Corruption of Demons

Lieutenant Jarrick,

Tensions have arose in the east. The Blasted Lands have been disturbed by rifts which have been originating from the Dark Portal. The Bastion of Nethergarde has taken action to see what such forces were causing these rifts. It seems as though a large mass of energy is being exposed from the inactive portal. Strange occurances that have not happened since its seal from this world.

The Bastion has reported that a flood of energy persists to push through the portal, and demons have been seen stepping forth from the recess of darkness which lies within the portal.

Further reports have shown that new leader figures have emerged from the portal as well. Doomguards, Felguards, the like, as well as some unidentifiable demons which we have not encountered before. Their ranks are forming, it seems that activity within the portal is once more surging power into this world.

The Bastion has called that all able bodied men and women report to Nethergarde Keep, for it is seen that battle is upon us. If not quelled in time, War will surely break loose. It is a risk we cannot take and we need all we can to calm the defilers now.

We hope to see you soon on the battlefront.

Commander to the Bastion of Nethergarde, Marshal Balleo

Jarrick's mind went over the letter, remembering every word which was written to him. Battle. War. In a time that it was not needed. A good time for the Dark Portal to reopen nonetheless. Jarrick looked about Nethergarde Keep, the dark clouds looming overhead, creating a sense of depression which none of the defenders needed this day. Horsemen quickly rode about, gathering supplies into their wagons, while men and women alike from all races gathered their own equipment, and suited for battle. The Forge was burning brightly, as several dwarven smiths worked vigorously over the open flame and blackened anvil, creating last minute materials which would be needed for the fight. A stream of archers pulled their way from the Barracks, fully suited with bows in synchronization held stiff at their waist. Their lines of two, side by side with perfect grace, was like a ray of hope through the darkened land.

Days before, the walls of the Keep had been fortified with stones and barricades, making it a formidable defense if the demons were to push the alliance of the four races back to the Keep. Spare weapons were racked and set along the walls of the Keep. Swords, spears, axes, bows, guns, arrows, all prepared for the taking if needed. If only there were such numbers to fill those empty weapon handles. Gates were lowered securely on most of the buildings which decorated the Keep. Darkened halls with a light or two in one here or there, they seemed impenetrable. More reassurance in this gloomy land.

A battallion of Swordsmen walked from, a banner carrier at their lead. Adorned in purple felt tabards lined with white and a silver lions crest upon their brest gave an official look to them. Dressed identically in silver platemail with their silver helms over the chainmail insides that surrounded their heads also gave them a hardened look of officiality. They marched swiftly and in order with synchronized footsteps out of the Keep. Their morale was high.

Lightning struck to the south, moreso than normal, and strange thunder resounded throughout the Blasted Lands. The wind blew steadily, also harder than normal as the banners which lined the Keeps outer walls whipped with fury through the gale. Banners which hung from the inner walls of the Keep also fluttered with pace as the wind swept behind them, trying to pull them from their secured spots. It grew darker to the south where the portal lay, and the clouds became thicker with every moments delay.

Jarrick walked over to a wagon set up for temporary use as an older lady, small in stature was handing out rations. It was not much, but it would suffice through the time which battle was coming. Jarrick took a small block of cheese and a goblet of red wine, and went to work eating while he walked towards the entrance of the Keep. With wandering eyes, he took a bite from his cheese and washed it down with a long drink from his wine. The cheese was of good quality, its thickness pleasing him as it ran down his throat. The wine was especially good, most likely reserves for celebrations that now had a chance to not come. Though small, it was a tasty meal before such an occasion.

As Jarrick walked towards the entrance of the Keep, a faint silhouette of a bat-like creature swopped overhead. A hush fell over the Keep, and Jarrick stopped to look up. No sooner than when he did so, flaming boulders exploded from the sky, crashing down to the ground, creating a deafening roar and miniature earthquake. Molten fire and brimstone burned as the smoke slowly cleared. From the ashes and smoke arose three large infernals, towering between 18 and 27 feet between the three. They reached higher and higher as they stood upright, and once fully up, they roared, letting all who were close know of their presence, and all who were facing them turn to ashes.

The battallions of swordsmen and archers readied themselves, the archers positioned nearly the entrance of the Keep, while the swordsmen pushed forward out of the Keep to drive the Infernals away. Jarrick watched a moment as the swordsmen charged, and looked to his side at his blade. Its icy glow was ready for battle, as he was himself.

[To be continued...]

Arch! Ready! Volley!

Commands boasted throughout the Keep as the archers pushed their focus onto the Infernals. The battallion of swordsmen held strong as the Infernals beat upon them. Rain poured heavily down upon the Keep from the heavens as many creatures from above soared, watching the battle. Bolts or lightening criss-crossed the sky as thunder crashed throughout the mountains. Muffled shouts from the battle at the Keep entrance fell on deaf ears as the sound was drown out from the sheets of rain.

Jarrick lunged upwards at the tallest Infernal. Arrows slowly cracked the stone which encased the demon, but attempts seemed futile. Enraged at the new attention the Infernal was getting, it rocked violently to toss the human from its outer casing. Heat and flame surrounded Jarrick as he got a grip upon that which assaulted the Keep, as its violence kept up. The Infernal knew no stamina, it would keep going until dead. Swinging with great force but slow speed, Jarrick was able to dodge each blow which nearly struck him. His foothold was strong now upon the Infernal, and the warrior sought to climb the demon and take it from above. Rain sizzled off of the Infernals outer casing, making it a hard surface to grip. Flames licked at Jarrick's hands as he groped for something to get a hold of. The Infernal swung more violently, trying to shake the warrior which had now gotten a strong hold upon him.

Muffled commands were shouted through the pouring rain, and arrows continued to pound the Infernals. The swordsmen battalion held their ground, keeping the Infernals from pushing forth into the Keep and reigning destruction. Arrows chipped away at the smallest Infernals outer casing. It struggled forward, but slowly and surely began to shrink as the demon began to crumble. Volleys upon volleys were forced upon it until all that stood was a pile of thick stones and small rocks. Flames burned within the pile of stones, seemingly unaware of the rain which tried to douse it.

Jarrick reached higher upon the Infernal, taking step by step the precaution not to be hit by the flaming arms which wailed around recklessly. He was now nearly twenty feet off of the ground upon a flaming stack of boulders which wanted him dead. Arrows flew by the warriors face, sticking within the casing of the Infernal. Small stone chips flew off into Jarrick's face as he struggled to keep a hold of the demon. The arrows did not seem to be doing much good, but there was no way to call off the volleys. The rain was too thick to yell, and he needed both hands to stay attached to the demon. Pushing forth, the warrior lunged for the Infernals arm as it swung by, and missed. As it came around once more, Jarrick reached again, this time grasping its elbow region. Pulling himself onto the Infernal's arm now away from its body, he held strong and began to pull himself towards the Infernals shoulder.

The Infernal which stood in the middle range of the three began crushing swordsmen beneath its fist. Flames flew in every which way when its fist hit the ground, leaving a crushed burning corpse in its place. Burning flesh and steel wafted through the air, carried by the strong wind currents, not hampered by the severe rain. The swordsmen began to scatter into a more logical formation, surrounding the Infernal. They pushed all sides of the Infernal while volleys of arrows thrust into its sides, chipping small stones and at times, large stones onto the ground below. It raged and swung wildly, taking out numerous battalion members at a time as it swiped the ground. Some stood again once they were knocked down, some burned in excruciating pain. Volley after volley, stone after stone, minute after minute. Some of the arrows which stuck into th e surface of the Infernal began to smoke and burn with a green fire, while others cracked away the surface and fell to the ground. The chest of the Infernal was exposed slightly, and with a carefully aimed shot, sent to the core of which the demon retained its life from. The Infernal rocked and shook, finally breaking to pieces onto the ground.

Jarrick struggled in the rain which pounded off of the Infernals body creating steam which was thick and hot. Violently swinging around and sliding from side to side, the warrior slowly made his way towards the torso of the Infernal. With a quick swing, Jarrick slid over the edge of the Infernal and hung by a hand which grasped the demons lower arm. Regaining his wits, he groped for one more piece to get him to the torso, and pulled himself back onto the arm. The Infernal began swinging for Jarrick with its other arm, bringing the two together making thunderous noises and creating miniature earthquakes between its arms. Jarrick climbed with determination and reached the torso of the Infernal. The demon rocked back and forth enraged, trying to get the human off of it. Out of reach, Jarrick raised his sword high in the rain as a bolt of lightening struck across the sky, and struck it deep into the Infernals head. The demons body shook and rocked violently, but the warrior held fast onto his sword without moving. Freezing cold coursed through the Infernals body, blocking the flames from pushing the outer case of its body. The steam lightened, the flames were now gone, and all that stood was a hollow figure of a stone demon encased in a thin layer of ice. Jarrick dropped from the Infernals body and struck it in the back on the way down. The Infernal shattered into thousands of pieces.

The rubble of three demons lay obvious for those around to see. A battle won with more casualties than needed. Dozens of corpses lay singed, flattened, and burning scattered on the ground. The battle was won, but it was just the beginning it seemed. Lightening picked up more to the south as bolts cracked across the sky in short periods of time. Thunder raced across the sky from mountain to mountain creating enormous echoes. Torrents of rain poured onto the land, creating deep ruts and leaving the ground extremely muddy, soft, and slippery. The archers reformed themselves outside of the gates to Nethergarde Keep, and the swordsmen battalion took count of numbers and brought themselves back into ranks. Commanders appeared to each of the groups assigning new tasks. Jarrick stood silently as the rain poured onto his shoulders, running off of his armor with his blade sheathed.

The ranks of battalions pushed forth through the pounding sheets of rain which cut their vision to only yards in front of them. Lightening streaked across the darkened sky, illuminating for moments the surrounding landscape. The thunderous booming roar of lightening striking echoed through the mountains, rolling back and forth through the canyon which lay ahead of the battalions and soldiers.

The rain pounded the muddy ground as the soldiers pushed forth. Waylaid by small forces of demons on the way, numbers began to dwindle before the final battle had even begun. The lines of battalions stepped out of synchronization as its men were tired, weary, hungry, and demoralized. The trek across the Blasted Lands was not one to be taken lightly, and it was showing in the soldiers eyes. Their expressions solemn, their shoulders hung over, their heads not held high as they once were. It had been hours that seemed like days since the trek had begun. The Keep was nowhere to be seen, all which surrounded the alliance of men now were scarce animals, muddy ground, towering mountains and sheets of rain. Lightening streaked over top of the battalions as they pushed forth, thunder reaching out to them. The battle seemed as though it would never end, and it had yet to begin.

The ground began to slope downwards, noting to the troops that the Dark Portal was not far away now. In the distance, the black recess which surged new energy could be spotted. The distant visage of the Dark Portal further demoralized the men. The end was in sight, the goal was near. The truth was known by the men of the troops that power truly surged forth from the Dark Portal, and their trek was not met by a dead end. Sliding slowly down the sloping ground, as the troops neared they encountered no demons. The Dark Portal was unguarded.

Mud ran under the feet of the battalions giving them a sense of false footing. Rain began to pour down harder as lightening struck all around the troops now. It was an unnatural sight. Lightening struck, singing the ground leaving large burn marks in its place. It struck rapidly with such force that the ground shook slightly. Illuminated mountain sides flashed for moments when the lightening struck close enough. The heavens seemed to be crashing down to the earth as the power from above reached the ground. The closer to the Dark Portal, the stronger the sense of insecureity grew. A strange sight to see the Dark Portal unguarded, its blackness sucking power from the Blasted Lands, and for such a long time unseen, pushing a new power out. From inside of the Dark Portal came the lands beyond, the Outlands.

It was not raining beyond the Dark Portal. The sky was dark and seemed treacherous. The horizon shimmered a deadly green, as though the world were poisoned. Very few stars shimmered in the sky of the Outlands. Slowly, other planets from which could be seen from the Draenei homeland revolved around these lands. A tower in the distance of the Dark Portal looked black and dead, as if it were unaccompanied and unoccupied. The War ravaged grounds beyond the Portal entrance seemed as though they were rocked with unimaginable power, creating the vision that stood before the troops. Time looked as though it were at a standstill beyond the Portal. Life itself seemed to have stopped. Uninmaginable power stood beyond the Portal, power that many of the troops which now stood back from the Portal had never seen nor experienced. A strange sense of gloom washed over the troops as they looked beyond the Portal. A foreshadow of events that would come to this world some though, perhaps. Life had stopped beyond the Portal, and in time the same forces would do so here.

The power from the Dark Portal was immense, and could be felt even from where the battalions stood now. Mud continued to slide under the feet of the troops as rain washed down the slope to the steps of the Dark Portal. An eerie feeling surged its way through the troops as they looked at the world beyond which had never been so openly revealed to them. Unguarded and there for the taking.

The Commander boasted loudly a command which brought the soldiers to attention. Their perked as their morales heightened. The battalions pushed forth through the pouring rain and streaking bolts of lightening. The slope was nearly conquered, and they would soon be at the base of the Dark Portal. Thunder rolled through the hills from mountain to mountain as it echoed into the ears of the troops. They marched forward towards the strange surging power. The sky was nearly black and the path ahead was unclear. Blinded by rain and darkness, they went forth to the bottom of the slope, now reaching flat ground.

Jarrick walked alongside the battalion as they neared the Dark Portal. He too felt the power that surged from the Portal. A strange sight it was for him also that it was unguarded, for all his travels he had never seen it to be such. He did now know quite what to think as they reached the slopes end. Unlikely that they would be sent forth to an empty canyon of nothing but the Dark Portal itself. Rained poured down, running off his helm, dripping onto his lower armor and onto the ground. Lightening streaked across the sky again, nearer than before. His armor illuminated for the moment, showing his strong stature. He was ready for what was to come.

[Saved]