Azeroth

Wind rushed past the man, he wept and struggled in futility, his tears flowed from his eyes and swiftly fell upwards. Nithhogr looked down with only passive interest as the victim he had released from his clutches slammed into the battlements, leaving a dark red stain and crumpled body. The dragon roared out as it dove back down as arrows flew past it's mighty wings.
Varminaard smiled as his orcen army's finally brought two siege towers against the walls, orc and goblin shock troops pouring out. Highlord of the second army signaled to one of his lieutenants. "Send the third battalion forward with ladders to assist our siege towers, and send word to our dear Grom Doomhammer, he now owes me fifty pounds, the north wall was breached first."

Nithhogr spewed out a rain of fire against the eastern wall defenders and hastily pulled up gaining height, though weak as humans were, if they managed to pierce his wings it would make it hard to fly. And that meant death in battle for a dragon. Circling far above the Solamnia's capital, Nithhogr surveyed the scene below. Nine Thousand troops and a dozen dragons had fell upon the capital in the early mourning hours, splitting there forces the Half Orc, Grom had taken his forces south and assaulted the city from behind while Verminaard who commanded a larger force pushed upon the thicker northern walls and main gate. This fighting had ensued all day but finally Verminaard's tactics had won out. Splitting his army into three battalions he rotated there attacks, giving rest to his other troops, now as night was falling the defenders could no longer hold out to the stamina of the attacking army. Though a long fight still remained, the battle was won.

Nithhogr dived as flame seeped from this snarling mouth.




~*~


Bron Halforn and his Tauren soldiers had patrolled all night, first sweeping northwest then east. He was uneasy, unable to shake a more and more swelling sense that orcs where in the area. He slowed his kodo and signaled for his men to do the same, closing his eyes he called out to the wind. As the high grass began to rustle a breeze swirled around Bron and he quickly became alerted to the smell of orc blood. Breaking from his trance he kicked his kodo and rushed for the eastern woods, kodo hoofs pounding the ground. Any Tuaren trying to sneak up on someone was a fool. Entering the woods he caught sight of several dozen orcen bodies, a deranged looking elf, a dwarf, another elf, some sort of beast and several more orcs. Coming to a stop he slid off his kodo while his soldiers followed suite, stomping the ground with a massive hoof and snorting a challenge he unbound his massive weapon strapped to his armored back.
Unlike the great axe the dwarf carried, this weapons handle was as long as a spear shaft, with a deadly blade on one side and flat hammer on the other.


~*~

Edward awoke with a start, visions that felt more like nightmares had plagued him all night. Darkness swarmed in the northlands, seeping and expanding forever outwards. It slowly creeped over the lands and castle's of Solamnia, devouring it's brave defender's, it's mothers, and children. Shacking off a feeling of despair he called for a guard to find John, while waiting he washed his face and dressed.
As John entered the tent he could easily tell that Edward was troubled, "What is it my friend, what has Dwayna shown you?" Edward looked up to his old friend, though he worked hard to appear confident and strong for his men, his soul was so, so very tired. "Dwayna has shown me a massive dragon army moving south, it's slowly consuming the northern lands and Solamnia...soon it will push south." He let the words linger in the air, for he and John both new if Solamnia could fall to this foe....the Taurens could not stand, and the dwarves where busy slaughtering themselves. All this happening while the elves secluded themselves in the forest.
"So" John asked, "Do you have a plan? The dwarves wont be much help, and those point eared..." John cringed. He had just said those words to a dear friend, and half elf. John shook his head, he new the stress of there plight was getting to him. "I'm sorry Edward...I didn't mea..." he was cut short, " It's fine John, I to am angered by the Qualinesti and there lack of compassion toward others. As far as what we should do...I feel a pulling toward the south, the Dwarves have always been a powerful race, if only we could find out why they are in a civil war maybe we could help, then maybe, if we're lucky, would help us push back this evil that plagues us."

Female words whispered in the elf's mind. He had trouble hearing them through the red haze of pain and emotional anguish coursing through his body. Even when the shadow in his mind retreated, the river of guilt and pain did not stem. And then, suddenly, she seemed to take form before him. A beautiful young human girl, with flowing red hair, and large, warm amber eyes. Her lips were as red as strawberries, just as he remembered her. Silke. He looked at her in confusion, his eyes widening. The young girl smiled at him, and reached out for him. He stared at her in disbelief, shock, confusion... It lasted for several minutes, as the girl stroked his cheek, and spoke to him, though in his clouded state of mind he could not understand the words she spoke in the elven language they had both spoken as children.

Then, a glimmer began to glow in his eyes as his war elf instinct slowly returned. He stumbled to his feet.
"No." He whispered. "You're dead. I saw that monstrosity cut you down right next to my brother!" A glimmer grew in his eyes, and he reached out for Ember right next to him. As he stood up, he looked the girl in the eyes, and spoke in an ice cold voice: "You are not Silke." Ember suddenly glowing red in his right hand, he took a quick step forward, running the girl through up to the hilt of his blade. He let go of the weapon as he stared her in the eyes, watdching as she seemed to dissolve into thin mist.

Arden then turned to face the dwarf and the elven woman. His war elf nature had returned in full force. He felt just like before - no, there was a hole...a great, black void, in the pit of his stomach. As if someone had reminded him of a part of himself, only to rip it out of his torso. No matter - he could worry about that later.

It was time to finish this.

That's when suddenly, mounted warriors appeared out of nowhere. Their leader, a man wielding a great, strange weapon that looked like a blacksmith had welded together a maul and a greatsword, spotted the fighting group, and drew his weapon.

"You...are in my way... You are all in my way!" Arden growled. His mind had snapped already, but now he wandered further down the road of Chaos. With a bloodthirsty glimmer in his eyes, and an annoyed grunt, he launched himself into a run towards the Tauren soldiers, leaping at the foremost one with his swords falling down in a sideward slash towards the warrior's torso.Both blades back in his hands, he suddenly unleashed his body into the killing art of bladesong, the blades of his swords whistling as they cut the air in his circle-shaped, almost sword-dance oriented fighting moves. He was driven on by a wish to kill them all, to be rid of the whole event - a driving force and mind of thinking very common with war elves.

Bron Halfhorn surveyed the scene in front of him, much fighting had taken place. The little dwarf..'the same one from the camp of the vanguard, if Bron could distinguish one dwarf from another'...was charging a Elfen woman.

"You...are in my way... You are all in my way!"
Bron turned his attention to the little insane looking elf who was charging forward, he motioned with his left hand, a signal for his warriors to spread out and engage the orcs. While signaling he started to weave a pattern with his hands, faint green ribbons played out, weaving to and fro. "Foolish creature of the woods, a single cycle ago we would have stood as one, how you have fallen from nature's blessing" As the wood creature's blades danced and shimmered and where about to strike at Bron, dozens of thorny vines burst from the ground, reaching out for the Elf's arms and legs.
Bron let out a snort as he charged forward, his weapon at the ready.



O.O.C ( Hey sorry I described that wrong, his weapon is like a hammer and axe mixed. one on each side. sorry)

Lavin's eyes widened with frustration. She had delayed here too long. The dwarf still charged forward in his own blind determination to defeat her; the elf had broken her spell and was now fueled with even more fury; and now, a new group had arrived, and once again had her orcs been engaged into battle. This was going nowhere. With a sigh she continued the block the dwarf's furious blows and withdrew her black magic from the area. Her thoughts were then only held slightly with the orc troops. But she had no patience left to remain here, for there would be no greatly fulfilling purpose in doing so.

With a heavy sigh Lavin moved forward against the dwarf, swinging her blade in one hand while simultaneously drawing the other once again from behind her back. The second sword she angled towards his throat, though if he was unable to furry her strike, she well intended to halt her stroke before reaching him.

In the process of angling her secondary blade in his direction, Lavin whistled, simultaneously reaching her mind out towards Korreth. The beast was at her side in an instant, and it was then that the woman elf pushed her blades back against her little rival. In the same motion she took a leaping step backwards. Drawing the hilts of her swords upwards and aiming their blades down, Lavin created a criss-crossed defense in front of herself. She stepped back again and then Korreth angled himself between her and her dwarvin opponent. With a gracefully abrupt stride, the elf moved towards her mount, returned her blades to their holster behind her back, and then quickly climbed aboard the beast.

As Korreth immediately took to the sky, with his master secure upon his back, the woman looked down upon the dwarf, and reached out to his mind one last time. As her eyes turned to his, she carried a whisper upon her lips to him. "You know what I have offered, perhaps, if we ever meet again, my offer will still stand."

Then as Korreth carried her farther away, she glanced lastly to the elf, Arden, who had charged fiercely against the minotaur upon arrival. She shook her head in a certain sort of shame. At first she had held high aspirations for the warrior, yet now, she saw that though there was a tremendous skill in his fighting, there was nothing in his heart which drove him to do so. His heart had turned cold and like a savage animal, he would always turn on those around him. She guessed he would only ever fight for himself, and for the ghost of a dream which had died so long ago. She sighed.

Still though, they had both heard her offers, perhaps one or both of them may still find her--someday. For the moment though, she needed to acquire pawns which could be of immediate use. And she grew so bored with the smell of orc's blood, which was now so thick upon the air. In a stern voice she called downwards to the army of orcs--any who still remained alive--and ordered them to retreat. Then, with a last glance she urged Korreth higher into the sky, and away from the scene.

The elf didn't hear the minotaur's words. His mind was a blind rage, and he visualised the creature impaled on his blades, until suddenly, he felt something - like snakes - crawling up along his feet, trapping and tripping him. The elf fell to the ground, dropping his swords. He reacghed out to grab them while trying to get up, but was firmly pulled down again, as vines began to grow out of the ground and crawl all over him, tying him down into place. He gritted his teeth hard as he managed to get a leg up under him, its foot firmly planted in the ground, and pushed away. Slowly, the vines groaned as he forced his way up into standing position - but before he could reach all the way, another vine lashed out, and yanked his foot out from under him. He landed on the ground face down once more.

Vines, more vines, and yet more vines crawled over him, until he was tied down and couldn't move a finger. The elf thrashed and jerked, trying to get out of Mother Nature's grip, but failed to do so. Soon, he couldn't move an inch. A minotaur, not the one that had spoken to him, wielding a large club, walked up to the elf, and looked down at him. Had it had a human face, surely it would have been pale with anger. The minotaur raised a fist, and hit the defenseless elf square in the face. To Arden, everything went purple, then white, and then finally, a bottomless black darkness surrounded him, a darkness similar to the one that had finally so firmly enshrouded his heart.

Bron watched as the vines encroached over his prey, his charge slowed as his opponent who was already badly injured, was overcome to the spell he had cast. Foolish wood creature, this one know not his soul and limit One of Brons warriors approached the elf had slammed a fist into this poor creatures face. "Hetawa! Nokee hale pawene yakee!" (Halt! Do not strike this pitiful creature!) Bron stuck his brother with his forearm, shoving the Tauren away from the wood creature. "Go my brother, kill the orcs, leave the half one to me!"

Leaving his spell intact Bron turned to find the half one, the elf and beast where taking off into the air, and it's orcs where making there way off. Unknowing of what this one would do he instructed his brothers to hunt down the retreating orcs. "Half one of earth! Here my words and see my soul, the battle has past! The forest cry's in anger, LET IT END!" Bron stomped the ground to enforce his order, his last words coming to a roar. Overhead the sky beast was flying off, Bron approached the half one ready to end the fighting one way or another.


~*~


He could feel the crunch of bone beneath his gauntlet, the gasp of the soldiers last breath before none would ever be taken again. Verminaard smiled as he cast the body aside like a rag doll. Varminaard was winning, of course he always won... casting dark magic he sent a bolt flying from his mace, utterly decimating both guards and the building they where guarding. As his boots crushed the remains underneath, he found what was so important. Though few survived the collapse, a few woman and small children remained, one who was foolish enough to grab hold of his leg and beg for mercy had her skull crushed by a fist. The others where soon to follow...the blood seeped across the ground, joining with the the other defenders.

Many would tell the tail..the day the sky roared with the laughter of the Highlord...

With a metallic clang, Del used the axehead to block the first swing of the fey elf's sword... However the second one pierced his block and stopped, angled at his neck. The surprise of this attack took the last of the fight and energy out of the dwarf, causing him to hit a stubby knee. His axe held out useless to his side. However, fear did not fill Del's eyes, only anger. A subdued, but tired anger, but still anger. His eyes drilled holes into the elf's forehead. "Kill me then, ya whore-elf," he taunted. Being out-done? By an elf no less? Had he really fallen that far from the Watcher title? Was he really that weak? Dammit.

Moments passed... Where was the death blow? Why was he still breathing? The.. The elf was leaving? "Wait!, Where in tha hells do ya think yer goin'!? We aren't done here! Get back here and face me like a elf!" Del yelled at the quickly disappearing elf, anger frothing and raging. "Dammit, can ye be believin' that boy?" Del said to the elf, turning around, "That she be leavin' like- The hells is going on over here!?" Del exclaimed in time to see Arden get wrapped up in vine, "The hell kind of magic is that! Why yer got tha elf tired up like that! What-" he was cut short by his own vines coming over and entangling him up. Too bad it didn't tangle his mouth up.

Before long, the vines had ripped the Dwarf's axe from his hand, wrapped up his stubby hands and legs, and tipped him over like a very, very short tree. "Gah! What's tha meanin' o' dis! What in the hells are ye doin' ya blasted fools! We are on da same damned side!" Del yelled. Even if the dwarf was tired and drained both physically and mentally, the energy that ran his anger and mouth seemed to have come from a whole different other place entirely.

"Now, if ya don't let me go, I'll wear ya damned head as a hat!" The dwarf threatened

"Now, if ya don't let me go, I'll wear ya damned head as a hat!" The half one was threatening. "Your companion has attack us, who is to say that you half creature will not" Bron asked, The Tauren walked over to the dwarf standing beside him he looked even more enormous then usual. Standing at seven and a half feet tall the chieftain had arms and legs like tree trunks. "I shall release you little one, but you should respect those who came to stand beside you." Lifting his left arm he cast a quick spell and the vines wrapped around the dwarf and the Elf receded into the ground.

"You where two that served with Hohenheim, why are you out so far from the camp?"

***OOC: Please check the OOC***