01-27-2011, 12:50 PM
DEATH COMES HOME!
The sun broke over the ice cap of the Dragon Blight revealing a frost covered figure atop an armored steed. Snow swirled softly about the mountain side where the figure stood looking out over the white sea of powder and ice. The barren waste of winter's chilled breath provided a safe haven for the figure. Wind pounded against his cloaked body from the east. Snow crunched beneath the horses mighty hooves as the beast began to descend the mountains trail. In the distance another figure stood camouflaged against the white back drop in his matching cloak, he reached into his belt line revealing a jewel encrusted hilt. With a jerking adjust the figure situated himself before standing and following far behind the man atop the horse.
It had been a few hours since Itheros stopped to check his surroundings, he figured now was good a time as any. The Death Knight dismounted his horse gracefully landing into the snow packing two footprints deep into the powdered ice shelf; he parted his black lips and spoke softly to himself “I've missed this quiet.†With a tilted head he squinted to see the spire in the distance. Itheros had thrown himself into exile believing the men in white would stop following him. This proved to work, so far. He grew uneasy. Truth is told Itheros felt a coming storm on the horizon; his warrior instincts would not let him sit by idle while those he swore allegiance to waded head long into danger. He gathered his equipment and began his long journey back to civilization. Little did the Death Knight know he was being watched by an all too familiar foe. The man in white had been following him for six days and five nights now, and showed no sign of aggression. Itheros knew however that as soon as he neared a port the fight would be on. Wind screamed and beat against his tattered black cloak as it rushed across the ice shelf. Snow became sleet and frost formed on his shoulders and hood. Itheros checked his blades to make sure they were secure before remounting his steed and heading out against the wind and into the east. Shadows moved far behind him as he traveled, he stayed ever ready and continued onward.
A salty sea breeze blew as the figure atop the horse neared the southeastern shore of the Dragon Blight. The man in white knew where he was going and knew that there was a fisherman who had helped to hide Itheros from him before. He would not allow that to happen again. With a snap of his figures he blinked ahead about fifty yards, and again, and again until finally he was standing next to a shack near the shore. A turn of his head revealed Itheros a few hundred yards out and trudging along slowly. The Death Knight knew he was being followed, though he did not know his assailant or what abilities he possessed. Within the hut sat an older man in his late sixties, he was frail and little. The man in white had no problem slipping in unnoticed as he appeared out of a shadowed corner. A yelp was heard as the old man spotted someone in his house, the sounds of clattering pots and pans could be heard outside as the old man obviously would not go quietly. Finally after a flash of light the sound was silenced. Death waited for Itheros inside the hut, quiet, deadly, and accurate.
Itheros squinted as the sun shown bright off the snow covered hut. He nudged his horse onward. A sudden uneasy feeling came over him as his horse reared out of fear. With a swift motion he dismounted the beast. Itheros was quick to move his hands to his blades, it had been months since he actually killed anything but to him death was second nature and the ability to deal it was in his ice crusted blood. The Death Knight slowly moved away from his horse towards the hut. Itheros could see a blood splattered window pane, he knew what had happened without further evidence. With an irritated growl the Death Knight moved to the front door and placed a heavy plated boot upon it. The wood shattered and splintered beneath his weight, his hands moved to draw their weapons with blinding speed. Sparks leapt from his sheathes as the metal guard met his blades edge. Itheros bared his fangs “Show yourself whelp, I'll not wait for your trickery or childish games!†Before he could say anymore a man in a white cloak appeared about three feet in front of him with an outstretched hand, fire leapt from his fingertips towards Itheros. The force of the impact was so great that the windows and their frames burst, glass and wood littered the snow for about thirty yards surrounding the structure. Itheros was hit square in the breast plate; his limp body thrown back into the snow finally came to rest twenty yards from its starting point. With a smirk the man in white stepped out of the door frame and into the snow, though his feet never touched. He remained a solid two inches off the ground at all times.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0qy-VMrZgM[/youtube]
The man in white spoke “Did you think you would really out run me forever Death Knight?†Itheros's armor gave a groan as he stood and shook the snow free from his now burning cloak; he shook his head and removed his hood revealing his aquamarine hair and a new scar that lay in a perfect crescent shape around his left eye socket. “Where is the old man…?†The white figure chuckled “Where do you think he is Itheros Blackheart?†The Death Knight growled low in anger. “He had nothing to do with this. You will pay in full for his suffering at my hands.†Wind picked up ever so slightly, it whipped Itheros's hair to the right side of his face. The two stood for a long moment just staring at one another, Itheros finally reached up and removed the rest of his now charred and ember crusted cloak. With a smirk the figure in white placed his feet on the snowy surface of the barren tundra. He spoke a few ancient words and from another outstretched hand came five purple dart shaped missiles all strategically aimed at the Death Knight. Itheros with an immediate wave of his hand brought up a wall of ice between him and the deadly darts. They struck with shattering force against the structure breaking it, Itheros dove to the side but not soon enough he still caught a few shards of ice in his left thigh. “Really Itheros, I expected more from one so renowned in the art of death.†The Death Knight held out an open palm and closed it with force causing icy chains to burst from the ground cracking the ice shelf which held the shack. They clamped down on the white figure with crushing force. He gave a shriek of pain and struggled to fight free. His efforts proved useless; he spoke a few more words in the magical language. The words sounded over and over until he was shouting them, his veins shown along his brow line and on his neck. A large bubble of purple force surrounded him. Magic danced and flickered off his skin as it touched the bubble at first then with an earth shattering BOOM! The icy chains that bound him were broken and a wave of force stretched out in all directions searching for anything it could to destroy. Loud groans could be heard as the stressing pressure struggled not to shatter the cliff side completely. Itheros crossed his blades in his X-guard block which shielded him from most of the force though he was still knocked prone.
The figure in white stood floating a purple haze surrounded him and his eyes were lit with fire “You think your pathetic tools are a match for my own fool?!†His voice sounded with rage. Itheros wasted no time worrying about the outcome of the fight he quickly gathered to his knees and placed a palm on the ice. Purple arching shadows began to call forth a small force of the undead to do the Death Knights work, rotting corpses began to crawl from the ice and snow their flesh barely clinging to their bones. One of the beasts called out “Brains!†All it took was a pointed finger from their master and they all converged on the floating man. The monsters all clawed and climbed on each other to bring him down. They finally managed to do so. The man in white began to loose balls of fire into the crowd of zombies which thinned their numbers greatly. Itheros had to think fast if he was to stay ahead of his foe. He touched his blade with his finger and the metal began to fester with rot as it gave off a black mist. Without waiting for an invitation the knight joined the battle, his swords hacking and slashing at the man in white. A well placed blow was landed just above the man's knee cap. Though he quickly replied with a counter spell, a whipping flame grabbed Itheros around his throat and sent him sailing to the side. The flaming whip came unwrapped and the man in white quickly dispatched the remaining zombies by yanking heads free with the whip and blasting others into corpse dust with his free casting hand.
Itheros stood, his armor shook from wear and tear. He thought it best to unstrap his shoulder plates, what was left of them anyways. The man in white clenched his hand around the flaming whip, “The game ends here Death Knight!†As he went to take a step towards Itheros his leg locked up. “What the hel-… What have you done?†Itheros grinned revealing his fangs. “I have ended the game white rider. You have been bested.†He rolled his shoulders as the metal plates fell free he readied his stance. The man in white tore the cloth on his pant leg to reveal a festering wound that was slowly climbing up his leg, he grit his teeth and dispersed his whip. “It would appear you –think- you have bested me. We shall see Itheros Blackheart… we shall see.†Itheros inched closer and closer to the man swords ready at his command to kill without question. As he neared the man in white he noticed he was muttering something to himself, veins began to pulse and form on his hands and neckline. With a roar of pain the man hunched over clenching his stomach, “Now… Death Knight… YOU!.. WITNESS.. TRUE WRATH!†Itheros tightened his grip on his hilts and sank low into a defensive posture, he had seen many spells but this one was new to him. The man in white jerked upright in a rigid posture his body floating a few feet off the ground. He screamed as blood began to boil from his eyes and mouth, his finger nails split and cracked. With a final shriek of horrid pain bright orange streams of fire shot forth from his eyes and mouth skyward. His hands exploded with force and his clothing quickly caught fire as cracks could now be seen in his torso. Itheros had heard of this before but never fathomed he would actually see it, wasting no time the Death Knight threw both of his blades to the side and sprinted towards the cliff side overlooking the water. Just as he reached the edge of the ice the man in white imploded sending a shockwave of flame and death that ate through stone and ice alike with destructive force. Whatever it touched it incinerated and the ice shelf couldn't handle the force of the explosion. Itheros made one last ditch effort to avoid the blast by leaping off the side of the cliff; he made it a few feet before the actual cliff side exploded. The Death Knight along with a small mountain of ice crashed into the sea far below. All that remained of the man in white was a blackened charred crater and the cracked ice shelf where a shack and an overhang once stood. Itheros did his best to leap from one chunk of ice to the next but it was no use he was falling to fast he struck the water with crushing force his vision went black.
Several hours had passed and the snowy fallout of the explosion still rained high above the frozen sea below, Itheros drifted along unconscious. His body eventually coming to rest by slamming into a rock, he grunted in pain as he awoke. “Huh?... Where the hell am I?†Itheros tried to move but could feel his body was racked with injuries. He clawed his way onto the rock where he spotted a ship, and not just any ship this ship bore the banner of the Warchiefs Horde. With a twisted grin of pleasure he signaled to the ship in the distance with a shout. “HAIL!.. I AM ITHEROS BLACKHEART, KNIGHT OF THE EBON BLADE AND ALLY TO THE HORDE!†He was unsure if his voice could be heard over the howling wind of the sea but sure enough moments later a flare was shot off in his direction and he could see a boat being lowered into the water. He spoke quietly once again to himself, “And I half expected those Orc bastards to pass me by.†The boat eventually reached him after a few shouting orders from its Orcish row boss. He spoke short and to the point when he finally met Itheros face to face after pulling him aboard “What are you doing out here Ebon Knight?†Itheros gave an irritated sigh “I was returning to my Ebon Post when I was attacked. Where is this ship headed?†The Orc motioned for the crew to start rowing. “We sail for Orcish shores." Itheros perked a brow “Kalimdor?†The Orc nodded. Itheros said nothing until they reached the ship where the captain was awaiting him; she was tall Troll for a female and very bold. “Give me your name sea dog or you can swim home.†The Death Knight glanced over his shoulder at the sea where he had been drifting; he flashed back to his encounter with the man in white and took a breath “I am known to some as Itheros Blackheart, you however… may call me The Butcher.†The Troll perked a brow and nodded slowly “Welcome aboard Butcher. We'll have you home in no time.â€Â
The sun broke over the ice cap of the Dragon Blight revealing a frost covered figure atop an armored steed. Snow swirled softly about the mountain side where the figure stood looking out over the white sea of powder and ice. The barren waste of winter's chilled breath provided a safe haven for the figure. Wind pounded against his cloaked body from the east. Snow crunched beneath the horses mighty hooves as the beast began to descend the mountains trail. In the distance another figure stood camouflaged against the white back drop in his matching cloak, he reached into his belt line revealing a jewel encrusted hilt. With a jerking adjust the figure situated himself before standing and following far behind the man atop the horse.
It had been a few hours since Itheros stopped to check his surroundings, he figured now was good a time as any. The Death Knight dismounted his horse gracefully landing into the snow packing two footprints deep into the powdered ice shelf; he parted his black lips and spoke softly to himself “I've missed this quiet.†With a tilted head he squinted to see the spire in the distance. Itheros had thrown himself into exile believing the men in white would stop following him. This proved to work, so far. He grew uneasy. Truth is told Itheros felt a coming storm on the horizon; his warrior instincts would not let him sit by idle while those he swore allegiance to waded head long into danger. He gathered his equipment and began his long journey back to civilization. Little did the Death Knight know he was being watched by an all too familiar foe. The man in white had been following him for six days and five nights now, and showed no sign of aggression. Itheros knew however that as soon as he neared a port the fight would be on. Wind screamed and beat against his tattered black cloak as it rushed across the ice shelf. Snow became sleet and frost formed on his shoulders and hood. Itheros checked his blades to make sure they were secure before remounting his steed and heading out against the wind and into the east. Shadows moved far behind him as he traveled, he stayed ever ready and continued onward.
A salty sea breeze blew as the figure atop the horse neared the southeastern shore of the Dragon Blight. The man in white knew where he was going and knew that there was a fisherman who had helped to hide Itheros from him before. He would not allow that to happen again. With a snap of his figures he blinked ahead about fifty yards, and again, and again until finally he was standing next to a shack near the shore. A turn of his head revealed Itheros a few hundred yards out and trudging along slowly. The Death Knight knew he was being followed, though he did not know his assailant or what abilities he possessed. Within the hut sat an older man in his late sixties, he was frail and little. The man in white had no problem slipping in unnoticed as he appeared out of a shadowed corner. A yelp was heard as the old man spotted someone in his house, the sounds of clattering pots and pans could be heard outside as the old man obviously would not go quietly. Finally after a flash of light the sound was silenced. Death waited for Itheros inside the hut, quiet, deadly, and accurate.
Itheros squinted as the sun shown bright off the snow covered hut. He nudged his horse onward. A sudden uneasy feeling came over him as his horse reared out of fear. With a swift motion he dismounted the beast. Itheros was quick to move his hands to his blades, it had been months since he actually killed anything but to him death was second nature and the ability to deal it was in his ice crusted blood. The Death Knight slowly moved away from his horse towards the hut. Itheros could see a blood splattered window pane, he knew what had happened without further evidence. With an irritated growl the Death Knight moved to the front door and placed a heavy plated boot upon it. The wood shattered and splintered beneath his weight, his hands moved to draw their weapons with blinding speed. Sparks leapt from his sheathes as the metal guard met his blades edge. Itheros bared his fangs “Show yourself whelp, I'll not wait for your trickery or childish games!†Before he could say anymore a man in a white cloak appeared about three feet in front of him with an outstretched hand, fire leapt from his fingertips towards Itheros. The force of the impact was so great that the windows and their frames burst, glass and wood littered the snow for about thirty yards surrounding the structure. Itheros was hit square in the breast plate; his limp body thrown back into the snow finally came to rest twenty yards from its starting point. With a smirk the man in white stepped out of the door frame and into the snow, though his feet never touched. He remained a solid two inches off the ground at all times.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0qy-VMrZgM[/youtube]
The man in white spoke “Did you think you would really out run me forever Death Knight?†Itheros's armor gave a groan as he stood and shook the snow free from his now burning cloak; he shook his head and removed his hood revealing his aquamarine hair and a new scar that lay in a perfect crescent shape around his left eye socket. “Where is the old man…?†The white figure chuckled “Where do you think he is Itheros Blackheart?†The Death Knight growled low in anger. “He had nothing to do with this. You will pay in full for his suffering at my hands.†Wind picked up ever so slightly, it whipped Itheros's hair to the right side of his face. The two stood for a long moment just staring at one another, Itheros finally reached up and removed the rest of his now charred and ember crusted cloak. With a smirk the figure in white placed his feet on the snowy surface of the barren tundra. He spoke a few ancient words and from another outstretched hand came five purple dart shaped missiles all strategically aimed at the Death Knight. Itheros with an immediate wave of his hand brought up a wall of ice between him and the deadly darts. They struck with shattering force against the structure breaking it, Itheros dove to the side but not soon enough he still caught a few shards of ice in his left thigh. “Really Itheros, I expected more from one so renowned in the art of death.†The Death Knight held out an open palm and closed it with force causing icy chains to burst from the ground cracking the ice shelf which held the shack. They clamped down on the white figure with crushing force. He gave a shriek of pain and struggled to fight free. His efforts proved useless; he spoke a few more words in the magical language. The words sounded over and over until he was shouting them, his veins shown along his brow line and on his neck. A large bubble of purple force surrounded him. Magic danced and flickered off his skin as it touched the bubble at first then with an earth shattering BOOM! The icy chains that bound him were broken and a wave of force stretched out in all directions searching for anything it could to destroy. Loud groans could be heard as the stressing pressure struggled not to shatter the cliff side completely. Itheros crossed his blades in his X-guard block which shielded him from most of the force though he was still knocked prone.
The figure in white stood floating a purple haze surrounded him and his eyes were lit with fire “You think your pathetic tools are a match for my own fool?!†His voice sounded with rage. Itheros wasted no time worrying about the outcome of the fight he quickly gathered to his knees and placed a palm on the ice. Purple arching shadows began to call forth a small force of the undead to do the Death Knights work, rotting corpses began to crawl from the ice and snow their flesh barely clinging to their bones. One of the beasts called out “Brains!†All it took was a pointed finger from their master and they all converged on the floating man. The monsters all clawed and climbed on each other to bring him down. They finally managed to do so. The man in white began to loose balls of fire into the crowd of zombies which thinned their numbers greatly. Itheros had to think fast if he was to stay ahead of his foe. He touched his blade with his finger and the metal began to fester with rot as it gave off a black mist. Without waiting for an invitation the knight joined the battle, his swords hacking and slashing at the man in white. A well placed blow was landed just above the man's knee cap. Though he quickly replied with a counter spell, a whipping flame grabbed Itheros around his throat and sent him sailing to the side. The flaming whip came unwrapped and the man in white quickly dispatched the remaining zombies by yanking heads free with the whip and blasting others into corpse dust with his free casting hand.
Itheros stood, his armor shook from wear and tear. He thought it best to unstrap his shoulder plates, what was left of them anyways. The man in white clenched his hand around the flaming whip, “The game ends here Death Knight!†As he went to take a step towards Itheros his leg locked up. “What the hel-… What have you done?†Itheros grinned revealing his fangs. “I have ended the game white rider. You have been bested.†He rolled his shoulders as the metal plates fell free he readied his stance. The man in white tore the cloth on his pant leg to reveal a festering wound that was slowly climbing up his leg, he grit his teeth and dispersed his whip. “It would appear you –think- you have bested me. We shall see Itheros Blackheart… we shall see.†Itheros inched closer and closer to the man swords ready at his command to kill without question. As he neared the man in white he noticed he was muttering something to himself, veins began to pulse and form on his hands and neckline. With a roar of pain the man hunched over clenching his stomach, “Now… Death Knight… YOU!.. WITNESS.. TRUE WRATH!†Itheros tightened his grip on his hilts and sank low into a defensive posture, he had seen many spells but this one was new to him. The man in white jerked upright in a rigid posture his body floating a few feet off the ground. He screamed as blood began to boil from his eyes and mouth, his finger nails split and cracked. With a final shriek of horrid pain bright orange streams of fire shot forth from his eyes and mouth skyward. His hands exploded with force and his clothing quickly caught fire as cracks could now be seen in his torso. Itheros had heard of this before but never fathomed he would actually see it, wasting no time the Death Knight threw both of his blades to the side and sprinted towards the cliff side overlooking the water. Just as he reached the edge of the ice the man in white imploded sending a shockwave of flame and death that ate through stone and ice alike with destructive force. Whatever it touched it incinerated and the ice shelf couldn't handle the force of the explosion. Itheros made one last ditch effort to avoid the blast by leaping off the side of the cliff; he made it a few feet before the actual cliff side exploded. The Death Knight along with a small mountain of ice crashed into the sea far below. All that remained of the man in white was a blackened charred crater and the cracked ice shelf where a shack and an overhang once stood. Itheros did his best to leap from one chunk of ice to the next but it was no use he was falling to fast he struck the water with crushing force his vision went black.
Several hours had passed and the snowy fallout of the explosion still rained high above the frozen sea below, Itheros drifted along unconscious. His body eventually coming to rest by slamming into a rock, he grunted in pain as he awoke. “Huh?... Where the hell am I?†Itheros tried to move but could feel his body was racked with injuries. He clawed his way onto the rock where he spotted a ship, and not just any ship this ship bore the banner of the Warchiefs Horde. With a twisted grin of pleasure he signaled to the ship in the distance with a shout. “HAIL!.. I AM ITHEROS BLACKHEART, KNIGHT OF THE EBON BLADE AND ALLY TO THE HORDE!†He was unsure if his voice could be heard over the howling wind of the sea but sure enough moments later a flare was shot off in his direction and he could see a boat being lowered into the water. He spoke quietly once again to himself, “And I half expected those Orc bastards to pass me by.†The boat eventually reached him after a few shouting orders from its Orcish row boss. He spoke short and to the point when he finally met Itheros face to face after pulling him aboard “What are you doing out here Ebon Knight?†Itheros gave an irritated sigh “I was returning to my Ebon Post when I was attacked. Where is this ship headed?†The Orc motioned for the crew to start rowing. “We sail for Orcish shores." Itheros perked a brow “Kalimdor?†The Orc nodded. Itheros said nothing until they reached the ship where the captain was awaiting him; she was tall Troll for a female and very bold. “Give me your name sea dog or you can swim home.†The Death Knight glanced over his shoulder at the sea where he had been drifting; he flashed back to his encounter with the man in white and took a breath “I am known to some as Itheros Blackheart, you however… may call me The Butcher.†The Troll perked a brow and nodded slowly “Welcome aboard Butcher. We'll have you home in no time.â€Â