Dusk settled on the Silvermoon Academy. Wednesday's evening painted a dull Elven glow across the northern sky. The eternal spring of Quel'thalas held true, illuminating the darker horizon with stars. Beyond the campus, the city settled into a low gurgle of activity. Two guards -- a Tauren and an Elf -- stood post at the campus gates.

It was time. Finally.

At least, it was time again.

Several years ago, the city crumbled at the force of Arthas Menethil's undead Scourge. They rushed the sacred woods and cut through the Old Gates of Silvermoon City; like a jagged incision, the Dead Scar ran up the woods as testament to the destruction. Nothing was spared. The city cleaved in two, and buildings fell at the rampaging furor of the Scourge. Among the fallen establishments was one of the city's glittering stars -- the school, the hallmark of Quel'dorei tradition, the Academy.

It was time again, time again, finally.

There were Elves who remembered the siege. They watched the city fall and heard the earthquake-tremor of a million hungry fiends. Some of them were injured; others watched their families and friends die. And there were many who did not evacuate the Academy when the reports flooded the city: the South is lost! The South! There's no way we can stop them, they're coming for the city! Almost all of them perished. The ones who survived faced agony and misery unparalleled either from Scourge, or withdrawal, or worse: the desperation of their own people.

The Elves have always disgusted me.

Some of the minions who turned to Arthas' thrall had done so voluntarily. They wanted power. They wanted control. It wasn't much, they rationed, to spill their blood and offer themselves to this Prince of dark machinations. Not much at all -- for the results were cruelly beautiful and catastrophically destructive. The ends justified the means. Who cared if kingdoms crumbled and the world shook in fear, as long as they got what they wanted?

I don't think it's a petty thing, to do what I've done for the reasons I can name. They're very important reasons. I'm a very important thing these days, you see. Important enough to these filthy Elves. I got their attention. It tooks a lot of effort, but I got their attention.

So when Arthas sought the Sunwell, needing its power to resurrect one of his most faithful, what did it matter if there were Elves in the way?

It was a pleasure to destroy this place the first time. It will be even better the second time around. Now, of course, that I have their attention.

Dusk over Silvermoon painted a red February sky. The streetlights flickered on.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Elven Academy, may I have your attention, please?

------------

The stablemaster loved the ten-minute walk from the campus courtyards to his cottage near the fringe of Eversong's thickets. It gave him a chance to breathe and whistle; he often saw rabbits loping lazily near the shrubs, and one evening he witnessed an owl swooping to a low branch. Bantarion had gushed with excitement about the sighting to various and sundry friends.

As he approached his cottage and the school's stables, Bantarion noticed a flicker of movement near the left side of his house. In the dim evening light, he squinted to get a better look. Something hobbled out of sight behind his house -- it shuffled away with the irregular, shaking movement of an injured animal.

"Huh," Bantarion breathed, scratching his head. "Must be Pokes." He stopped in the dust and gravel of the road, flicking his tapering ears forward to listen. Bantarion heard crickets and the distant barking of a dog; he did not hear the signature, meowing greeting that his tabby cat offered whenever he came home. "Pokes?"

There was no answer.

"Guess he's huntin' somethin'," Bantarion remarked quietly. But a loud cracking noise cut through the air, and he started with a shout of surprise. "What was that?!"

The sound that struck his hears sent a shivering chill down his spine. It was high and tremolo, the death-whine of a rabbit or a rodent. It squabbled and peaked and soon was joined by the gurgling rumble of another beast. Bantarion felt his stomach turn icy with fear. There was something incredibly unnatural about that sound.

"Hey!" he yelled, rushing towards the cottage. His hammer was leaning against the railing of his porch, as usual, and he yanked it up as he charged behind the cottage. "Hey! Git on! Git on, whatever-ya-are! Git on, gi--"

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

Arranged in a visceral semi-circle were the bodies of several hawkstriders. They were cut open, entrails scattered haphazardly about the grass. Standing in their cusp was a hulking corpse, animated and upright. It was hunched over the dead animals, slurping at whatever flesh and bloody feathers it could find.

Bantarion dropped his hammer. His knees gave way with a shuddering cry. The corpse lifted its head -- its eye sockets glowed with a fierce blue light. In the dim light, Bantarion could see that it had tapering ears, but only by virtue of the rotting cartilage being stapled to the side of the corpse's head. In fact, there were four sets of ears -- Elven ears -- roughly jammed into the side of the corpse's skull. They dangled off his flesh like wilted trophies. No, it was no elf. No elf at all -- but some kind of shambling, blood-drinking monster draped in the decor of Elven flesh. Jutting from its flesh, like a morbid torc, were ... oh! truly!

Fingernails.

When he awoke, he tasted the blood before he felt it. It oozed, warm and thick, down his cheeks. His head felt lighter -- had he been scalped? Frantically, Bantarion touched his head. No, the scalp was still there, but the pain. Broken ribs. A collapsed lung? He was still alive. Could he stand? But there was blood everywhere. Frantically, he managed to rise and felt searing pain crush into his chest. Red sheared down his shoulders. Blood, and --

Hair?

His hair had been hacked off.

A shrill scream cracked through his pain-soaked daze. Shadows swooped past him; he felt his stomach bottom out. He dared not look up. No, he dared not, he dared not, he --

Brell'an's proto-drakes.

The four dragons loomed above him, circling in the night sky. From their rotted wings dropped red flesh and viscera. They were dead, but flying. Bantarion could feel the realization in his throat before it struck his mind: they were turned, the monster-creature-corpse had turned them. All four of them. And the hawkstriders ... and the kodos ... and the zhevra, and the mammoths, and ...

A guttural groan clamored from above. The voice was distinct, the language Common:

"I'll tether you to the fate of your kind, the vanity of your people!"

And the four dead dragons, their corpse rider, and the rest of the abominations summoned up from the Academy stables, went clamoring towards the school grounds.

I'm going to tether you to an open wound that NEVER heals.

( The school is under attack! Brell'an's four proto-drakes -- now turned Undead -- and an unimaginable number of undead beasts are stampeding the grounds of the Academy as midnight rolls through! The murderer, unmasked as a Death Knight with a serious hatred for the Elves, is out to destroy the Academy! What will your character do? How will they respond? Will they run in fear and panic? Or will they demonstrate a moment of foolish bravery and take action against this sudden attack? You have twenty-four hours to respond! Make it count! )

It had taken so long. But they were here. Finally. Here.

There it stood, atop the citadel, shrouded in evil and hatred... Hatred.

Dune stood among the other Crusaders. Tirion stood nearby. The Lich King was gazing at them with that... wretched flame of blue, that seething hate that pounded inside one's chest, crushing at the will to continue. All around them, all around them swirled nigh ethereal beings, souls, all souls being held in thrall by the King's power...

And then a thud. A step. A shudder, a drag. Slowly, the Lich King came towards them. Laughter... the darkest laughter one can imagine, bone chillingly cold.

"Serve me once more..." The voice echoed out. At Dune? At one of the others?

At all of them.

All of them, at once, felt the cold. And charged.

Tirion was dead. The blade pierced him as easily as a knife blade stuck through a piece of parchment. Gone. They were all gone.

It was just Dune and his shield... SLAM. Shook, his arm broke. Snapped, as the blade struck firmly against his shield. Laughter. Laughter...
He was on the ground, chest heaving... bleeding somewhere, everywhere... The point of that wretched blade hovering over his chest, laughter, black... His eyes swam and all he saw was black. Cold, so cold...

"Arise, champion of the Scourge..."

Dune sat up with a cry, shaking, shuddering. A cold sweat glistened over his body in the darkness, sheets wrapped around him as if they were trying to strangle him in the night. His breath fogged out in front of him as he panted, mind clutching to the nameless terror that had overwhelmed him in his dreams... Wait, his breath was fogging?

Why was it so cold? He slid out of the bed after fighting the sheets, ripping them enough to free his frame. He pulled on a shirt, a pair of pants, and moved to peer out the window. It didn't look that cold outside... The moon shone a pale color in the darkness, the single sentinal standing watch over those hallowed grounds this eve. Feet padded over carpet as he lifted his axe, strapped on belt and axe and stepped into the hallway. He was going for a walk.

He was still freezing as he stepped barefoot about the grounds. It was so late, so dark, with that single light above. Shadows shifted about him suddenly, yet he felt no breeze. The trees weren't moving. He looked about blearily, a cry reaching his ears. Above him. Drakes...

The smell of death. Four of them. Dead. Flying... flying!

Shambling, creaking bones shifted into his hearing as well... He was surrounded. All sorts of hideous creatures, slowly moving onto the grounds. His hand moved to the pommel of his axe, as he drew forth weapon and shield. There it was.

The death knight.

He had been right in his belief... this was it.

A cry of rage ripped forth from the paladin's throat, but it wasn't at the death knight that he charged. It was towards the dorms. His axe banged against his shield loudly as he let out a single cry.

"WAKE UP."

It was going to be a long, long night.

[[OOC Note! From here on out, Dune is... performing the duties of a guard. He is protecting whatever students he comes across and trying to get them to safety. He is therefor active and visible about the campus for all of your posts!]]

The dead have no place among the living, I shouldn't care.

A heavy sigh escaped from the undead woman, walking her usual patrol route. It had been a long week, the guards of the academy quite busy with the recent developments of the murders. As she recalls her thoughts she mumbles to herself,

"Nothing but a bunch of pain in the ass..."

The guard knew that a death knight has been responsible for the murders, believed to be elven but reports of the body frame believed it could be something else. The fact that she remembered much of her former language of Common, well she really could not have expected the stares and having her actions closely watched among the guard.

I only agreed to this to put Miraneev's mind at ease, yet my own continues to be flooded with questions and confusion.

As she turned a corner towards the dormitory she noticed a giant shadow glide over the floor in a flash. She turned her head towards the sky-

"WAKE UP!"

Katheren's head quickly turned towards the voice, she saw one of the guard members, Dune running towards the student dorms. Her hands quickly drew the massive rune blade off her back; the sudden weight of the blade caught her off balance, feeling ten times heavier than it should. She let go of the handle, the rune weapon falling to the ground with a heavy thud; the runes had grown dark and unresponsive.

"Shit..."

Emerging under the moonlight she saw the death knight they were after, along with other undead drones.

I shouldn't care I shouldn't care I shouldn't care.

A sadistic grin grew on her face, as her hollow eyes narrowed towards the approaching mob.

"The Light has left my side, I am no different now from the ones that stand before me. However...as a damn fool that was once a sister of the Light in life, it is still the same in death..."

She withdrew two long blades from her sides, weapons mass crafted for war. The runes she engraved on them lit up and hummed softly. Just as she thought, keeping the original blade from her time with the Scourge would of been her downfall. She made a final shout, hoping that Dune or anyone else near would hear.

"GET THE STUDENTS TO SAFETY AND ASSEMBLE THE GUARD! I'LL TRY AND STALL THEM TO BUY MORE TIME! BE QUICK ABOUT IT I RATHER NOT DIE A SECOND TIME!"

Several runes on her weapons grew dim as she laid down a death and decay in hopes of slowing down the approaching dead; she hoped others would arrive in time before she became quickly overwhelmed.

Thank you for this.

Nicolai strode along the streets of Silvermoon, his hands clasped behind his back and his sight unfocused as he allowed his subconscious to guide him back to the Academy. Still, even as he walked, he replayed the headmistress' words in his mind:

I always thank you, but I mean it.

It was always a thanks for the company, for his company, for the pleasant time shared between the two of them. It was a strange pairing, the headmistress and the doctor; not quite purely platonic, yet not quite truly romantic, either. He had stopped in the midst of a day's work on occasion to ponder the nature of their relationship (beyond employer and employee, of course), and he still could not put a definition on it, just yet. Still, he enjoyed their brief dinners, the occasional walk in the city, and he enjoyed being able to see her enjoy herself, whether it was by his own efforts or otherwise.

A sudden gust collided with his body, startling him from his thoughts as the chilly breeze weaved its way into and through his coat and eliciting a shudder from the elf. He blinked his eyes in surprise, grabbing his hands to pull it closed in an effort to block out as much of the offensive wind as he could. Yet even as he did so, he remembered how clear and pleasant the evening had been in direct contrast, and his brow furrowed as he quickened his pace.

But even as his mind raced, searching for an answer to a question he hadn't yet quite formulated, he heard, rather than saw, the trouble first. The sound of metal striking metal, each collision of the two objects grating on the doctor's ears as they twitched amidst the cold air. His pace quickened further, heart racing as he dreaded what he would discover. And then he saw it.

There, ahead of him, lay the devastated stables. Nearby, he could see a fallen figure lying on the wayside. And there, in the blood-red sky, were the undead dragons circling ominously overhead. Every moment that passed brought further panic to the doctor, his heart pulsing rapidly as the shock of the scene before him began to register, adrenaline beginning to course through him as he fought to keep his mind clear. Feeling himself beginning to fail that internal battle, the doctor did what came naturally.

Behind the panes of his elliptical glasses, he closed his eyes. Hearing compensated for the loss of sight, and he only heard his heartbeat echoing louder in his ears. Yet, still he kept his eyes closed, attempting to bring his scattered thoughts into one cohesive wavelength. After a few moments, the sound of the wind brushing against his ears slowly began to fade from his consciousness, and his quickened heartbeat slowed.

He could hear nothing. He could see nothing. His mind was free to think at its own pace. Both hands reached steadily for his left side, one hand pulling aside the coat, revealing the holster at his waist; his right hand grasped at the handle of the heavy revolver that rested there, pulling it free. First, he flipped a small lever near the trigger of the gun, disabling the safety. Then he cocked it, the action allowing a dull pair of metallic grinds to break through the mental silence he had enclosed himself in. And then he waited again.

He waited only a moment, then opened his eyes again. All sight and sound returned to him, save for the beating of a panicked heart. Calm had overtaken him, and he panned the scene before him quickly, fishing his lucky pocket-watch from the inner lining of his coat as he resumed his quickened pace toward the stables and the fallen Bantarion.

The night was cool, unnaturally so but it was warmer then the north, she and Asvald strolled quietly, chatting on and off about their vacation to Booty Bay. Lee stretched and groaned, popping her neck, her arms raised and her fingers laced behind her head as they strolled. They had both taken to wearing their armour when not in her apartment, strolling the city or the campus.

"It'll be nice to get away from all the stress, every one's so damn tense, can't stand it..including myself." Lee grumbled quietly, closing her eye and yawning widely, Asvald nodded grinning slightly at her.
"I can't either, I'm looking forwards to seeing you in a better mood though." he chuckled cheekily, she opened her eye and shot him a look, her hand came down to lightly punch his arm.
"Oi...I'm not that bad..." she paused..."Am I?"
"No, no." he chuckled impishly and smiled. Lee snickered and dropped her hands to her sides as they strolled through the courtyard, Lee paused before the statue that had been recently defiled. She gazed up at it silently, her un-ruined ear twitched, something stirred over head and her eye flickered to the sky, there was nothing there.

She cocked her head and glanced to Asvald, he seemed oblivious as he glanced around idly, waiting for her to continue.
"Did you hear something..." she muttered and glanced upwards again, the sky was clear, the stars twinkling merrily and the moon watching over the terrain below it.
"No..." he blinked errantly and looked to her, pausing to listen, as he did, the cry of a familiar voice rang through the air from the dormitory section of the campus. Both Lee and Asvald jumped in surprise, Lee's hands went to the cruel barbed and hooked blades ((Cobweb Machete's)) on her belt, her fingers touching the hilts of the knives, Asvald's ears twitched, "Dune." he uttered the name and within a split second, they were sprinting.

Lee's hands dropped from her blades, a hand went for the gun on her back. The hand cannon was pulled off her back and she spun the chamber, it was loaded, as per usual. Asvald had left his bow at home he had daggers on him, that was it. They rounded the corner to come upon the scene of mayhem. There was carnage, one of the students from the dormitory lay on the ground convulsing, the side of his head had been kicked in, a wyvern prowled and terrorized another student, the clatter of hooves ricocheted off the towering stone walls. The snap of wings flared above them and a haunting cry echoed off the walls as the screech of a proto drake deafened both of them.

She spun, cocking the gun, supporting it against her shoulder as Asvald backed up, she pulled the trigger as the Drake landed with a thunderous crash that shook the ground. The rippling retort of the gun boomed in the dormitory square, the flash of gunpowder lit up the vicinity around Lee. The Drake staggered in surprise as it was hit by the incendiary projectile. It reared, letting out another deafening and garbled screech, thundering forwards at them on it's wing knuckles. Asvald feinted and took the long way around, his daggers were drawn and he closed in on the flank of the rampaging creature, he tucked and rolled, avoiding the thrashing barbed tail. The daggers dug into the dead flesh, he expertly twisted them and they caused immediate damage to the muscles, furiously he slashed and cut. He dropped to a knee and plunged both daggers into the soft flesh of it's lower leg. The keening scream of the injured drake squealed in his ears, the tail caught him and sent him flying suddenly. He rolled roughly, tumbling to a halt, one of his daggers had gone flying, they other was still firmly embedded in the leg of the thrashing drake.

His ears were assaulted again as Lee took aim and fired her gun again, the necrotized drake was slammed with another exploding round of molten hot lead. The woman calmly took aim again as the proto drake raged forwards and, her eye sighted her target and she was rocked back by the push back of the blast as she pulled the trigger again. At the last second, she jumped to the side, deftly rolling and coming into a crouch. The smoking barrel of her gun leveled out again and she pulled the trigger. Nothing. Again, she pulled the trigger, her heart clenched in her chest as the trigger jammed.
"SHIT!" She threw the gun aside and rolled away as the drake came for her again.

Asvald recovered the dagger that had gone flying, he sprinted as Lee's gun jammed, he was suddenly bowled over though by the form of a wyvern, the undead animal slavered at his face with a screeching snarl. Asvald wedged a foot on the creatures chest and heaved with a snarl of his own, shoving the animal off to skitter across the pavement. The wyvern let out a yowl as it tumbled over the hard stone. The sturdy northerner was on his feet again, he dropped and slid his hand deftly snatching the dagger out of the drake's leg with a yank. The animal reared and screeched, deftly pivoting to go after the new nuisance, giving Lee time to recover and draw her daggers.

Her heart pounded in her ears as the drake snarled and lumbered over Asvald, Lee let out a loud yell she sprinted the gut hooked daggers gripped tightly in her hands as she dodged an errant swipe of the vicious tail, she kept running. But the back swing of the tail was ignored until it slammed into her back and sent her head exploding in pain. She slammed into the pavement, dazed for a moment.

Asvald froze momentarily as Lee thudded to the pavement in a heap, the Drake lunged, Asvald narrowly skipped back and ducked as the wing swiped at him. He himself lunged forwards with a guttural and ragged scream, his dagger plunged into the soft crease between it's tiny forearm and it's chest. The Drake screamed again and swiped with it's other wing, knocking Asvald backwards.

Lee growled groggily she pushed herself up off the ground and stumbled to her feet, her head was dazed, spinning. Little lights exploded behind her eye and she shook her head, eye focusing in time to watch Asvald get the brunt of a wing swipe. She barked angrily, the drake swung around and she sprinted, taking a running leap at the Drake's side as it turned, one dagger glanced off it's side but the other one jammed into the muscle. The Drake bucked and reared, thrashing and shaking angrily. Lee clung to the dagger for dear life, her weight and the frenzied actions of the animal caused the blade to rip through the muscle as she dropped when gravity kicked in after a painstaking moment. She dropped to the ground, bouncing back a few steps to avoid the wild swing of it's tail. The side of the drake had been laid right open, black and brackish blood poured down it's side as it turned it's murderous eyes on Lee.

Bell sat on the steps of the Grand Library waiting as patiently as she could. It had been half an hour since she'd called for an escort, but as it had been most nights the guards were spread to thin with so many students trying to get around the city and work on projects and homework. It was ironic that she'd been given permission to act as an escort on nights like this when the Brigade was bogged down with requests, but in the end she knew if she made the walk back to the barracks alone she'd likely get arrested. Again.

Sighing she shoved her cheek into her gauntlet. It's true, spending the last nine hours in the Library in full armor had gotten her some stares, but given the tension around the Academy of late and the dire need Bell felt to look respectable the young Adept had refused to appear anywhere out of her armor in weeks. Well, except for the boat ride with Aenni last week. Still, any other time she was in full armor. Even in the Library. As for why she'd been there, Bell had fallen into her old habit of pouring through tomes of old, crackling pages in attempt to salvage some insight or answers to why everything had been falling apart lately. True, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, but unlike angry, degradating conversations the books rarely left her more confused and frustrated.

Bell grimaced at her own thoughts as a boot kicked out lazily at a small pebble on the steps. It bounced the last two steps then rolled in a semi-circle to a stop. Then it hopped. Then again. Bell's eyebrows rose slowly, but then she felt it too. A rumble on the ground, up her legs into her knees and spine. She stood slowly and as she did everything happened at once.

An explosion of stone and fresh gore burst from the wall of the Library behind her. Bell pulled her shield from her back and ducked quickly as she looked at the sight. Shattered bodies and crumbling masonry lay splayed about the Royal Exchange. In the midst of this disaster stood a massive rhino, carved with blood and dust all over it's chalky white hide. Bell stood slowly, moving in a wide circle as she held her shield up. This made no sense... who would let a rhino loose in Silvermoon - let alone in the Library?? The beast stepped forward, a sickening crunch of dead Sin'dorei under it's hoof. A blasting snort bellowed from it's nostrils, it's head lowered to scrape it's mighty horn on a shard of stone.

Bell's mind rattled off everything she'd ever read about rhinos as fast as she could remember. Massive beasts, mostly in cold climates, vegetarians, terrible eyesight, acute sense of smell, and prone to charge. She watched as the monster shook its head and then slacked it's jaw to let out a soft mist of a breath while blue eyes seemed to look around with a listless gaze. Bell's own sea-green orbs tightened... was this an undead beast? How could this be? Paying to much attention to the rhino she forgot to watch her feet. A thick plated boot clanged off the edge of a bench and the sound trembled in the now silent night. The rhino's nub ears perched, it's horn turned to Bell. "Fel... good hearing too... forgot that."

The world slowed, the front hooves tore into the cobblestone pavement, it's bulk rolling all into it's giant shoulders as it lunged forward. Bell's one saving grace was her speed - once again saving her as she dove to the side in desperation. It was close, her toes nearly tracing a pattern in the monster's side as she landed with a soft thud. Standing she spun to face it once more. Her shield was up, her free hand moving to a pouch on her belt. She couldn't survive that- it took out a wall!! She had to make this a close fight, but a shield and tricks of the Light wouldn't save her now. Her mind was racing, but she pushed away her thoughts to flee and instead charged straight to the monster's head.

Her shield was up and met with a crash of that thick horn. It was overwhelming and nearly fell the girl on contact, but she managed to absorb the blow and slide with the force and stay in near range. The beast roared, it's movements slow as it turned to face her again. Bell took the change to charge again, this time her shield laced with a thin layer of Light she slammed it at the rhino's neck. It was enough to shake the beast, only for a moment. Bell's hand moved from her belt to grab her axe gingerly. She was rushed, and it was sloppy but she brought the thick Northrend axe down hard into the hide of the beast. It wasn't much but it was a wound. She let go of the hilt and instead slammed her shield down on the axe head hard with all her might. The cut became deeper quickly.

The monster rolled into her, pushing the Adept back. Bell was able to grab the hilt of her axe as she fell and loosed it again. Running in a circle she flanked the rhino once more, forcing it to try to turn with her. The speed difference worked for her again and she bought enough time to charge the injured side. With a yelp she slammed her fist into the rhino's wound. She got as far as the elbow, and with a grimace she had to push hard on it's side to pull herself free now.

Once out, she spun and ran away hard. She could hear the beast roar again, she could feel it's feet slam into the stone below as it prepared to charge her once more. She turned and raised her shield, crouching behnd a bench. The first step of the charge began and then with a mighty blast the beast was blown off it's feet. Undead chunks of the monster flew from it's wounded side as it crashed hard on it's other side. One last roar bellowed from it's redying lungs, and it's head dropped hard as well.

Bell stood slowly, her hands shaking slightly. Stepping forward, she kept her shield high as she reached for another of her Saronite Grenades from the small pouch on her belt. When the beast didn't move, she let out a soft breath and tucked away her grenade again. Her hand moved for her hearthstone, when she heard the new sound.

A whinny. A series of them. A small pack of now undead Chargers had found the battle and gathered near the Adept. Her eyes moved to the group of three now undead paladin mounts and her legs lost all strength. She fell to her knees under their cold, blue gaze. The lead of the three reared up on it's two hind legs and called out with a shake of it's glossy, now-dead mane. Bell's brain screamed for her to move but she could do nothing but stare in absolute, frozen terror.

(For those that don't know... Bell has a serious phobia of horses.)

Things had been going so nicely too. The day had been quiet, a majority of it spent in Kailenn's company and left Saerris in high spirits as the hunter walked across the campus, enjoying what he thought to be a good ending to an even better day. Lupa, his wolf, was at his side and the weather was pleasant. A wonderful change from his time spent in the North.

'Perhaps tomorrow I can surprise him with a picnic on the beach,' he thought as he strolled. It brought a smile to his face and he went through a list of things he would need to prepare once he reached home in order to have everything ready.

As he neared the dorms, however, Lupa paused beside him. A low growl escaped the beast as she bared her teeth, laying her ears back. That had the hunter more aware than the sudden chill wind around him. Then he heard the sounds of battle. That was all it took.

"Lupa, come!" Saerris used every bit of speed he possessed to race for the dorm, the wolf barreling after him. As he ran, he reached for the crossbow at his back, already loaded and just waiting for a target. He had the vague thought that he was immensely thankful he'd chosen to wear his armor rather than the more casual clothes he'd visited Kailenn in.

The sight that greeted him made his blood run cold. He skidded to a halt, Lupa crouching low and growling even louder still at the veritable army of undead descending upon the campus and those on its grounds. Though immediately he noticed both Lee and Asvald.

Saer pointed at the wyvern going for Asvald. "Lupa, kill!" The wolf leaped into action, going straight for the creature's throat in an attempt to intercept it, halting its progress toward Asvald while the hunter reached for one of his traps, a fervent prayer racing through his mind as he flung it at the beast's feet. "Lee, move! Now!" Without waiting he fired arrow after arrow at the drake, some wreathed in arcane magic, some in poison. Whatever he could think of, he fired. Anything to get it to stop. His aim wass true, catching the beast in the head and neck. He knew even if it didn't succeed, it would at least seek to attack this new threat, giving Lee and Asvald enough time to escape.

The beast stepped onto the trap and as the fire raced over its rotted flesh, the hunter breathed a silent sigh of thanks, his eyes straying toward his wolf to make certain she had dealt with the wyvern, but it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. Thank the Light he had more traps and plenty of arrows. He fired again at the drake, seeking to provide a cover while his wolf worked at ripping the wyvern's decayed throat out and he called to the two rogues. "Come to me, now! We need to get the students out of the dorms! The guards should be here soon!"

A long night indeed. And the worst ending he could imagine for what had been a truly pleasant day. Saerris' only comfort was the thought that at least Kailenn was safe in Dalaran..

((First off. BELL! Damnit!. I swear to you I had this finished before I read your post ))

Quiet night, eh Jaxx?

The flamingo offered no reply. Ishnelo was uneasy. It was a quiet night. Too damn quiet. The sniper had been on patrol for the better part of that day, and his shift was nearing its end. It was almost time to rest his weary body upon his favorite cot in the inn. Yet, he was not sleepy. Something was not right. Something was causing him to be on edge, as wide-eyed as if he had just woken up.

Too quiet. Too cold.

Suddenly he could hear shouts from across campus. “WAKE UP! WAKE UP!” Quickly, he drew his rifle and sped off in the direction of the alarms. All about him sleeping students and professors began to stir, to meet whatever had shattered the stillness of the night. Beretta turned a corner . . .

Earthmother . . .

An army of monstrosities poured into the square. Were these Scourge?! Ishnelo quickly flattened himself against the side of the building, narrowly escaping what looked like a stampeding zombie kodo with half its side eaten away. Ishnelo went down to one knee, and began firing.

Breathe in.

He would squeeze the trigger. ::Boom::

He would pull back the slide, ejecting a shell. ::tsheek!::

He would push back the slide, and aim again.

Breathe out.

He would fire once more.

For a few moments, he settled into this rhythm, concentrating on the animals closest to fleeing students. He saw his fellow guardsmen attempting to hold the throng at bay, allowing others the chance to flee. He saw sword and shield clash with tooth and claw. Magic flew into the horde of ghoulish animals, burning them to nothing with arcane flames, and yet still more came. The smell of death, and despair, was overwhelming.

A shadow flew across the moon, causing him to look up, and gasp in horror.
The drakes rose up in the sky, their wings of death blocking the starlight, their rotted maws breathing plagued mist upon those on the ground. Ishnelo took aim at the closest one and began letting off round after round, striking the beast in the head, neck, ribs, but to no avail. These creatures were already dead! What could mere physical weapons do to them?

Ishnelo spotted a student running in terror away from a diving drake. He began to give chase, to try and help the student, but the student was too far away. The drake leveled its dive, and with claws outstretched, plucked the student up by his tunic. The drake began to beat its wings once more, to take its meal somewhere more private.

No. No. NO!

Frantically searching for a solution, and out of ideas, Ishnelo went with an extremely desperate option.

(There is a stigma about engineers, especially those who embrace the goblin side of things. Such a stigma implies that anyone who would choose to tamper with explosives, rockets, and other things of a volatile nature are 100% insane. Activists in the engineering world have tried to dispel this stereotype, to no avail, because, quite frankly, its absolutely true.)

Dropping his rifle, Ishnelo sprinted as fast as he could to get under the rising drake. He knew he would only have one shot, and the possibility of missing . . . he didn’t think about it. Reaching down to his boots, he flicked closed the vents of his Nitro Boosts, and then activated them. For a split second, nothing happened. Then, his feet exploded.

The wind whipping past his face caused his eyes to tear up, as he sky-rocketed toward the drake’s underbelly, and the struggling student held captive by the massive claws.

One shot.

Ishnelo reached out and wrapped his arms around one of the massive legs of the drake, his shoulders nearly wrenched from their sockets as he fought to stop his momentum. By now, the drake had risen quite high, and it was a loooong way down.

“HOLD STILL!” he commanded the student. Ishnelo locked his legs around the drake’s limb to solidify his perch. Reaching over his shoulder, he detached his cloak from his chain-link pads, then, reaching down to the elf below, clipped it around the student’s shoulders. Pulling out his small pistol from its holster, Beretta opened fire upon the dragon’s ankles.

The drake reacted almost immediately, letting loose a roar, and relaxing its grip on the student. The student’s tunic tore and gave way, dropping him from the clutches of the beast. Ishnelo breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his cloak open, the parachute catching air, and the student drifting away to safety.

The drake was shaking its legs fiercely now, and it took all of Ishnelo’s strength to hold on. He had to drop his pistol to maintain his grip, and was at the mercy of the dragon. The drake’s maw peered down at Beretta, as if it was laughing, and began to playfully nip at its new morsel of food. Ishnelo batted at the massive head, his efforts futile, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the drake became bored, and ate him for supper.

You want something to eat, you son of a bitch?

“COME ON!!” Ishnelo screamed at the drake, daring it to dig in to its feast. The drake complied, opening its jaws and going for a bite . . .

One last trick, he pulled a saronite bomb from the clip on his belt, and fed it to the hungry dragon.

The drake’s head exploded in Ishnelo’s face, and then he was falling, falling into darkness . . .

((At this point, I am satisfied to keep Ishnelo out of commision. However, if anyone wants to find him at some point and add him to their story, by all means, talk to me ))

((OH and anyone who has ever done the Sons of Hodir quests in StormPeaks might have an idea what this scene looked like))

"WAKE UP!"

The silence within the guardhouse was broken suddenly by shouts for aide. Kyllarie looked up from where she had been cleaning her armor. Hearing the sounds of metal against metal, she pulled on her armor as she ran outside, mace and shield strapped to her chest piece. Her eyes barely registered the scene before her. It was as if the past was coming back to haunt her.

The undead corpses of pets, mounts, and the proto drakes from the stables swarmed over the Academy grounds, heading straight for the dormitories. Shocked, she watched as her wyvern, Blue, dived to attack a fleeing student.

I need to find Malevus. She'll need aide.

grabbing the reins of her hawkstrider Kimo, she was glad she hadn't returned him to the stables earlier in the day. She cast a shield around herself to keep the snaller undead creatures off herself, and rushed off to the infirmary. Gathering bandages, medicinal supplies, and anything that could be useful, Kyll aimed Kimo back to the dorms.

As she approached the havoc that presented itself to her made her sick to her stomach. Hiding her mount in the doorway to the nearest building, she began to make her way through the fighting, aiding students in any way she was able. Realizing that there were not enough guards to fend off the ondlaught of creatures, she began yelling.

"WE NEED TO GET SOMEWHERE THEY CAN'T REACH US! EVERYONE WHO HAS A WEAPON AND CAN FIGHT SHOULD JOIN THE GUARD. ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN INJURED, PLEASE TRY TO STAY CALM. THE LONGER WE PANIC, THE WORSE THE OUTCOME WILL BE!" Kyllarie hoped that at least some of what she said would register to the students running around like fools. Although, she couldn't blame them, really.

May the Light watch over us all.

Shielding herself again, she headed into the worst of it, prepared to fight to the death for the Academy that had become her home in the few short months she had been a guard.

((OOC note: Kyllarie is out there fighting, and trying to help as many injured students as possible, feel free to mention her if you like.))

Aeliana Malevus was sitting in a dingy tavern on Wednesday evening. It was tavern that she frequented often, when visiting Dalaran. She preferred the dim lights, the quieter atmosphere. Kicked back in a chair, her fingers were wrapped around a glass bottle, the red juice within it sloshing around.

She'd woken with a migraine that morning, and her call to the Crusade, her rush to battle had done little to settle the throbbing pain in her left temple. Sometimes, she could control the pain, sometimes, she could banish it completely. Tonight, though, it was impossible. So, here she sat, sipping at moonberry juice, her eyes closed.

"WAKE UP!" The cry was quiet to her, but intense. It echoed from her pack, and Aeliana blinked her eyes open, her fingers dipping down to pull the guildstone from her pack.

That was Dune.

She listened for a moment longer, but only that long. The sounds were quiet in comparison to how they would sound in person, but there was absolutely no doubt that there was trouble. Aeliana quickly stood, taking only the time to grab her shield and sword from where it had rested against the table. She sprinted out the door, through the Sunreaver Sanctuary, into Silvermoon, and towards the dormitories.

What awaited her was complete chaos. Animals, ranging from rhinos to hawkstriders to cats and dogs were running rampart through the floors. Students were rushing about, some of them with purpose, more of them, merely in terror.

The Knight spun around, her sword and shield in her hand. The Academy was going to fall, the students would die, there were not enough of them... it was the siege all over again ...

"No!" The scream was ripped from Aeliana's throat and she rushed forward to join the ruckus. A small, deadened cat hissed at her, lunging forward at her leg. She kicked at it sharply with her plated foot, sending the thing flying.

A whinny caught her attention, and the Knight slowly turned, her eyes moving to the sound. Not the chargers... She ran towards the sound. It was away a bit, towards the library area. Her eyes widened in shock. There were three of the beasts, facing an armored woman, who seemed paralyzed with fear. A few steps closer revealed the woman to be ...

"BELLA! UP, GET UP!"

Even as she screamed out the warning, she was concentrating... As she neared the chargers, the ground underneath her feet lit up in red cracks, the consecration forming a fiery grid. The beasts snarled, rearing back their heads in pain. The three turned to face her, and Aeliana had only a moment to adjust her sword before she was forced to fling her shield out with as much force as possible towards the first creature. It smacked it squarely in the face, causing it to let out a terrible noise of anguish.

"Bella! Light damn it, help me!"

"Wake up!"

Aenni's head jerked up at the shout. She had not been asleep, not yet--she was working on the commission for Professor von Harmonn when the yell split the air. Groaning softly, she realized that she would have to completely redo the picture as the guard's yell caused her hand to move along with her head and there was a large gold streak running down the length of the canvas. She walked to the door and unlocked it, to see several shadowy figures of varying sizes in the distance.

"What the..?" Aenni closed the door and quickly walked to her supply closet. Opening it, she pulled out a pair of goggles and put them on, muttering to herself as she tried to remember how to operate them so she could see better at night. She looked around the room, then grabbed a pair of daggers from where they were hanging on the wall before turning out the lights, turning on her goggles, and quietly opening her door and sneaking outside.

Aenni quietly moved near the dorms, taking care to stay in the shadows. As she moved closer to where the shout came from, she realized the shadows she saw were what appeared to be animals kept at Bantarion's stable. She peered more closely at them, one lens on her goggles zooming in so she could get a better view.

Oh, no! No, no, no! This should not be happening--why is this happening again?

Fear gripped Aenni as she realized that the shadows were indeed animals--but no living animal ever had its guts ripped out or its bones broken so severely or its throat ripped open and still be able to move the way these animals were. A shadow on the ground caught Aenni's attention and she looked up, then jammed her hand in her mouth to keep from screaming as she saw the undead proto-drakes fly overhead...

---------------

Kelina limped down the nearly-deserted streets, with Erinia walking sedately next to her. Her patrol had just ended, and she was making her way to her quarters when the first sign of trouble reached her--a sudden cold breeze that came out of nowhere and chilled her. Frowning, she stopped and looked around the area as she grabbed her crossbow and loaded it, then started walking again while keeping an eye for anything out of the ordinary. A moment later, she heard the sounds of metal clanking on metal and a yell for everyone to get up--and right after that, one of the other guards yelling for help.

"The dorms? What is going on?" Kelina quickened her pace as she realized where the shouting came from, with Erinia matching her pace. As they neared the dorms, she saw a sight that she never wanted to see again--undead swarming the city, killing anything that they encountered.

"Erinia, attack!" Kelina aimed her crossbow at the nearest undead and starting shooting at it. The first few shots only seemed to annoy the hawkstrider, as it turned to run towards her--but stopped running to her as the black bear ran to it and bashed it with a swipe of her paw. The strider jabbed at the bear with its beak, but Erinia growled and swiped at its face. The paw solidly connected, snapping the undead strider's head back--which then took several shots from Kelina's crossbow. The shots seemed only to enrage the hawkstrider, which ran directly for the hunter.

"Fel!" Kelina sprung back as the undead hawkstrider approached her, gasping in pain as she landed on her injured leg. She reached into her ammo pouch for an arrow and reloaded it, noticing as she did so that it was not one of her standard arrows. She aimed her crossbow and shot at the hawkstrider just before it reached her. The bolt hit the strider in the face, then immediately afterwards it exploded, knocking the undead back. As Kelina reloaded her crossbow, the hawkstrider collapsed to the ground and did not get back up.

Before Kelina could do any more, she heard a loud scream, followed by a distorted yet disturbingly familar roar. Her head snapped around to see a large devilsaur approaching one of the students--one who was trapped against one wall of the dorm building and seemingly frozen in fear.

"Tashira..."

---------------------------

Aenni watched, horrified, as the undead swarm moved across the campus. For several long moments, she watched both the undead animals kill anything they came across and various people try to stop the undead. She wanted to do something--anything--to help them, but her feet seemed frozen to the ground due to her fear.

Run, Aenni! Get away from here!

Aenni stayed where she was, hiding in the shadows and hoping that none of the undead would find her where she was hiding. She tried to get herself to move, but she felt as though she was paralyzed, unable to move for fear of attracting attention to herself--or even just accidentally running into one of the creatures, as they were all over the campus now.

Sometime later, a sharp scream caught Aenni's attention. Looking around, she saw a student--one of her hallmates--standing flat against the wall not too far from where she was standing and screaming for help. Turning her head slightly to the left, she saw a massive creature slowly lumbering towards her hallmate--a creature that looked very similar to one of the large raptor-like animals that Lady Crowfeather's friend sent into her dorm a few days ago.

Run, Aenni! Run now, while it's distracted!

Aenni stared at the devilsaur, watching it move closer to the girl. She took a step back, then stopped and her hand reached for one of the daggers hanging off her belt.

What are you doing, Aenni? Run away from here! Now!

The young elf shook her head and took another step back, away from the student and the devilsaur approaching it. Her hand gripped the dagger and pulled it out of its sheath, then flipped it so she was holding the dagger by the blade as though she was about to throw it.

What are you doing? Run!

I'm doing what I must, Aenni thought to herself. I have to do something, I can't run forever. Fel, I can't even run now--I gotta do something. I can't live with myself if I live but someone else dies again because I didn't do something!

Aenni pulled back her arm and threw the dagger. As it flew through the air and hit the devilsaur in the side, she unsheathed the other dagger and threw it. The devilsaur roared as the second dagger hit it, and it turned to face her. As she saw it start to stomp towards her, she turned and ran...

-------------------

Kelina watched the undead devilsaur approach the girl trapped against the wall and was about to order Erinia to attack when she saw the daggers thud into it, then saw the student that threw the daggers turn and try to outrun the devilsaur. The devilsaur rapidly caught up to the girl before she could run more than a handful of steps and knocked her to the ground with one of its feet, its claws ripping into her body.

"Erinia! Attack!" Kelina snapped the command as she aimed her crossbow and fired it at the devilsaur, catching it in the back just as it was about to bite the downed elf. The undead reared up, then turned and started to move towards Kelina. The hunter fired a barrage of shots at her former pet, alternating between shots wreathed in arcane energy and exploding shots, poisoned bolts and shots wreathed in shadow energy.

As she shot at the devilsaur, Erinia ran up to it and attempted to maul it. The devilsaur stopped for a brief second and looked down, then raised a hind leg and stepped on the black bear before continuing to approach Kelina.

"Felfire!" Kelina swore softly as she steadily moved backwards, away from the devilsaur. Reaching one hand into a pack on her belt, she pulled out a small trap. Keeping an eye on the undead, she quickly kneeled and set it on the ground, then armed it before standing back up.

I hope this works...

Kelina started firing at the devilsaur again, using the same assortment of shots as earlier. The devilsaur roared as the shots impacted it, then started running for the hunter. As it approached Kelina, one foot stepped on the trap she set. The trap exploded and the devilsaur stopped running, roaring as it tried to destroy the trap that exploded under its foot. Kelina fired even more shots into the devilsaur, and it started to run back towards her--but stopped and fell to the ground just as it reached her.

Kelina warily stepped around the devilsaur, her crossbow aimed at it in case it got up again. When she reached Erinia, she shook her head sadly--the devilsaur's claws had mangled the bear too severely for her to survive. Looking up from the bear's corpse, she saw the student that had been downed by the devilsaur's attack. She hurried to the student and kneeled next to her, relieved to see that she was still breathing but noticing that the claws had ripped deep slashes across her body. Working quickly, she took some bandages out of her pack and wrapped them around the student's injuries, then carefully picked up the student and looked around, hoping to find a place unaffected by the attack where she could be taken.

((OOC notes--Aenni's out for the remainder of the event. Kelina's out for the moment; however, she would go back into combat as soon as she found a safe-ish place to take Aenni. If someone wants to mention her being in combat or otherwise helping out later, please feel free to do so. In addition, Kelina had a dragonhawk in the stables along with her devilsaur; it has been turned as well.))

It was like a shadow wrapping around her very figure. A fear she'd danced with almost every day since joining the Blood Knights. Cold, impassive, a chill running through every fiber of her being as it bound her form and dragged her to her knees. Darkness she could not even begin to protest.

The stallions moved towards her when the ground lit with holy fire about them. They spun hard to face the new paladin. The chargers took no time to assault Aeliana, and were met with her shield and blade in short order. Still, they had the number and the stark determination of undead.

Bell watched with wide, terrified eyes as Aeliana danced in combat with the three undead horses and though the Knight had shouted to her she'd heard nothing. Then, when the second call came quieter... somehow those words struck a nerve in the Adept's fragile mind.

"Bella! Light damn it, help me!"

Sea-green orbs flickered with a sudden life they had been drained of moments before. Her hand clumsily gripped her axe hilt as she watched the scene. The chargers were circling Aeliana and lashing out at her from all sides with strong kicks of their legs. They had completely forgotten Bell, focused instead on the woman who was putting up a fight.

Strong enough that I can take everything back. ....Everything.

Bell's own words from weeks before flashed through her mind and she suddenly felt her muscles fight against the coil of fear that had bound her so tightly. Slowly she pushed herself up to a stand, her hands still shaking. Her eyes caught Aeliana's face a moment, then they roamed to the chargers. Her breath was hard as she stepped forward, her normal sharp mind ground into a mere sentiment as her steps picked up pace till she was running.

It was as if the spirit of the rhino she'd just bested had inspired her. The tiny, frail looking Sarielle ran headfirst into the nearest stallion and with no restraint she dove into the massive frame of the horse while screaming. Her arms slung around the horse's thick neck, her armored body slamming into it's flank. Simply from speed and desperation she managed to tackle the charger and drop her and the horse flat on the stone floor.

As she sat up she began slamming her axe repeatedly into the charger's body over and over with the words she shouted. "STRONG... ENOUGH... TO TAKE... IT BACK!!"

The tipped over mount had been kicking and scuffling under the Sin'dorei's smaller body but as each blow dug deeper in dead flesh and drew out more bubbling black blood the horse's fight fell to a mere puppetry. Bell continued to slam her axe into the re-dead corpse again and again consumed with a mix of fear and rage and desperation all at once.

Brognin staggered out of the murder row inn after a night of compiling research and trying to figure out the complexities of these other races he'd figured it'd be a nice treat to go for a drink or twenty. As he exited he heard various loud noises echoing through the city, grabbing his head he grumbled a bit.

"Why is it so loud this late at night, I don't remember hearing about any extravagant parties." He hiccuped and staggered backwards a bit, that was the only thing that saved him from the rotting claw that slashed the air where he had been standing before. Before he knew what was going on the beast, that possibly could have been a large mountain cat before it lost a good percent of its flesh and fur, was pouncing toward him. Still not fully comprehending the situation he reacted purely on blind instinct rolling out of the way and pulling his axe to bring it down on the creatures neck cleaving its head off before it could turn to strike again.

Clenching his axe he surveys his surroundings the encounter having sobered him up quite effectively he began to recognize the shouts and clangs for what they were. His logic told him to fall back to the dorms and let the guards handle things unfortunately the smell of blood and the sound of combat had thoroughly riled up his orcish blood, a slight grin began to play across his face as he charged toward the nearest sounds of fighting.

Bursting out of the alley full speed he roars wildly as he sees a small pack of creatures advancing on a couple of fleeing students. Firmly caught in the battle lust he dives into the pack with no regard to his own health swinging his axe like a whirlwind of death, what little rational thought was left in him defended this madness by claiming it was protecting his fellow students. The beasts tore at him with their claws and fangs but the pain only fueled his desire to see them all slaughtered.

As he finally finished off the last creature he stood there breathing heavily. Covered in dead flesh and blood from multiple gaping wounds on his body he turned to the two students who were now cowering in shock. Their fear brought him back to reality somewhat and he moved toward them to comfort them and offer to find a safe place for them but as he approached one of them shrieked throwing a book at his head before fleeing with her companion. Wincing more from shame than any harm caused by the projectile he looked at himself shaking his head.

"Of course, I must appear just as terrible as the creatures attacking."

The pain of his wounds quickly overwhelmed any feeling of self pity he felt, he regretted not bringing his potions with him today. Reaching in his pocket he managed to find a few bandages, they would have to do, he quickly did a patch job before heading to join back in the fray. Once again the thought echoed in his mind he should let trained guards handle this and go recover, but everything he was taught as a youth forbid him from retreating from such a foe. With a resolute nod he ran down the main road planning on finding and killing any enemy he encountered on the ground, as he had no means to deal with whatever was above. Feeling his blood heat up once more he absently thought.

Tonight is going to be quite entertaining

((Brogs still very active and most likely gonna be bolting all over the place so good chance someone might run into him.))

The sound of people shouting jolted Zin'di awake. She couldn't understand what they were saying but she was curious to see what the commotion was about. She slid out of bed and pulled on the skirt and blouse nearest to her before heading up the stairs. Her evenings had become routine so any excitement would be a blessing.

She couldn't help but hope that she'd see Val somewhere out there amongst those shouting. She doubted it though. He hadn't come to see her in quite some time. She wondered if he was even still alive. In class she'd often worry about him. Was he killed? Captured maybe? Could she save him if he was? She didn't know but she always hoped she'd see him again. Their's was an unconvetional relationship, at least for a Troll and an Elf.

She rubbed her eyes with her fingers. It took her a moment to focus in the moonlit night. She was unprepared for what she saw as she stepped into the doorway.

What the fuck?

She paused, staring at the gore covered beasts and the guard facing off on the Academy grounds. Zin'di just sat on the top step of the entrance to the dorm and watched. She saw the corpse dragons flying over head but the danger of it all wasn't registering. It was as if she was watching the whole scene from a safe distance even though nothing could be further from the truth. She knew deep down that she shouldn't be there but she couldn't move. She was frozen. Guards were yelling in her direction but she couldn't hear them.

As she continued to watch the events unfold she made eye contact with one of the undead prowlers. It's skin flayed from muscle in places hung loosely like a gruesome bedskirt. The cat's hardened stare fixated on the Troll for a moment before turning back to the melee that was occuring between it's allies and the guards. It paused a moment before turning and heading toward the easier prey.

Zin'di's eyes widened as it's gait quickened in her direction. She could feel her heart pounding through her chest. Unable to move, she gritted her teeth and cringed slightly as the beast rushed toward her.

((OOC Notes - Zin'di needs a hero! Please help if you're in the area!))

The smell caught her first.

Saman'thiel was walking up the pathway between the Law and Political Science building and the library. Her mind was peppered with thoughts of moonstones, Kaldorei, sprite darters, and the doctor; she smiled and rubbed her cheek. It was a covert smile, half-lidded and lifted-lip, as if she was nursing some undisclosed secret. The Moonglade. I've never been there. I cannot wait, truly. Does he know I'm so fond of wilder places? I wonder if someone told hi--

She gagged. It curdled the air like a wave of hellish sulfur. Saman'thiel suddenly cupped a hand over her mouth.

The smell of consummate death.

Screams and cries for help flooded her ears. She looked up and saw the death shadows, swooping in and out above the lamplight-lit campus. Her stomach fell like a stone; she bit her lip hard at the sudden rush of terror.

Oh, no.

Her slippered feet walked, then ran, then rushed along the pathway until she rounded the building. A gust of icy breeze struck Saman'thiel as she stopped; it tore at the hem of her gown, blew back biting at her hair.

Oh, NO.

There was a dead proto-drake crashing into the side of the administration building. It repeatedly thudded against the walls like some bizarre, hellborn insect blindly striking a windowpane. Glass rained from the ruined windows. The drake was pulling off chunks of the roof.

NO!!

The scene whirled before her. Suddenly she was aware of the hundreds of dead animals now reanimated, loping about in a mad, deadly circus across the campus grounds. There were more drakes looming in the sky, diving to attack students as they ran, lobbing fire at guards that tried to attack. And, just as sudden, the headmistress felt her knees go weak and her head spin, and before she knew it she was screaming again, screaming and tearing at the gravel and rubble until her fingers bled and the flesh on her hands tore. A collapsed building, a heavy beam falling and crushing her ankle, a siege of Scourge stampeding her school outside. "HELP ME! HELP ME! I'M STILL IN HERE! I'M STILL HERE! I'M NOT DEAD, I'M TRAPPED UNDER HERE!" Would the guard hear her? Were they even still alive? Even though she was trapped in the fallen debris of the Magistry building, clutching the books she had desperately rushed to save, she was not insulated from the sounds of horror outside. The gurgling of ghouls, the screeching of gargoyles, the smell -- oh, the smell! -- of death and the sick orchestra of destruction occuring outside. "Help me, please, help me ... help me, it's the headmistress, I'm alive, I'm still here, please, clear the rocks away, let me out! My mother is still out there! I have to get to my mother! I have to get to my mother! Please! Help me! Help me! HELP ME--"

So many times before, when magisters had openly flaunted their mana in public or struck open the air with a clash of sells, Saman'thiel had inwardly scoffed. Sometimes she sneered. Crackles of mana were not to be openly displayed. Channelled spells were not to be cast in front of large public groups. Magistry was about restraint. Magecraft was supposed to be contained.

"Not this time."

It began at her fingers. It spread to her arms and shoulders -- a slow burn, a white electricity, a current of mana that made her hair stand on end and her tongue dry in her mouth. And before she knew it, it was bursting and she was running, and the ground beneath her was cracking and shaking.

"Not my school."

Like a ball of violet lightning, Saman'thiel charged -- mana-hellion, mage gone mad, Arcane magistrix driven to a fury -- towards the proto-drake that was destroying the administration building.

"NOT MY SCHOOL!"

Ashinara giggled lightly at the young man's touch, they little toss about the day and evening having done wonders to help her relax. A young man from the local tevern had caught her eye earlier in the day. A few drinks later, and she had everything she could desire from the naive elf. Her soft, bare legs shifted in the sheets as the two exchanged sweet nothings before a shout sounded from outside the window.

"WAKE UP!"

The warlock, despite contest from her company of the evening, looked towards the commotion.

"The Fel is going on this time?"

She groaned lightly and slid from under the covers, and stepped to the open window, still bare in form.

"Ignore it," the man said with a soft laugh as he laid his head on a velvet pillow. "It's probably just some idiots having a par-"

"Shut up!" Ashinara spoke sharply as the cold smell of death intertwined with the night air. She had become more than accustomed to the bitter-sweet aroma from before, but there was something different about tonight. Something more sinister.

"Love, I can't wait any longer. If need be I'll come and ju-" The male elf's voice was quickly cut off as Ashinara gestured a hand in his direction and his throat began to collapse upon itself. As a burning sensation rose within the would-be lover's chest, Ashinara glared at the decaying figures in the night sky. She hadn't expected another invasion of this magnitude so soon. Apparently there were others less patient than herself. Her thoughts were scattered, however, as the building shook violently and the sounds of rampaging beasts roared into the night.

"Tch, perfect..." Ashinara grit her teeth together and quickly gathered up her belongings, half-dressing herself back into her Brigade recruit attire. Affixing her regulated blade to her belt, she paid little mind to the now exhausted body on the bed as she stormed out the door of the room and into the streets.

"Charkresh, come!" The warlock yelled into the night as she ran in haste with the scattering crowd. Instantly, a deep blue form emerged from the shadows of the street with a low groan. "Fight off the invaders Char, spare nothing and let nothing get in your way!"

The two then split their ways, the voidwalker instantly slamming its fist into a nearby hawkstrider that had begun to assault a fleeing citizen. Ashinara turned and sped towards the dormitory, certain that students there would be need some sort of guidance amongst the chaos. She thought it humorous that she would be one fighting off the trouble rather than causing it. Just the same, she slid to a stop as she heard a loud explosion from overhead and looked upward.

A now beheaded, fiery corpse of a drake spiraled towards the ground, something having completely erupted the top half of the undead creature. Narrowing her eyes, a second falling figure caught her eye. A man it seemed. Something of a light flame seemed to be tracing from his feet as he sailed downward through the sky.

"Shit!" She cursed to herself as she dashed to where she could project the man landing. Thrusting a hand to the ground as she rushed, a ominous green portal opened upon the red stone of the sidewalk.

Faster! Faster damn it! I'm not going to make it!

With a final sprint, Ashinara made a dive and tackled the falling body before it collided with the ground. In an instant she screamed out and both the elf and tauren quickly exploded into a burst of shadows and ash. The demonic circle had succesfully, upon command, ported the two safely back a few yards and broken their fall. Ashinara groaned, perhaps through one or two broken ribs, in a gurgled pain as Beretta laid unconscious ontop of her.

"By the Fel...are you serious?"

All the girl could do was cursed to herself as she tried free herself from underneath Beretta's deadweight. She knew she would receive no help from the frightened students as they rushed in a panic around her. She was far too weak to call out for help anyway, between the pain and the lack of breath from being pinned down by the tauren. The last thing she would need now is for some beast to come around the corner and finish the job.

((Ashi is still much involved if she can be freed. Just glad to have helped Beretta out a bit lol))

Her window had been opened slightly that evening to let in the breeze, the wind hitting the decorative mana crystals and charms that hung from around the window casement. They changed slightly in color when the wind came to them and during certain hours of the day they could look mesmerizing as they sang their soft, crystal song. They were her mother's and were at least one hundred years old; Leltrandi was given them at birth, to hang above her cradle, and she knew of them for as long as she could remember. That evening something strange happened to them, as she read a small magazine close by. They glowed, shimmered as always, but then stopped. They became lifeless. The wind that came that night stopped too and her room became eerily quiet.

Driven to rise from her seat she moved over to the window and tapped one of the crystals, and then another. Had they broken so suddenly? Her eyes drifted to look outside the window, noticing the silence that came with the hour of dusk in their housing district. Then it began. The yelling came first, in frightened Thalassian, as someone down in the street said 'Look, look! What is that?!' Leltrandi's eyes darted to the sky and everywhere but saw nothing. A woman flew in terror from the front step she was sitting upon and that's when she heard it. A flush of air that snapped open the window panes, rank with the smell of death upon it. Her mana crystals twirled in a flurry. It was then that she saw the flying monstrosity that flew past their home and above their roof onwards. It did not stop for anyone or anything near the Royal Exchange except to cry out, shrieking, as blue smoke emitted from its mouth.

Leltrandi had felt fear before, far too many times in the span of a few months within the city, but this was unlike anything she could imagine. Was was that thing that oozed destruction and unlife that flew above the building tops? And where was it going?

The noises from the city streets did not relent as she left her room and dashed down the narrow hallway to the short stairwell downstairs. Her mother and father were moving about below and when she saw them they both held the expression of befuddlement. They had as much an idea of what was going on outside as she did!

"Mom, I saw it! Something was flying in the air-" Another yell came from beyond the front door which was near from where they were standing; was another one coming?! Something fell in the streets and shattered; roofing tiles most likely, and Leltrandi found her words choked up within her throat and her mother reached for her, arms enclosing her only child within a tight embrace.

"So many terrible things have been happening to us!" Her mother spoke and Leltrandi felt the pit widen in her stomach grow, her mother's voice only fueling the fear that was growing within. "I don't understand...-"

"Could it be the Academy again?" Her father's voice interjected now, dread lacing his words. It made Leltrandi freeze and she allowed her mother to grasp onto her as tightly as she did now. She didn't know what to do.

In between handling her frightened mother and her willful father in trying to decide if they should find out or not, if they should stay inside, Leltrandi couldn't help but imagine what was happening to their Academy as she stayed nestled away, "safe", and powerless.

The cool breeze smelt of blood and she knew she had been right, staying near Silvermoon. She would have to enter the campus without an escort, but then again, she had done it before.
There were two things that intrigued Hippolyta as she approached the city shrouded in darkness: that land had seen the horror of the Scourge, and though the Elves had risen again in splendour against all odds, the scar was too deep to ever come close to disappearing; and yet, the stench of undeath was that night stronger than ever she had felt it and it made her wonder.
The second thing was why was she going there at all.
She had told herself she was remaining in Eversong Woods only out of professional interest, only for the chance to meet the killer and so understand why the fingernails, why the messages. But she knew there was something else that made her stay close and drove her that night to enter the city, and she just could not put her finger on it.
Suddenly, screams. The time for stealth had passed. She ran, unsheathed daggers in her hands, reached the courtyard and saw them: undead animals, too many of them. She checked hersef and stayed out of sight. She could see the Guard and even some of the students fighting, outnumbered.

Why am I here?
Because I chose to be. Because when given the chance to study in the Academy, to be in the city my Lady loved and died defending, I couldn't say no. Because I'm Forsaken, and that means I'm free.

"For Sylvanas", she whispered in her hoarse voice; then, "For Silvermoon. For the Academy" and, almost joyously, she joined the battle.



(OOC note: Lyta is out there cutting some undead throats, but my guess is that she will be hurt sooner or later; there seems to be too many of them...
Feel free to mention her or use her anyway you see fit.)

Nalomi.

Bantarion stirred. The pain was overwhelming.

I have t' find Nalomi. She was in the stables. She's been staying there with me. She's gotta still be in there. What if she got hurt?

The noise of a horn cut through the air and shook Bantarion back to full consciousness. He stood, grappling at a nearby tree to stand. The horn sounded again -- a deep, unnatural resonance painted the air. It was the Academy Guard House's warning sound. He had heard them testing it earlier that month.

Nalomi...

Through the bleariness of blood and pain, Bantarion became aware of someone nearby. His hammer -- where had it gone? Lost somewhere in the grass, the blood and guts of animals slain.

"Nellie!" he groaned, waving a bruised and battered arm at the approaching figure. "Nellie, get ... get out ... run ..."

I don't want her to get hurt.

The figure that came closer was not Nalomi.

"Help!" Bantarion howled, shuddering and stumbling. "Help, they got th' animals, they got th' drakes, it's one guy, it's one ..." Hot bile and blood filled his mouth. His head rang out with sharp pulses of pain. "Help m' find Nellie, help me find m' wife..."

I don't want Nalomi to get hurt.

Bantarion clutched at the ground near Nicolai's feet.

Carrlan had just taken the portal to Silvermoon, and the city was already going to hell. He was certain it wasn't his fault. It looked like he wasn't going to get any fishing done today. He tossed aside his fishing pole and looked through his pack to find his school tabard. Might as well make myself easier to find. I hope the school didn't cause this mess.

Soon enough, he coaxed some useful information out of people fleeing in terror. Undead beasts had invaded the city. A makeshift infirmary had been set up somewhere. Carrlan convinced (threatened) some of the able-bodied to help the injured as he led them. Eventually, he figured, we'll find this infirmary or some place to set one up. After some travelling, stopping to pick up more wounded or carry the dead out of the road, they found the infirmary in Murder Row. Many of the elves were uneasy here, but there were beds and healers available for the injured. Those who were armored and armed were asked to stand guard. Some went out in teams to look for more injured when another team came back.

When everyone in his party had been sent to a bed or a chair in the back, Carrlan took out his hearthstone. "This is Carrlan Tidewatcher. If you are injured, there are beds and healers in Murder Row. Try to make your way there, if you are able. They are sending out teams of murderous sons of- what? No offense gentlemen, but you are. You're all rogues. You're wearing black leather. You have poisoned daggers! Fine then. Ahem, they are sending out teams of courageous young men to look for anyone who is injured. If you require assistance, please do your best to tell us where you are and we will find you." Carrlan put the stone away and began to yell at the interrupting elves. "Now, maybe you courageous young sons of bitches would like to go out and help people before you need medical attention yourselves, yes? Thank you."

Carrlan was glad he wore the pauldrons today. They were tall, tribal looking, and said whoever wore them was a shaman. It was better than saying it himself a hundred times. Everybody knew orcs were warriors and not healers. Even so, there seemed to be enough healers here to handle the injured without him. A lot of bumps and bruises, a few broken bones. Carrlan would probably be of more help out patrolling, so he let the next group know he would be going with them.

-----

Carrlan regretted leaving his pack, but less weight would be a good thing if he had to carry anyone back. He had only brought his armor, mace, and shield. It was probably a bad idea to leave the stone, but it had been silent. Much of the area around Murder Row had already been patrolled. There were some smaller undead beats lying in the road, but nothing very large. Carrlan was wondering if the stone had a volume control on it somewhere when his group turned a corner and saw an undead wolf snarling at a building. There were people inside. The wolf charged at the door, and someone inside must have dropped a lamp. The curtains burst into flames. Carrlan charged the wolf and yelled "Get those people out of there, I'll take care of the wolf!" He plowed into the wolf with his shield, slamming it into the window of the house next door. The momentum carried them both through the glass and down the stairs into the basement. These houses have basements?!

It probably wasn't the best idea, charging off like that. Surely the entire group could have killed the wolf quickly enough. But, he was a shaman, and this was a perversion of nature in a wolf's body. That should be enough for any elf to understand. If Carrlan had months of pent up aggression caused by a wolf that looked similar to this one, well that was his own business. The wolf got up on three good legs, perhaps one was damaged in the fall. Carrlan put away his shield and mace. The wolf snarled at him, and he snarled right back. Carrlan let out a scream that wasn't quite his own. His hands turned red and the world got smaller. He charged the wolf with his glowing, bare hands.

-----

Later, a wolf head slowly appeared at the top of the stairs. A young blood elf man saw it from the dark corner he'd been hiding in. It wasn't dark enough, he figured, as the wolf's head turned his way. Where the bottom jaw should be was a massive orc head, covered in stubble and gore. The elf, still terrified, waved a trembling butcher's knife at it. Carrlan took a break from pulling himself up the stairs and spotted the elf. In between gasps of air, he laughed. "Tell me you like my hat."

-----

The young elf did an admirable job of dragging Carrlan to the infirmary. Near enough to it so the sons of bitches could carry him in, which was just as good. The young man cried out, "We need a healer here, this orc is badly injured."

Carrlan yelled back to him, "I am a healer!" Carrlan was unconcious before they could get him to an empty cot.

((OOC note: Carrlan's stone is still active, but he'll be unable to answer it himself for the rest of the day. Perhaps one of the healers or rogues will answer, if you need assistance.))