled-"
"-I threw it off," Weiss coughed around her collar, a purple gylph appearing on her back and shining through her cloak, "You're right... I do want power."
"Weiss?" Yang asked.
"I want power so I can lead the SDC, I want power so I can be myself while I do it," Weiss's hands clenched, "but more than anything, I want power so I can protect my family. Which means that you have to go."
"No! There's so much more I can teach you!"
"I'll learn it on my own," Weiss growled, green fire "You'll be more helpful as Fel. Goodbye, Gorefiend."
N-
Green flames seemed to burn around Weiss before fading. Staggering up, Weiss clenched her fist as she cast off the burning cloak.
Staring at Khadgar with red eyes, Weiss lifted her chin, "Let me out."
"You still plan to use Fel?" Khadgar asked.
"Yes," Weiss said.
"That's a dark path you're walking."
"I know. I have a torch."
"Well. You should train here, I hope you don't intend to continue your path and the Scryers will be able to assist you."
"We need to find a way home," Weiss said.
"We're in the same boat," Khadgar said, smiling, "when we find one, we'll let you know."
"I think we should stay," Yang said, "at least for a little while."
---
Blake played one of Ruby's Hearthstone cards, brain still on autopilot as she did so. Ruby liked her, Ruby liked her.
You'll have no more sacrifices today, witch!, the Warchief stood from the card, wind whipping around his illusionary form.
Ruby liked her? How? Why? She was everything Ruby wasn't. Ruby was brave, Blake was a coward, Ruby was at the front of battle, Blake preferred to skulk around and pick targets off, and Ruby was an optimist while Blake was a cynic.
Ruby deserved better than someone like her. Like a knight or a hero. Someone who wouldn't have taken a Fel coated knife to the thigh or who would have fought through it to save her.
Which was, the small part of her that was ecstatic pointed out, the exact type of excuses that Rehgar had said he didn't want to hear. A more valid one would be that they were going back to a warzone, and it wouldn't do good to be distracted. If, no when they survived she would sort those thoughts out.
"I'm back," the call didn't hold the same tone it usually did, slightly apprehensive instead of cheer.
Looking up, Blake shoved all thoughts on the matter away. Ruby's cloak was off, instead bunched up in her arms like she was cradling something.
"Hey," Blake said, "Welcome back."
"About time you got back," Rehgar stuck his head through the kitchen door, "What did the Warchief want?"
"It's…" Ruby hesitated, tightening her grip on the cloak, "It's complicated."
"Why is it that any time someone says 'it's complicated'," Valeera complained as she put away her cards, "it means 'I don't want to explain but have to?'"
"Because that's normally what makes it complicated," Blake said.
"Yeah," Ruby sighed, "that sounds about right."
"So what is it?" Rehgar asked.
"I… well… I think it's easier to just show you," Ruby sat down, putting the cloak down. Unfolding it slightly, Ruby exposed the contents to the world.
Blake froze as the pup looked around with a distinct look of confusion before turning to Ruby, trotting over and jumping into her lap, "He gave you a wolf!?"
Ruby shrank in on herself, causing the pup to look up, "Uh… yeah?"
"Not just any wolf," Rehgar said as he crouched down so he was even with the wolf, "but a frost wolf. They don't just give these out, especially not at this age."
"Yeah," Ruby said, "is, uh, is springing life changing trials on someone normal in orcish culture and you and Drek'thar just never bothered teaching me, or…?"
"No," Rehgar said, "We just do it to you because it'd take forever to get you to do it otherwise. What was it?"
"He offered to make me a member of the Frostwolf Clan."
Blake felt her mouth drop, a move mirrored by Valeera. Was that even allowed?
"You said yes, I hope?" Rehgar didn't sound particularly surprised.
"You're… not mad?" Ruby said, running a hand down the wolf's fur.
"Not really," Rehgar shrugged, "This means you'll have some support other than me, a guilt ridden woman-"
"Hey!"
"-a mini-you, a amnesiac human and Broll."
"Couldn't think of something for him?"
"I already used guilt ridden," Rehgar smiled, "So, no. I'm not mad. You need to stop looking at things as how they affect me, Ruby. I don't have a clan, probably never will, and I'm fine with that. But even if you only have the loosest of ties to the Frostwolves, that will come in handy at some point. Now, does the pup have a name?"
"I'm torn between Snowfang or Frostsong."
Rehgar snorted, "Go with the first, the second sounds dumb."
"Blake? What do you think?"
Blake didn't answer at first. Dust, she was going to have to live with the thing now, wasn't she? "Snowfang sounds good."
"What about you, little guy?" Ruby asked the wolf pup in her lap. It nipped at her fingers, "Ok! Snowfang it is!" Ruby picked up the wolf, "This is Rehgar, Valeera and Blake. They're part of the family, buddy."
Why did Ruby have to like dogs? Why?
Snowfang wormed his way out of Ruby's hands, walking towards Blake… no, nonononono-
And jumped into her lap, curling up in it.
"I guess he likes you!" Ruby said, walking over to them, "I know it's… I know you don't like dogs Blake, but-"
"He's not doing anything hostile yet," Blake said, "Mom used to say you could train newborn dogs to behave with ca…" Blake stopped as she remembered Valeera was there, "people like me. Hopefully the same is true with frost wolves?"
"Should be easier," Rehgar said, "frost wolves are very intelligent. He'll pick up that scaring you makes Ruby upset really quickly. He's not a pet, but a partner, got that, girl?"
Ruby nodded, lifting Snowfang from Blake's lap and carrying him towards her room.
Blake was going to have to learn to live with this, wouldn't she?
---
"I don't understand what I can learn," Weiss said, examining her face in the glass mirror. One red eye stared at her, stubbornly refusing to return to blue.
"Warlocks often use more unstable forms of arcane magic," the Scryer showing them their apartment, Raystane, explained, "Fel is powerful, yes, but too much is dangerous. It will age you, warp you and destroy you. I know."
"Why?" Weiss turned, walking out of her room and heading towards the living room.
"I…" She hesitated, "the Scryers used to be members of Illidan's forces. Do you know about him?"
"Not really. Who is he?"
"Who's who?" Yang asked, laying across a couch.
"Illidan Stormrage is the so called 'Lord of Outland'," Raystane explained dutifully, "an elf turned demon. The Scryers once served him."
"Is that how 'you know'?" Weiss asked.
"Not quite…" Raystane hesitated, "Illidan has a special group of elves, he called them the Illidari-"
"He sure is modest," Yang snorted.
"-but most people called them Demon Hunters."
"As in people who hunt Demons, or Demons who are hunters?" Weiss asked.
"Yes. They… I don't know what they do exactly, but my brother tried to become one. It seemed simple at first, basic training in stealth, tracking and combat but then…"
"Then what?"
"Then things started to change. He started leaving for longer periods of time and when he did show up, he was speaking of Illidan like he was some form of god-"
"Sounds like a cult," Yang said, sitting up.
"A good word for it, yes," Raystane nodded, "one day, my brother, Nestalorn, he… he gouged out his own eyes."
Weiss felt her throat constrict, staring at Raystane. Mouthing wordlessly at the Scryer, Weiss tried to figure out what would drive someone to do that.
"Why the hell would he do that!?" Yang, luckily, was completely capable of voicing the question.
"The Illidari do it in emulation of Illidan, who had his eyes burned out by the demon lord Sargeras and replaced with balls of Felfire. Illidan does the same to them."
"Sounding more and more cultish," Yang said. Weiss just stared at her hand. Would she be able to do that one day? Why would she want to?
"After Nestalorn, he… changed. Mentally and physically, as he used Fel more and more. First he became more irritable, then he started to truly change. His skin hardened, gaining ridges and his fingers became claws. He grew a pair of horns and was tattooed with arcane and eredun runes."
"I'm starting to see your point," Weiss said, voice hoarse and weak. Suddenly she understood why Khadgar wanted her to learn something other than Fel.
"By the time he died, he was more demon than elf."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Fierna appeared across from Weiss, stretching herself out. Weiss, for her part, resolutely ignored what that led to, "I'm a demon! Have been my entire life, I'm fine! And that's not counting benefits. How do you think I knew about the ghost haunting you?"
"Yeah," Weiss frowned, glaring at Fierna, "about that, why didn't you mention that to me?"
"I thought you knew," Fierna gave a coy smile, leaning forward, "I mean, you were learning from him, why wouldn't you know?"
"Well," Weiss said, "if you see something like that again, tell me."
"As you wish, mistress," Fierna said, "I like the red eye look, by the way!"
Turning to Raystane, Weiss rubbed her eye, hoping it would fade, "Now, do you know a place to get food? We haven't eaten something really good in a while."
---
Ruby walked with Blake towards a small group of people watching another of the caravans go by. Snowfang was in her arms, happy to rest there for now.
Stopping before the orc in the lead, Ruby bowed her head, "High Overlord."
Varok Saurfang turned his head enough to look at them, red eyes watching them as he slid his guard down, "Rose. I was starting to think we'd have to leave without you. What'd Rehgar do, send you to fight an army?"
"Just a tribe."
Saurfang nodded, "and who's your friend?"
"Oh," Ruby moved to gesture towards Blake, only for Snowfang to dig his claws into her arm with a yelp, "Sorry buddy. This is Blake Belladonna. Blake, this is High Overlord Varok Saurfang."
"Call me Saurfang," he said in Common, before switching to Orcish, "I have a question for you."
"What?"
"How bad are things?" Saurfang met her eyes, "I've read the reports, but those can be falsified with ease. It's much harder to lie to someone's face."
"We're fighting with everything we have," Ruby said, "but we don't have any way to actually attack the Silithid in any real way."
"The Warchief gave me something to deal with that," Saurfang said, "a gift from the elves. Open the portal."
The last bit was directed at the undead mage standing behind them, who nodded, swinging his arms wide and opening a portal. Ruby smiled at Blake, a weak joke on her lips, "Guess our vacation is over, huh?"
"That was a vacation?" Blake asked, "We never go anywhere nice."
"Hopefully someday," Ruby said stepping through the portal… and nearly tripping as the sand shifted unexpectedly.
Ruby pinwheeled her arms with a yelp, leaving Snowfang to drop onto the sand with his own. Blake caught her, helping her up, "What was that?"
"Wasn't expecting the sudden shift to sand," Ruby laughed, reaching down and letting Snowfang return to her arms, "I should have though."
"'Bout time ya got here!" Ruby turned towards Zur'ak, who was focused on Saurfang, "What was it ya got for us, mon?"
"I'll explain when every leader is nearby," Saurfang said, "it's easier to do in one go."
"We gonna be needing a translator, then?"
"Yes."
"Right. Ya heard the mon, Rose. C'mon."
"I… Uh... I," Ruby blinked, completely off guard as she was suddenly chosen, "I have to make sure our camp is still-"
"Ya mate can deal wit dat," Zur'ak waved her off, ignoring the explosive blush that appeared on her face as he left Ruby deeply thankful Blake couldn't speak Orcish yet, "Ya pup too."
Ruby looked down at Snowfang, then back at Blake, then to Zur'ak, "I'm keeping Snowfang with me."
She wasn't going to force Blake to deal with her phobia anymore than necessary. Ruby knew she was already stepping way out of her comfort zone by letting the wolf be nearby.
"If dat's what ya want," Zur'ak shrugged, towering over everyone else for a second, "C'mon."
Ruby turned to Blake, "I need to go with them…"
"I'll see you at the tent then," Blake said, slinking away from the party.
Ruby followed after Saurfang, ignoring the eyes following her to focus on Snowfang panted in her arms, looking around in excitement. As they reached the stone tower built on the cliff, however, Ruby passed a bit too close to a group of orcs and heard their mutterings.
"Is that a frost wolf?"
"It is! Why's the pinkskin got a frost wolf?"
"Dunno, I bet she stole it. But she's with the High Overlord, he'll put her in her place. I'm hopin' for an execution for stealing it. Teach them a lesson, being this close to so many makes me uncomfortable."
Ruby flinched, looking down at the sweltering sand. She hated being treated like that. Orgrimmar was her home, even if she wasn't officially part of the Horde, but there was always a dose of suspicion when people not near the part of the Valley of Honor Rehgar's house was it.
"Ignore dem," Zur'ak said in Kalimag, "Ya made yaself useful, I don't know why ya got dat pup, but I don't tink ya stole it. Ya finished the test?"
"Oh," Ruby blinked at the sudden change of subject, "Yes."
"Den as far as I care, ya bein' a human ain't important. Ya are a Shaman first. And ya pup seems happy wit' ya."
Ruby looked down at Snowfang, who was looking at her with a whine, "Thanks…"
"Let's get in der, I wanna get dis over wit quick."
---
Khadgar stepped into his home, closing his eyes with a sigh. A'dal's presence lightly brushed his mind, waiting for Khadgar to let him in, which the mage did, You did not push the issue? Might I inquire why?
"Which?"
The young Miss Schnee?
"Why would I?" Khadgar asked, moving to his study and picking up one of the Draenei books on temporal magic, "That isn't a war to be won in a day."
And why isn't it?
"You know why."
I do, but I wish to hear your reasoning nonetheless.
"Miss Schnee… Weiss clearly isn't the type to trust easily. If I try to force her to abandon Fel, I will simply alienate her. This is something that needs to be done over time. More so, she hasn't seen the negative effects of it. There isn't any difference to a spell cast by Arcane or Fel means to her yet. Had Gorefiend not begun taunting about her friends…"
She would have been willing to work with him. Is that why you assigned the elf to her?
"I asked Voren'thal to supply someone who knew the effects of Fel, yes. Between that and my attempts to teach her Arcane, I hope she will break from the Fel."
And if she doesn't?
"I don't know," Khadgar admitted, "I suppose… I suppose I'll just have to hope she's strong enough to use it without being consumed."
A low chance.
"But not an impossibility."
Channeling any force for too long risks being consumed, Khadgar. The Elves of Azeroth suffer from their use of Arcane, Demons are shackled to Fel… and there are those controlled by the Light.
"I know," Khadgar admitted, staring at the book, "but they can be surpassed just as much. Alleria…"
Would she have become like her kind, had she still been around? Had she, wherever she was?
Take her to Honor Hold with you. Let her see Hellfire and what Fel does intimately. That is the best chance.
"I know."
---
"-and so we must send a team to the Caverns of Time, quickly," Ruby translated into Orcish, ditching much of the formality in Saurfang's words to get it done quicker.
"I agree," Zur'ak said.
"I do too," Stormsong said
"The farseer agrees," Ruby switched to Common, "as does the Grimtotem representative."
"The Horde always did like dragons," the black haired Kirin Tor mage sneered, "why would we need them?"
"The Kirin Tor does not believe we need their help," Ruby said in Orcish.
We believe it necessary too, Fire crackled in her ear.
"Ya hear dat?" Zur'ak asked her and Stormsong.
They both nodded, Ruby speaking in Common again as Zur'ak relayed the same message to the rest of the Horde representatives, "The Elements also suggest the same."
"We don't need the opinion of the voices in a ma-"
"Lord Vance," one of the Alliance, a dwarf with a triple braided beard, "I would advise ya to not make more enemies than ya already have. The Elements say the same ta me," then he jumped to Kalimag, specifically Auran, "Ignore him, lass, his opinion means little to anyone here. If he wasn't a good fighter, no one would pay him any mind."
Zur'ak gave a bark of laughter, responding in Kalimag, "We all know de type."
The dwarf nodded, a smirk under his beard.
Hamuul turned to Stormsong, rumbling something in Taur-ahe, who in turn turned to Ruby and translated it into Orcish as Hamuul turned to one of the Night Elves, "Archdruid Runetotem also agrees that sending a team is the correct path."
"Archdruid Runetotem also believes that to be the correct course of action," the Night Elf said.
"I swear," Vance started said, "We do-"
"But who will go?" the leader of the Stormwind humans asked, talking over the Dalaranian man.
"I suggest an even team of ten," Saurfang said, "five from the Horde, Five from the Allian-"
"We know what even means," Vance sneered.
"We should put together the teams quickly," Saurfang said without missing a beat, "I-"
"Saurfang," Zur'ak called in Orcish, nodding to himself, "I gotta recommendation for ya."
"Who?"
"Send Rose 'ere," Ruby jerked away from the finger, "We gonna need someone who can translate between Common and Orcish."
"I-" Ruby blushed, "I-"
"...And 'er friend," Zur'ak continued with a cocked ear.
"What are you-?" Saurfang started, before his eyes flickered to the piece of parchment in his hand, "Very well. Rose, go get your comrade and begin preparations for the trip."
"Don't I get a choice?" Ruby asked, tightening her grip on Snowfang, but already knowing the answer.
"You fight for the Might of Kalimdor," Saurfang said, "and as the leader of it, you fight for me. Go."
Ruby bowed, as would be expected of her, "of course, High Overlord."
Then she span on her foot, marching out of the stone building to find Blake.
---
Yang hoped through the portal, wincing as the bright sun of Honor Hold hit her eyes and they adjusted. Stepping to the side, she let Weiss come through the portal.
Once her eye finished adjusting, Yang shot a grin at Danath. Her grin shrunk when the older man gave a grimace back, "What?"
Danath didn't answer, looking to Khadgar, "Things have gotten worse."
"How much worse?" Khadgar asked.
"Worse. A force of demons took the Portal," Danath said, "There's a group of elves casting something. We fear…"
"We're safe," Khadgar said, "Unless they have someone on the other side, the spells keeping it shut should hold."
"We should eliminate the Citadel now," Danath said, "It's our only hope."
"Yes," Khadgar said, "I suppose it is…"
"What?" Danath said.
"I'm just trying to figure out how. I don't believe I have time to cast a spell to destroy the entire Citadel itself…"
"They aren't good at keeping their temper," Weiss offered.
"And dumb as rocks," Yang added, "We managed to jump them by climbing a bunch of rocks."
"Lack of control caused by Fel, most likely," Khadgar commented, turning to the… what the hell was Raystane's job? Guide? Bodyguard (Yang would kill someone if that was true)? "Do you know anything?"
"I believe Illidan had planned to use them as shock troopers, Lord Khadgar" Raystane offered, "Though against who, I don't know."
Khadgar nodded, "Very well then. Here's what will happen. I will teleport us to Hellfire, we will do what we can to cause chaos. Weiss, you're going to be with me, Yang, with Danath. We'll destroy supports, you kill what you can, then we'll meet up near the Warchief's quarters. Understand?"
"Yeah," Yang said.
"Of course," Weiss said with a confident nod.
"Good, I-"
"Khadgar," Danath cut him off, "We need to talk first, alone."
"Alright," Yang said, "Come on, Weiss, I want to get some spare stuff from Lebowski."
---
Khadgar watched the door shut behind the girls, turning to Danath, "I know."
"Then why?" Danath asked.
"Miss Schnee is on a dangerous path. My hope is that if we bring her to Hellfire, she'll see the potential consequences and abandon it."
Danath's eyes drifted to the doorway, "Fel?"
"Fel," Khadgar agreed.
Danath's face grew soft for a few seconds, before drawing right back into a concerned frown, "What if it's too late?"
"Then we do what needs to be done," Khadgar said, resigned.
"...You know there's no way four people will break Hellfire, right?" Danath asked, "It took us a month, back then."
"That was when the defenses were whole," Khadgar pointed out, before reluctantly asking, "What should we do? Kurdran isn't going to want to leave Sky'ree."
"How is she?" Danath asked.
"Not well," Khadgar said, "She's grown old, I fear…"
"She doesn't have much long left in her?" Danath finished.
"She's a strong old bird, she'll be alive for a while yet, I'm sure."
Danath didn't say anything for a bit, walking over to the window and staring out it, up towards the pattern of Fel visible above Hellfire and towards where the Dark Portal lay, "Do you remember when we first arrived here, Khadgar?"
"Of course I do."
"It's strange," Danath said, "The things I remember about it. Not the fighting itself, I hardly remember that. Things like the color of Alleria's hair in the sun, Turalyon's sword burning with golden fire. Things like that."
"What's this about?"
"Is it wrong?" Danath asked, "that part of me desperately wishes for the Dark Portal to reopen? I miss Stromgarde, and Stormwind… Hells, I even miss Galen."
"I wouldn't say it's wrong," Khadgar said, "I don't think anyone here likes it."
Danath turned to Khadgar, "I'm bringing some men."
"To Hellfire?"
"Yes."
---
Danath slid on the gauntlets taking the helmet from the guard with a nod, "Keep the place safe till we get back."
"Of course!" the man saluted, stepping aside to let Danath out of the room. As he walked through the halls of Honor Hold, Danath sighed. The once vivid, blood red heraldry had faded over the years, becoming chipped and dull.
It, like all things in Outland, was starting to feel its age and starting to show wear.
Steeling himself, Danath walked into the armory, drawing Honor's Call from one spot and grabbing his shield with the other. Sheathing the blade, Danath grabbed one of Lebowski's experimental 'Repeaters' and slid it into place on the belt across his chest. Hopefully, Light willing, he wouldn't need to test it, but better safe than sorry.
Marching out, Danath slid his helm over his head, adjusting the straps that kept his shield attached to his arm. Standing outside the keep were a set of guards also in full armor. Stopping in front of them, Danath stood as straight as possible, "Men. It is time, once again, for us to do our duty. We have reason to suspect the orcs and their allies plan to open the Dark Portal."
"Again?" Gunny asked, "Don't those Blackblooded son-"
"Yes," Danath said, cutting the dwarf off, "further, we have reason to expect attacks from the Citadel. We're going to beat them to it. Khadgar, alongside three freelancers, are waiting for us with Lebowski. He will teleport us there, at which point we will split off into two teams. Khadgar and one of the freelancers will be going for the infrastructure itself, while we will eliminate the commanders. Understood?" Everyone nodded, "Good. Then let's go meet up with them."
Khadgar was talking to Weiss in a hushed voice as they approached. The white haired girl leaning against the wall, looking slightly sick, "-sure?"
"I'm sure," Weiss pushed off from the workshop, focusing into the distance, "It's like a storm, one that's going to break any second. They're calling every little bit towards that direction."
Danath felt his stomach sink as he realized Weiss was pointing towards the Dark Portal. Looking up, he followed her fingers as they traced every trail of Fel. She was right, they were all flowing towards it.
Khadgar met Danath's eyes as he reached out and rapped on the door, "We're headed out, now!"
Danath's gauntlets groaned as clenched his fists. He could only hope they weren't too late to keep the orcs from attacking, because they were all but certainly too late to stop the Portal from opening.
---
Xia stopped eating as Li Li ran into the room, a wide smile on the pandaren's face, "Pop! Pop! The rain's stopped!"
"Finally," Chon Po sighed, placing his chopsticks down over the top of his bowl, carefully making sure they weren't going to fall in, "It's strange for a storm to go on this long."
"Yeah," Li Li said, rushing around the table, unintentionally bumping into it, and ignoring the squawk from her father as the chopsticks fell into his bowl, as she grabbed Xia's arm, "C'mon, C'mon! I want to look for rainbows before it's too late!"
"Li Li!" Chon Po reprimanded, "Xia is a guest in this house, you shouldn't-"
"It's fine," Xia said, climbing to her feet, "I should probably continue on now. I'm behind."
"Are you sure you don't want a ride back to the Academy?" Chon Po asked.
"I'm sure," Xia said, "I'm not going that way, anyways."
"If you say so," he said reluctantly. Something about Xia's journey seemed to rile the pandaren up, "I should get my cart ready."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Xia said with a bow, grabbing her swords from their place next to the door and strapping them into place before taking her walking stick from the basket.
"It was a pleasure to have you," Chon Po responded as Li Li rushed from the room.
"Shisai! Shisai, wake up you big lump!" the young girl yelled followed by an alarming crash and a yelp from her brother, "Rain stopped, we're gonna go look for rainbows!"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes!" Li Li ran out of the room, grabbing Xia by the arm and dragging her out of the house, "If you don't get out here in half an hour, I'm coming back to hit ya! Come on, Xia we shou- What the- what?"
Xia stopped with her as the clouds above them rumbled with green energy. Across the sky, equally green stars fell to earth, sending Xia's stomach rolling, "Li Li, get inside."
"What? Why? I want to-"
"There's no rainbows, Li Li. Get inside, now!"
"Jeez! Ok, ok."
Xia watched on star crash into the mountains, rushing towards it as quickly as her legs could carry her. Halfway there, she ran into the familiar and welcome form of Strongbo, "Bo!"
"Xia?" the geomaster said, turning enough to see her, "What are you doing out here?"
"Long story, on a trip, got stopped by rain with the Stromstouts," she said as quickly as possible, keeping with Strongbo, "Any idea what this is?"
"No! I- Oh…"
"Oh" was right. In front of them was a towering creature of black stone and green fire. Xia met Bo's eyes, and they both dodged the arm, watching as the tree it hit shriveled and died, "I don't think this is a normal elemental!"
"Then we'll need something more," Strongbo said, "distract it for me!"
"Because that's easy," Xia said, drawing her swords and preparing for the next attack. When it came, she dodged it, swinging her sword into the arm and- "OW!"
Xia was forced to jump back, waving her hand as a sickly burn appeared on it. That caused Xia to pause for a brief moment, staring at it. Her Chi should have stopped tha-
"Look out!" Bo yelled, warning Xia enough for her to dive to the ground, dodging under the swinging arm. Rolling backwards, Xia unclipped the chain holding the sword embedded in it and swung her remaining sword up, a wave of wind smashing into the creature sending petals flying and the creature in question crashing against the nearest tree.
"Thank you!" Xia called to the Geomancer, swinging two more times and knocking the creature further back.
"I'll take it from here!" Bo reached out, the ground around their opponent rippled like water before rising up into a giant facimally of a hand. The hand closed around the creature until there was a loud crack and the creature stopped moving except for a set of shakes, the green flames dying, "I-"
"Bo, move!" Xia yelled, diving away as the creature exploded, shattering the hand and sending Bo flying into the trees. Pushing herself up, Xia flipped her remaining into a reverse grip as the creature reformed.
Or at least, got halfway there.
"Move!" Xia dodged as Master Shang Xi rushed by in a blur of motion, diving through the reforming creature. Stopping on the other side, a shimmering around his right hand, Shang Xi used it to crush a stone he had grabbed. Behind him, the creature collapsed into a pile of dead stones.
"Master!" Xia said, "I- how did you get here?"
"A trick I used in my youth," he said, turning towards her, "are you alright?"
"Just a burn, I should b-"
"With these creatures," Shang Xi said, "that is a much more dangerous injury than you might believe. Gather your weapons while I check on Strongbo, I'll help you back to town and heal the injury. I need to speak to Chon Po anyways."
Xia nodded, walking over to the rock and drawing her sword from it. Or, at least, what remained of the smoking pile of slag that was her sword, "Oh, no."
"Is something-" Shang Xi stopped as he approached with Strongbo, "I'm sorry, Xia. We'll have it repaired when we get to town, I promise."
Xia nodded glumly, returning one of her oldest possessions to its place in the sheath.
---
"Why do we end up doing everything?" Blake asked as she hastily packed several of the things she had just finished unpacking as Ruby sharpened their weapons and prepared their bullets.
"Dunno," Ruby said with a frown, throwing Gambol Shroud into the air and catching it before sliding it back into the sheath she had finished sharpening, "I guess translators are in short supply or something? We don't really have a choice, I guess."
"You don't seem happy about it."
"It's my job," came Ruby's monotone respond.
"You still don't seem happy about it."
"It's my job," Ruby repeated, before sighing, "That doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't want to leave the front again, not so soon."
"Then why not just refuse? I'm sure Saurfang would understand."
"I don't think that's gonna wo-" Ruby stopped, looking around.
"Is something wrong?"
"I need to go," Ruby said, grabbing Crescent Rose and rushing out of the tent in a flurry of petals.
"What?" Blake deadpanned, before standing up and beginning to follow after Ruby, until a certain wolf got in her way, "Oh no…"
Snowfang barked at her, Blake pushed down the desire to hiss back, "You wait here, we'll be right-"
Snowfang gave another bark, standing up and padding around in a tight circle in front of her. Blake tried to step over the wolf, only to hiss as he leapt up, biting her pant leg, "Let go."
Snowfang growled, digging his feet into the sand… and trying to tug her towards the entrance. Blake sighed, crouching and looking at him, "You really want to come?"
He continued his attempts to drag her, growling louder until Blake, reluctantly, reached out and picked him up, "Fine, just this once. Never, ever again."
Snowfang settled into Blake's arm with a strange noise, though he still bit her coat sleeve and tugged at it. Stepping out of the tent, Blake looked around for any sign of where Ruby went.
It didn't take long, considering the trail of flower petals to follow. As she rushed along, Blake noticed several orcs, trolls and tauren collapsed on the ground, shaking and vomiting bile.
"Zur'ak!" Blake jumped as she heard Ruby's voice call a name followed by a couple of sentences in Orcish. Turning, Blake saw Ruby clinging to a tent, gasping.
"Ruby!" Blake called, "Ruby, what's-!"
"INCOMING!" Several voices rose up from the Alliance side of the camp, several voices yelling something in Orcish behind her. Above them, several black and green meteors crashed into a purple barrier, sliding down them.
Looking between Ruby and where they crash, Blake put Snowfang down with a, "Go make sure she's fine," and rushed towards the flames.
Drawing Gambol Shroud, Blake saw the first Infernal rise up, arms prepared to crush a guard, and shifted her weapon to pistol form. Firing several shots into the exposed chest cavity, towards the heartstone, Blake gave a relieved sigh as the fel powered creature lost balance and crashed backwards. Shortly after, an arrow lodged into the heartstone, exploding with purple energy. Thank you, Rehgar.
Turning towards the next, Blake continued on as she heard the familiar sound of Crescent Rose going off in that direction.
---
"-and so she asks why I don't just leave," Bloodeye laughed, shaking his head, "I love that girl, but I don't get her sometimes. Why would I ever want to run like a coward when I could win my freedom in comb- hey, is something up with the Boss?"
The group of Valarjar Bloodeye was talking to turned to watch Odyn walk towards the Eye. The watcher stopped next to it, staring down with tight lips. Then his booming voice echoed through the halls, "Huginn, Muninn! Come here!"
Bloodeye started towards the Eye alongside most of his fellows, "Magnus? Any ideas?"
"No," the Vrykul said, crossing his arms.
"Go down there," Odyn ordered his ravens, "find out if this is a full invasion, or just a brief incursion. After the last two, I cannot be sure."
The ravens barked as one, before taking off and flying in a great loop. Diving down, they disappeared into the portal behind Odyn as the watcher turned to the Valarjar, "Don't worry yourselves yet men, everything is fine for the moment!"
---
I think it's very obvious that I shaved the start of this chapter off the end of last chapter.
Thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh?
