This site makes extensive use of JavaScript.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser.
Live
PTR
10.2.5
PTR
10.2.6
Graveyard Tales (Page 1; New Beginning)
Post Reply
Return to board index
Post by
Atik
((Finally, I have finished the first chapter. This series will tell the tales of the Graveyard Crew. The first chapter here takes place in late Vanilla.))
The plaguelands; a dark and poisoned place. Possibly the most visible scar the Scourge could have left, only challenged by the massive trail leading from them to Silvermoon City. It was here the Scourge ruled, right at the Forsaken’s front door. The group was there for two reasons; Darrowshire and Silvermoon.
The securing of the town of Darrowshire might be a deciding factor in reclaiming the plaguelands; a powerful outpost from a military prespective. And then there were the blood elves in Silvermoon who would make powerful allies. Working together, the elves and forsaken could sandwich the undead forces and pincer in the plaguelands.
Atik shook his head, wondering if the strange group could even make it half that far. Whatever had made the Deathguards think they would work well together could have only been a lapse in brain function. The undead man, actually named Alexandros Hopewell, was tall and muscular. His skin was rotted in some spots, bones most visible around his stomach and back. His armor was a dark bronze; spikes sticking out at some points. He had long black hair, his eyes the dull yellow of most forsaken.
Phillip Iceheart, a friend of Alex from before the scourge came, was also there. Not as tall or well-built as Alexandros, he wore light silver armor. A Book sat in one of his hands, sparkling slightly. If one were to inspect him beneath the armor, they would find some of his skin gone with only bone making up his arms and upper legs. Shorter, light blue hair hanged over his ears.
Father Rolarond commanded an air of respect as he walked, his torn and dirty robes still easily recognized. He was scorned by the light in undeath, but not broken. While other priests of the forsaken had turned to the shadow, the devout man had stayed faithful. Phillip couldn’t help but admire the priest. While many still resented there undead states, Rolarond seemed unphased by it to the extent he may have been alive-had his crooked jaw and scarred face not made him so clearly dead.
Roger was an odd one. Obviously, the man had been an alchemist in life. His bags and belts of potions and elixirs made that clear. His entire body was covered in scars and burns beneath his clothes, leaving him unable to feel anything he touched. This seemed to have driven the man mad. The undead had joined the apothecaries with their strange research into some sort of blight.
And then there was Evora. At first glance, one might think she was alive. Tight leather covered her thin form and pale, smooth skin. The leather was black, a sash of shirikens going across her chest. A tight black headband covered her forehead. Her eyes had somehow retained themselves from her life, a light blue in color as they darted about and kept an eye on their surroundings. Her dry blond hair had suffered the worst; looking brittle and well beyond dead.
Eventually, the group came to the bridge that separated the two halves of the Plaguelands. Atik nodded, he had been pondering how to split the group. “I think a fairly even split would be best.” He stated, turning around. “Roger, Evora, and I shall head to Silvermoon through the north. “Phillip, you take Rolarond and see how Darrowshire is; do what you need to do.”
Phillip nodded. “We’ll get moving then.” He said, waving for Rolarond to follow. “Come Father, let us make haste.” The priest nodded, heading off quickly.
Alex watched them leave, nodding. He led Roger and Evora along the road, which remained fairly clear. They turned north, continuing onward for a while. The silence was pleasing and yet unnerving, until it was broken. “Why would the elves trust us?” Roger suddenly asked.
Alexandros sighed. “I have a few friends there… they’ll know me.” A massive gate slowly overwhelmed them, high elven in architecture. The land beyond was suddenly painted a dark blue, rather than the brown of the Plaguelands.
“Hey… where is the girl?” Roger suddenly asked, causing Alex to spin around. Evora had vanished, and appeared to have done so a while ago. “Oh… damn…” Roger said, looking around.
-
“I sense undead here, the ground is tainted.” Rolarond stated, glancing at Darrowshire around them. “But I see nothing…”
Phillip sighed. “That just means they’re inside… makes our job a lot harder.” He stated. The mage began to make his way over to a barn. “Time to start looking.” He said, stepping inside.
The building was large and surprisingly spacious. Rotted hay lined the stalls, one contained a horse skeleton. It seemed to watch Phillip, but he wasn’t sure. “Nothing.” He said, checking every dark corner. A banging along the roof caused him to glance upward. Realizing where is had come from, he quickly rushed outside.
A black shiriken blurred by, stopping Phillip in the doorway. Father Rolarond stared blankly, his eyes becoming distant as a diagnal slice rose from his chin to just above his eye. “Father Rolarond?” Phillip asked, watching in shock as half of the priest’s head slid off of the other. The body fell and crumpled to the ground.
“There is the first part.” A female voice spoke from overhead. Evora dropped, landing in front of Phillip. The blood-covered shiriken was held in her hand. “Just one more thing…” The woman continued, turning. “No witnesses.”
Phillip took a moment to register what was happening, but was still fast enough to avoid the shiriken as it flew from Evora’s hand. She rushed him, flicking her wrist as she held a black sword handle. A katana blade exploded from it, quickly slashing at the mage. Phillip raised his hand, smashing a frostbolt into her chest and knocking the lightslayer back. “What the fel?” He shouted at her.
“I was sent to kill him.” Evora replied, bracing to rush Phillip again. “We can’t have him preaching about the light and depressing everyone, now can we?” She smiled, running and leaping at him. Phillip created an ice lance in his hand, raising it to block the sword. They collided, the ice lance exploded dilliberately and sending smaller versions of itself flying at Evora. The force knocked the two back, Evora screaming as the iced pierced one of her eyes.
Phillip created another lance, taking the offensive and charging Evora. She jumped however, kicking off a wall and flying over his head.
Suddenly, the wall exploded outward, an undead bear slaming into Phillip and knocking him away. It grabbed Evora and pinned her. The bear was huge, its skin hanging over itself like flaps. The monster roared, making a bite for Evora.
A frostbolt smashed into its head, however, causing it to release the girl. Two zombies, their lower torsos and legs replaced by long chains, flew from under the flaps of skin. A man and a woman, the female grabbed Evora, screaming. Phillip stared, shocked at the identities of the Zombies. “Mom? Dad?”
The male ghoul flew at him, a fork in one hand and a pen in the other. Phillip made an ice wall, causing the undead to collide with it. Evora struggled, trying to escape her captor as the chain wrapped around her.
The undead bear roared, rushing Phillip’s wall. The mage dove away as the beast shattered his defense, creating an ice lance and hurling it. He stared in horror as the male ghoul took the attack, its head exploding and the body falling limp. “Father!” He shouted.
Evora’s screams brought him back to reality. His mother had revealed a knife and slammed it into the lightslayer’s still good eye. The bear charged Phillip again, but an ice lance was plunged into its skull suddenly.
The battle seemed to freeze, something shattered within the undead, and the chains crumbled and fell. The female zombie went limp and released Evora, who Phillip rushed to inspect. “Evora!” He yelled, quickly seeing that both her eyes were gone. “Hold on, it will be okay!” He said, trying to think of something.
“I can’t see!” Evora yelled in pain. Phillip placed his hand over her eyes, trying something he had only read about. Arcane energies flowed through him, burning out the gored eyes and leaving violet glows in their place.
Evora looked at him as his hand pulled away. She didn’t so much see him, as the magic within him. “I… what?” She asked. “It’s so bright…”
Phillip nodded, pulling the headband from her forehead over her eyes. “I’ve got you…” He said. “We’re a team... remember?” He smiled.
“I’m sorry…” She said, straightening the headband-turned-blindfold. She saw through it, the auras dimmed into a strange looking world. Everything seemed more like a liquid than a solid, flowing about freely. “Thank you.”
Phillip nodded. Standing and offering her his hand. The lightslayer took it, standing up. She looked at the female zombie’s body. “Those were your parents?”
The mage nodded. “When I was scourge… I killed them then. They must have been combined into that thing…” He said. Waving, he made his way to a building. “Come on, we have a town to clear out.” Evora nodded slowly, following.
-
Alexandros and Roger had given up looking for Evora, hoping she would turn up. The two continued slowly through the Ghostlands. Atik stopped suddenly at an elven graveyard. “Go on.” He told Roger. “I’ve gotta do something…”
Roger nodded, leaving the warrior. Once alone, Alex kneeled within the graveyard. “I never got to pray for you…” He began. “I can only hope you are where you belong now. Light, please take care of her… Sataira, I’m so sorry. If I had been faster, I could have saved you…” He shook his head, trying to think of what else to say.
Standing, Atik nodded. “Those days are gone I suppose…” He told himself, walking along to catch up with Roger.
The graveyard remained silent, an icy wind blowing through it.
Post by
Mojoworkn
It's a well written piece, but I'm a little confused about Evora and Phillip. She kills a man, then tries to kill Phillip, but because Phillip saves her and her eyes, they're best pals again?
/confused
Post by
355559
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Atik
He hasn't completely forgiven her, but he still has a job to do.
Later parts touch upon it more, but I guess I did sort of rush it.
Post by
Monday
This was kind of odd, tbh. She better be planning to kill them all later.
Also, there were a few grammatical problems that I saw, mostly at the beginning.
And, lastly
shuriken
!
Post by
Atik
Microsoft word offered me nothing for how to spell it, so I went with my gut.
And she was only sent to kill Rolarond and any witnesses, I thought I made that rather clear...
Post by
Mojoworkn
Microsoft word offered me nothing for how to spell it, so I went with my gut.
There is a thing called Google :P (Not that I would have spelled it right either...)
And she was only sent to kill Rolarond and any witnesses, I thought I made that rather clear...
I get that, but isn't Phillip being rather dumb HELPING the person that is assigned to kill him (the witness)?
I thought it was a great first part, I just think that this point is rather awkward and weird.
Post by
Monday
And she was only sent to kill Rolarond and any witnesses, I thought I made that rather clear...
I get that, but isn't Phillip being rather dumb HELPING the person that is assigned to kill him (the witness)?
I thought it was a great first part, I just think that this point is rather awkward and weird.
Aye. Why is he helping the person that tried to kill him, and since he did help her and gave her sight, shouldn't she kill him to do what she was doing originally, which was tying up loose ends?
Post by
Atik
He helped her because it is the sort of thing he does. Remember; he tried to save Talah in Aftermath.
She doesn't try to kill him because he just saved her and gave her back her sight.
Post Reply
You are not logged in. Please
log in
to post a reply or
register
if you don't already have an account.