WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WARLORDS OF DRAENOR - ASSAULT ON THE DARK PORTAL CH 4 (V.1)

[LordTomyh]

Raphon sighed as he threw the chicken bone into the wooden bowl. Setting it aside the paladin picked up a worn blue-leather bound book and began to read. The ground shook and a cloud of dust and dirt showered the ground next to him, none hitting him due to the large red rock he was leaning on. Yells and curses filled the air from behind him while cries of joy, drunken singing and brawls of laughter came from the camp site in front of him. It had been a couple of days since he and the other adventurers had arrive, along with, as they found out later, a group of Horde camped on a ridge south across the beachhead from them.

Raphon flicked a page, tsking and picking out a small shard of metal that had gotten stuck in the page and continued to read, oblivious to the battle raging on behind him. A group of night elf huntresses and gnome warriors ran past, as wounded were carried back to camp. The armies of the Alliance had arrived earlier this morning, helping push back the Iron Horde as they tried to storm the adventurers campsite. It hadn't taken long to push the enemy back and Raphon was just now getting time to relax from the battle.

A boar hit the ground besides the paladin, making him flinch and look up to the sky grimacing before looking over at the animal. It had numerous cuts over its body, a large deep one on the shoulder that the animal couldn't have survived from.

A black-plated hand reached down and rolled the body across, giving the draenei death knight room to sit down. Renegade let out a exaggerated sigh of relief as he sat down and turned to Raphon with a large smile on his face.

"Make ya jump?"

"That wasn't funny the first 17 times you did it. I'm pretty sure we don't need that much meat so quit it," Raphon said as he closed his book; It was pointless reading with Renegade around.

"Well I tried to do it was one of the Iron Orcs, but the guards stopped me."

"Thank the light for the guards then," Raphon muttered. "So besides boar hunting where have you been?"

"I was up at the Deadmaul camp, thinning the ogre's numbers with a few of the guys from here and the Horde camp. Apparently Maraad and Thrall are in agreement when it comes to the Iron Horde."

"Good. We need to work together on this one."

"At least we have leaders who don't want to rip each other's heads off," Renegade remarked, pulling out of his swords and grabbing the boar. Raphon slumped his shoulders and breathed through his nose, 'did he have to do that here?' he thought as he reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook and a quill and inkpot. He slipped the leather bind off and opened to a new page as a night elf appeared at his side.

"Have you seen Eteryn Stormarrow?" she asked, looking around. Raphon shook his head and looked up at the women.

"No I haven- Ruby?" he asked, shocked. Ren's head shot up, his body clanking as he turned around. The night elf laughed and put her hands on her hips, a mischevious glint to her golden eyes. "Long time boys."

"Yeah, it is," Raphon said as he stood up and hugged her. "Just after the siege when you left with Aqutos to practise druidism.

"Bit longer than that Raph," Ruby said as she hugged Renegade. "I think you havn't seen me human since the Shado-Pan monastary."

"Right," the paladin said, thinking back to the time. "You chewed on my foot, and ate my bag. Said it was for old times."

The three laughed, Ruby looking down as she spoke. "Yeah well spend most of your second life a crocodile you find yourself more comfortable in the form than out."

"When did you get here?" Renegade asked, leaning on the rock behind him and crossing his arms. "And should I expect-"

Something came out of nowhere and latched onto the giant's torso, barely moving him but shutting him up. Ren rolled his head but smiled as he wrapped one arm around the purple haired night elf hanging from his chest. "Aqutos to fly out of nowehre and try glomp me?" he finished.

"She's not going to stop still she knocks you over," said a third night elf as she approached, smiling with one hand on a dagger at her side. "So not anytime soon."

Ren smiled to the newcomer, "We have an eternity."

"Elem'mire," Raphon gasped, catching the third elf's attention. "Didn't expect you out here honestly."

"Tyrande asked me to come, saying my skills could come in use. Plus I wanted to keep an eye on your idiots. Elune knows the danger you could cause."

"We're not that bad," Eteryn said as he slid past Elem'mire, planting a kiss on Ruby's cheek and stopping next to Raphon, weapon in hand. "Sorry to be rude, but Maraad's got a mission for us. We're going to assault the portal. Where's Emily and Allyeria?"

"What!" everyone shouted, almost knocking the night elf hunter to the ground.

"Maraad, Khadgar and Thrall have agreed that now is the time to strike the portal since the Iron Horde's hold on Nethergrad and Deadmaul hold has been weakened."

"And he's chosen you to do it brother?" Elem'mirer asked, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms. "Please tell me you are not in charge."

"No, I mean we're all going. All the adventurers, all the soldiers. Everyone is assaulting the portal and taking the fight to them."

"Wait you don't mean-" Raphon started.

"That's right," Eteryn said, putting a hand on the paladin's shoulder. "We're going to Dreanor Charlie."

"Oh Elune," Elem'mire muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Finally," Ren roared, a wicked grin on his face. "My blades have gotten thirsty."

"Still? Ins't there a giant pile of boars and brown-skin's around here somewhere with your name on them Blue?" Aqutos asked, still latched onto the draenei. Ruby sighed and grabbed the purple haired women, trying to pull her off while Ren ignored the two, holding his swords in front of him smiling.

Eteryn sighed and turned to walk off. "Come on, lets get him to a battlefield before he murders another boar."

oOo

The wind howled through the desolate land, red sand roaring as it blasted across the lands named aptly so. Thunder and lightning clashed and sounded in the skies as the wind and sand thundered around the assembled forces milling around the raised earth. Three figures stood at the front of the combined armies of the Alliance and the Horde, starring down through the narrow opening to the crater below. A massive army or iron bound orcs poured from the giant stone archway, the once sickly green portal now glowing a bright bloody red.

Eteryn watched the Iron Horde pour through the Dark Portal, his hands on his weapon loaded and waiting. Besides him Raphon was muttering prayers of strength, fortitude and swiftness, and wearing down the blue-dyed leather grip on his warhammer.

"Speech time?" Eteryn asked, a light smile playing on his lips. Raphon glanced at him un-amused, never pausing in his speech.

"Save it for after we storm the portal and kick whoever's behind this army love," Ruby said on the other side of Eteryn, leaning over to plant a kiss on the night elf's cheek. "But I much rather put those lips to-"

"Ok that's enough out of you two," Elem'mire said, putting one of her daggers between the two and giving both Eteryn and Ruby glares. "I don't need to know what you two plan to get up to later this night."

"I could stand to hear a bit more," Ren joked, jumping in pain Eteryn reached over his girlfriend and jabbed the dreanei in the ribs through his plate armour.

A horn sounded from the crater, a deafening roar following as the front ranks of the Iron Horde charged forward. Several horns from the Alliance and Horde armies sounded in response and everyone readied; weapons were drawn, shields went up, spells readies and arrows drawn.

"Here we go again," Ruby muttered, her hands starting to grow golden-green scales as her nails grew and sharpened. "Just like the gates of Zin-Azhari."

"If you die on me again by Elune I'm going to get Dyl to bind your soul to a rock and tie it to my bag," Eteryn growled at her, his face growing serious. Ruby smiled sadly and glanced at him. "I don't intend to die again love."

A call went up from the three at the front of the army, soon consumed by the voice of hundreds. Eteryn's party adding their voice to the call as the army around them started to charge.

The second battle for the Dark Portal had begun.