Post by Morec0
(( I couldn't wait till Friday to post this, so here it is!
Page 11))
- “Nearing the coastline,” Morec said, “slow ahead.” The ghouls operating the ships oars slowly obeyed. The tireless undead crew was vastly more efficient, and so was vastly superior, to relying on the wind – or atleast Morec thought so.
- “How soon do we plan to depart to search for the targets?” a rasping voice questioned.
- “Immediately,” Morec replied, not even turning to face Arceus Darksky as he addressed him.
- “Do you think that’s wise?” Arceus said. “Without a proper assessment of the area we could easily become the prey, instead of the predators.”
- “We are Scourge, Arceus,” Morec said. “We are more powerful then anything this swamp can hold.”
- “Ah, your famed overconfidence,” Arceus grinned. “If I’m not mistaken that’s what brought you down the path of the damned, wasn’t it?” When Morec didn’t reply Arceus’ bony grin widened. Unlike some Necromancers, Itheac didn’t preserve his servants, leaving them to preserve themselves. Unfortunately not everything in the ranks of the Scourge had the power to do so.
- Arceus was an example of this, the only features that were reminiscent of his past life was his blond hair, which was tied in a top-knot, and his glass eye.
- “See?” the undead engineer continued, “You think that you’re all-powerful but you’re just an-.” Morec struck Arceus in the head, knocking the rogue’s fake eye out of its socket. “My eye!” he exclaimed and hurried off to catch it.
- Morec smirked. “All halt,” he ordered the zombie crew. “Ready the longboats, we’ll depart from here.”
- …
- The Scourge soldiers rode through the marsh, the creatures that lived there avoiding them at every turn. Each of them and their mounts were cloaked to hide their undead features in order to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. Still, as he rode, Morec couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, not by animals, but by something far darker and far more sinister.
- “Arceus, do you feel that?” Morec asked.
- “Yes,” the undead engineer replied, “something – or someone – is tracking us. The only question is what?”
- Morec pulled out his runeblade. “We’re about to find out.”
- The lord Death Knight slowed his mount to a trot, switching his gaze from his left to his right. Then, something flew over the heads of the Scourge. Morec pointed his weapon and shot a bolt of necromantic energy from its tip. There was a high pitch screech and then a muffled thump.
- Morec rode over to where his target had fallen. He examined it then looked at Arceus.
- “It’s a bat,” he said.
- “A bat?” Arceus replied, “Why would a bat be following us?”
- “I have a good idea why,” Morec gazed around.
- A thousand screams filled the air, and the bats descended upon them. Arceus pulled out a pair of flame throwers, John released his swarm of carnivorous insect servants and Garen turned his cold gaze on the flying menaces. Morec flailed his runeblade around, trying to strike at the bats, but neither his nor his assistant’s efforts seemed to have any effect on the swarm.
- Scowling, Morec peered through the cloud of blood-sucking mammals. Just barely in his view was a large, horned creature with bat-like wings sprouting from his back, glowing green eyes, and wearing dark armor.
- Morec glared. Dreadlord scum, he thought and then spurred his mount out of the swarming bat cloud and towards the Nathrezim aggressor. He brought his runeblade over his head and then down to the Dreadlord’s skull, but the demon raised his fists and blocked the Death Knights sword with two massive rippers.
- Morec scowled and pulled his blade back. He struck three more times, each in rapid succession, but the Dreadlord defended himself against each.
- “You only delay the inevitable!” Morec growled to the Dreadlord. “The Lich King will be pleased to know that one less of your kind exists in his world!”
- “The Lich King?” the Dreadlord said, his accent heavy. “You are a servant of the Lich King?”
- “I am a Death Knight, creature,” Morec said, pulling back the hood that hid his glowing blue eyes. “Of course I am!”
- “My apologies, then,” the Dreadlord said as he backed up and put his weapons away. “I had not realized that I was in the company of allies.”
- Morec looked back at his two servants and Arceus. The bats, minions of the Dreadlord, were beginning to fly away from the undead. He turned back to the demon and asked, “What do you mean ‘allies?’ Your kind serves the Burning Legion, one of the Lich King’s sworn enemies.”
- “Most of my kind,” the Dreadlord said. “When the Lich King broke free of the Legion’s control I recognized his power and threw my lot in with him.”
- “The Lich King has no need for Dreadlord pets,” Morec said.
- “And so I learned – much to my dismay. He attempted to destroy me, so I fled and hid in this swamp. I’ve been here for quite a while now, pondering how to best serve the Lich King.”
- “What did you decide?” Morec asked.
- “I didn’t. I have not the smallest sample of the Plague, and the leader of Theramore – Jaina Proudmoore – has the accursed Maga Aegwynn as an associate. She would sense my presence should I even try to enter the city. So, I’ve remained in this swamp, killing all mortals that I can find until a new opportunity to serve the Lich King arises.
- Slowly, Morec sheathed his sword. “What do they call you?” he asked.
- “When I served the Legion I was Zarrok the Defiler, now I call myself Zarrok the Scourge-bringer.”
- Morec nodded. “Should you be able to assist us in the capture of a Paladin whom my master – a Necromancer called Itheac – seeks, I shall tell him of your assistance. And, just maybe, he will be able to convince the Lich King of your worth to the Scourge.” Zarrok grinned from ear to ear.
- Arceus, John and Garen rode up. “Who is this?” Arceus asked, “And why isn’t he dead?”
- “This is Zarrok the Scourge-bringer,” Morec said. “He’s our new ally."
Post by Morec0
Writer's Commentary:
- Page 12 introduces two new characters: Arceus Darksky and Zarrok the Scourge-Bringer. Now for a breif description in regard to their names.
- Arceus Darksky was actually suggested to me by a freind, as I was originally going to name the character Achmed, taken from
Jeff Dunham's character
Achmed the Dead Terrorist. However some of Arceus' additude
is taken from Achmed's personality.
- As for Zarrok, his name is taken from a very,
very old race idea I had for playable Nathrezim. Zar'ock the Defiler was my idea for their racial leader. However,
recent events in WoW have rendered my idea unusable.
- What effect will these two character's have on the story? Page 13 willl show us!