A Gloomy Town Built on Death  

 You know… I prefer to remember this town as it used to be… full of life and full of skies! A time when I still remember the warmth of the sun… You know it wasn't always like this… There used to be peace here… if you could believe it! But then that all changed when greedy necro lords coveted our dead… Then those fools who unleased the Worgan! Even if it was by mistake… then the fall of our great wizard! Our guardian! Whose death now shadows our sky from the sun! 

Turning our lush forest into a bug nest! An ogre nests! Now, nowhere is safe…. Homes long abandoned… farmlands long forgotten…. Caves left unmined…. An entire town left to rot… OUR DEAD! Can't even sleep now! Sure, Berry Buck tries his best… but in the end…. Our children grow in shadow! Were even leaving the town is a risk… a risk of wolves, spiders, and once fellow relatives! Forces to hear the screams of the dead! To hear their bones rattle! The threat of ghoul attacks in the night! 

The Nightwatch does its thing… but nothing but town militia fill its ranks! Not one proper soldier in the bunch! We have to trust our lives to these people… our children's lives… sure we've asked the King for aid, but he is too busy with his war to be of any help! And even if he wasn't, what help can we expect from a king who couldn't even pay his Mayson what they owe! Thanks to those cheap nobles, it led to the creation of the Defias, which in turn led to the Worgan curse in our lands! 

And you know what the worst part is… it's not the dead… or the living that scares me… it's that portal that shines in the center! Who knows where it goes, but I hear a terrible dragon guard it! Sometimes I even hear rumors of demons around it… My little gnoll friend… you best be careful out here… this forest is cursed! It is not a place for one such as you! 

Seeing the little gnoll nodding to the story of his, the old man gathered his things to leave the inn. When he decided to take one last look at the little gnoll all dressed up in his little spike collar. And as if remembering the past, the old man's eye changed for a second before going back to a lack luster hue and departing into the rainy night. 

{what a weird old man! He is probably the type who lost a kid or something in this place… well whatever… I already knew all the secrets of Duskwood and its past. Now, only if I could do something about this annoying flight master! She keeps petting me!} thought Lanthios to himself as he stared out into the rain. 

But as the thunder roared to life, the winds bellowed like a storm! A certain wizard sat in his chair, staring out of the attic in the direction of the town! 

[So… light has returned to this forsaken forest… A light that I could use to further strengthen my hold on the dead… maybe I should get that old man who lives by that hunt to fetch me that light…] said Morbent Fel to his undead servants 

As Abercrombie arrived at his hunt, he looked toward the empty tomb of his deceased wife, when a slim bony hand reached over from the small hunt and wrapped themselves onto Abercrombie's shoulders. Touched by the simple act, Abercrombie turns over to embrace his lovely wife, though she looked normal in his eyes, but to those who could see through the thunderlight! They would see nothing more than a monster! A monster born from the very heart of the man she loved! 

As the pair were having their couple time, there was an abrupt knock on his door! Annoyed that his precious time with his wife was disturbed, Abercrombie opened the door to the surprise of the little bone skeleton that carried a letter. After reading the letter and receiving a weird-looking compass, the man turned to his wife and said: 

[Sorry, Eliza but I must go… my master… my teacher has a task for me! I must obey! I'll be back as soon as I can, please stay in the safety of the hunt while I'm away! Ok? I must return to Darkshire!] 

[[zombie] moan] replied Eliza 

Hearing the response of his wife, Abercrombie began his trek back to the dark town in the middle of the rain! But the rain meant little, for he simply cast a dark bobble around him that kept him dry, at least till he needed to pass the crossroad that the Nightwatch patrolled. After all, he still needs to keep up the act of a normal old man. 

As Dodds sat between crossroads in his little tenet with two others, they were tasked with protecting the road that leads to Darkshire, to act as heralds in case of disasters that may approach from either troll or ogre or undead-like! But as Dodd was nodding off with his one eye, he suddenly heard a nose through the thunder! A noise that sounded awfully like footsteps… Soft and aged footsteps… Curiously he readies his sword. After all, who but the dead would be crazy enough to walk in this pitch darkness of a night! While his mates ready their torches! 

As a shadow of a man came into the clearing of the rain and the dark, they realized who it was and said: 

[you crazy old fool! What are you doing out this late? Didn't you already return to your hut?] demanded Dodds angrily 

[yes, yes young man… I know it's of late! But I had no choice! As an old man, I've seemed to have misplaced one of my bags back in town and must retrieve it! After all, money is tight for an old man such as I… everything I spend must be calculated!] replied Abercrombie 

Nodding in understanding, Dodd said: 

[sigh, look I get that you need your stuff, so here's the deal. Follow Cutford here to get your stuff then spend the rest of the night in the inn! That's an order! Not a request! I know you like to live at that hut and all but it is too dangerous to go back this late… understood!] 

[sigh, Sir Dodd it's always dangerous to walk in this forest at any time! Do you genuinely think the weather makes much of a difference?] replied Abercrombie 

[I don't care! It's an order! There are so few people left as it is… I don't want to see the town population lose another good soul to this forest.] replied Dodd 

[If that is the case… then maybe you really should just pack up and leave. I don't see what keeps you younger guys in this town anymore.] replied Abercrombie 

[there is nowhere else for one… Stormwind is a mess, Westfall is at the cups of falling apart, and it's too cold for the misses to move to Ironforge. She hates the snow! Then Redrige is overrun by the orcs… so you tell me where I should go if not stay here and at least fight for what he has left!] replied Dodds 

[agree to disagree, then my fellow young man! But I will consider your points for now.] replied Abercrombie 

While Abercrombie made his way back to town, Xavalis was having a problem of his own: 

[Bang!] 

[YOU FOOL! You think I'm blind! Or you think I'm stupid!] yelled Xavius 

[No father I would never...] replied Xavalis as his chick glowed red through his fur, while Yoi held the baby gnoll, with a grin. 

[Then explain to me again why you had to spend so much of our precious resources on killing and kidnapping two whelps!] demand Xavalis 

[Father please let me explain!] replied Xavalis as he stared dagger at Yoi. 

Yoi, understanding that if she said anything she wasn't supposed,she would probably end up dead by night's end. Thus, she decided to keep her mouth shut and just let the young prince do the talking. 

[Father, the kid was special as you said… so special! His power alone could purify and kill many demons! I had to use all the things at my disposal to kill it, not just because he was powerful in his own right but because he wasn't alone! The damn human and orc, along with those damnable night elves got in the way! But worry not father the child is dead, and we captured it sister! With her, we can…] 

[Bang! Silence!] interrupted Xavius 

[listen here, son… the power you showed alerted that fucken Malfurion of my presence! Because of you, all my plans will have to go on hold for a while! And as for the girl… she is no longer of your concern! I will personally forge her into a weapon that will destroy Elune! You just get out of my sight!] continued Xavius 

As Xavalis left the room disheartened, Xavius faced Yoi and said: 

[you will wet nurse this child and when the time comes help me imbue her with the power of the fel…] 

[The fel? Not the old ones?] question Yoi 

[no… their magic though powerful and corruptible, fights for its own will! I can't have that… after all, I can't steal what they corrode.] replied Xavius with an evil smile. 

[Also, you don't have to hide it… I know my idiot of a son failed to kill the child… but it matters not, I'm sure he'll try to kill it at the first chance he gets… either he will succeed, or he will die… either way it's a win for me! That fool will never inherit his so-called birthright!] said Xavius as he stared at the sister gnoll with future eyes.