A Muzzleflash Novel - "Warcraft : Return of the Lightbringer"

Around a week ago several members of ATS inspired and compelled me to start creating this tale. At first it was just a mere curiosity I was toying with, but it quickly bloomed into an ongoing series of posts where I continue and develop the story.

A year and a half ago I had the idea to create various stories set in popular fictional universes ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Star Trek or even Marvel Comics, among various others, but one that really attracted me and seemed to have the greatest potential was the World of Warcraft.

Each additional post was written the day I posted it, and I will continue this story simply because I am enjoying writing it and am very happy with the exercise of creation via imagination and research. It aligns closely with 'Canon Lore' but I also take some liberties and changed things up a bit to express my own vision of a character I created to serve as the basis for the tale.

This is open-ended real-time storytelling, and even I do not know exactly where it will go aside of some basic notes I've compiled outlining a very generalized direction, so I am literally inventing most of it just hours before I post each addition.

I am doing this because I am following my Heart and it led me here, and no one has to read it or care unless they feel like it. I would like others to follow along and find inspiration from it but that isn't necessary for me to enjoy what I'm doing. I am having a lot of fun no matter what.

I really hope that all of you enjoy this as much as I do! Please lend me an ear (or an eye) and immerse yourselves.

It all began in Elwynn Forest a long long time ago...

You may have heard the tales of Thrall the World-Shaman, Arthas the Lich King, the brothers Illidan and Malfurion Stormrage, Sylvanas Windrunner, or even Jaina Proudmoore...but that is not my tale...


Mine is one of devotion to the principles of the order of the Silver Hand, learning of the arts of the Holy Light. Trying to remain Righteous as I fought the demons of the night, doing my part to hold back the Scourge of Undeath as it threatened my peoples, my land, it was and is an endless fight...

You see, when I was just a wee one, my grandfather left me an inheritance, a legacy. It was just a simple codex of prayers, the 'Libram of the Lightbringer'.

I didn't really understand it until one night as a teenager my mother was severely injured in a farming accident, we lived on a farm in a quiet place called Westfall. Our harvest watcher went haywire (pun intended) and accidentally slashed mum in the gut, bringing her to the verge of the family grave plot in Raven Hill (in that terrible foggy place we call Duskwood).

My uncle told me to fetch that Libram and read a specific prayer over my bleeding mother, and in a great Flash of Light she was bathed in illumination, and her gaping gash was sealed closed!!

She was still very weak, so uncle applied a bandage and brother went to fetch the local alchemist for potions and herbs from Moonbrook, where we went to school.

I was inspired by this almost tragedy and spent the next year begging mother and my uncle to go to the Abbey in Northshire to begin formal training in the Holy Light.

Once there for half a year studying tomes and attending services, remaining obedient in my worship of the Divine, something incredible happened, and on that fateful eve my story as a Paladin began...

I'm not sure how I got here, to this realm you call 'The Otherland', but I am from a world called 'Azeroth'. I have traveled through a portal to a land we called 'Draenor' before, but this place is very different. I was caught up in a battle with an entity called a 'Dreadlord' or 'Nathrezim', they are incredibly dangerous demons. I am not sure where they are from
exactly but I do know they came to my world to destroy and conquer in the name of a Burning Evil.

I was fighting one called Dalvengyr, and with much guile it tricked me into a rift that he opened as my friends and I
were on the verge of slaying him, and that is how I suddenly ended up here. He was thought to have been slain long before
we encountered him but these demons seem to be skilled at faking their demise and returning unexpectedly with even more
devious plots and reinforcements.

Oh, and my name is Livias by the way... I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself properly earlier.

Ahhh, this is excellent coffee, though I am not sure what beans you roast them from, I do not recognize it. I have been
searching for the mythical coffee named "Kona" but have not found it yet in my travels. I usually, in my homeland,
drink Blackrock coffee, it will sober any drunken Dwarve up in just a few sips, but I am so used to it that to me
it has become my lifeblood on these long travels.

Now, back to the beginning of my tale, it all started when the 'Scourge', or what you might know as 'zombies and ghouls',
invaded. I was in my dormitory in the Abbey studying when my friend Eleanora came and told me what was going on.

The invasion was still many days away and so I initially wasn't very alarmed, though I could see the Priests were in a commotion and they told me I needed to head to our great city, Stormwind, to obtain supplies and gear and then attend the Cathedral to receive my orders for the campaign.

My friend Eleanora was not trained in the way of the Light, she didn't even know a single prayer aside of something children
might say over the dinner table. She grew up as a pickpocket in the great city, running through the streets with the other ruffians, and lived at the orphanage. She was always my best friend growing up though.

By the time I was studying the Light she was a very skilled thief, and could hide in even the dimmest shadows to pickpocket unsuspecting townsfolk. She could even get the drop on me, and believe me she was quite a skilled fighter. She was an expert with small blades and could take down anyone with her iron knuckles, though her and I would just box unarmed for practice because of course, you'll never learn anything hitting an inanimate dummy.

I remember it like it was yesterday, it's all so clear to me now...

"Livias cmon, we've got to go to Stormwind before the Scourge reach Elwynn!" she yelled, waking me. "And besides, I need to
meet my contact from Ravenholdt, they are suppose to deliver a missive to me that will give me directions on how to join
the League.", she said smirking.

"Eleanora, why do you want to be associated with those scoundrels, those Rogues? Don't you know they are nothing but
bad news?" I asked her with scorn.

"Livi, they aren't so bad, and haven't you heard that they are officially working for the King now? The Scourge invasion has
changed the way a lot of things work and Stormwind needs alliances with anyone it can bring into the fold against this
new terror devastating the land. This is nothing like the Orcs, this is far worse!"

I remember looking at her perplexed, and asked the obvious "Well, what of the Orcs anyhow? Are the Scourge attacking them?"

"I'm not sure Livi, maybe the Orcs are behind all of this? They have gotten mixed up with necromancy before if you remember..."
"Yes, I remember the tales of Gul'Dan, the shaman possessed by the demons, but I never heard of him raising the dead like this." I replied.

"Maybe when we get to Stormwind we can find Opherion, he might know more about this?" Eleanora suggested hesitantly. She never really liked him, though he had always proven trustworthy and he was well educated in various Arcana. He even had contacts with the Kirin Tor, the senate of magicians, wizards, and the like.

"Did Ophy really train in Dalaran under the Archmage? Or is it just more of his unbelievable tall tales?" Eleanora quizzed,
"I believe him, I don't think anyone's caught him lying before - unlike you." I responded with a little bit of sarcasm. Eleanora was more than a pickpocket, she even tried her tongue at confidence games with mixed results, she isn't exactly a good liar but it isn't for lack of trying.

I gathered up a few items, I didn't really have much at the Abbey, we lived a life rich in Spirit but very poor in
terms of property or gold coin. I didn't even have any silver coins at the time, just a few pieces of copper. I realized I
should ask Eleanora about that...

"Are we just going to sleep on the road tonight? I can't afford anything..." I reluctantly said.
"When we get to Goldshire we ought to rest at the tavern there, I'll pay for the night's stay", Eleanora quickly
replied, seeming confident and almost cheerful.

"I found a few gold coins the other day, haha! Some drunk Gnome dropped them down by the Tram, I guess. You'd be amazed the things I find down there sometimes Livi..."

"Alright alright, I'll grab my mace, my Libram, and a change of cloths. We can find food on the way. And thanks by the way, El".

So off we were on our way to Goldshire...

After a little over half a day's walk, we arrived to the tavern in Goldshire. Now I've gotta stress this to you, this is not your average inn, there are some very bizarre mixtures of individuals that frequent this place, and many of them act very childish. In fact, I typically avoid this place and only stop by here to pick up my mail or visit the blacksmith...

I was already very tired, especially since I had to keep up with Eleanora, she's a very fast walker and won't slow down for anyone, not even me! In fact, she's one of the fastest individuals I know - which can come in handy when in a sticky situation.

I remember approaching the tavern thinking I'd be getting a good night's sleep, and I admit I had never actually stayed overnight here before so I wasn't even sure what it looked like on the inside. As we came into the door I heard it, loud music and a lot of talking and laughter. The place was busy, but I didn't realize what I was in store for until we came around the hallway corner into the dining area...

"What is this insanity??" I asked Eleanora...
"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU?" she yelled back.

I could barely hear her over the ruckus, it was intolerable!
"LET'S GET OUR ROOM PLEASE!" I yelled back. You have no idea how uncomfortable something like this makes me, I live a life of peaceful meditation and long hours of quiet study, I am not prepared for this type of wild revelry.

After El paid for the room, she got our key and handed it to me,
"YOU CAN GO ON UP, I'M GONNA HANG OUT A BIT!" she shouted, laughing. I could see the excitement in her eyes, she's from the big city and I would guess she's well accustomed to these 'parties', or whatever you call this drunken chaos.

I went upstairs and found our room, keyed in, put my candle down on the nightstand, blew it out, and went and flopped down on the bed. It was comfortable, but the noise from downstairs was still very loud so it took me awhile before I finally fell asleep...

The next morning I woke up and didn't see El anywhere, so got up, stretched a bit, and went down into the dining area. Everything was remarkably clean and quiet. It was as if no one was here the night before...

"Would you like some baked eggs or honey bread, maybe some rye and murloc fin soup? It's on the house since you had a room." the innkeeper asked me. I responded by shaking my head and just took an apple off the counter, I recall I was too worn out to even talk.

As I was eating my apple I went out front and checked the mailbox to see if anything had come in for me in the last few weeks, as I hadn't been down here to Goldshire this month. There was nothing with my name on it...

"Hello there beautiful, I think I love you!" as voice behind me said.
I turned around and there he was...

It was Zinthos, probably one of the most annoying fools to be found in Goldshire. I think he says these things to every woman that comes through here, and I doubt any of them could put up with him.

"Since we're in love now, want to go get married?" he remarked appearing completely serious.
I just stared at him bewildered, wondering why I ever let El talk me into staying at this cursed inn, angry at her for just running off somewhere leaving me defenseless against these predators.

Then suddenly I saw a small dart fly into his neck, and THWAP!, Eleanora had somehow snuck up behind him and knocked him out with one punch with her iron knuckles in the back of his head.

"What did you do El?! He's bleeding!" I shouted.
She just sat down and looked at me, twirling a dart in one hand, and calmly said "Livi, he'll be ok when he wakes up and we'll probably already be in Stormwind. This guy's a real tool, spare the sympathies. Anyways, you're mine and I'm keeping you!"

She was my best friend since kids, so I'm used to her out of control roguery, but this time I noticed she might have severely injured this poor fool. I spoke a small prayer and a tiny bit of Light covered his head and healed his wound.

"Are you serious? This guy deserved it, he never learns!"
"Look El, I'm a Healer, I Heal idiots even if they walk into it." I replied.

"HALT! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!!" the town's guardsman shouted as he was approaching quickly,
"Run Livi!" she said as she was on her way down the dirt road...
I followed, regretting all of the trouble this woman was already getting me into! Grrrr!

We got further down the road, barely escaping, simply because the guard was wearing too much armor and was very slow. Eleanora looked back at me and laughed, "You healed him? What did you like that loser?"
"No", I responded sternly, aggravated. "You know who I like". She winked back at me and we continued onward.

After awhile we stopped by my aunt's house for a few minutes, which was on the way, but she wasn't home. There were about thirty cats running around though, as I remembered.

"Let's grab some fruit" I said.
"I can't believe your aunt is the crazy cat lady" El remarked with a chuckle,
"Shut up" I told her, "Let's get back on the road".

Several hours later, around noon, we arrived at the gates of the big city, Stormwind.
I had only been here a few times before in my life when I was much younger, and hadn't been recently. It looked bigger as if it had grown significantly since the last time I saw it.

As we walked into the main gates Eleanora looked at me, seeming a little concerned, probably worried that I wouldn't
know what to do in such a huge city,
"Hey Livi, while you go to the Cathedral I'm going to split off and go take care of some business of my own, I'll
meet up with you this evening at The Gilded Rose, I know Allison the Innkeeper personally and she'll give us
a good discount. Just tell her you're with me."

"Ok, that sounds fine, don't worry about me I can handle myself. I'll see you tonight than, goodbye El."
I told her as we went our separate ways.

Finding the Cathedral seemed simple enough, I could see it's spire from miles away. Getting there through
the hustle and bustle of such a huge city was the challenge. I hadn't been there in such a long time and there's
so much I wanted to see and do, getting distracted would be easy. The fact I had no money would help keep me on
track, because everything here costs something.

I remember how excited I was walking down the streets towards the great Cathedral, anticipating what was awaiting me
there.

As I passed by the florist shop Fragrant Flowers, I just had to stop in, the scent emanating from the displays out front
were too enticing to resist.

"Good afternoon ma'am, welcome, I am Bernard Gump, and this is my wife Felicia, how can we help you today?"
"I am just looking sir, I haven't any coin so sadly cannot afford your bouquets, but they are beautiful..." I muttered
reluctantly. "I wish I could get something for my best friend however".

Mrs Gump reached down and picked up a single black rose, and said "Do you think she'd like this? You may have it
at no charge".

"Are you sure?" I responded in surprise, "Yes, this city is for more than the wealthy my dear" she said with a pleasant
smile. "Thank you Mrs Gump! I know El will absolutely love this!" I said as I took the gorgeous rose.

"I'm going to the Cathedral today to recieve my first Quest! I'm so anxious." I stated without realizing.
"What is your name child?" Bernard asked inquisitively.
"I am Livias Lightbringer", and to this I saw a distinct look of shock and surprise upon both of the Gump's faces.
"We are honored by your presence Lightbringer, and will always be in your service if you call upon us" Felicia quickly retorted.

"Your grandfather came here often years ago" Bernard said, looking a bit despondent.
"He will be missed".

"Are you following his footsteps as a Paladin Miss Lightbringer?" Felicia asked.
"Well, I don't know where he stepped exactly. They don't tell me much about him, I just know he is well liked by
everyone." I replied. "He left me his codex, the Libram of the Lightbringer. It's amazing! There are so many prayers
in it, and nothing makes me happier than to carry it".
"Now that is a true honor Lightbringer, we have great Faith in you!" Bernard exclaimed.
"Might we ask for a Blessing dear Paladin?" Felicia asked, her eyes darting to the rose she gave me for a split second.

"Yes, one moment let me find one for you" I said, opening the book flipping through.
"Here we are, the Blessing of Wisdom! Undoubtedly you'll do well with this one."
And with a short prayer, the room filled with small glitters and sparkles and Light surrounded the Gumps and I could
see the Blessing had lifted their Spirits a little bit.
"You give us much Hope young Lightbringer, our confidence is in you, go now and receive your Quest" Felicia said, waving goodbye as I walked back out into the great city, and continued on my way.

I remember when I finally reached the great Cathedral feeling a sensation of incredible awe at it's size and stature,
it was imposing and magnificent. Entering it's huge doors and seeing what was within was equally astounding.

The place was very busy, there were people everywhere.
I wasn't even sure where to go or who I was looking for...

"Afternoon child, may I help you?" and older man asked me.
"Um... I'm not sure. I'm Livias Lightbringer and I'm here to see someone from the Silver Hand to receive a quest?"
"Lightbringer, we have been waiting for your arrival. Tiresias Sundragon will speak to you immediately. Right this way please."

So I followed him through several corridors, marveling at the stained glass windows and the architecture, trying to keep
up. Then I saw him walking towards me dragging his massive mace, and was a bit terrified to be honest!

"Tiresias, she is here." the doorman said to the impressive Paladin. He was wearing some strange armor, but I liked it.
It seemed to have an aura of Judgment about it that would strike fear into the empty hearts of evil, and it must have been imbued with powerful enchantments.

"Livias Lightbringer!" his voice boomed.
"That is me Paladin," I said with a bow, "Why have you called upon my service?"

"As you know by now, our world is under siege by a pestilence. This is no typical plague, this is something much
more sinister, it reeks of dark magic. It is a Scourge of Undeath. We need everyone to help repel it, and hopefully
defeat it."

"But how do we defeat an army that is bolstered by our fallen comrades Paladin? I am afraid and confused." I said,
my voice trembling, realizing I was truly still just a mere child.

"That is why I have called upon you Livias, you represent a Legacy, your family has done many great deeds for mankind
and I, among others, was gifted by the Light with a vision of your Destiny. You were entrusted with your grandfather's
Libram for a reason - you will use it on your Quest to discover who is behind this pestilence and we are entrusting you
and a select group of individuals who shall accompany you - to put an end to it."

I was literally blown away by this, and fell upon my knees again, knowing I had no choice but to fulfill the Duty entrusted to
me by my peoples. "Yes my lord, I will do as I am asked by Stormwind."

"Excellent" he continued, "First I want you to speak with Katherine the Pure, she will teach you a few things that you need to know. I realize that more time is desired but we are in haste and I know that you are an exceptionally fast learner."

"Secondly we shall equip you with a set of armor and a good weapon, and then I will have you meet a few others that have
been called to your side. You must Trust in them with your life and protect them with yours. You will be a team and together you will investigate this pestilence and bring the evildoers behind it to Justice," he said.

"But be warned, I fear there is a demonic presence at play and I am only sending you because I believe you show the most promise and because you are Pure of Heart. You shall lead them to Victory".

I was in tears, why me I wanted to ask. But I knew that everyone has a Duty to uphold and so I was ready to face mine without complaint.
"I will investigate and then quell this Scourge lord Tiresias, I will not fail Stormwind. I admit I am afraid but I will do as I must."

He looked at me and said "You have Courage as fierce as your grandfather, we are in good hands".

I wasn't exactly sure what to do. At that moment he raised his hands and Light surrounded us, and he prayed a Blessing upon me, the Blessing of Kings. I had never actually heard it recited before, but now I knew it by Heart. It was eloquent and simple, and I felt power coursing through my entire body.

"Now Livias, child, go speak to Katherine the Pure, she has a lesson for you and someone to introduce you to. Then speak to
Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker to receive your equipment. When you are ready to leave, go to Stormwind keep and speak to the King, he will issue your next orders. May the Light be with you, for Stormwind!"

And with that I dried the tears from my eyes thanked him, and went to find Katherine.

The older gentleman that brought me to Tiresias then lead me back through the corridors to a room with an altar adorned
with many symbols and covered in gold, and behind it stood who could only be Katherine the Pure.

She stared at me, inspecting me for awhile, and then spoke.
"Livias Lightbringer, grandchild of Uther, I have much to teach you. How much of that Libram have you studied so far?"
she asked me.

"Not much yet, I regret." I replied.

"That is fine, I will show you a few pages that might interest you. They will come in very handy on the road ahead
as you face your trials and tribulations, as there will be many trying moments."

"Turn to the chapter on Auras, there are several prayers listed there."

She took her hand and pointed to one after I found the correct page, "There, these have different effects and if
you look at the subtext it explains what it does. Try one now."

I spoke the prayer of Devotion, and a very subtle blue hue surrounded me, I felt funny.

"With an Aura like this, everyone around you will harden their will with a shield that will deflect some attacks" Katherine
said, "the others can increase your parties abilities in different ways, one allows you to Concentrate better, one grants you
Swiftness, and so on".

"The chapter after this one teaches you how to call upon the Divine for an impenetrable shield of protection, but it only
lasts a few seconds and you must not overuse it, only use this in moderation I must stress. Also you may lay your hand upon another with this prayer and it will grant them protection inside of a bubble for a few seconds, use it sparingly, I warn you overuse can be very detrimental."

She continued teaching "in the first chapter there are many prayers for healing listed, you must learn each of them. Some are difficult so study diligently when you have time,".

I had already learned a few of the simpler prayers in this chapter so I responded with a question I had been wondering about "I am halfway into this chapter and I am confused about the Word of Glory, how do I make use of it?"

She looked at me and responded "as you pray throughout a battle, you gain more Holy power, after you have filled your Heart with the Light's Glory you speak this word upon either yourself or a friend and it will cover them in that Light and increase their resolve to fight onward by regenerating wounds, like other healing prayers but this one can become exceptionally powerful."

"Near the end of this chapter it will teach you how to Lay Hands upon an injured brother or sister and it will heal them completely as well as grant you increased Spirit to pray on. It is exceptionally potent and so I warn you also not to overuse this one like you might continually repeat the simple prayers."

I had more questions, "What is the Guardian? How does it work? And what does Redemption do?"

She smiled and said "Dear Livias, your Guardian is an Angel that will come to protect you and aid you in prayer, when you need her and call, she will arrive in the Light."

"And Redemption is a very long prayer but it will revive a fallen comrade from death and grant them a reprieve, but it must be spoken over their corpse within an hour of their demise."

I was struck in complete awe, my jaw must have been hanging wide open. Guardian Angels? Raising the dead? How is this even possible? No wonder Grandfather was so popular! Even the great Mages couldn't achieve this! This Libram is very powerful indeed!

"One last thing Livias, learn the prayer to Shock others with the Light, it is short and simple to repeat and you can also use it against the undead or demons to burn them in Holy flame. It is almost as powerful as the prayer to Exorcise evil. Please study your Libram diligently and master it's entries."

I couldn't believe that I had been ignoring this book for so long, it was full of so many amazing things, I felt foolish for
letting it sit and collect dust as I played outside those long summer days.

"Now dear, I want to introduce you to someone very special who will accompany you on your Quest. Livias, this is
Angela Wheatleigh, she is a Priestess and will Discipline your party and your foes."

I turned to look and saw her, she was radiating Light and she wore an impressive garment that indicated she was very
advanced in her training. I knew she had much to teach me just by looking at the glow in her eyes.

"Hi Angela" I said, almost giggling. "Lightbringer, it's time to remove those rags and gear up, come with me" Angela said.
She led me to another room across the hallway to see Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker.

"Hello Paladin, I see you need some equipment for your upcoming journey. It will be perilous and it is of great import, so the order has decided to give you a very valuable and powerful set of armor and a great mace to match it."

He pointed to a stand with armor pieces laying about, and walked out of the room so that I may undress and slip on
the order's clothing and this new armor atop it.

After a few minutes I was dressed to impress. I had never looked so good, so ready to lead a party into battle in my entire life!!

While I was busy at the Cathedral I had almost forgotten about Eleanora, and it wasn't until later that I had discovered what had happened to her that day. The following events are what I had learned occurred:





"I wonder how Liv really feels about me?" Eleanora pondered as she walked swiftly through the street.
"Oh gosh, I need to stop thinking about that. I'm getting distracted again. She's so modest and doesn't show her feelings very much. Wait, I'm thinking about it again..."

"I gotta stay focused, I wonder what this missive is all about? Do they really want me to join the Guild or is this some sort of trap? I think it's a trap, it's always a trap with these people. Oh great, I'm talking out loud to myself again..."

Eleanora was headed to a shop that served as a front for thieves and assassins called Trias' Cheese to get directions for her contact. She knew the drill, take the long way and backstreets, make sure no one was following, the basics. She spent perhaps an hour on the scenic route, just enjoying the sights of the city.

When she finally arrived at Trias' Cheese, she gave three loud knocks and then two soft ones, came in, walked up to Elling and Elaine Trias and said the code phrase "I came for Dalaran Sharp and Darnassian Bleu, but on the way I decided I'd prefer the Alterac Swiss and a glass of wine."

Elaine responded "We're all out, would you prefer the Stormwind Brie?" and Elling interjected "or perhaps the Dwarven Mild?" which Eleanora then asked "how about the Redridge Roquefort?"

Elling then said "Our son Ben has the letter for you, but we haven't seen him today. Something must be wrong, he would normally be here right now."

"Hmmm, do you know anything about this letter? And could I please get some cheese while we talk?"
"Oh yes, Elaine please get her something. Bring us some wine too." Elling said as he motioned to his wife to go to the backroom.

"Look, this letter... there's something not right about it. The seal didn't look exact, as if it were forged." he whispered to Eleanora softly.

"Who would forge a letter from Ravenholdt? Strange..."
"I'm not sure what to tell you. We need to see what the letter says first. Ben is bringing it from our house and is very late." Elling said, looking over to the side as Elaine brought back a plate with Alterac Swiss on it with a glass of wine.





Ben Trias had been delivering the letter to his parents shop this morning, but he ran into a snag and was slowed down significantly when an Elf jumped out of the shadows and grabbed him putting a blade to his throat...

"Do exactly as I tell you, you've got to listen to me it's extremely important." he whispered into Ben's ear.

Ben was trembling and didn't murmur a sound, and just nodded in agreement with this would-be assassin or kidnapper or whomever it was.

"When you deliver that letter, tell Eleanora not to respond to it. Instead tell her to go to The Blue Recluse in the Mage's Quarter and look for Steven Lohan, he will give her further instructions. That letter is a trap, and if she responds she'll die, as will many others. Do as I tell you or you'll die with them!"

Letting Ben go, Ben nodded again in terror and ran off, hoping to reach his parent's shop in time.





As Eleanora was sitting down having cheese with Elling and Elaine, Ben suddenly rushed in. His parents got up and hugged him, seeing that he was anxious and sweating.

Ben could hardly talk, he was almost out of breath.
"It's a trap Eleanora! Well, maybe? Some guy put a knife to my throat and said don't respond to the letter and instead go to Blue Recluse and look for Steven. He didn't say anything else."

"I knew it! It's always a trap." responded Eleanora chuckling, "well at least you're ok Ben. What do you think I should do Elling?"

"Don't respond to it, of course. This situation just got real dangerous. But open the letter and let's see what it says."

Ben handed the missive to Elling, and he tore the seal off and started reading it,
"Eleanora, we found out who your father is. Come to the tavern in Southshore in Hillsbrad, don't tell anyone and come alone. Bring 1,000 gold coins."

"Wow that does sound fishy!" Elaine shouted, "Obvious trap is obvious" remarked Eleanora, thinking herself clever.
"So should I go to the Blue Recluse? It's seems sorta safe being in the city, but you never know."
"Yes, Ben and I will follow you at a distance and make sure you're alright." Elling proffered.

"Please be safe guys" said Elaine as they were headed out the door with a quiver in her voice, knowing this had suddenly become a very dangerous situation. "We will, I'll make sure the guardsmen are nearby just in case" Elling suggested to calm her nerves. And with that, they left for the short walk over to the Blue Recluse.

Eleanora was feeling a little uneasy about all of this, and so was becoming frustrated and angry.

"So who the heck is my father anyways?" she asked herself as Elling looked at her puzzled.
"If they know I'd like to find out soon. I might still go to Southshore."

After crossing the bridge over into the Mage's Quarter, Elling insisted that Eleanora take friends for protection if she decided to go to Southshore, but she wasn't really listening.

"You know why I hate the Mage's Quarter?" she asked.
Ben and Elling looked at her blankly.
"Because it's almost impossible to pickpocket a decent Mage." she stated.
They all laughed a bit, and despite Eleanora's efforts to lighten the mood the air was still tense as no one knew what to expect next.

"You go on in, we'll come inside about five minutes afterwards and sit at a table away from you." Elling suggested as they approached the door to The Blue Recluse, a tavern more popular with magicians, wizards, and sorceresses than with the average type of patrons around town.

Eleanora walked in and saw Steven Lohan at the bar, and walked up to him.
"Hello Eleanora, I'm glad you came." he said calmly as he was flipping a coin.

"What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"We just saved your life." he responded,
"Yeah whatever. Just start talkin!"

"SI:7 wants to recruit you as an operative, but first you will need to meet someone, your father. Master Mathias Shaw informed me that I'm to direct you to meet your father immediately. Stop by Old Town and pick up a package behind the bushes around the back corner of The Five Deadly Venoms, then head out of town to Moonbrook in Westfall." Steven instructed nonchalantly.

He added "And while you're there meeting him, please find out anything you can about the Defias Brotherhood and if they have any connection or knowledge of the Scourge, then report back to HQ here in Stormwind. This is an espionage mission so follow your regular protocols."

"What!? This is going to take forever! I'm suppose to meet my friend at The Gilded Rose tonight in just a few hours! And how would I get there anyways? Moonbrook is a few day's journey from here!" Eleanora asked, this time far more frustrated and upset than before.

"Don't worry about Livias Lightbringer, she's to build a party to set out on expedition later in the week, you'll have time to catch back up with her. And we'll be providing you transportation, one of our best black stallions. Ride at night so no one sees you. Now get outta here, and welcome to SI:7 Agent Eleanora."

And with that Eleanora turned around looked at Elling and Ben, waved to them to come, and left The Blue Recluse.

She informed them of what she had learned, thanked them for coming with her, and split off from them to go to find the package left for her. As she was wandering through the city she was far more focused now than earlier, and she was deeply considering the implications of the intrigues that she had now found herself within, especially wondering who her father was and if this would really be him.

Once she discovered the package she opened it without taking it anywhere, it was somewhat large and she didn't want to lug it around without a good reason. Inside she discovered a sizable satchel, a box with small drawers containing various herbs from around the Eastern Kingdoms, some vials, a mortar and pestle, and a book of recipes for potions, elixirs, and poisons.

She arranged everything in the satchel, walked down the street a little over a block to the stables and saw Steven again, this time holding the reins to that black stallion he promised. She mounted upon it, looked at him, and asked "Who do I find in Moonbrook again?"

He responded with a grin "You'll find out, now make haste."

I apologize for getting sidetracked explaining what happened to El, I'll get back to what happened to her later.
I've got to tell you what happened back at the Cathedral before I left...

"So where are you from?" I asked Angela, "Lakeshire in the Redridge Mountains" she replied.
"Oh, I remember going there as a kid on vacation, I had a lot of fun fishing with my uncle. I also enjoyed
swimming in the lake." I remarked as we were slowly walking through the hallway.

"Where are you from Livias?" she asked me, "Well...Westfall originally, we lived on Alexston's Farmstead there before everything fell into disuse and became fallow. When I was a teen I moved to Northshire to the Abbey." I responded.

We were nearing the entrance to the Cathedral on our way out, just talking and getting to know each other a little
bit. Our fates intertwined suddenly and so it seemed like covering the basics made sense.

"What made you decide to become a Priestess anyways?"
"It's a long story, but my brother and I went..."

Suddenly startling screams were heard behind us, and we turned to see something incredible, out from
several jars that apparently had been delivered earlier and sat near the doorway a Shade manifested!

I was immediately frightened and frozen in terror, but out of the corner of my eye I could see that Angela was
already praying and radiating...

"Liiiightbringerrr youuu areee cursssed!" the Shade whispered with a raspy voice as it grabbed my throat.
I had tears flowing from my eyes within seconds and felt like collapsing in fear. I couldn't do anything!
I'll never forget that feeling of those claws on my neck, it was so cold and very painful.

It's scratchy and hoarse voice chilled me to the bone,
"Youuuu willl sufffferrr a....hhhhhhuuu"

Angela's prayer caused brilliant rays to surround me in a powerful shield, and she quickly began reciting her Penance that repulsed the Shade several feet backwards, then stunning it momentarily in Shackles of Light...

She kept praying and in some sort of Leap of Faith, like she grabbed my Spirit with an invisible hand, pulled me over to where she was standing out of harm's way.

Suddenly I saw Tiresias charging through a door in the back, rushing towards the Shade, bashing it with his shield while
Angela Smited it with a disciplined blast of Holy power; it then let out an awful screech as Tiresias smashed it with his
mace (much smaller than the one I saw him with earlier), and Woosh! the Shade disappeared in a wispy fine black smoke.

"Livias, you are not cursed, you are Blessed by the Divine. That Shade speaks only lies and empty threats" he said.
"You cannot allow fear to overwhelm you like this, you must be prepared for anything at any time. The Darkness is growing rapidly and we are not safe anymore, even in here this Hallowed Sanctum.
You must hurry to see the King, do not waste any more time, GO NOW!" Tiresias shouted in a commanding voice.

And so Angela and I ran out the door, down the steps, and through the city streets. After several blocks we had to stop and rest, it was still several hours before sunset and people were out and about. The excitement had begun to wear off
and I felt safer, perhaps because I was so exhausted and outside in the warm sun.

"Livias, we must keep going. This is just the beginning of our adventure, we have many difficult times ahead, you
cannot always stop and relax." she told me, breathing deeply.
"Angela you're tired too, we just ran halfway across the city loaded down with gear, this is insanity!" I yelled back
to her in frustration.

She put her hands on my shoulders and held me tightly, "Look, I'm sorry, I'm upset too," her eyes began to glow and the Light again began surrounding her, "but you gotta understand we are facing great evils and we cannot fail.
We can rest a moment but then we must make it to the Keep."

Staring into her shimmering eyes calmed me, I felt a tranquil peace come over me. I regained my resolve then
simply said "Ok thank you" with a smile. We hugged each other and then continued on our way.

"This is a crazy way to become friends you know?" I said to her.
"This is a great way to become friends Livias" she replied, and together we laughed a little bit, which felt great
after the Shade attacked us in the Cathedral of all places.

"I don't even know what we're doing" I told her, hoping she'd understand.
"I know what we're doing Livias, we are discovering our Destiny, we are children of the Divine Light and we are here
to restore our kingdom with love and compassion." she replied in a confident voice.

"We are almost there, just a little further. We will find out more from the King." she said.

Her voice was so soft and soothing, I was really beginning to like her more every minute. Having her around will be
very beneficial I thought to myself as she glanced at me with a beautiful smile. I might even need her more than
she needs me, I kept thinking.

We were almost to the Keep around an hour before sunset, and I remember looking up at it's grandeur in awe. I couldn't believe I was about to enter the castle and actually meet the King of Stormwind for the first time!

As we were entering the outer levels of the Keep, a captain of the guard approached us, removed her helmet and
knelt. "Are you the ones named Livias Lightbringer and Angela Wheatleigh?" she asked with a look of despair about
her.

"Yes, that is we," Angela responded.
"What do you need of us dear captain?"

"Please, forgive me my lords, but I am in desperate need of heroism." she plead, her voice trembling.
"Go on, we are here to help if we can." I said, looking into her eyes and feeling rather sympathetic.

"Well, it's my son. *sniff* He's disappeared... and I'm not sure where to find him. If you find out anything please help.
*sniff sniff* There have been kidnappings in the city in recent weeks, dozens of children have gone missing and no one knows
what happened to them. I fear he is one of the victims of this tragedy, *sniff* and I believe some morbid individual is
behind this twisted scheme." she muttered as she was trying to keep from crying, her voice quivering.

"This is vicious indeed, oh my gosh! Terrible..." I said,
"I have heard of these disappearances, we will try to find your son and the others captain." Angela added.

"As women of Honor I trust that if anyone can do something about this, you two can. Thank you for your time, and
I am sorry for slowing you down. You are expected in the Keep by the Prince." She got up, put her helmet back on,
pointed the way, and then returned to her post.

We continued onward into the grand doorway, and I was again enthralled by the ornate setting within this magnificent
castle that towers over the city of Stormwind. I had never set foot in here until today.

"What did she mean the Prince? I thought we were here to see the King?" I quizzed rhetorically.
"We'll see... hmmm" Angela remarked, seeming as confused as myself.

We walked through several spectacularly decorated hallways adorned with statues, huge flags draped over the walls,
and weapon displays, heading upwards higher into the Keep. There were guards and servants everywhere, but none of them
seemed to even notice us as we passed through.

Once we finally reached the throne room the door men moved aside and nodded, allowing us entry. There we did not see
the king, but instead the Prince, Anduin Wrynn.

"Finally! I've been expecting you two!"

We bowed in curtsy, not knowing exactly how to react to meeting the Prince and having him expecting us at that!

"My father the King is gone, his whereabouts unknown. I believe he has gone on a mission to speak to the leaders of
Thunder Bluff and Orgrimmar in order to expand the Alliance against the Scourge of Undead that threatens all our kingdoms.
I do not know when or if he will return, but while he is gone I am helping to organize our efforts here."

He held out his hand with a rolled up and sealed letter, expecting one of us to take it.

"I need you two to deliver this missive to Falstad Wildhammer in Ironforge. It's somewhat urgent, but I waited for you
because I need someone I can trust that no one expects to be in my service. Please take the first tram there in the morning,
you can board an hour after sunrise. Here are your tickets. I'll have someone rendezvous with you right outside the Deeprun Station as well. She will give you a few items you might need."

I was wondering what this was all about, and I've never been to Ironforge so I was excited to see the capital of the Dwarves and to meet the Chieftain of the Wildhammer Clan. He served on the Council of Hammers and was nearly legendary even here among us humans.

"And don't worry about Eleanora, she's on a very special mission at my behest as well. She will rejoin you two in a few days when you return to Stormwind, if you survive that is. I hope you all make it back safe..."

He looked around looking a bit saddened by all of the destruction and suffering that has befallen the kingdom.

"I understand how hard this might be. I am facing many difficult challenges too. I want you to meet one of my most trusted friends. Before you leave here, go around the north corridor and out past the library to the balcony overlooking the lake. She's around there somewhere still I'm sure."

Angela responded with another curtsy, "Thank you Your Highness, we will deliver the note to Ironforge tomorrow as you requested."

I made a mistake and forgot to curtsy but Anduin didn't seem to notice, he didn't seem to be one for such things. He was actually somewhat charming and handsome for such a young man. One day he'd be the King after all, his father has been grooming him very well.

"I am very thankful for you choosing us Prince, but may I ask why me? Why us?" I asked, perhaps not minding my manners in front of such royalty.

He responded without hesitation, "Because I've been watching all of you and know that you are honorable and decent. I know that I can rely on your loyalty to our city and that you have the skills to get the job done. I have no doubts in any of you."

I was speechless. I just stood there a few minutes staring, until Angela grabbed my arm and led me to the hallway leading past the castle's library and atrium. Once we found the balcony over the lake I saw a woman that I felt like I recognized but wasn't sure who she was until she introduced herself.

"Hello children, I am Jaina Proudmoore, and I wanted to speak with you before you left on your first mission for the Prince. I know that you are dealing with some of the most deadly foes that there are out there, and that things will become very complicated and confusing, but just remember to trust in your Hearts. Listen to your inner voice and follow it. Know that I will be keeping watch over you and if and when you need some assistance, I will lend you a hand. I cannot always be there so do your best."

And before we could even say anything to her she turned around, opened a magical portal and stepped into it, turning around for a moment to say "Good luck, rely on your Wisdom!" and then she was gone and the portal closed behind her.

I looked at Angela and said "What's next?", and she just looked at me for a moment.
I asked "Wanna go catch some sleep? I got a room at The Gilded Rose tonight".
She just nodded her head and hugged me, and we walked back down through the Keep quietly.
We had a lot to think about and it was a very long and eventful day.

We crossed through town into the Trade District and found the inn after asking a local for directions, it seems we
walked right past it without realizing it.

Once we entered we met the innkeeper, Allison.

She offered us a meal and then gave us both a small pouch with 100 gold coins in each of them. It was unbelievable!

"These are donations collected from the locals, you two have become the talk of the town after what happened in the Cathedral earlier today!" she told us.

I couldn't believe how quickly word spread, and somehow no one noticed that I didn't even do anything except cower and cry in the face of that horrible Shade. I felt so ashamed.

After we finished eating she led us up to our rooms and actually tucked us into our beds, telling us how everyone's putting their faith into us to protect the city. It's a lot of pressure but I finally felt useful and it was wonderful to have a greater purpose in life no matter how hard it might be.

I fell asleep quickly, feeling content and happy.
Little did I know that wouldn't last long.

edit on 12/31/2016 by muzzleflash because: (no reason given)

While experiencing the biggest day of my life, these following events are what
I believe are the most accurate rendition of Eleanora's journey:





Eleanora traveled through Elwynn Forest, back through Goldshire and then along the road to Westfall. Her
black steed was well fed and swift, but she didn't even know it's name.

Eleanora is a bit hyperactive and when she gets excited her thinking becomes erratic and she tends to jump from
one thought to the next rapidly. Some might even think she's simple minded, but don't let her personality quirks
fool you, she's cunning and deadly in combat situations and she is surprisingly intelligent when she needs to be.

As she neared the western edge of Elwynn she came upon Westbrook Garrison, which overlooks a small river separating
the two regions. Westfall is officially claimed by Stormwind but in recent times it has fallen into ruin and is
overrun with bandits operating through the Defias Brotherhood, a guild of criminals.

Westbrook Garrison is, in a lot of ways, the last real edge of Stormwind's territory and was built to ensure security
against the Defias and Gnolls that have overrun Westfall. Now, when I was a child, Westfall, my homeland, was a rich
agricultural area with many farms and a sizable population at the city of Moonbrook, where I went to school. After the
Second War it fell into disuse and many people left to other parts of the Kingdom, especially Stormwind itself.

As El came upon the Garrison, she saw some posters displayed along the road that caught her eye. One of them said
"Wanted : Hogger, Reward : 250 gold coins", and this immediately piqued her interest.

"Wow, 250 gold!? That's a small treasure! This sounds easy enough." she thought aloud to herself.

She continued reading, "He was last seen in the forest south of this location, caution: extremely dangerous. He is the
chieftain of the Riverpaw tribe and has been working for the Defias Brotherhood. He has killed many individuals and
so is wanted dead, his paw which has recognizable scars and a tattoo on it or his head is valid evidence for collecting the bounty."

Eleanora couldn't help herself, that much currency could purchase her an entire new outfit, new weapons, various
other supplies, and many nights of comfort at inns.

"I know exactly how to nail this Gnoll." she thought. She had heard much about Gnolls and their nature, and was aware
that they were ferocious beastly peoples that cared far more about eating than about gaining possessions. They even ate
humans that were unlucky enough to become their victims, garnering them quite the nasty reputation.

"I've got a few hours before sunset, I bet I can find him and get his claw and be back here for the bounty before it's dark."
she thought, failing to recognize the fact that the many soldiers at this outpost somehow hadn't accomplished such a task.

She headed south into the thick of the forest hunting for Hogger, seemingly forgetting about the mission she was
suppose to be focusing on.

Eridis Embersworn was also hunting Hogger, but she had almost no fighting experience and knew very little about
the psychology or battle tactics of Gnolls. She was also in a land completely foreign to her, Elwynn. She was from
far north on the continent and was also traveling through when she saw the wanted posters and couldn't resist the
temptation of such a large sum of money.

She was an archer, albeit an amateur one with only the basic skills. As a tracker she was somewhat capable, but in terms
of hunting other animals she had only captured or killed defenseless prey such as deer in the past. She had no idea
how ferocious Gnolls were, nor how battle hardened Hogger was.

Gnoll society revolves around brute force and violent domination, and they will even eat their own kind. Similar to other
pack animals such as hyenas or wolves, leaders are decided purely by fighting and killing each other. To a Gnoll, it is survival of the fittest and it indeed is a 'dog eat dog world'.

Eridis had been looking around the area for over a day now, but finally had caught sight of what could only be the Gnoll
known as Hogger. She was impressed by his appearance and stature, surprised that he was so large and muscular. She didn't
expect he would be humanoid and vaguely intelligent, and had no idea these creatures wore clothing and carried weaponry.

She didn't let this stop her though, and she got a little closer to take a shot with her bow.
Hogger smelt her sometime before this and was now hunting her too.

*Thwap* *Foooosh*
She fired her arrow directly at him, but he quickly turned towards her and deflected the arrow with his axe, thanks
to his keen senses of hearing and sight. He then ran into the brush a few feet away, and Eridis lost sight of him.

She thought perhaps he fled and she'd have to give chase, but then on her flank she heard something coming towards her
in the bushes, and she was filled with fear and panic. She went for her blade but was too late, Hogger leap out upon her,
she softly said to herself "Shorel'aran" and then screamed while he laid his axe in her skull...

Eridis was dead, and Hogger had another meal.

Eleanora had heard a brief scream in the distance, and could tell it was a female. She started rushing towards the area
while attempting to remain as silent as she could, realizing that this situation might be very dangerous.

As she got closer, she could hear barking and laughing as if it were a hyena, and she knew this was certainly that of
a Gnoll. She could hear something else as well, a grotesque sound, and once she reached the location she saw a horrible scene.

Hogger was ravenously feeding upon the poor Elf, making Eleanora very sick to her stomach. But she knew this was it, her chance to get the drop on this brute was now or never.

She dashed towards him with her blades drawn and ready to sink it into his neck to sever his spinal cord, but he heard her
approach and turned around growling and barking and then charged her!

She was taken by surprise as she just lost the element of surprise, and only reacted on pure instinct. She ducked as he pounced at her and after he flew over, she threw several darts at him of which two landed in his leg.

He whimpered and grabbed his leg, dropping an axe. Eleanora rolled to the side and threw her dagger right at his neck, landing it deeply within.

As he struggled with blood running from his leg and now his neck, Eleanora moved in for the kill while he was stunned. She swung her blade and landed a sinister strike upon his chest, pulled out the other dagger and caused a massive hemorrhage from his throat which was now bleeding profusely. She then finished him off which an evisceration of his stomach, causing him to lose his innards.

As he lay convulsing and dying, choking on his own blood, Eleanora decided she'd take the paw because there was already enough blood on her and she didn't like dealing in such morbid affairs to begin with. She cut his right claw off and put it in some leather she stripped off Hogger's outfit.

She then went and looked at the body of Eridis, and turned away the moment she saw it. She knew it was over. So she wiped herself off a bit with some cloth she had and decided to head to the Garrison for her bounty and hopefully a chance to bathe. If they didn't have amenities she might have to take a risk and hop in the river, which wasn't her favorite idea considering the dangers this area apparently presented.

After a short journey through the woods, she came back upon the Garrison where she had tied her stallion and went up to the door and gave a loud knock. A soldier answered within a few minutes and let her in, asking if she was ok. She quietly held up Hogger's paw and said "It's done."

He called for Sergeant De Vries to come, and within a moment he appeared around a corner.
"What in the blazes!?"

"Hogger is extinct." Eleanora grimly stated.
"Can I get a bath?" she then asked.

"Quartermaster Hicks, please take this woman to our bathing room and fetch her some hot water!" he shouted.
Not far away you could hear a shout of "Yes Sir!" and some commotion. Hicks then arrived and led Eleanora to
a tub being filled with hot water and then asked the soldiers to leave the room and they closed the door to allow El to
take care of her business.

She could hear them talking loudly out in the hallway,
"I cannot believe it! This is the claw of Hogger! See these scars and this tattoo? It's certainly his!"
De Vries shouted in amazement. "She was covered in blood, it must have been a gruesome sight!" Hicks replied.

After finishing bathing, she dressed herself and came into the main hall to see a feast on the tables, and all of
the soldiers applauded her and shouted "For she's a jolly good heroine!" several times in unison. She smiled and
clapped with them, overjoyed.

She sat with them and ate after noticing a pouch at her seat. Once she opened it she
saw what must have been around 250 gold coins and a note signed by De Vries officially declaring Eleanora had slain
Hogger.

The Sergeant then asked Eleanora if she'd like to rest there for the night, as it was already dusk, but El responded
that she was in a hurry to Westfall and needed to travel by darkness while heading to Moonbrook, and so declined
his offer.

After exchanging farewells, she went back outside and untied her horse, mounted, and rode off heading West.

It was very dark as Eleanora and her steed raced into Westfall, and she realized that her excursion after Hogger
put her hours behind schedule. She was already getting sleepy, and knew that she needed to get at least a few
hours of sleep to keep her strength in case more conflicts lay ahead of her in this desolate land that once was
fertile farmsteads.

She came upon Saldean's Farmlands and saw that a building's windows were lit up from the inside, and so decided
she'd check it out. Because she might not be very welcomed here, she stopped her horse a good distance away and tied
the reins to a fence post and crept a few hundred yards up to the building to peep into the windows.

What she saw and heard inside fascinated her...it was over a dozen Defias having a meeting.

"So what are the Scourge anyways?" one asked.
"They are the undead, you know zombies and ghouls?" another replied.

"There are a handful of warlocks in Stormwind, I bet some of them dabble in necromancy!" a tall one shouted.
"I knew it! Stormwind has to be behind all of this, they cannot be trusted!" yelled another.

"I talked to Vanessa and she said that Edwin was trying to arrange a deal to work with Stormwind and even pay
them a tribute of gold! That's why she eliminated him." one of them, perhaps their leader, calmly said.

"A traitor he was!" a shout exclaimed.
"I hope she burnt him alive!" she heard from a rough voice in the back, and then the room was filled with
shouts and laughter.
"I hope Ragnaros tortures his soul forever!"
"Good ridden to that scumbag!"
"He's not even good enough to become a zombie!"

Then the one who must have been in charge yelled "Silence fools!"
"Vanessa wants us to prepare for an infiltration of Stormwind to assassinate some high ranking officials,
including the Prince. She'd like to be ready by next week, so get your acts together scoundrels!"

Eleanora had heard enough, and realized she had better get outta there quickly before she was caught. She heard
some of them opening the door and slamming it to come outside so she ran back to her steed, untied it, and took off.

She was very tired and saw a cave off the side of the road, Jangoload Mine. She figured she might be able to hide
inside there and sleep quietly for awhile.

"What could be in there except rats and spiders? Nothing, who would go in there?" she thought to herself.
She tied the horse and walked into the mine, and after lighting a torch began to wander inwards to find a good resting
spot.

She reached a junction and saw there were several pathways to go, so stood there contemplating if she should head back the way she came when she heard something rustling and knocking over rocks.

She suddenly felt her hair rise as she realized aloud "It's coming towards me!"

Around a corner suddenly it appeared, bathed in a dim light.

"You no take candle!" it screamed with a gurgling voice.
She yelled back "I don't want your candle! Take a torch!"

She quickly smacked it across it's long snout with her torch and then knocked it down with a roundhouse kick, then
turned and ran. She knew that if there was one Kobold in here, there might be hundreds. They congregate in mines and
though they are imbeciles and weak, in large numbers they could overwhelm her.

Around the time she thought she should have reached the exit, she saw she had an even bigger problem...
A giant hungry arachnid!

She instinctively reacted and threw her torch at it, hitting it in the head to an eerie screeching sound.
"Great! Now I can't see!" she yelped.

She turned and moved as quickly back to the junction as she tried holding her hand against the wall, and then noticed the
junction was lit up with several Kobolds standing around muttering something.

She just dashed right past them as fast as she could go, took the turn and within a moment she saw the exterior moonlight of the cave's exit. She mounted and got back on the road, full of adrenaline, feeling very stupid for going into that cave.

She was extremely tired and kept falling asleep on her horse as it galloped down the road. After an hour or so, off on the side she saw another farm, this time it was dark and looked abandoned. So she decided to go up to the barn and open the doorway
to go inside and find some hay or something to sleep on.

After opening the door she was again confronted with something startling, but this time it wasn't moving and it seemed
inanimate.

"Ok ok, it's just a Harvest Reaper, it can't possibly be functional. But maybe... maybe I could use this to guard the barn
while I take a nap?"

She walked over to it and flipped a switch on it's backside, and it came to life and started walking forward, seemingly not
even noticing she was there.

"Cool!" she yelled.
Then suddenly it's torso spun around, it's arms reached out towards her, and it began stomping over to her spot.

"Ummmm?"
It than began flailing it's arms around, and it almost swiped her with it's sharp talons.
She quickly rolled under it's legs, then jumped up and hit the switch back off, but the golem didn't turn off!
It just kept swinging around aimlessly, and marching back and forth.

Eleanora ran out of the barn and shut the door, then led her horse over to the house and took it inside.
"I'm pretty sure it will run outta juice and stop on it's own soon. I don't think it even saw us." she said to her stallion.

She gave her companion a few veggies and then went upstairs, looked around and saw the house was empty. She
sighed a breath of relief and found a spot in the corner to rest, thinking she should get back up by dawn and resume the
journey to Moonbrook.

Several hours later she awoke, and saw it was already around noon...

I would like to continue El's story for a bit, as I believe everyone would like to hear her's rather than mine right now.






After she awoke in the abandoned farmhouse that following afternoon, she got out her satchel and took out her alchemy
set and opened up the recipe book and began making various concoctions. She realized that she'd be needing them later
considering the types of situations she was running into out here in Westfall.

When she believed she had crafted enough, she reloaded the satchel and then began looking around the old house. She
found some parchments and discovered that this was none other than the Alexston Farmstead, the very place
where I grew up. At this point she realized the Harvest Reaper in the barn might have been the same one that led me
on my path to become a Paladin.

Although digging through the past was interesting, she knew that time was short and so she went outside and took in the
view of the countryside and chuckled to herself to see the Reaper was walking around aimlessly in the field.

"How long do those things run? And how'd it get out of the barn?" she said to herself, amused.

She went and mounted Onyx, her horse, and began to ride around to explore the area a bit. She picked a name for him
since she did not know what other's had been calling him and felt so close to her new companion now that she figured
this was necessary. Since it was a black stallion, Onyx seemed appropriate.

After approaching Moonbrook she was astounded to find it was completely abandoned, not a single person was there,
not even a monster or anything. She looked around and then decided to search the surrounding areas for whomever
she was suppose to meet, hoping they'd still be around.

Not far away to the west she saw a tent and so went to investigate. After arriving she saw a man with a large build,
wearing leather armor working on something so approached him. He turned and looked at her with a look of great surprise on
his face...

"Are you Eleanora?" he asked.
"Yes, that's me. Who are you?"

He stood there a moment and looked her over, then finally spoke.
"Honey, I am your dad, Edwin VanCleef. Inside the tent is my servant, William."

They just stared at each other a few moments, and Eleanora started yelling at him.
"Where were you my whole life? Why didn't you ever come to see me? Why did you abandon me at the orphanage?!

"Look Eleanora..." he started, but El cut him off "You're a real JERK! I'm so angry with you!".
"I'm sorry, please let me explain," he quietly requested.

"OK, start explaining! This better be good!" she yelled again but this time with less intensity.

"Your mother and I knew that this was what was best for you, we didn't want you to grow up involved with all of
these criminals, the Defias, the buccaneers, the assassins. We were afraid that you'd become a target for kidnapping
or worse. Your mother kept your younger sister and she turned out worse than any of the felons I associated with, it's
real bad, she's insane." he explained.

"So why am I here?" she asked in frustration. This was clearly a stressful moment for her.

"I fight for Stormwind now, I tried to convince the Brotherhood to join with me but your sister, Vanessa, tried to
kill me and claimed that I was a traitor. She wouldn't listen, I tried to show her the danger that the Scourge poses
to our very existence but she simply doesn't buy into any of it. She doesn't understand this is a time to unite, she's trying to complete the Juggernaut."

As she was looking around she saw a very young boy sitting quietly not far away watching the ocean.
"Who is that?" she wondered aloud.

"That is your younger brother, Theo." he responded.
"He has been very upset about everything that's happened. Your mother...I had to fake my death. Vanessa... could you
please talk to him?"

"About what?" Eleanora asked annoyed.
"Introduce yourself." he said.

So Eleanora walked over to him and began talking, the boy got up and gave her a big hug. He seemed excited to meet
his big sister finally - the good sister.

Around that time Edwin put on his mask, picked up his sword, and yelled over to Eleanora.
"We are going into the Deadmines to resolve our family issues. Are you ready to meet your sister?"

Theo hugged El one more time, and then said "Go get sister dad. Don't hurt her please!", then he waved
to the two of them as they headed over to the cave in the distance.

Will continue more later.

I've figured out where I'm going with the next sections but haven't fleshed them out yet.
I'll keep adding to this thread as time goes so keep checking back if you're having fun!

By the way, all white color text = me Muzzleflash.
All colored texts are the story.

Great story so far, but dammit you make me want to play that game again. lvl 80 human warrior.

a reply to: muzzleflash

Very cool. And you included pictures for folks like me, sweet.
Great work.

Still play everyday, brother...AWESOME work here! Ty for this!