( Story about one of my bloodelf alts and his experiences during the Scourge invasion of Silvermoon.)
"The undead scourge have been setting up base to the south, but this is as far as they will get!"
Inspecting the troops Sylvanas gave then a grim nod.
"They made it here with the aid of a traitor. But we are not beaten yet!
Rangers, you are to be organized into swift and mobile killing groups.
The cadets remain here in the unlikely event that some of the undead make their way to the village."
Standing to attention Feralen could not help feeling a little dissapointed.
He was still only a cadet and now his father and big sister would be off and stop the undead while he had to remain here.
Watching the rangers leave Feralen was soon set to work to guard the outskirts of the village.
The cadets had been set in pairs and his partner was a boy roughly his age who seemed more tense then the string on his bow.
"What will we do if they show up?? I mean...i know were suposed to send a flare but...how dangerus do you think they are? I heard that..."
Before to long Fera had timed him out.
Rules said that a ranger never should reveal their whereabouts but this guy just would not shut up.
But not like it matterd, the intresting stuff was miles away and as soon the Knights of Silvermoon came the undead would easily be beaten back.
Chances was he would never even see a undead at ...
"Hey, did you hear that?!"
A sudden nudge knocked Fera out of his thoughts as he sendt his partner a annoyed glare.
"What? all i hear is you going on and on and if there were any dead around they would heard you as well."
The cadet fell silent for only a moment.
"...i just think i heard something, like a hissing and a clicking sound..."
Rolling his eyes Fera paused to listen. It was just his luck to get the partner that saw enemies every...
Looking around Fera couldnt help feeling a chill running down his spine.
There really was new and strange sounds...and worse yet a total lack of animal sounds or even insects. Come to think of it...even his partner was quiet for once...
Turning around to say something Fera could only stare. nothing.
Only a bow lay on the ground.
Had he paniced and ran back to the village? It was not the most unlikely thought... but there were no tracks and even he would not have left the bow...
Picking it up Fera noticed just how sticky the weapon was, fine white strands clinging to it almost like ...spider silk?
Looking around agein Fera felt unsure.
They were orderd to be in pairs at all time and never walk alone... But leaving his post to report his partner missing...
Grabbing his bag of flares Fera looked them over. Red and yellow.
Red ones was a call for help and the yellow was for illumination... But if he did fire a yellow one someone was bound to notice and come to investegate.
Fireing off the flare the sharp yellow flame lit up the area around him as something suddenly hissed in anger behind him.
Quickly turning and reaching for a arrow Fera froze in sheer fright.
Eight black and unblinking eyes was staring blindly at him, the creature was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Calling it a spider was hardly accurate cos it had arms, and a torso and was now flailing wildly to find its intended prey while blinded by the sudden burst of light.
Mind racing he suddenly realized what had happend to his partner and acted.
The arrow flew at the creature and burried itself into its chest, a deadly shot.
But... the creature did not even flinch.
Its baleful black eye orbs staring at him as dripping mandibles clicked in anticipation.
It was unreal, a thing from nightmares and it was coming right at him now.
Backing up something suddenly caught his leg and sendt him on his back as the creature moves closer, fast for its size it was about to get him as Fera raised his hands in a futile attempt to ward it off, eyes closed so he wouldnt see it happen... and the sudden thud making him look agein.
Two blueishwhite arrows had been fired into the monsters head and it was now lying there with its legs sprawled and its eyes even more dead then before.
Staring in disbelief Fera could see the arrows fade away and as he scrambled back on his feet the monster remained still.
Looking around he now saw several flares fly up to the dark sky.
All of them red.
The monster had not been alone.
Windrunner village was under attack.
***
It was a disaster now.
All the red flares meant two things.
That help would not come to him in time, maybe not at all.
And that he had to run back, get behind the barricades to reinforce the village last line of defense.
It was a short run, Feralen could run fast if he wanted.
But it still felt like miles between him and the safety.
Just a bit more, he would be safe. there would be nothing more to worry about. and ...
Seeing the barricade destroyed hit him like a hammer.
It was dark, but he could see well.
There was movement, on the ground. Maybe someone was hurt...
Running closer Fera stopped and froze.
It was one of the remaining rangers...he was lying on the ground and...and two of the cadets were...were eating him!
It was unreal, impossible!
Grabbing his bow Fera found it impossible to lift it to shoot. instead he ran past them.
This had to be a nightmare and soon he would wake up...
Chaos ruled the village. people were running without any sense or reason.
A few houses were engulfed in flames, others has the doors broken down.
Walking through the chaos Fera could not belive what he was seeing.
And the screams... it was unbearable.
A winged horror swooped down and snatched a screaming boy before carrying him away into the darkness.
A woman was clinging to undead male, her face in tears as he was...biting her! It was a gruesome sight.
She let him kill her, and seemed so...sad. Not fearfull.
Stumbeling around Fera could only watch the nightmare... and did not see the rotting horror that knocked him down.
The stinking ghoul was pulling at him, its jaws already chewing in anticipation of warm flesh and blood.
Kicking at it Fera drew the long knife from his belt and slashed at its arm, cutting through rotting flesh and brittle bone with ease.
The ghoul moaned in protest as Fera crawled backwards away from it, its hand still clutching his leg.
Then...the hand moved.
Almost running up his leg on bony fingers, this new horror making him pause. It ran and flew at him as he tried to dodge but to late.
The hand latched only his face, clawing into his flesh.
Screaming with fear and disgust he grabbed the hand and pulled like mad, the pain was unbeliveable.
Hot blood ran down his face as he felt the flesh tear, but he didnt dare to stop. he wanted it off!
Throwing it away he got back up and ran away from the ghoul.
It was no nightmare at all, it was all to real but somewhere had to be safe.
He could have cried with relief as he saw Ranger Bloodstriker... exept...
The undead were closing in on him and the few cadets.
To his horror he saw Bloodstriker grab a nearby male...and pushed him right at the undead that without hesitation tore into the screaming elf.
Fera could not belive what he had seen, how could anyone...
Suddenly a arrow burried into his arm, one of the cadets had shot him!
Backing away and trying to signal at them, trying to make them understand he was not dead another arrow barely missed his head.
Turning to run Fera ghasped as he was knoced to the side by a elf that was burning and running in panic.
A few arrows ended the misery of the burning one and gave Fera the seconds he needed to escape into a house that was dark and empty.
The coppery smell of blood was sickening but it was dark.
Huddeling up in a dark corner he could only try his best to block out the sounds and pray that the monsters would not come and find him here.
***
Around dawn the screams had gone silent.
His face ached and he had barely managed to stop the bleeding but with half his face coverd up he could not see as well as he was used to.
He had lost his bow somewhere, only had his dagger left and he was holding that so hard that his hands were hurting now.
There had been no sleep, no safety. Everytime something had made a sound or the shadows had moved he had been frozen in fear.
And his mind would not rest, he was constantly wondering where his father and big sister had been during all of this.
Looking around as the light chased the shadows away Fera could see the bloodsplatter, the signs of a fight.
Whoever had lived here would never come back home.
No one would.
Never agein.
Looking around the outside he could see all was quiet.
Nothing was left, no people and thank the Light...no monsters either.
Looking around it was little left to show what had happend. there was blood and burned out houses....but almost no dead.
Picking up a bow while looking around Fera did his best to be silent.
He needed arrows too...and then he would get out of this place.
His father and sister was still out there somewhere.
If only he could find them everything would be good agein...
If he would ever find them...
