| "How much do you think anathema is paying T_mac to be on his team?" - ++falcon++
|
| A Hunter's Tale - Part 4 | | | Author: | | | IP: | ool-182fXXXX | | Date: | 09/10/02 07:09 | | Game Type: | Other | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 0, Max: , Min:
Lifetime Rating for Epoch71: 6.0000 | |
Sorry for the long wait. Without further ado, I present...
A Hunter's Tale
Part 4: Fugitive
Enjoy.
Hay. Kathris Starsong twirled a piece of her bedding absentmindedly in her finger as she contemplated her life. She had never known so much could have changed in just a week... Aggronor "The Mighty" had delivered her to the continent of Lordaeron just seven days ago. Since then, she had acquired a suit of Human-made Mithril armor, and a bodyguard.
Kathris wore the former at all times, despite the fact that the stiff metal was uncomfortable. The armor was fitted specifically for her, but it slowed her and was hard to maneuver in. However, it provided ample protection from nearly anything.
The latter, her bodyguard, was quite a person. The half-harpy, half-woman was a beautiful creature, hiding her true deadlyness. She had a smooth figure with great wings protruding from her shoulderblades; black down covered her from head to toe and shone a spectrum of colors if the light hit it right. Like a crow. Long black hair trailed down to the small of her back and her bangs outlined a face with two dark eyes. Darksky's birdlike voice and quick wit could cut nearly as well as the metal claws she used to fight.
Kathris had found the harpy woman in the local tavern of the town Aggronor had dropped her off in. A smile tugged at the edge of her lips as she remembered the looks of the Humans as a Night Elf strode in to the bar and ordered a drink. Darksky had moved from a table in a lonely corner of the tavern, and had offered Kathris her services as a bodyguard. After looking over the rest of the people in the bar -all men-, she accepted.
A day after meeting the hybrid, Kathris had heard rumors of a blindfolded Night Elf searching for a woman of his kind. That was when Kathris became afraid... The Guild of Hunters, whenever need be, would send one of their best to take down a rogue Sentinel, however unoften one of those would come around. Kathris and Darksky fled the town, hiding wherever they could, oft in the barns of Human farmers. The hay Kathris rested on was the best bed she'd had in a week. She wondered if she'd ever enjoy such comforts as a soft bed again.
* * * * *
Shadowfury strode across the grain field. Five days he had been on Lordaeron, five days hunting a quarry he did not wish to find. But Kathris had left a trail so easy to follow, it was impossible to avoid his duty. He knelt on the dirt path, Why didn't she avoid the road... Don't they teach them anything?, examining the two pairs of footprints with the sense he had gained when he gave up his vision. One pair was from booted feet, the other was from a naked foot that looked halfway between that of a Human and that of a giant bird. Shadowfury stood, and began walking again.
An hour of walking, an hour of mental turmoil later, he heard voices ahead, smelled the smoke of a campfire. Its like they want to be caught! He overheard two voices conversing, one he recognized, and one he didn't. The voice he knew was undeniably Kathris. The other voice brought his thoughts to the songs of birds... Which, he suddenly noticed, had stopped, as they oft did in the presence of a demon... or a Hunter of them.
"Birds... song... stop," Shadowfury heard the birdlike voice say; Apparently he hadn't been the only one to notice. "...Run..." The voice spoke again.
Here it goes... Elune, forgive me for what I do now... Shadowfury thought with a sigh. He drew his demon-charged blades and emerged into the clearing.
* * * * *
Mave Whisperwind's gaze was to the ground as she walked from the Council building. They had relieved her of her duties as guard at the Prison. She was frustrated; how was she, with a load of worthless recruits, supposed to hold off a well-trained Demon Hunter and a Disciple of Elune? Mave shook her head in dismay.
The Ex-Guard was not given much more time to contemplate her bad luck; an otherworldly scream echoed through the streets of Hyjal. Mave spun and ran toward's the sound's origin, whipping out her pike as she went. Soon, she lost herself in the back alleys, with no clue whether she was heading toward or away from her destination; or maybe she was just running in circles. A second warped scream echoed through the streets, followed quickly afterwards by a cry a little more Elven. Mave charged through the streets with a new sound, the sound of clashing metal, guiding her way. She emerged on to a main road and saw something that cast fear to the heart of her very being.
* * * * *
Shadowfury faced the half-harpy woman Darksky, who stood between him and Kathris. "Please," He said to the hybrid, "I have no wish to harm you, just leave this place,"
"I'm getting payed good money to protect this Night Elf," Said the half-harpy. She slid on a pair of gloves, each with a trio of claws attached to them. "I can't just let you pass,"
"Then," Said Shadowfury, "I apologize for what I will do to you," Shadowfury raced forward, whirling his blades as he closed in on the feathered woman. Light glared from the half-harpies wings as she spread them wide and hurled herself in the air, barely escaping the faintly glowing blades. She landed behind the Hunter and lashed out with her claws, cutting 3 deep grooves in his back. A drop of blood flew into the nearby campfire and sizzled away as Shadowfury spun to slice at the woman, who just barely dodged. She stumbled back, barely avoiding disembowelment from the demonic weapons as Shadowfury advanced.
Darksky's eyes widened as she felt her wings brush against the rough bark of the tree blocking her escape.
* * * * *
Mave rushed forward and stabbed her pike into the head of one of the members of the mass of Undead warriors swarming the area. The Ghoul, his face split in two, fell backwards. A little bit of black juice seeped out of the gaping wound on his already torn face, slid down his forehead and in to the black, greasy hair on the top of the defiled Human's head.
Yes, the Undead had reached Hyjal. Hundreds of them swarmed forth, and were cut down by the nearby Sentinels, but to no avail; quantity was greatly outmatching quality this time. Mave was sure the Undead were attacking all over the city. Perhaps this is the end of Hyjal, She thought grimly as she cut a swath of destruction through the Undead ranks. She shook the thought from her mind, and concentrated on what she was trained to do: Guard Hyjal and the people in it.
* * * * *
Darksky raised one of her claws to block the blade whirling at her heard. The three claws were no match for the demonic blade, cut in half as if they were putty; but the Hunter stopped his blade from cutting Darksky's skull in two. He used one arm to restrain those of the half-harpy while using the other to slide a blade up to the woman's throat. "I do not wish to kill you," He spoke, "Please, just surren..." She never let him finish his sentence.
"The day I surrender is the day I die!" The half-harpy spat in Shadowfury's face. The Demon Hunter let the glob of spittle slide down his cheek.
"So be it," Said Shadowfury. In one swift, fluid motion he whirled around and jammed his elbow in to the woman's feather gut. He heard a cough and felt something warm and sticky on his back, blood. He felt the hybrid go limp and slump against the tree. He eased her to the ground then turned to face Kathris, who had been observing the whole battle. A look of horror appeared on the Priestess's face as she recognized her hunter.
* * * * *
One of the Ghouls hurled himself at Mave, and she put her pike between her and the torn Human. The Ghoul ripped in half on the head of her pike; the legs fell away lifelessly while the top half slid down the haft of her pike, uttering a mix of a battlecry and scream of agony. The Ghoul's slashed at Mave, leaving four parallel gashes in her armor. Mave pulled a dagger from its sheath on her belt and plunged it in to the Ghoul's already fragmented skull. The Ghoul's life energies seeped out of him, and Mave threw him off. Picking up her pike, she rejoined the battle.
The battle was slowly but surely being won by the Night Elves. One Sentinel usually took atleast 20 of the ravenous man-things before they were overwhelmed; there just weren't enough Ghouls. An Abomination -A creature sewn together from many men- that arrived at the scene was felled by an arrow between the eyes half a minute after its entry; if the Scourge warriors had morale, it would have dropped to a new low right then. But, the tide of battle was again turned, and this time for the worst.
Several Sentinels and a heavily decorated Demon Hunter arrived on the scene, and Mave sighed in relief, Reinforcements, She thought. And she was right... They were reinforcements for the Undead. The Council membors and the Master of the Hunter's Guild began to cut down the defending Sentinels. Mave cried out in disbelief... Her cry was stopped short as a Sentinel arrow plunged in to her stomach.
* * * * *
Shadowfury took three strides, the third bringing him directly in front of Kathris. He grabbed her shoulders. "Kathris," He spoke, "You cannot imagine how sorry I am, for what I must do,"
The look of confusion on Kathris's face turned to shocked realization as Shadowfury's hands closed around her neck, then to sorrow and outrage as he lifted her off the ground. She clawed at his forearm as he tightened his grip; Kathris couldn't, and panicked. She struggled with all her might, to no avail. Finally, she managed to compose herself long enough to hurl one powerful, accurate kick in to Shadowfury's gut. His grip slackened and she managed to escape his grasp. Clutching his stomach, Shadowfury fell to his knees and doubled over. He gagged, but had nothing in his stomach to rid himself of. Shadowfury felt the cloth of his blindfold dampen. "Kathris..." He said, his voice carrying the mix of the agony of the kick he knew he deserved, and the assignment from the Guildmaster that he knew that he didn't. "I'm sorry... so, so sorry..."
Kathris rubbed her aching neck while staring at the Hunter kneeling before her; she never imagined she would see one of his kind looking so... pitiful. He was torn between his duties and his feelings, a position no one wanted to end up in. It usually wasn't a problem for Hunters, but...
Shadowfury clambered to his feet. "Damn the Hunter's Guild!" He said, his voice filled with the rage that had begun to fill him, "I've had enough of them, they have made me done things I have known were wrong, but this is stepping over the line!" With one swift motion, Shadowfury tore off his blindfold. Kathris inhaled sharply. His eyes weren't gone, as she expected, they were there... But they were entirely the color of ash. The gray color was also burnt in to his skin, spreading out from his eyes in a blastmark pattern. "Kathris, please, I beg your forgiveness."
Kathris blinked. Could she forgive him? He had tried to kill her... But Kathris never really had to make her decision; Darksky awoke. The half-harpy hurled herself at Shadowfury's back, with her remaining metal claws outstretched. Shadowfury felt the cool blades plunge in to the small of his back, tearing apart his innards. Pain spread through his body, pain who's like he had not felt since they had charged him with demonic powers, burning his eyes. He reached behind himself, over his shoulders, grabbing the topmost joint on each of Darksky's wings, and pulled with all his might. Darksky's three curved blades ripped out of Shadowfury's back as he hurled her through the air. She landed on her back -- right in the campfire. The flames were snuffed out swiftly, but the hot coals seared in to her flesh, igniting her hair and the down on her back. She screamed in agony, rolling out of the fire. She tossed and turned in the grass, managing to end the flames consuming her, but her back was a charred mass of boils and burns; some of her hair had been seared away, as well. Darksky curled in to a little ball and whimpered.
Shadowfury, with blood seeping from wounds outside and in, turned to face the burnt harpy-woman, and stared at her shivering form for the few seconds it took for the injuries to catch up with him. Then, he collapsed.
* * * * *
Kathris knelt beside Shadowfury. "Elune... Help me, please..." Kathris looked to the darkening sky, at the moons appearing high above. Kathris gazed deeply at the glowing orbs, and couldn't have broken her gaze, even if she had wanted to. Suddenly Kathris felt as if she were the moon, looking down on Azeroth. She saw herself, Darksky, Shadowfury... And she saw a Night Elf encampment -An advanced scout town,- just a minutes walk away... Her being returned to her body, and Kathris knew what she had to do.
Half dragging, half carrying Shadowfury's limp form, Kathris made her way to the Sentinel town. If they had recieved word from Hyjal recently, they'd undoubtedly be on the lookout for her. Yet, she didn't think about it, nor would she have cared if she did. Only saving Shadowfury mattered...
Seconds after she dragged the Hunter over the perimeter, two of the guards rushed over to help her. "What happened?" One of them ask as they lifted Shadowfury and began bringing him towards the encampment. "And who are you?"
"It's a long, long story..." Said Kathris, "And I... I am Kathris Starsong..."
"Ah, then you'll be glad to hear the news... A little happy, anyway... The good news is, it turns out the Council was corrupted by the Undead; you're free of charges. The bad news is... Hyjal is under siege by the Scourge."
"What?" Asked Kathris, in disbelief, "Hyjal, invaded?"
"Yes," Replied the guard, "And the Council members and the Guild Master are fighting on their side."
* * * * *
Kathris sat at Shadowfury's bedside. His wounds were healed, excepting his eyes... But those had been that way a long time, and would probably remain that way for the rest of his life.
Kathris couldn't help but wonder why she had saved him... Even though he had tried to kill her, Kathris knew she couldn't have just left Shadowfury to die... The Priestess whispered a silent thanks to Elune for granting her the knowledge she needed to save the Hunter. She gazed at the night sky for a little while longer, then looked down at Shadowfury.
The Hunter had silently slipped in to a sitting position. He turned his head to face Kathris. "Thank you... For your forgiveness." Kathris just nodded, then looked back up at the sky. Shadowfury lay back, and spoke a small while later: "The demonic energies in me," He said quietly, "I can feel them, hear them. They scream at me, for defiance; They tell me to kill you. But I cannot; I will never use those demonic energies again. If only I could be rid of them."
There was a pause in which nothing happened. Then, a whispering voice that only Shadowfury and Kathris could hear echoed through the air. "You wish to be rid of the demons within you?"
"Yes," Replied Shadowfury, "Anything,"
"Then," Spoke the voice, "Defeat them," A beam of moonlight shot from the moons, who were glowing with the brightness of the sun, yet casting only the light that two full moons always did. The eyelids around Shadowfury's burnt eyes widened in shock, then his face and his eyes closed. He looked to be at peace. Yet inside of him, a battle was taking place; between his soul, and the demons fused with his body. Shadowfury remained in a near-comatose state for the rest of the night, then finally, at sunrise, he awoke.
As his renewed eyes opened, the blastmarks around them gone, he spoke one thing in a voice filled with confidence, pride, and renewed life: "We must save Hyjal,"
Comments are welcome, hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing.
-Epoch
|
|
|
|
|
Home
Forum
Starcraft Tournaments
