Post by Morec0
(Here it is, enjoy.
Page 12)
- Nilon and his companions walked down the path that snaked through Dustwallow Marsh to the Barrens. Nilon, Jason, and Celen would have preferred to use some kind of mount transportation, but Lord Scalebender had pointed out that both gryphons and horses would have seen through his disguise and reacted to his presence. That would have made it highly likely that he would be discovered and that would have caused problems for all of them. So, the only remaining method of travel was to walk.
- But, there was something wrong. Dustwallow Marsh was supposed to be teeming with life, but so far they hadn’t seen anything to prove that there were any living creatures in the area.
- “Something’s not right,” Nilon whispered to Jason, “it’s too quiet. Keep your guard up.” Jason nodded and rested one hand on the hilt of his sword.
- There was a rustling noise from the bushes on the right of the road. Nilon grabbed his blade and ran into it, only to find empty space. He walked back to the road, but the noise then came from behind the group. Again nothing. Then it came from the right, left, behind, left, right, other right, dead ahead, until it finally ended in complete, utter silence.
- “What was that!” Celen exclaimed.
- “Whatever it was,” Nilon replied, “it might not be gone. Keep your eyes open.”
- ---
- “Confusion; a very clever tactic,” Morec said to Zarrok.
- “We Nathrezim are masters of deception,” the Dreadlord responded. “It is only natural to us.”
- “When should we strike?”
- Zarrok grinned. “Why not right now?”
- Morec grinned as well; he liked the way the Dreadlord thought. He unsheathed his sword and led the charge against the living.
- ---
- Nilon was the first to see the Scourge warriors charging towards them. “Look out!” he yelled, “Morec’s found us!”
- “What an excellent observation,” Celen said sarcastically, as she conjured an arcane bolt. Lord Scalebender had drawn his rapiers, which were now ignited in flames. Jason propped his shield in front of him, and Nilon leveled his sword into his preferred combat stance.
- Morec was at the head of the charging Scourge, but he stopped short and shot a blast of necromantic energy out of his palm. Nilon raised his hand and created a shield of the Holy Light that defended him against the blast.
- A rasping, yet insane-sounding voice yelled from the shadows of the swamp, “Hey, you! Catch this!” A rocket flew overhead and hit the ground just behind Nilon and his allies. The explosion rocked the area and knocked each of them forward, but Nilon rolled into the fall, and was back on his feet just in time to parry one of Morec’s attacks. The Paladin then kicked the lead Death Knight in the stomach, his armored boot having enough of an effect to make Morec stumble backwards.
- But then he saw the Dreadlord.
- The demon – which could have easily passed for a large ogre in size – towered over Nilon and his companions. His fists were gripped around two massive rippers; with color schemes matched the Nathrezim’s green and black armor.
- “Children of the night!” the Dreadlord called, “your master, your father, commands you: come, and feast upon the flesh of these mortals! Heed my call! Heed the call of Zarrok!”
- As commanded, hundreds upon hundreds of pitch black bats swarmed from the dark parts of the marsh. The creatures gathered in a cloud above the mortals, and slowly began to descend upon them. The Death Knight named John grinned when he saw this, and opened his rotting mouth, releasing his own swarm of carnivorous insects that joined the evil cloud above the living.
- Nilon flailed his sword above his head, but it just didn’t do enough damage to the swarming creatures. Jason was trying the same tactic as Nilon, and both Celen and Scalebender were using their magics to try and quell the creatures, but their efforts were just as futile as the Blood Elf’s.
- Nilon scowled.
I’ve only got one shot at this, he thought. His sword began to glow with the power of the Holy Light. He held it high in the air and the Light pulsated from the blade. The bats began to fly away, looking for a refuge from the blinding light, those of John’s insects that were caught in it were turned to dust.
- NIlon collapsed onto his knees. He had exerted most of his power with that move, and it was going to take him a while before he could regain his strength. Hopefully his allies would be able to either defeat the Scourge, or, at least, hold them at bay until he regained his strength.
- But, as a chilling wind passed over the area, Nilon recognized a third possible outcome: defeat.
- “I’m going to freeze the blood in your veins!” the icy voice of the Death Knight Garen said. “There will be no escape this time!”
- Nilon struggled against the cold, but it was too much, he couldn’t break free of its grip.
- However, just as the frozen wind began to claw into the bones of the living, another, warmed wind pushed against it and overcame it.
- Nilon looked at each of the mages, but they were just as surprised as he was. Then, before their very eyes, the wind and earth rose together and fell upon the Scourge and Dreadlord, burying them under mound after mound of soil.
- Nilon stood, completely confused, and then heard the sound of something stomping through the overgrowth. A large, green figure, followed by a large grayish-white wolf, stepped out of the bushes.
- “Well,” the orc said, his voice deep, “what brings you and your ‘friends’ to Dustwallow Marsh?
Post by Morec0
Writers Commentary:
- I try not to go too in-depth with combat, lets me save a lot of ideas for the final battle, like what I did with the battle at Menethil Harbor. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
- For those of you who havn't seen yet, I'm hosting a naming contest to determine the name of the new Orc Shaman character - so sorry Patty, but it's not Saurfang just being awsome there. The Contest Page and Offical Rules can be found
here.
- In order to let everyone get a chance to post their ideas as to this Orc's name, and allow me to fill it into what I've already written, Light and Death will be postponed one week. So Page 14 wont be posted untill June 12th.
- Who is this mysterious savoir of Nilon and his allies, and why did he help them? All - well, almost all - will be revealed in Page 14!