The ghost of Ashenvale chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Dar’Khan’s Death.

Finally it was time to take on the greatest of all the Blood elf challenges: Deathholme. The fortress at the end of the dead scar, home to all manner of undead horrors, form Nerubian spiderlords to wailing banshees. To attempt an assault alone would be suicide. I was teamed up with two paladins called Thistle and Demonbane, a mage, Coldflame, a warlock, Voidgazer, and a fellow hunter Arrowhead. Our mission: eliminate Dar’Khan Drathir the traitor who let the scourge into our lands.

We started at the Howling Ziggurat and then moved into the dead scar. The paladins went first clearing out the undead so that the lesser armoured classes such as the mage could pass unscathed, we needed them, they were our prime damage dealers.

As we reached the fortress, the air became thick and foul – it even took on a reddish tinge. We were grated by two Eyes of Dar’Khan, wraiths that the traitor used to see all that happened in Deathholme. While the warlock worked on banishing one the rest of us focused on the other. These guards did not present much of a threat and were quickly dealt with, but Dar’Khan knew of our presence and this worried us.

We advanced always fearing that a whole army would be on us at any moment, but apart from the odd Nerubian centurion we met very little resistance. At last we reached the Tower in the middle of Deathholme. We decided to split up; Thistle, Coldflame and Arrowhead would go up. While Demonbane, Voidgazer and I would go down. Saying we’d meet back at the door as soon as one of our groups had killed the traitor. The warlock sent his demon with the other party, so we cloud give each other reports on our progress.

We descended into the unknown; I was tracking undead and found that around every corner there was a necromancer with his undead servant, we made short work of them. At the lowest point of the tower we found him, Dar’Khan Drathir traitor of the Blood Elves.

“So you have come feeble ones”, he said, “and yet I saw more of you… No matter it will take less time this way”. He flicked his arm up and instantly none of us could make a sound. I recovered quickest and sent an arrow that hit him in the side. Black undead blood oozed out of the wound, but he laughed and sent a shadow bolt at me. I was sent flying backward, but as caught by Demonbane. Voidgazer sent a shadow bolt of his own, it hi Dar’Khan squarely in the chest. Then Demonbane was on him, sword flashing through the air. The traitor ha no weapon instead he conjured up a ghoul that swung at Demonbane with long sharp claws. Dar’Khan was about to attack us, but I sent Flame out to keep him busy while the warlock and I used all the spells in our arsenal to finish him off, just as Demonbane plunged his sword into the ghoul.

We walked up to the corps of our greatest enemy, each of us taking some part of the loot that he had held. I found what looked like a black crystal ball.

“What’s this?” I asked

“A scourge communicator, Voidgazer answered, give it to m I’ll be able to see who he was talking to when we turned up”

The warlock put his hand on it, his eyes glowed red for a moment. Then he fell letting go of the ball that shattered. “He called for reinforcements from the Plaguelands, said Voidgazer; we’ve got three minutes at most”

The demon summoner’s eyes glowed red, and he spoke I in his voidwalker’s deep voice:

“Thistle get to the doors we’re gonna have company”