While mountains cores crinkled and cracked, the black mountain dwarfs danced and laughed, as charcoal orcs twist and turn dragons, all while the burning Naga serves another!
But while the Nagas bow their heads to a flame, twisting sands unveil their secrets… as undead crawl from their holes with hunger unabated! All while trolls sing to a loa who only thirst for brittle blood! But while they fell from upon on high and low, a door was made open from twisting nether and maddening rage!
→→→→→→Excerpt from a fallen adventure log
5 year Later
As Lanthios stood in a pit amongst corpses and blood, all while scars etched themselves onto his brawny chest, with sharp eyes he stared at the necro lord while tossing the head of severed gnome rogue!
While feeling the head between his fingers, the necro lord threw down his staff! As the staff glowed an eerie blue, the swaying blood in the pit attached itself onto the bones of former foes!
To form a giant glumly construct! But while the head of a bloody Tauren skull cried it's bleeding tears, to roar its newly found life. A giant meteor that carried the weight of flaming butterflies on its back, crashed down upon the blood mess of a monster!
As the bloody waves crashed upon Lanthios like a tide of unyielding, the beast stood his ground like a pillar of solid stone! But while the wind blew past his fur, as the autumn leaves came floating down carrying the weight of bloody rain! Did the man raise his head! As the cooling mist dissipated, did the beast lunged at his target!
But while the beast sword met its price! Did Azael look upon the fierce face of Lanthios! But while the sword slept in his chest, Azrael scuffed with contentment at such a weak display of strength! And said:
[Do you truly think you're ready? Do you truly think you can best me in combat... Pup! DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU CAN BE FREE?]
{No… For no one in this world or any world… is ever truly free! We all have our oaths and masters! But what we are free to choose is what those shackles are to be! And I chose to be free of you!} replied Lanthios in a deep voice
[Ha! Ha! cough… HA! Layla!] said Azael out loud in a tone mockery as blood fled his mouth
[If you really wish to know what became of your mother! Then I implore you to survive this coming trial!] yelled Azael as the ground beneath all their feet glowed in mysterious light!
When they came to, both Layla and Lanthios noticed Azael was nowhere to be seen, but while he was gone, they felt an all too familiar sensation! For as the spine chilly cold blew across their shivering bodies, did the smell of rot and decay slam their noises!
For with their eyes, they witness discarded bones and forgotten souls! As brittle earth intruded their surroundings, did they know they were in a crypt long forgotten!
But while the two stood there in confusion, did they hear the howls and growls of lonely ghouls accompanied by the sound of chattering bones from walking bones! But by the sound of weapons dragging, while rusted armor jingled, did Lanthios ready himself before his rotten foes!
But while he charges unafraid at the ghoul running down the corridor, Layla stood alone in the dark, as hands burst form the walls, while faces etched in the ceiling above screamed in horror, all while the floor beneath her feet, turned from dust to gaping claws and hungering mouths of creatures long gone!
But while she stood in that hazardous situation, she smirked… for with a snap of her fingers, did a burning shield made of purifying flames surrender her in a protective barrier!
As she watched them calmly battering her shield, she didn't feel fear… NO! She only felt… pity… pity for the poor soulless automatons they have become! Wanting to end such a sight, Layla waved her precious hand!
A simple motion but a motion so potent is sent out a blast wave so hot it scorched the earth in such heat, it purified all the dead in the corridor!
While she calmly walked past melting bones and charcoal ghouls, she approaches Lanthios and said in a loving voice:
[silly little doggy! Aren't you supposed to stay and protect me!]
While closing his gaping mouth Lanthios said playfully:
{You need protecting… I think I'm the one who needs protecting! Since when was your fire so fast that it can out pace me in a run}
[silly doggy! My spells were always faster! Now get that beefy nose of yours to work and find us the way out!] replied Layla
{ok but… why are your legs shaking? Do you need some of my mana?} asked Lanthios concerning
[Just…] replied Layla with a blush
{umm… just what} replied Lanthios with a smirk
[Fine! Yes, I need some… and stop looking at me like that!] demand Layla shyly
{I don't get it Layla; can you explain to me again why you need my mana? Can't you just conjure up some water or whatever it is your mage use?} asked Lanthios
[for normal mana yes, that would be fine but to feed the demon within we need mana form... A different source… a more potent source…] replied Layla
{So… What you are saying is... my mana is… more potent than what you can conjure?} replied Lanthios
[to put it in simple terms, yes.] replied Layla but secretly she thought to herself:
[if only you knew that my magic is only so powerful because I've been feeding off your mana…] but while she thought that she was also imaging the face he would make if he knew and that bothered her to no end
But while Layla was busy feasting on Lanthios life blood, Azrael was sitting in his throne made of bones, while watching them through his magical conjured eyes!
[umm... I knew her magic was getting stronger by the day but to think it's already reached such a level, that it could incinerate my undead in such a way.
Fascinating! It must be because of her consistent feeding on the mutt… but I've noticed something they both have yet to see! Her feeding time is becoming much more frequent!
She's starting to become too reliant on the mutt! If she is not careful soon, she'll reach a point of no return! Well either his mana can no longer satisfy her, or she will drain him dry!] thought Azael to himself
[HA! HA! HOW AMUSING! I wonder if she will make it time to find out the truth about her mother before it is too late for either of them! Oh! How I can't wait for the day she somehow makes it into Zul 'Aman! The present, waiting for her there… Oh! The look on her face would be priceless!] laughed Azael evilly
But while Azael sat there on his fat throne, he failed to notice something, something very important! For in his arrogance in his knowledge of magic, he failed to notice that the magic contained in Lanthios body was also growing in strength!
For as Lanthios' heart beated to the sound of a drum, so too did his blood flow with the strength of a coursing river!
For as it circulated throughout his body, so too did it feed the ancestral spirit that laid within, but more importantly it fed the light that back his eyes!
For as his eyes gleaned from the light of the Sunwell, his body was slowly changing into that conduit that all blood Elfs would wish to convert for themselves, while others may want to use it for other means…
But In truth it wasn't that Layla was getting more addicted but rather that the demon within was lashing out, trying desperately to get her to feed on something else! For the magic that flowed from Lanthios was more deadly to it than Azael ever realized!
But as Lanthios and Layla were busy dealing with the crypt situation, the sky above Azeroth burned anew! For a giant ship all covered in purple crystal while shining in the light of dying Naarus, did the ship come crashing down upon deserted islands!
But while the islands quaked and shivered! The beast that called them home contorted and screamed! As their minds broke beneath the foreign magic that seeped into their weak fragile minds!
Corrupting them… Changing them… all while the blood Elfs sensed that potent magic, Oh! did they come greedily and thirsty!
But while the blood elves came to steal, the druids of Darnassus came to heal! With open arms they welcomed these new aliens onto Azeroth bountiful lands! For their alliance…
But while the Prophet Velen opened his eyes to an uncertain future, did he feared not what was to come, but what is to be!
For though it is a big galaxy he could not outrun the future that is to be! But while that fear ate away at his aging psyche, he looked onto the faces of what remains of his people! And with a heavy heart must trek into the thorny path set before his feet.