Darkshore

by C S Harrop

  “Then we must push on and stop her,” responded Riven casually swiping a goblin towards Elder Warrick who finished it off with an uppercut from his double headed battle-axe.

  “We are not going to get there in time to stop her opening that portal,” Commander Bolmer worried.

  “Hey Lore!” shouted Elder Nyran. “We appreciate your help, but do you know if we should be expecting anyone else?”

  Lore stood up taking his daggers from the orc’s neck and made his way back towards Elder Nyran stepping over bodies of both sides. His hooded cloak now lowered revealing dark wavy hair overhanging the top of his dark metallic mask. He came to stop before the group placing his hand for a few seconds on Riven’s large furry head in a sign of friendship then turned and pointed towards the grey sky far behind Onyxia’s forces to the east. In the distance, they could see black speckles appearing and moving closer until they appeared as blurry objects. The object slowly materialised into the silhouettes of a group of winged creatures, as they drew closer a clear defined image of a group of dragons emerged in attacking formation led by Kailan Bourn.

  “One day Lore, if we make it through today me and you need to have a word about your gift of perfect timings,” Elder Fallon said light heartedly but with an ambiguous tone.

  With a nod from Lore to the delighted Elders and another pat on Riven’s head knowing Willow was now in the same vicinity has the big cat. Lore knew from past skirmishes Riven and Willow only felt whole when they are together, which clearly showed in their fighting style. They were strong apart but a deadly duo together, a sight for everyone here to yet witness, Lore thought. He turned to watch the dragons swoop down in formation spraying out fire across Onyxia’s army setting whole legions ablaze then circling around in fluid motion for another attack and then another.

  The entire reserve legions Onyxia had waiting to the rear of her army had been decimated. Many of the Dark Bloods that did survive the dragon’s breath were now in retreat and running for their lives. It was a memorable sight for all the allies watching these large beasts setting the tainted land alight and watching their foes scarper in fear. Riven knew his friend Willow would be riding one of those creatures and he knew she would be enjoying the exhilaration of flying through the air. He missed his friend dearly and if Onyxia opens the portal it might be the last he sees of her, a featureless figure sat on a scaly beast flying low in the distance. With that thought in his mind and the sight of the ongoing fighting ahead of him, he let out the loudest roar he had ever created. For a second or two the battle actually stopped all heads facing this ferocious sabre-cat suddenly becoming enraged.

  “Let’s finish this,” roared Riven vanishing once again then reappearing mid-air landing in the front line as if a large rock had been dropped into a pool of water, the orcs and goblins flew through the air as he landed swiping and mauling as he went.

  Lore’s respect for the large cat had just hit a new level. With that, he raised his daggers and leapt into the fight alongside his friend followed closely behind by the three Elders, Commander Bolmer and the remaining ally force, all joining the final push towards the Breacher.

  Angarian dragons glided in a circular perimeter around the battlefield blasting fireballs and spraying the ground with scorching flames. The heat from the fires came in waves illuminating Onyxia’s pale skin. Above a single dragon came into view hovering alongside the Breacher sending a stream of fire from its large mouth directed at the twisted looking tree. Luckily for Onyxia the Breacher was immune to such primitive damage, the seed was taken from the realm of the dead she had a gut feeling any ordinary means to destroy such a tree would be futile.

  Raising her hand she noticing what seemed to be a woman and a hooded figure sat atop the winged beast. She blasted a mass of energy up through the leafless branches just missing Willow’s shoulder jerking the dragon to her right. Another bolt of energy came shooting up from below hitting the dragon’s wing causing the beast to shift off balance. Then a second heavy strike to the scaled underbelly sending the dragon into an uncontrollable dive. Instinctively Relg held tightly onto Willow’s waist for his life whilst Willow held helplessly onto the saddle as the dragon tumbled closer and closer towards the ground.

  With a shout of satisfaction, Onyxia turned back towards the knot of the Breacher and once again unravelled the scroll. Without hesitation, she began reading allowed with her palms glowing a dull red colour that reacted with the now glowing text on the parchment. She managed to read the first couple of lines when a loud crash over her shoulder interrupted her enough for Onyxia to look around. It would not have thought it be possible for Onyxia’s face to turn any paler but the sight of Kailan Bourn dismounting from his large dragon in full dragon forged armour wielding his glowing sword drained every ounce of her blood.

  Kailan had been waiting twenty years for this moment since the day Onyxia killed his wife Ashantia. He now stood staring at her across the battlefield locking eye contact with hers, his rage boiling to the point of eruption. The surrounding Dark Bloods looked at one another if to attack or not but were held back by the pure hatred emanating from Kailan, he was ready to kill every single one of them to get to Onyxia. His dragon did a perfect job of reminding the Dark Bloods what would happen if they changed their minds by igniting a group of orc to flaming ash and surrounding the rest in a wall of fire.

  He griped his glowing blue palms tighter around his sword not taking his eyes off Onyxia once over the legions of filthy orcs heads. With all his strength, he launched his body forward and stuck his glowing blade into the ground creating a shock wave that decimating the Dark Bloods that were unfortunately in the way of him and Onyxia. A path opened up within the legions with a clear line of sight all the way to Onyxia, an opportunity Kailan did not want to waste. He set off at a steady jog increasing to full battle speed taking the heads off a few orcs as he passed with his sword and ripping up huge boulders out of the earth with the power of his glowing palm and smashing it down on top of groups of goblins.

  Onyxia gulped looking around for protection. She felt fear running through her veins for the first time since Kailan first hunted her after the death of Ashantia. His enraged body steadily became closer, orcs and goblins alike tried in vain to slow him down but she knew there was nothing on this earth that that could stop him.

  “Hold him off,” she shouted. “That includes you Snitch,” hiding sheepishly behind the large orc commander.

  “But…that’s Kailan my queen. Nothing can stop that.” Watching his rage demolish the Dark Bloods defence with ease.

  “Nothing from this world.” She said Holding up the scroll with her glowing palms and started reading from the beginning causing the knot in the tree to loosen. Upon finishing the text anxious moments past with no sign of further movement, then suddenly the knot unwound counter clockwise until there was nothing but a dark hole the size of a doorway.

  The dragon Willow was riding hit the ground hard throwing her a good distance along the dirt. Riven saw her friend come down a good distance away from the Breacher. Without hesitation, with Lore and Elder Fallon by his side Riven smashed his way through the thinning Dark Bloods force. Upon reaching Willow Elder Fallon dropped to his knees, and moved her curled brown and copper coloured hair from her face and placed two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse.

  “She is alive, banged up but alive,” Elder Fallon said in a relieved tone. Riven moved forward placing his huge sabre-toothed face next to hers and placed his large paw carefully onto her body in a comforting way. He missed his friend dearly and he would do anything to protect her. Elder Fallon and Lore knew there was nothing they could say to Riven to leave her side and re-join the battle. Accepted this without question they set off back towards the looming Breacher leaving Riven and Willow to their own fate.

  “They should be fine,” Elder Fallon said on seeing Lore give a final look over his shoulder. “Most of Onyxia’s army have fled, it just the Dark Bloods situated around this tree of death
that is the imminent threat. But it looks like that’s not going to be a problem either.” Pointing towards Kailan shaking the very ground around him as he fights his way through Onyxia’s blockade.

  “What troubles me Elder Fallon is why hasn’t Onyxia opened the portal, what’s she waiting for?” Asked Elder Nyran joining them as they stepped beneath the shadow of the Breacher.

  Onyxia stared at the dark opening in the tree for what seemed an eternity. Eventually movement distorted the darkness of the portal. Two figures emerged from the darkness of a pair of orc warriors wielding an axe and mace. Onyxia noticed the lack of colour and depth in their spirited bodies as if they were not a whole being but something else. Nevertheless, a pleasing smile crept onto her face knowing her plan has worked, and the tide in this war will now turn and the world will now become under her control as queen.

  It took only moments for Onyxia to go from exhilaration to distraught, watching two blue fizzling balls of energy shoot from within the portal hitting the orc warriors in their backs creating a cloud of dust in front of Onyxia’s very eyes where the orcs once stood. Then from the darkness, a silhouette slowly appeared into view revealing a woman with dark wavy hair wearing full dragon scale armour stepping from the portal within the Breacher onto the dry unfertile ground of Heres Valley.

  “Ashantia! How is it possible?” Onyxia said to herself taken aback clutching the jewel that hung around her neck.

  “No Onyxia, I am your Lost Soul you’ve been searching so long for. My name is Asha Bourn, daughter of Kailan and Ashantia Bourn and I will in this life or the next release my mother from your prison and rid your evilness from this world,” stated Asha releasing a shock wave from her glowing palms sending Onyxia, Snitch and the surrounding Dark Bloods scattering through the air.

  Pieces of wrapped cloth began to peel away revealing larger segments of metallic armour beneath as Onyxia picked herself up and brushed herself down. The reality quickly dawned on her that her army of dead souls were not coming. Somehow, this young woman had managed to stop a whole army entering from the other the connecting Breacher. Looking around the valley her army were quickly becoming overrun by the alliance forces, the Breacher tree was slowly becoming surrounded leaving Onyxia trapped like a caged animal.

  “You stupid girl, you actually think you can defeat me alone. Let me finish what I should of done to you when you were born and then you can join your mother right here,” caressing the red coloured jewel that hung around her neck.

  “Alone? Look around you - witch, I am not alone and this I promise you this will be the last day you’ll walk this world,” pointing to the alliance forces still deep in battle and Elder Fallon, Elder Nyran and Elder Warrick all bearing down on her.

  Looking around Onyxia knew that eventually this battle was lost. However, she knew taking away their prophecy would dishearten them to the point of fracture within the alliance command. Killing the young woman who clearly meant a lot specifically to the Elders would have an astounding effect on future battles, which was a pleasant thought for Onyxia. With tunnel vision aimed at Asha, Onyxia raised her staff with two both hands and released a screeching bolt of energy.

  Asha watched in slow motion the fizzling ball of energy travel with lightning speed towards her. Onyxia’s speed caught her off guard, her feet and body were too slow to react all she could do was just watch the electrical mass get closer. It took only a second to be within arm’s length of Asha when a sudden metallic blue tinted sword with Angarian symbols etched into the very steel dropped down in front of her body taking the full impact of the energy that dissipating along the blade.

  Placing his hand on his daughters shoulder and lightly squeezed with affection Kailan Bourn stepped forward. He looked into Asha’s eyes with both love and regret then placed his fatherly hand against her cheek, Asha knew instantly who this man was, it was her father. A moment of silence between them spoke a thousand words. He barely was able to take his eyes off her but Asha saw rage in his eyes directed at one person – Onyxia, who was now visible over her father’s armoured shoulder.

  “A family reunion, or what’s left of it,” Onyxia shouted in twisted humour. “Killing two Bourn’s in one day, the gods must be smiling on me today,” raising her arms towards the cloud covered sky.

  “Then let’s end this!” Kailan shouted in his deep commanding voice. Kailan turned to face Onyxia under the looming branches of the large Breacher tree giving limited shelter from the light rain, a showdown he had waited for in such a long time. Onyxia fired another mass ball of energy as they both stepped closer to one another that Kailan deflected with ease. Raising his sword, Kailan planted it with force into the ground creating a crack in the ground that opened up to Onyxia’s location forcing her to leap to safety of more stable ground.

  Asha stood watching the fighting unfold blasts of energy coming and going from both Onyxia and her father. Looking to her left amongst the fighting alliance forces were the Elders fight their way through to her position, except Elder Fallon who stood just looking at her unflinching from the surrounding fight. Then with a raised hand, he sent a small message orb speeding towards her. It was reassuring for Asha to see a familiar face amongst the amount of people fighting especially her old teacher. The orb came to stop before her and settled in her glowing palm. A message appeared in her mind with the voice of Elder Fallon. “The prophecy speaks of you Asha. It’s you who must defeat Onyxia, I fear for your father.”

  Watching the skirmishes around the Breacher drawing closer and louder. Asha’s father was fighting off orc attacks simultaneously avoiding Onyxia’s own attacks of powerful energy strikes. In desperate attempts, Onyxia began using her power by picking up and launching dead bodies laying scattered across the dry earth of both orc and man directly at Kailan. A body of an armoured Frost Elf struck Kailan directly launching them both backwards hitting the ground hard. Seeing her father motionless her instinct to protect him came naturally. Asha focused solely on Onyxia standing with her arms spread wide with pieces of wrapped material hanging down with a psychotic but pleased look on her face. Asha waved her palm beckoning the Book of Shariel to move from the pouch at her waist to her hand. With quick thoughts and a flick of her wrist, the pages turned with speed to an inscription. In an arching movement, she directing her glowing palm towards the required location in front of her. The glowing inscription leapt from the page to materialise into a brilliant blue spectral body of three large rams. With a commanding thought the three rams took off at speed with their heads in ramming position, two circled around on either side of Onyxia butting orc and goblins in the process whilst the third ram ran straight ahead towards her at speed.

  Seeing the spectral beast heading straight for her made Onyxia eyes widen with disbelief. Stepping back uncontrollably, she launched a series of attacks from her staff missing her mark every time. As the ram closed the gap, Onyxia in a last desperate attempt fired a final bolt of electrical green energy hitting the beast directly turning it into a cloud of luminescent dust pushing forward as if in a strong breeze. Unfortunately, Onyxia attention was solely focused on the singular beast. The remaining two rams came at speed from either side of Onyxia, before she realised it was too late they hit her with such brute force the ground shook turning the pair to illuminated dust.

  It took a minute for the dust to clear. Asha strained her eyes for a sign of Onyxia, a force of that magnitude would have killed the most strongest of foes. As the dust dispersed, Onyxia emerged crouching and holding her twisted staff vertically creating a shield of energy. Asha, taken aback by the swiftness Onyxia must have acted. However, creating a shield mainly had a sole purpose to stop energy blasts not to stop the force of two giant rams. The result of this was a cracked jewel within her staff.

  “It seems I’ve underestimated you daughter of Bourn, Elder Fallon has taught you well but not well enough,” shouted Onyxia watching Asha make her way over to her father.

  “I was just the foundation of her teachings,”
stated Elder Fallon coming into view knocking an orc unconscious with his staff in a feeble attempt by the Dark Blood. “She has surpassed even you Onyxia when you were her age.”

  “You make me laugh old man, you and your precious Guardians. You have them all brainwashed just like the lost soul here,” shouted Onyxia grabbing her decaying twisted staff with two hands and ramming it deep into the ground. The cracked jewel flickered as she forced all her energy into the now vibrating staff. The jewel flicked faster and faster to the point of explosion forcing all the energy down the staff and into the ground. The ground shook like a violent earthquake forming cracks that surrounded the Breacher that opened up gaping wounds in the earth. Many lives were lost on both sides as a result of Onyxia’s actions, as the earth beneath their feet gave way swallowing them up as they fell screaming into the abyss below and separating waring groups has the land parted creating a frenzied panic throughout.

  “What have you done?” Shouted Asha watching the Breacher sink slightly towards her and her father under its own weight.

  “If I’m to be rid of as you call it, then so shall you and all your so called allies along with me,” cackled Onyxia watching the chaos unfold.

  Chapter 25

  The Fall

  The fighting continued throughout Heres Valley, bloodied bodies littered around motionless below the evening sky. Large pockets of both Dark Bloods and the allies became separated from their forces as large cracks continue to devour and move the earth. Turning a large battle into multiple of scattered skirmishes, which resulted in one side or the other becoming greatly outnumbered.

  On the alliance’s side, a small group became trapped on a section of cracked earth from the main battle that consisted of Elder Nyran, Commander Bolmer and a handful of Angarian soldiers. Standing before them a group of fifty strong armoured orc and goblin warriors with their attention fixated on them.