Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

Post by rivaan »

Balthule sighed as she spoke about the orcs." I... won't say the bigger part of our kind has forgiven the orc race. Sure the Warchief's shamanistic ways put him in a rather good position and many do respect him, having fought along his side with the countless that fought at Hyjal, however as a whole... the wounds caused when some of them rejoined the demons albeit briefly still linger fresh in the memories. Cenarius's death was especially hard on many of the druids, however the Dryads and the Forest Keepers took it worst. The Dryads and the Keepers are Cenarius's children." He clarified." His death also allowed for much of the forests' protections to weaken without his presence. We hope for peace too, however. The High Priestess and the First Druid spoke out for cooperation and cohabition, hopefully our races could outgrow the differences and strive caused so far. Though honestly, one forest wander to another, nobles and other influential people are making that harder than it should be." The man added.

He listened to Asha recounting her past as a Ranger and what made her who she was. He nodded gravely." Harsh reality often is the best trainer, few warriors are as adept as those who have risen in strife and turmoil in the face of impossible odds. You survived, you fought, for better or worse, you have been changed as all those who survive such tragedies. Maybe others might have greater skills than you, but as a survivor, you will always have something unique to yourself that no amount of training could substitute. Being had to flee in the face of the enemy to help people get away is not a bad thing, Asha. Sometimes it shows more honor than dying in the fight. You were ordered, you were chosen to do so and you did your duty. Be proud of that."

As they arrived at their destination, a certain rythmic hoots were heard and Balthule after starting at Naisha for a few moments, realized what it was. It was a somewhat lovely and soft melody that sounded curiously different in the Wildkin's tongue." Huh.. didn't I will hear 'The Stag and the Moon' in such an arrangement." He chuckled. What Naisha was hoot singing was a kaldorei folk song, mainly sang as a lullaby to children. It was based around the legend of Malorne and Elune's love that brought forth Cenarius.

Naisha gave a hooting laugh before putting the man on the ground, letting him sit and rest while she pulled herself away from the transformation and returned to regular Harpy form... just with a pair of antlers that also shimmered away as she took of the medallion entirely. The man just shook his head in amusment of the things he had seen today." I think you are right, Asha. This place will be a good place to rest and it's fairly defensible." The harpy gave her two coppers when it came to opinions on the situation.

"As our harpy friend says, you are right, this place will do marvelously for resting and she's right that we can put forth an ambush." He added, pointing at the way the trees were growing in the area. There were more than a few places where they were denser and the topology of the area, especially since there was a stream not too far from their spot and there was a bit of a slope here." We can set up traps, take out a number of them before they even reach us. The two of us with Naisha could set up a number of traps while you scout. What's more with the trees the way they are, we could set up traps up on the branches too. A few well placed heavier objects that are carefully balanced on the branches would do a fine job in conjuncture with or bows. For the satyr, should he follow us... it's going to be a bit trickier. We need to actually deal with him before his dark magics start hurting us too much..." He explained, looking at the two in a bit of calculative manner." So... any of hte two of you brought cooking spices or dried herbs?" Balthule asked.

"ME!" Naisha chirped, bringing up her bag that as if by demand made a glass clanking noise as two small jars inside it lightly tapped." I got spices and herbs!" Naisha said, giving them the most 'I'm a good girl' expression, she could." Why though? Wait... you want to hit the satyr with a spice bomb!" The harpy suddenly exclaimed, having put two and two together." I got very hot red spice mix!" She exclaimed in excitement at practical pranks and using unconventional tactics." It will burn eyes, nose... mouth? I once tasted it alone. It hurt my tongue for hours afterwards. Also got this. Black pepper... It makes you sneeze a whole lot if you inhale it directly and is also unpleasant! Mom would empty egg shells and fill it with black pepper and would use it when we were camping to either cook or to toss the egg shell with the pepper in the face of wild animals and they would run away sneezing!"
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

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Asha glanced between the other two before nodding. "Set up the traps then." she answered Naisha. It was a good idea, most definitely; a distraction that would at least slow the enemy even if it did not injure or disable them, which it hopefully would. She gave a weak smile. "Just leave me a way to get back into the camp?" she added. "Set a path with very small markers or something. Something they won't notice but I can be looking for." she added., glancing out over a shoulder. The enemy couldn't be that far behind; if she wanted to scout them out, she had to leave now.

She turned back to the others, moving over to the harpy and putting Thas down beside Naisha. "Watch him, please?" she asked before looking down at the small bear cub. "You stay here, this time, little one. I need to move fast to stay safe and I'll be back in no time." she told Thas. The cub let out a little bear whine but sat down beside Naisha. Asha looked at Naisha and then Balthule, giving each a small nod before she turned towards the forest and began to sprint out into the trees.

As she ran, dodging roots and low branches and other obstacles, she arced around where they had come from, where the enemy would be surely following. She kept watching, listening for signs of the pursuers but her mind also wandered to what Balthule had said to her. Foremost about how the Kaldorei still would not forgive the Orcs. She scoffed at that. Laying blame on a whole race when it had not even been most of them who had attacked was wrong to begin with. Likewise, those who were now the Sin'dorei had been wrongly exiled from the Kaldorei simply for wanting to live their lives as they would and embrace the Arcane magics and yet, here she was, a member of a Sin'dorei, once Quel'dorei, delegation whose sole purpose here had been to try to broker a peace. The Kaldorei obviously had not changed since that exile; they were still too intolerant of others. Perhaps not all of them... but most of them it seemed.

She also thought about what he had said about her experience as a ranger. Namely the part about being proud. What had happened was not something she could ever be proud of. While she would have done the same thing over again had she had to relive it again, she could never attach a feeling of pride to that day. The fear, terror and grief at what she, and the other few survivors had been through were just too predominant. She was glad that she had saved what few lives she could to be sure, but proud of it? No. And the guilt would always remain as well. Not just at being one of the few who had lived... but also at whom she had saved.... and whom she hadn't.

Her mind was starting to wander further, but she pulled back her focus as she realized how far she had run and began to angle in again back towards the path they had come in by from the tower. As she approached some landmarks she recognized, she slowed, pulling out her bow and nocking and arrow, keeping it ready. The ground showed clear signs of travel through the area, not just the huge footprints from a wildkin but many other prints as well. Perhaps.. twenty? Maybe even thirty. And one in particular caught her eye. It was made by neither clawed foot nor boot. It was hoof prints... Not knowing whether to curse or breathe a sigh of relief at that, she moved on ahead, following the footprints at a decent pace. Soon enough, she could hear them. They obviously weren't used to trekking through a forest.

"Find them!" a snarly, grating voice rang out. "Or I'll skin the lot of you and let my kin play with your innards!"

Asha was careful not to get too close but she did move up until she could see at least some of them through the trees. Robed cultist swarmed and standing behind them, closer to her, was a figure that had to be close to three meters tall, furred, with horns on its head and cloven feet. The satyr. She could have greatly liked to have taken a shot at the demonic minion but she knew better. She might kill the minion but all those cultists would swarm her, not to mention THEIR minions. She could see fewer of those though than she had expected. While these were cultist accompanying the satyr, it appeared most were not warlocks in the sense of relying on a demonic summoned pet. That, at least, was some good news.

"We are doing our best, liege." one Orc near to the satyr replied to the beast's earlier command. "Tracking through a forest is not... our area of expertise..." The satyr snarled, lashing out with a clawed hand at the Orc, disembowelling the cultist then and there. The cultist howled in surprised agony as he sunk to the forest floor.

Time to leave. Keeping well distant, Asha turned away from the enemy party, sneaking quickly until she figured she had enough distance and then broke into a dead run, her ranger training allowing her to keep good speed at the same time as remaining as quiet as possible in the forest setting. The run back felt like it took forever but eventually, she knew she was drawing close to camp. She circled around, keeping a look out for any markers as she had asked them to leave. Sure enough, she found some small bits of cloth tied to sticks and branches here and there, small and easily to miss. She followed them in to the camp, finding her companions there. Thas rose up to come to her as Varasha went to one knee, trying to get her breath after the long run.

"Maybe... fifteen minutes.. if they keep moving slow..." she said between gulps of air. "Satyr... and twenty to thirty cultists.." she added. "Not many warlock pets but some... Satyr killed one cultist for talking back but there.. are more than enough coming..." She paused again to take another big breath, laying a hand on Thas' furry head and petting it lightly. "How did the traps go?" she asked, looking at Naisha and Balthule.
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

Post by rivaan »

When Asha left to scout for the possible incoming war party from the cultist, Naisha and Balthule began crafting traps and other means of hindering and dealing with the evil magic users. There was a lot of snickering, fun memories of better time and finally the harpy learning some truly nasty ways to trap foes by an expert in the subject with a few hundred years of experience in just that topic. In any case, by the time the blood elf returned the area was turned into a weird fortified location that had enough traps to probably stop a stampede by kodos... metaphorically speaking of course. Few things were capable of stopping a Kodo stampede after all, but there were a whole lot of traps around. Some of hte simpler ones were wooden spikes hidden in the fallen folliage and grass on the ground. There were trap wires spread about with weights and spikes hanging from on high, waiting to smash and kill. There were the traditional snare traps set up on number of places and a few variations of hte snare trap that were reversed. It didn't pull the target up, it spiked a big wooden spike into them instead, using the tension from a bend over younger sapling or a branch. Finally Naisha under the kaldorei ranger's guidence made about a dozen eggs filled with some very spicy spices. The type of thing that if it got into your eyes, nose or mouth without food and not in the usually tiny measure, was assured to give you a very BAD day. Naisha was very giddy at that one.

When Asha said the number of the enemies, Naisha got positively pale even for a mostly white bird pale. Her already pale skin got completely waxen. 30 and a satyr!? How were they going to deal with that many!? She was a step away from hyperventilating, but stopped herself and instead pulled her waterskin, taking some calming gulps from it.

"We are good here... if all the traps are triggered, that would deal with the majority of them." Naisha replied, pointing all aorund to some rather hard to spot traps." Well.. or at least make them easy to deal with if anything. Like the wooden spikes in teh grass wouldn't kill them, but if they do step on them, it wouldn't be fun for them." She pointed out. It was going to be fun to see the cultists dance because they stepped on sharp pointy object that drew blood.

"THat's... a bit more than I was hoping for." Balthule admitted, looking at the two of them." Look, if it goes bad, the two of you should run. I will buy you time with covering fire. Once I get up on tree branch over there before the group arrives. I'm wounded so I will only slow you if you need to flee. Whatever happens, just make sure that Auberdine is notified, they will deal with the rest. Or that the paladins are, they will certainly do so. For now though here... Me and Naisha made a few things to deal with the satyr." He smirked, handing 3 of the egs to Asha.

"It's filled with spices. If you hit him in the head, preferably face, it would be a miracle if he could see for hours afterwards! Or even cast spells!" It was simple, effective nad definately devious! And the young harpy was in love with the concept! Such an effective weapon was hiding in her bags all along! She was so showing it to her mother when they met again! She was going to love the idea too." Well... we had some other stuff on, so we ground this too." Naisha recalled and pulled another egg, this one was sealed with a differently colored wax. While the spice ones were gray, this one was yellow." Balthule had a few broken flasts in his bag, so we had the idea why not grind the glass too for use in this. Not sure how effective, but an egg full of glass dust in the face will probably not be pleasant." Naisha suggested.

"Alright, Naisha, help me get on that tree so I can actually have good vision and range despite this blasted leg and you two get in places. Naisha will use her magic most of all once they are in range. Asha, you and me will be able to pelt the cultists with arrows once they enter the trapped zone. Aim for the ones maintaining felstalkers or succubi. Those demonic bi..." He began, took a look at Naisha, who tilted her head at him in confusion."... women, are more dangerous than most give them credit. Void walkers you can easily dance around if you are skilled enough, doom guards you can outrun. Naisha's first goal would be to attempt to weaken the satyr before he could use his powers. Elune's grace can be as gentle as it can be ferocious. She's a war goddess and she has not forgotten the betrayal from those that willingly became satyrs."

Naisha nodded." I will pray and afterwards, I will try to hit him with a Starfall... well what I can muster anyways. It will be that and Lunar Fires. Elune's powers will be able to hurt him bad... espeically if I get one of those eggs in his face!"
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

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Asha turned to her pack, taking a cue from Naisha and grabbed her own waterskin and took a big swig of water before putting the skin away again. She was thirsty from the running and knew she wouldn't have the chance to get sate it until the coming battle was over. She looked back as Naisha pointed out some of the traps, explaining about them. "Whether it kills or maims, it helps us." she answered.

She turned a frown at Balthule. "It's more than I was hoping for too.. but not less than I expected to be honest, what with the numbers they had down there. I suspect part of the reason we earned such a response was because we came from two directions, unknowingly of course, but... to them, it probably seemed like there was a force that was trying to surround them, that it was a coordinated effort." she explained. "We are probably lucky the whole lot of them didn't follow."

Her frown grew deeper as the Kaldorei told them to run if it got bad. The frown became an outright grimace. Not again.. not again... Her head turned away, eyes clenched tight for a moment, trying to keep control. She opened her eyes, looking over at the harpy. Only one of them really needed to get out of here with the message... Besides, Asha didn't know, in the heat of battle, if she would be able to just cut and run once more, leaving an ally to fall before an evil enemy bent on destruction. She just didn't know if she had it in her to willingly take up that kind of guilt once more... If it came down to it, she would make sure that Naisha got out at least. She looked back at Balthule. "Auberdine will receive the warning, one way or another." she said cryptically.

Her eyebrows drew closer in confusion as she was handed three eggs. "Eggs?" she questioned immediately. Her eyes grew bigger at hearing the explanation to them. She looked cautiously at the egg that supposedly contained the glass dust. "Well, be careful with that one." she replied finally. "We wouldn't want to get it into our eyes by mistake instead..." It would be easy enough to throw these eggs at the enemy but they couldn't let them get too close before doing so or risk it coming right back at themselves.

Asha nodded at the plan to pelt the enemies arrows, though it wasn't exactly a confident nod. She had only a limited number of arrows, after all. She had brought only what she could carry in her own quiver, not having really expected having to get into as much combat as they seemed to be finding themselves in during a diplomatic mission. Well, she had her trusty sword and dagger as backup if need be too. Her concerned expression took on the hint of a smile at the word Balthule only half said. She had heard of succubi being used by Quel'dorei warlocks, for what though she hadn't really cared to know, but she could imagine some details of those particular fel creatures. Her glance swept over to Naisha, with a bit of a grimace. The poor, innocent harpy... well, that would be a new sight for her...

When Balthule brought up Elune yet again, Asha merely bared her teeth. "As long as it helps to weaken them." she nearly growled, her mind already now going to the coming fight, getting into the mental state for what was to come. It was necessary to be on that focused knife edge. She had learned that lesson well enough. She stood up, pulling her bow off her shoulder, checking that the arrows were free in her quiver and that her bladed weapons were likewise easily accessible, turning to the direction she knew that the cultist and satyr would soon be coming.

With a sudden thought, she moved over to Naisha, keeping her voice low enough to keep Balthule out of it. "If it gets bad, Naisha, you need to fly away." she said in a strained whisper. "Like Balthule said, someone needs to get the message back to Auberdine. You can more easily outpace them in the air than even I can on the ground. You are the one who will need to get away and get to help..." she explained. She put a hand to Naisha's shoulder for a long moment, a gesture of camaraderie. "When and if I tell you to go, don't look back, okay?"

She turned back, going to find a place to at least launch her own defence from as Naisha saw to Balthule's and her own positions. She could hear the noisy enemies already approaching. She had to do something to keep them from going too slow and finding the traps.... "Anar'alah belore, Tal anu'men no Quel'dorei!!!!" she screamed out in her own language.

That did it. The sounds ceased for a long moment, before finally the satyr's snarling voice came back, screaming for his cultists to 'get them'. It was scarcely ten seconds before they hit the first of the traps. Screams and shrieks began to ring out. Still, she could hear others draw closer until finally, some began to come out of the trees before them.
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

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Naisha was a bit worried when they told her that if all came to the worst possible scenario she should just run away to warn Auberdine alone. She understood, after all she could fly, she could probably make the trip to Auberdine in about a day or two, easily less than half the time it took her and Asha by foot to get this far, however it didn't mean she liked it. The harpy was worried about her friend and Balthule who was admittedly a rather nice and funny man. She wondered if she should introduce him to her mother one day. She would like him too. The brief flicker of nice thoughts aside, her worry returned in force and in the end she could only give Asha a nod of understanding.

The battle was about to begin and the ranger's bellow sure got their attention. The satyr screamed orders without thought, to charge blindly and get them. Understandable, seeing he didn't care about who is hurt from his cultist minions. In any case Naisha flapped her wings/arms and got flying, hiding into the crown of the trees once more. She needed to wait for the corrupted creature to get close enough before she blindsides him with everything she could muster. If the Mother moon heard her prayers today... even though it was a day, she knew she'd affect him well enough that maybe one of hte archers could take him out.

Sure enough the cultists stumbled through the traps no long after. Screams, blood... it was a bit horrifying actually. The sheere screams of pain from some of hte traps made Naisha shudder. The battle with the corrupted owlkin was one thing it was a rush of adrenaline and lack of time to think, this however was different. It was slower, she wasn't attacked, wasn't attacking and had all the time and opportunity to think and realize it was HER work that was hurting those people. She gulped and forced herself to not dwell on it. Evil cultists, planning the downfall of her home. Better them dead than her friends and family!

It was clear that even the small spikes on the ground had worked their job as cultists were hurriedly jumping in vain attempts to escape the pain or the spikes on the forest floor. One jumped just to get his other foot pierced hard, sending him falling onto the spikes with his entire body actually. His scream was piercing as the spikes though small, got through skin and made him bnleed through a number of holes in his body. Nothing major though. Except maybe the ones on his right arm on which he fell onto. One of the spikes must have gotten loose so as he crawled away it was still stuck in his arm. Others were faring with varying degrees of success as the smarter ones figured to sent in the void walkers forward to trigger traps, though damage was already done as a number of cultists were not in fighting shape with some losing control over their minions and they got predictably killed for it.

Balthule as planned got to firing at the felstalker and succubus summoners right away, though for his trouble he also got attacks coming his way. As one of his arrows pierced a guy's neck, a blast of green fire flew at his tree, nearly blasting him off it. He managed to stay in place though and return fire. Still too many warlocks were present for what htey did so far to deal with them all. Morale wasn't breaking either because of the satyr at hteir back who was exuding a type of presence that spread terror. If they tried running for it, he woudl make their lives worse than death! Thus they were mobilizing an impromptu protection line with a few voidwalkers as a meatshield on the front to block hte shots from the archers while the warlocks, succubi and the imps could rturn fire.

The satyr seemed to ahve gotten impatient at one point as he kicked a felstalker forward, sending it into one of the traps that hurled a an arm sized spike forward and pierced the thing's torso, sending it dead on the ground while the satyr walked forward. He was still a bit far from Naisha's spot for her to begin attacking him though! He snarled, standing somewhat further back than the cultists and casually avoided an arrow from Balthule who had seen a chance to fire one. The stayr just flicked it aside with a flash of arcane light, before sending back a blast of arcane energy in the shape of a sphere at Asha. It detonated not far from her position.
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

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As soon as Asha saw Balthule begin to fire into the advancing enemies, she began to pick out targets of her own, not wanting to double up and waste arrows. While the Kal'dorei picked out the summoners from his high position, Asha chose instead the other cultists as she kept low, in cover of ferns and fallen logs as much as she could, letting off arrows only when she was sure of her shots, charging a few of them with magic when she determined it would help. She soon switched, though, to other summoners as there seemed to be an abundance of them and their pets would quickly overrun the three defenders if not dealt with. It seemed, at first, that not many of the enemy even noticed her presence as she moved from cover to cover, her Farstrider's uniform somewhat blending in with the green of the forest.

As a number of voidwalkers formed a running wall in front of their summoners, Asha took the opportunity of her stealth to move around to the side, trying to flank the summoners. Her first arrow there neatly found the ear canal of the summoner on the edge of the line, dropping him instantly. The next shot, she charged her arrow with arcane magic, feeling the drain intently now as she did so, before she let the arrow fly. Crackling with energy as it was, it passed not only through the head of the first cultist it hit in the line, but solidly embedded itself into the next one's neck, dropping him as blood poured out of his choking mouth.

Asha tried to ignore the gnawing hunger within her that left her feeling hollow and weak as she began to line up another shot at a summoner nearby the satyr, but suddenly a ball of energy came flying at her from the satyr's hands. Out of sheer reflex, Asha dove away from it, feeling the blast as the magic orb hit not far from where she had been, dropping her bow in the process. As she slid to a halt, she looked up, first seeing feet right before her. Green feet. Instantly, she rolled back in a somersault, landing back on her feet, quickly rising to her feet in one swift, graceful move. There standing before her was a very surprised looking orc.

Rather than grabbing her blades, Asha bared her teeth at the cultist. The hunger was nearly overwhelming now. This orc had mana, had magical energies. Even as he began working his hands to conjure a bolt to launch at her, Asha lunged at him, putting her hands to either side of his head and began to pull the arcane energies out of him. Light glowed briefly, flaring brightly as she pulled back her hands, pulling his energy into herself with a cry. The orc thrust his hands forward just as the energy he had been conjuring dissipated, no longer able to fuel his attack, his mana stolen. The orc's expression turned to confusion when Asha still stood right before him. She smiled wickedly, feeling the overabundance of arcane energy within herself now.

Too much energy though. She rolled back, away from the cultist, coming up on one knee as she cast her own hands out towards the orc. A ring of blue energy suddenly erupted in a ring around the blood elf, catching the cultist and another approaching minion that was coming in from the side, knocking both to the ground and stunning them with the torrent of extra arcane energy. Before they could react, Asha pulled out her sword and dagger, striking out first to the side and carving up the imp, then turning to the orc cultist, cutting his throat as he groggily trying to regain his feet.

Feeling much better, Asha looking around, trying to take stock of the battlefield. It seemed that the traps had indeed taken their toll on the cultists. The few that were left seemed to have been ones caught by the traps and were horribly marred, barely able to drag themselves towards the fight, having only just arrived. The only being standing still was the satyr. And he was looking in Asha's direction now. "You're plan did not work, nei'shano!" she cried out in defiance as she dove behind the nearest tree just as a blast of fel energy hit it, splintering wood. She felt something sharp spear into her side but ignored it, diving again and heading closer to where she knew Naisha was hiding, hoping to drag the satyr closer for the harpy's attack.
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

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The skirmish in the woods around the tower turned out to be abysmal. Quality help was so hard to get and cultists were useless for the most part. The only thing most of them had going for them was that they gathered in numbers and from good ambush and surprise attacks worked perfectly well. However put a number of cultist on an open plain against a potentially dangerous and prepared foe and you got the current situation, as the very irritated satyr saw once more. It wasn't like he cared of the wellbing of the cultists. For all that matters, the minions they brought to this world were of more value than the cultists themselves. At least Succubi had the needed cunning and guile to succeed in tasks and Imps while weak, tended to be better day to day workers than cultists...

The satyr's eyes were narrowed at Asha who taunted him and dashed away, clearly hurt now though from the blast that shattered the tree she was hiding by. Balthule tried to shoot him once more, the Satyr didn't even flinch as the arrow was deflected about a foot from his head with another flash of magical energies. This time the Satyr wasted no time and directly send a blast of powerful eldrich energies at the tree where Balthule was sitting. Not at the wounded nightelf himself, but rather the base of the tree. With a massive crackling sound a hail of shattered wood was unleashed as the entire possibly centuries old tree with nealy deafening creaking sounds leaned sideways and fell. The sound of strained and snapping wood almost sounded like a death throes. The tree sent a small cloud of dust as it fell. The wounded night elf found himself also falling with his perch and barely had time to hurl himself sideways to aovid being crushed by the branches. That however led to him falling from about 30feet and in his injured state, he didn't exactly have the capacity of performing aerial maneuvers, resulting in falling like a rock sideways onto his right side. The Kaldorei man felt the bones in his right arm snap like twigs at the impact and if the leg wasn't enough, this coupled with the blunt impact trauma, rendered him unconscious, bleeding on the forest floor.

Then the satyr returned his entire focus on the blood elf. He sent a flast moving bolt of eldrich energies at her that practically erased a few bushes it passed by. He was getting closer to Naisha now that he was actively following Asha, however it didn't appear he was in much of a hurry since he was seemingly playing a game now, sending bolts of eldrich magic at Asha's direction, making sure to limit her area of movement with each." Pathetic worm, you know nothing of the great plan. Did well to escape the foolish Kaldorei, however this forest shall be your grave. Afterwards your visage will be well served to our needs." He Satyr's growly voice spread across the forest. It wasn't loud, in fact it was rather quiet, but the sheer malevolence in it seemed to as if giving it volume to be heard.

He had continued to shoot eldrich spells at Asha, slowly narrowing the cone where he was keeping her from moving, cutting escape routes. Yet after another couple of steps finally he was in range. Niasha closed her eyes, raised her arms to the sky that had the sun still brightly shining.' Mother Moon, pleasure hear my plea. Evil has shown itself, corrupting your lands and children, killing with abandon. I plead, please, allow me to save the innocents and beings I care for from this fiend!' She begged quietly, allowing herself to serve as a condiut to the will of Elune, praying beyond hope that it would be enough to pushing the satyr and protect Asha and Balthule. She didn't know if he still drew breath, but she hoped!

Then it happened. As it was day, suddenly as if a veil was brought upon the world, darkness rapidly spread in all directions before the light of the moon began shining brightly. The satyr seemed to realize he was set up and tried to retreat, but it was too late." Anu'dorini Talah." Naisha's voice echoed, calm yet powerful and loving. Naisha's eyes flashed silver as from the skies fell a powerful burst of silver energy, hitting the satyr, making the fiend scream in unimaginable pain. It was the most powerful Starfall Naisha had ever acomplished, though mayhaps it was a special case. Whatever said case may be, as the moonlight collected and fell like a pillar once more to possibly finish the fiend, the wounded Satyr finally spotting where the silver colored harpy was hiding through the silver glow of her eyes in the now darkened section of hte forest, screamed in unholy fury as if Naisha's presence stood opposed to everything the Satyr was. Then incredibly fast display of magic, the satyr unleashed practically a spear of chaotic energies that flashed in the distance between himself and Naisha in an instant, piercing through her form, just as the wave of silver light descended on him. The glow in Naisha's eyes vanished as she limply fell off the tree she was hiding in, blood pooling underneath her still form that barely kept drawing breath. The satyr wounded, bloody and charred, struggled back to his feet, with madness in his eyes. Over a third of his body was reduced to a charred coal like texture, corrupted blood was pouring through charred wounds and he was barely standing, but standing he was and in his madness entirely focused on ending the harpy. How he hated that presence! The presence of that pretender goddess! He had to make sure he snuffed that light! HE HAD TO DESTROY IT! The voices in his head, were overwhelmingly screaming to end the pale harpy.
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Keira Kelly
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

Post by Keira Kelly »

Asha had been taking brief cover behind trees a she made her way towards where she knew Naisha was hiding, but it quickly became apparent that trees would not be adequate protection when she saw the satyr demolish Bathule's perch. She bared her teeth as she saw the Kal'dorei fall and lie still. He was too far away though and she still had a mission to accomplish. That was the priority over a life, unfortunately. That was the way a soldier must think. She called out another curse at the satyr, hoping to distract him as she kept running. She had to keep dodging and slowing to evade the satyr's bolts of foul energy. She almost felt more than saw a crowd of bushes she passed by get incinerated. She growled softly to herself as she heard the satyr's reply, his taunting. Her anger flared at it but she knew she could not give in. That was what he wanted: her to stop and stand and fight....

She was forced to dive behind a massive fallen log as one bolt came too close, singing her left arm. Sitting there for a moment to catch her breath, bolts of energy began to hit the decaying wood, sending splinters of it flying all around her. Asha curled up as tight to the ground as she could as the satyr rained destruction around her. Come on, Naisha, Asha thought, take him out... When the bolts of magic slowed for a moment, Asha let loose another string of invectives in her native Thalassian, trying to keep his attention on her to allow the harpy to get her shot.

Sitting there, she finally began to feel a pain and looking down, there as a good size splinter of wood in her side. Wincing, she pulled it out, casting it aside before turning, trying to peek over the log. Another bolt of energy hit, causing her to retreat to full cover once more. Suddenly, the forest went dark as night. Asha frowned, for a moment wondering if maybe she had died, but just as suddenly, a violent flash of light pierced the darkness and she heard the piercing shriek of agony in response. She was up on her feet once more, her blades still in her hands, teeth bared, looking for the enemy.

What she saw was the satyr preparing a bolt of energy.. directed at Naisha. Asha's green eyes widened in horror. With a cry, she dropped her dagger, keeping her short sword and launched herself towards the satyr, knowing she was too far. She saw the bolt flash out and hit the harpy, Naisha falling to the ground unmoving. The satyr as still completely focused on Naisha though looking to be gravely wounded. Still, he seemed intent on ignoring his own injuries to finish off the harpy. Asha was not going to allow that... Flanking the beast and with a cry, she launched herself in the air at the satyr. She was already bringing her sword down in an overhand swing as the satyr finally noticed, turning towards her at the last second. He succeeded only in taking the blade to the forehead, with all the force Asha could muster.

Asha pushed off the satyr, rolling away, turning back just in time to see the beast keel over backwards and impact the ground hard, her sword's handle still sticking up from his head. Waiting just long enough to make sure he was dead, Asha turned to run to Naisha, crouching down beside the fallen harpy. She gasped at the severity of the wounds, seeing blood pooling under the bird-like form. "By the Light, you aren't going to leave me now.." she said in a whispered growl.

Having managed to secure extra arcane magics to fuel her own limited powers, Asha put her hands over the ghastly would that the satyr's attack had rent, calling on the mix of arcane and nature magic that she had been taught as a Farstrider. A greenish-blue glow formed around Asha's hands and spread into Naisha's midsection. She poured as much of the healing magic into her young friend as she dared, and then some, feeling the drain intently, but Naisha's life was in danger now. Asha would be a slower decline if she could not find another source of magic. She could wait. As she cast the healing, she felt Thas arrive from wherever he had been hiding, curling up beside her and Naisha with a whine. He knew something was wrong too."Anar'alah, aranal. Rise, my friend.. be all right and rise..." she pleaded at Naisha, hoping she could do enough to save the young harpy.
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

Post by rivaan »

As the satyr fell dead and Asha was attempting to heal Naisha, the darkness that covered the section of the forest caused by the harpy's prayer began vanishing as light returned to the forest. It wasn't much sunlight through the ancient treetops, but it was enough, showing clearly the carnage around them. Naisha's form still barely drawing breath was clearly struggling to continue doing so despite her friend's healing magic. The chaotic eldrich energies from the satyr's attack had struck the young innocent harpy with immense vengeance. Her wound despite the healing seemed like it was trying to get bigger. Evil had gotten it's claws on Naisha and it didn't seem to want to let go just like that.

The Cultists that were alive, but maimed were moaning and crying out in pain. Balthule was quiet and unmoving though at close inspection, his chest still moved up and down. Then it happened, the maimed cultists were mostly out of commission yes, however they weren't dead. With swirling of energies and howling of the Nether, a female being with wings and horns appeared, bearing malicous smirk as she saw the barely alive harpy and the blood elf trying to heal her. The demon actually completely ignored her summoner as she had other plans now that she saw an opportunity, but said opportunity was cut short as a birdly screech filled the air and a number of lumbering birdlike beings rushed the clearing. A great grey wildkin adorned with varying tribal decorations charged the succubus that barely had time to shout as the great creature swung it's mighty right arm/paw once and the entire head of the succubus was torn from her body, making it vanish. The rest of the wildkin descended on the alive cultists, dealing with most of them. Before continuing onwards into the forest and there were a lot more Wildkin that one might expect as more and more passed through the area.

The big grey one with the various shamanistic trinkets upon him walked over to where Asha was healing Naisha and placed a single claw on top of Naisha's torso, adding his own magic to Asha's allowing for the corrupted energies to be extinguished as the harpy's regular pale color finally returned, the silkly tint melting away and the grizzly would that had streackes almost spreading as if alive growing smaller and smaller until finally closing. On the background another wildkin seemed to be tending to the kaldorei male." Hoot!" The wildkin hooted at Asha and lightly tapped Naisha's lunar headdress, before pointing to the skies, himself and then the direction of the tower. Then placed what appeared to be a leather pouch with herbs, pointing to her wounds and then walking away in the direction of the tower. What the being had attempted to tell her? Hard to say without translator, but what Naisha had said in her trance while the magic of Elune was surging through her form was translated basically to ' Let my will be known.'

With the wound gone, the harpy's gradually returned to regular strong breaths instead of hte short sharp weak gasps. After a little her eyes slowly fluttered open." Hey, Asha did we get 'em? If so... let's get some crunchy spider legs next time in town to celebrate." She asked weakly, feeling her body entirely too sore and weak to do anything right now, though she did try to sound jovial and happy.
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Keira Kelly
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Re: Warcraft: The Shadowhand Conspiracy

Post by Keira Kelly »

Asha gritted her teeth as she struggled with attempting to heal Naisha and the drain it was placing on her. She could tell that her own magic was not working as it should; normally the mix of arcane and nature magic that the Farstriders used were more than enough for typical battlefield wounds but it seemed less effective when trying to deal with wounds caused by demonic energies. So intent was she that she didn't notice what was happening behind her until a shriek filled the clearing. She turned just in time to see a number of wildkin show up seemingly out of nowhere and attack a succubus that had apparently been conjured behind her back. She cursed under her breath, angry at herself for not being more careful. That thing could have finished her off without her noticing...

Berating herself, Asha turned back to Naisha, forcing herself to stay upright as she prepared to try to heal again despite feeling weak and the clawing hunger inside of her. She didn't have anything more to give but she had to try... She forced what little energy she had into a healing magic once more. Suddenly, there was another figure with her. Her eyes turned up, squinting, having to focus before she recognized the figure.. or at least what it was. A wildkin. Was it the same one from back at the camp days ago? It's colouring looked the same as she remembered but she couldn't tell for sure, not being able to recognize individuals really yet. She nearly sighed in relief when it came over, adding its own magic to the healing, which seemed to do the trick.

With nothing left, Asha fell back, slumping to the side, only one arm keeping her somewhat upright. "Thank you." she said to the wildkin in a drained voice. Whatever it said back at her was lost on the Farstrider though. What she did understand though was the bag of herbs that he handed to her. These were for Naisha. She would make a poultice for the remaining wounds soon for Naisha. Asha, though, was relieved when her young friend began to breathe more deeply, and then began to awaken.

Her own eyes half closed, the green glow very dull at the moment, her eyes actually appearing almost a grey behind the normal glow. Asha smiled, her face somewhat ashen as well. "We got them." she assured the harpy, patting her on the shoulder. "Good job, my friend." she added. She managed a weak chuckle in response to Naisha's suggestion of a celebration. "You can have all the spider legs you want. I'll still settle for a nice moonsaber steak instead." she answered. "Once I clear my name, that is." Hand still on the harpy's shoulder, she gave it a light squeeze. "You rest for now though. I need to do something...." she said after a moment, dragging herself to her feet where she stood unsteadily for a moment after putting down the bag of herbs beside Naisha.

Taking a deep breath, Asha steadied herself. Farstriders generally did not have as much a reliance on arcane magic as other Quel'dorei did but Asha had trained from a young age in magic, her parents having had intended her to go to other studies than she had ultimately decided on. She had felt like this once before, this bad: after that Sunwell had been destroyed. The mana crystals she had in her pack would make little impact on this much of a draining. She could only hope... She forced herself to walk in the direction that the cultists had come from, her legs feeling like lead weights with every step. Moving off, a bit into the forest on the far side of the clearing, she heard something in a particularly heavy bunch of ferns and bushes. Picking through the foliage, she finally found what she was looking for, what she had hoped the other wildkin had missed. An injured but still alive cultist.

This one, surprisingly, was a Kal'dorei woman, not something she had expected to see really. Well, in any conflict, there were always traitors, were there not? She knelt down beside the woman, noting the grievous injuries from one of Balthule and Naisha's traps. A spike had pierced this cultist's abdomen, most likely her stomach, a mortal injury. The woman moaned, almost unaware of Asha's presence. Asha though could feel the magic within the night elf. "You won't be needing it anymore..." the blood elf muttered to herself as she put her hands to the woman's head, beginning to draw out the arcane energies. These cultists might have been corrupt magic users but they still had reserves of arcane energy within them, arcane magic that the blood elf could appropriate. Asha pulled it all out, the glow in her eyes flaring brightly as she opened her mouth at the feeling of the energy, too much energy. A delicious feeling but, she knew, a dangerous one. Looking down at the Kal'dorei, she let the excess burst out again, impacting the injured cultists. The force of the release knocked the body rolling through the bushes as Asha dropped onto her hands and knees.

After a long moment, Asha stood, feeling the arcane flowing through herself once more, feeling strong and revitalized. Once more moving with grace and strength, she moved over to the body of the cultist, double checking it. The woman was dead, the force of the arcane torrent having been more than enough to end the wounded woman's life. With a final glance to see if there were any more, Asha headed back, first going to where she had dropped her bow and then dagger before returning to the clearing. She paused beside the body of the satyr, having to hold him down with her foot as she struggled to pull her sword from his head but it finally came with a sucking sound. With a quick slash, she severed the beast's head an grabbed it by one of the long horns sprouting from it before heading back over to Naisha, grabbing her pack along the way. Balthule had made his way over to her, though he looked fairly hurt still as well.

She dropped the head beside them, taking a seat as well there as she began to dig through her pack. Her renewed glowing green eyes, maybe a tad more green than usual, looked between the two. "Somehow we did it." she said, still sort of amazed that it had worked out. Taking things out of her pack, including a wadded up piece of very thick, fancy paper, she dug through it until she had found what she wanted:a small mortal and pestle. She took the herbs the wildkin had given her, putting them in the bowl, along with a little water from her waterskin, and began grinding it up to put on the wounds of the other two.

"How are you two feeling?" she asked. She glanced back over her shoulder at where the wildkin had gone. "One of the wildkin, the one that helped me heal Naisha, pointed somewhere back at the tower but I don't know what he was saying..." she added, with a confused look. She checked the consistency of the poultice, determining it to be around right. She spread it on the remnants of Naisha's wounds, before handing over the rest to Balthule, feeling just a bit awkward at the thought of apply it herself to his wounds. Better to just let him do it if he was able. "How does that feel?"
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