Conquest of the Horde

Raven Hill, Amerand had heard nothing but ill rumors about the place. He had visited the forsaken town a few times before and had found nothing of interest. Yet with increasingly worrying reports from Duskwood's citizens, he felt that he was forced to come there once again. It was a nice day for a ride, the sun was shining brightly, yet it wasn’t to warm. The birds were chirping loudly, yet they weren't to loud. Everything seemed to be perfect and Amerand was certain nothing bad could happen on such a glorious day. The journey to Raven Hill was uneventful, it seemed like the entire Kingdom was enjoying a beautiful day. Amerand however had work to do, important work.

He had received reports from his brothers in arms that evil things had been taking place in Raven Hill. Supposedly a demon had been summoned there, yet there was no trace of any demon to be found. Amerand laughed at the mere notion of the idea. If a demon had in fact been summoned in Raven Hill, surely the town would have been destroyed. Demons were evil creatures whose only goal was to bring death and destruction. They served no higher purpose, they simply wanted to destroy things. It was all they did and all they were good at. The fact that Raven Hill was still there, was proof enough for Amerand that a demon hadn't been there.

Still it needed to be checked out. One of the first things he had learned as a squire was to be patient and to never make rash decisions. Patience was never Amerand's strong point but he saw the wisdom in his elder's teachings. Besides, something didn't feel right about the place. The forsaken town looked rather eerie, it seemed like the kind of place a heretic would be drawn to. The town's abandoned buildings could easily serve as a hideout for the heretic. A place where they could do their ungodly work in peace as the town wasn't frequented that often.

As Amerand approached the town's square he felt nothing, he heard nothing either. He could no longer feel the soft touch of the wind caressing his bald head. He could no longer hear the sounds of wildlife, that had accompanied him on his journey. It was as if nature itself had abandoned the town as well. The situation did not go down well with Amerand. He stood in the town square, waiting, listening, searching for someone, something, anything. But there was nothing, he was all alone in the abandoned town.

After a few moments, Amerand was certain that he was in fact all alone and decided to get to work. After all, the sooner he finished investigating Raven Hill, the sooner he could return to the city he loved: Stormwind. The abandoned tavern seemed like a good place to start. It had opened it's doors for strangers seeking shelter before, it could have done so again. He turned the place upside down but found nothing of interest. The tavern was empty apart from the remains of broken furniture.

Amerand let out a sigh as he exited the abandoned tavern. He'd have to go through all these houses, search them and find nothing. It would be boring and a waste of time, but at least he would be able to give the citizens of Duskwood peace of mind. He was about to enter the first house of the forsaken town when he heard something. Footsteps, they were soft but loud enough to break the silence. He turned into their direction and found a raven haired woman, dressed in some dark clothes. She looked suspicious to Amerand, dark clothing was never a sign of anything good. He called out to her, loudly.

“Halt! Who are you and what's your business here?!” The woman didn't seem intimidated by his appearance, she remained rather calm as she turned to him with a soft smile on her lips. “I'm Sasha, I'm looking for someone. Might you be Amerand?” Amerand raised an eyebrow at the woman as he stared into her dark teal eyes. This was odd, who would go looking for him in such a grim place? “I am Amerand Silverwind, friend. Why have you come for me?”

Shortly after he had identified himself, two death knights joined the raven haired woman, Two elves, one sin'dorei and one kal'dorei. Amerand's eyebrows lowered into a frown as his gaze shifted between the three women. This did not look good for him. Amerand quickly drew his sword and shield, posing yet another question to the raven haired woman. “What is the meaning of this?!” He yelled at her.

“The mistress wants to see you.” That was the only answer he got from the woman before her companions rushed at him. The fight between the four of them ended almost as soon as it had begun. Amerand was able to interrupt a spell of the raven haired woman but her two companions proved to difficult for him to handle. He quickly lost his sword in a desperate attempt to pierce the heart of the witch, which left him with only his shield and his faith to protect him. His shield was lost shortly afterward to a chain gripping it out of his hand. Amerand did not even get a chance to raise a protective shield as the raven haired woman's spell drove him into confusion. Her two companions quickly knocked him out. “I wonder what the mistress wants with this one...” It was the voice of the night elf he would hear last before his vision went to black.

He awoke in a shoddy excuse for a house, chained to it's wall. He was stripped of his bright armor plates and left in only his trousers. At least he wasn't stripped of all modesty. Amerand quickly became painfully aware of his situation. He was captured by the heretics. They probably planned to do ungodly things to him before killing him outright. They were in for a surprise. Amerand's faith in the Light would protect him from harm. His faith was his shield, these faithless cowards would soon learn that he wasn't that easily broken.

It felt like hours passed before she came for him. The night elven Death Knight tried to mess with Amerand before, but he was able to see through her obvious illusions. This time however she did not come to torment him. She released him from his chains and helped him up. “Move.” was the only word she said to him, before pushing him out of the house. He could see the other Death Knight and was certain they weren't the only ones guarding him. Amerand had a brief look around the area before he was pushed again by the night elf, in the direction of an abandoned blacksmith. “I said move!” Amerand snorted before complying, he had learned all he needed to know. He had identified his surroundings as the infamous Plaguelands, a land completely corrupted by the undead legion of the Scourge.

The blacksmith wasn’t what he had expected. The outside of the building was the only reminder of the function it once had as it's interior had completely changed. Amerand's senses were assaulted by the former blacksmith. His nostrils were invaded by the awful smell of fel magic. With his eyes he saw only devices of horror. There was a dark green rune on the ground that reeked of fel magic in the corner of the room. An alchemy workbench with vials, bottles and ungodly alchemical creations that smelled strongly of poison was placed in another corner. A surgical table was next to the alchemy workbench, it had shackles to ensure that whoever was placed upon it, remained still. The last object in the room Amerand wasn’t able to identify. It was a horrible, demonic looking device that he had never seen before in his life. It resembled a forge, though it's shape was wicked. There was no fire in it but instead it was bathed in green flames of felfire.

The room was clearly designed for torture. This mysterious mistress must have been going at it for quite some time, Amerand thought to himself. All the tools in the room seemed to each serve a different purpose, each one a tool for torture. But what was the rune doing there? It seemed out of place in the workshop of horror.

It's purpose would soon become clear to Amerand, as green smoke started to rise from it and the stench of fel became stronger. A figure appeared in the mist. The figure was tall, very tall in fact, nearly twice the size of Amerand. Monstrous claws rested at her sides where one would expect hands. As she stepped out of the mist, more of her hideous features became apparent. Her body was covered in scales. Her teeth were sharpened into long, razor-tipped points. It became obvious to Amerand that this mistress was in fact a demon.

The demon smiled at Amerand, or she tried to at least. Though her stance revealed it was a gesture of friendliness, the demon's horrific features made Amerand unsure of it's purpose. “I see we have a visitor. What's your name, human?”

Amerand remained silent, he simply looked down, trying to avoid looking at the demon. His unwillingness to cooperate did not go down well with the demon. The smile quickly faded from her lips as she let out a sigh. She gestured towards his elven captor with her monstrous claw. He received the night elf's cold, plated fist in his stomach. “She asked for your name.”

Amerand raised his head and looked the demon straight into her green eyes, which burned with felfire. He glared angrily at her, his lips curling up into a smirk. “...Amerand Silverwind, with whom do I have the pleasure?”

The cruel smile returned on the demon's horrific features. She gestured towards the surgical table, to which Amerand was promptly dragged by his night elven captor. After he was bound in place, she nodded and the Death Knight backed off into a corner. “I am lady Marianna Merion Bisen and I'm afraid it is now time for you to sleep.”

Amerand could see her wave her monstrous claws around, muttering something in a language he could not understand before his eyelids start to become heavy. He did not even have the time to word his objection before the demonic spell did it's work. He fell into a deep, long slumber. In his dreams he could hear the demonic whispers reaching out to him.

“She may look like a demon... but her heart is pure. Give her a chance.”
“Fel magic can be used for good as well as for evil.”
“Not all demons are evil. There are good demons too.”

Amerand rejected the messages. He had been taught personally by the first Grand Crusader of the Order. The lies and slander of the heretic would not make him falter. He would not doubt. This demon would not get the better of him. He would make her pay. Even in his dreams the paladin was as stubborn and fanatical as always.

He awoke to find the demon long gone, but the messages kept ringing through his head. He blocked them out. The teachings of his Order were the truth to him, no demon could convince him otherwise. Demons are evil creatures, bent on the destruction of mankind. It was a fact.

It felt like days passed. Amerand was tortured by his captors though he had remained relatively unharmed. He was sore, bruised, and weakened but he was alive. Amerand was positive that he had the Light to thank for his low amount of injuries. His faith had protected him as he knew it would.

Eventually the demon returned. Amerand was certain that it was now her turn to torture him, as she hadn't done so before. The demon did no such thing however. She merely observed Amerand with a frown. She did not seem pleased with the results of the torture. Amerand decided to show her that he was still strong and unaffected by her foolish attempt to corrupt him. He struggled against his bindings with all his might. “Release me!” He demanded loudly.

The woman let out a sigh and snapped her fingers. The shackles opened magically at her command.
“You are free to go, Paladin.”

Amerand was confused by the gesture. He did not expect her to simply release him. Amerand stretched his muscles, something he hadn't been able to do in quite some time. He looked at the woman in sheer disbelief. Something didn't feel right. She was a demon, bent on death and destruction. Why did she not kill him? He didn't plan to ask her for now, she could easily change her mind and undo what she had just done.
“Where's my equipment?”

The woman pointed at the empty corner of the room. Her face did not reveal any emotion, it was... odd to say the least. The situation did not go down well with Amerand. Something was amiss, this demon has the power to kill him. He could easily crush her with the might of his Order if she simply let him go. She was smart enough to realize this, so why did she do it? Amerand pondered the situation as he collected his equipment. He donned his bright plate armor and covered it with his ceremonial red robes and the tabard of the Lightsworn. He drew his sword and shield and confronted Marianna. “You realize that I am forced to slay you now?”

The woman shrugged slightly and nodded. She did not seem to care about Amerand's threat. She spoke calmly. “It is only logical. I am a demon, you are a paladin. I am evil, you are good. You must slay me.”

Amerand raised an eyebrow at her answer. He raised his shield in front of himself to protect him from any sudden attacks and approached the demon with his sword drawn. This demon was up to something, he knew it. There was no way a demon would give up on a chance to kill someone. “Why did you capture me?”

The woman shrugged again. She remained calm and oddly relaxed given that she had a sword pointing at her. “I am a demon, it is my goal to spread death and destruction. Is that not right?”

Amerand snorted at the answer. This woman was using his own words against him. She was correct of course, but what a heretic says can not be trusted. She couldn't possibly have come to realize that she is evil and must be destroyed. What was she doing? What was she playing at? “Why did you not kill me?” Amerand was starting to get annoyed now. This woman was toying with him. In the face of certain death she was making a mockery of him.

“I am a demon, you are a paladin. I am evil, you are good. Evil can not possibly triumph over good.” She spoke once more calmly. Her attitude infuriated Amerand. He slammed her to the ground, without any resistance. It angered Amerand even further. He wanted her to resist. He wanted her to fight. He wanted her to show him that he was right. Why was she not acting like a demon should. Why was she not fighting him? His chest began to rise and fall quicker with every breath he took. He glared intensely at the demon now and began to shout at her. “Why did you not kill me?!”

The woman looked Amerand straight into his eyes. She met his glare with her calm gaze. She calmly repeated herself. “I am a demon, you are a paladin. I am evil, you are good. Evil can not possibly triumph over good.” That was the last straw. This woman did not even dignify his rage with an answer. Amerand pulled back his sword and stabbed her. He expected her to roll away, to resist him. But she didn’t. SHE DID'NT. SHE DID'NT DO ANYTHING! WHY WAS SHE NOT BEHAVING LIKE A DEMON. WHY NOT?! The questions gnawed at Amerand. He was torn apart by rage and confusion. “... Look what you have brought upon yourself, demon. You are now dead, while I live.”

The woman simply lay there and bled to death. A thick black oil like fluid began to rise from her wound. It was the blood of a demon. Amerand looked at it and remembered that it is the most addictive substance known to man. He was certain he would be able to resist the corruption and use it as a trial of his faith. This was why he was brought here. To slay that demon and claim her blood for the order. Amerand turned to the alchemy workbench and grabbed a vial. He filled it completely with the demon's blood and left her lifeless body there. Still the questions gnawed at him as he journeyed back to Stormwind.

Was she truly evil?

It had taken Amerand a few days to get back to Stormwind, the city he loved and held dear. He had been able to ride a gryphon back there from Southshore for a few silver pieces, which was nearly all of the money he had on him. The journey hadn't been easy but Amerand had found comfort in the knowledge that he'd be reunited with his beloved city and friends soon. The nights were the roughest on Amerand, for the whispers continued their demonic work in his sleep. They were relentless, never granting him a moment of peace. Whatever resistance he had been able to offer to the whispers during the day, was lost in the night.

“You are not worthy of the Light...”
“You are weak, we can make you strong...”
“Drink the blood, it will strengthen your faith...”

Every night he awoke prematurely, his eyes open wide, his body tired from the lack of sleep he had been getting due to the whispers continued assault on his conscious. Every night he was afraid to go back to sleep, fearing the torment of the whispers but he had to press on. His faith was strong, the Light would protect him... As soon as he was back in Stormwind, everything would be better. The Cathedral would offer him protection from his demons, the hallowed ground would banish the evil presence the demon had cast over him. Or so he had thought...

As soon as Amerand returned to Stormwind, he was greeted by his worried brethren. Brother Bernard, a keeper of faith was the first to ask the question burning on everyone's lips. “Brother, where have you been?” Amerand offered his brethren a comforting smile as he spoke calmly. “Brothers, there was indeed an evil presence in the forsaken town of Raven Hill but we needn't worry no more. I have vanquished the demon lurking in the woods and claimed it's blood as a trophy.” He proudly presented the vial of demon blood to the rest of the Order. He didn't see the need to tell his brethren of his condition, at best it would only cause unrest and chaos amongst their ranks. The Order needed to remain strong, Amerand would have to keep his condition to himself.

The tension surrounding Amerand's disappearance was relieved quickly as Amerand recounted the tale of his capture. As he finished his tale he sent his brothers away with a dismissive hand gestures. Amerand was tired, he hadn't slept well ever since his capture, he was looking forward to sleeping in his own comfortable bed again, hoping it would allow him some resistance to the whispers. There were things he needed to do first, the position of Grand Crusader gave him many duties, duties Amerand was unable to fulfill in his absence. The pile of reports surrounding the wicked and suspicious lay in waiting on his table, he needed to sift through them and decide where to take action and where not to. The decisions were never easy to make, he was still relatively new to his position and lacked the experience needed to make the decisions swiftly and without worry.

Night had already fallen hours ago by the time Amerand finished sifting through the reports. He was completely exhausted by now, his eyes struggling to keep open as he walked to his bed. Amerand was gone as soon as his body hit the bed, his eyes closed before his head hit the pillow. He was completely unable to offer any resistance as the whispers continued their work, picking at his greatest insecurities.

“The order will surely fall under your leadership...”
“You're a joke... Plagued by demons! What would the true Grand Crusader say...”
“You will never be able to lead the order successfully with us...”
“Find her! She still lives... Find her! She can help you... She will aid you...”

Amazingly enough, Amerand was actually granted his rest. Despite the whispers echoing through his head in his sleep, Amerand had been able to get a proper night's rest. The paladin was uncertain if he had the Light to thank for that or whether the whispers had merely left him alone to prepare him for his journey. It was inevitable, Amerand saw that. He had to go back there and find the demon that had cursed him, it was the only way he would be able to get rid of those damn whisper.

It would be foolish to undertake the journey alone however and Amerand decided to bring brother Bernard and some crusaders with him to the demon's den. The journey was long but mostly uneventful, it took them days to reach the river leading up the hellish workshop. They decided to make camp there, brother Bernard would join Amerand as they ventured into the demon's lair. The whispers had told Amerand he would be remain safe, but the paladin knew better then to trust them.

The workshop seemed abandoned when Amerand and Bernard arrived. After a brief glance around the area, it would turn out that this was in fact not the case. A blood elf warlock came out hiding, Amerand knew her. She had tortured him during his captivity. “Where is she?” The paladin demanded. He didn't feel like wasting time on her. The woman however had different ideas as she ignored him, casually strolling towards a burnt down house near the hellish workshop. Finally she spoke. “Tell me light wielder... Have you ever been in love? I was once in love... She was a beautiful girl... Her name was Kelarria... I loved her, but mother did not approve of us... So you know what I did? She would not leave me... I tried to warn her several times, and eventually she tried to kill me... She was no successful fighter, and the fight was quickly to my favor... I tore out her heart, as a gift for mother... At least now I say I quite literally, have her heart.”

It became clear to Amerand that the elf wouldn't tell him anything useful. He drew his weapons and signaled for Bernard to do the same. The fight didn't last long. The paladins outnumbered the warlock two to one, even her felhound couldn't turn the tide of battle in her favor as the beast died a swift death on Amerand's sword. Bernard had just pinned the woman down, ready for an interrogation when the two demons entered the scene. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, lady Bisen and what Amerand assumed to be her associate stepped out the workshop.

The associate, clad in some kind of demonic armor set, craned her neck, as her fingertips set alight with burning felfire. "I do so despise paladins and their ignorance." The demon Amerand knew to be Lady Bisen stood near her, she spoke calmly. "...Please release her." Amerand complied, ordering Bernard to his side. Again the associate snarled at them. "You two must be the culprits, the two continuous patrols which repeatedly visit -my- land." Lady Bisen chuckled a bit calmly "Our land, dear. We mustn’t be greedy with the honorifics."

Amerand focused his attention on the matters at hand. He was only interested in Bisen, the demon who cursed him. "I have nothing to do with you... Lady Bisen and I have business to conduct." He snarled back at the woman. The demon in turn placed a curious look upon Amerand. "Is it the sort of business that will involve that sword of yours? I just reformed from your last 'piece of business', paladin." She chuckled in an eerie manner. “You will remain safe from harm for as long as things remain peaceful.” The demoness seemed to understand his terms. She gestured towards the hellish workshop. “Let us talk... elsewhere.” Again this eerie calmness in her voice.

Amerand followed her inside, he and brother Bernard hesitantly set foot on the green, glowing rune that the demon had used to enter the building for the first time. He instantly regretted it as he fell through the floor, nothing but the darkness of the nether surrounding him until he eventually hit solid ground. They appeared to be in a tower of sorts. “Brother Bernard?!” Amerand shouted, uncertain of his companion's whereabouts. “Here, brother... Where are we?” The demoness answered the question before Amerand could even open his mouth. “Why... The twisting nether ofcourse!” The woman's laughter send small shivers down Amerand's spine. He didn't like to admit it but quite frankly the demoness scared him. Of course he couldn't show that to her.

“Very funny... Where are we exactly?” The paladin spoke calmly, not showing a hint of fear to the demon. Again she spoke with that same eerie calmness. “We're in a tower, dear. What does it look like? Come, take a seat.” She gestured towards a richly filled table, goblets of wine already prepared along with a roasted boar, the smell of which tickled Amerand's nostrils and urged him further. He quietly sat himself down on one of the chairs and watched as the demon ripped a haunch of meat from the boar. The sight of the demon tearing apart the meat of the boar with her fanged teeth whilst she was holding the haunch in her monstrous claws was appalling. Amerand decided to take a quick sip of his wine for some confidence before he went on to business. “I've been told... That you will offer your aid to me.” He tried to approach this as diplomatically as possible, desperate not to press his luck.

The felsworn tilted her head to the side and looked at Amerand curiously. “Aid you?” She repeated, as she continued devouring the flesh from the haunch of boar meat. Amerand merely nodded as he reached for the goblet of wine once more, uncertain what the next step would be. He watched the demoness as she finished the haunch of meat, leaving the bones on the platter. She turned to her associate and gestured towards the door leading out of the chamber. “Could you excuse us for a moment?” The felsworn didn't give him much of an option as they proceeded to head out of the chamber. “We'll only be a moment, drink, eat, enjoy yourselves.”

As soon as they left the chamber, Brother Bernard voiced his concerns. “Brother, you can't be serious about this. They're demons.” Amerand waved his hands dismissively. “I had a vision brother. The Lady herself appeared to me... This is what she wants. They shall aid us and that is that.” Bernard seemed to accept the answer, albeit grudgingly, he had a look around the room and left the Grand Crusader to himself. Amerand was fine with it, he was just glad Bernard hadn't decided to poke further.

Eventually they both entered the chamber again. Lady Bisen wore a wicked smile on her face as she walked back to the table where Amerand was seated. “Good news! We have decided to help you in your quest. You will receive fifty gold pieces a month and the names of those that willingly associate with us.” Amerand blinked, surprised at the generous offer. “That's wonderful news, I'll gladly accept that offer.” The felsworn nodded in turn, the wicked smile still on her lips. “Was there anything else you'd like to discuss?” Amerand nodded slowly. “As a matter of fact, there is... Could we speak somewhere more... private?”

The demoness lead the way through the various halls of the towers until they reached the top, looking out over the dark landscape. “Why me? Why did you capture -me- of all people?” Amerand started, turning his head to look at the felsworn. The demon woman merely shrugged. “I heard about you. I wanted to see if I could break your faith, I failed.” Amerand sighed, he wasn't happy with the answer, but did not feel like asking further. There were other things on his mind as well. “Why did you not kill me?” Again the woman offered a shrug. “The world needs it's heroes, who am I to deny them one, even if they are as stubborn and pigheaded as you. My heart is not that rotten, paladin. I chose to fight fire with fire, and it's working. Though my visage may seem terrifying, I am still human. I still weep every night I am away from my proud city.” Amerand couldn't help but smile. He felt a connection with this woman. She shared his pain, perhaps they were more alike then he thought. “I know the feeling...” He shook his head, he couldn't be like that woman. She was a demon! What was he thinking? “... I should be off.”

A quick teleport from the felsworn and Amerand was back in Stormwind, the city he loved. As he wandered through the streets there was only one question on his mind.

Were they truly that different?

It had been days since his last meeting with the Felsworn and Amerand's condition had taken a turn for the worse. The whispers wouldn't leave him alone now, every moment that he was awake he could hear them. They were relentless, never granting Amerand even a moment of peace. He had given in to the whispers' demands a few times now, concerning small issues mostly, and they had always lead him to a fruitful solution. Was he wrong to ignore them so? Were they truly there to help him? … Had the Light reached out to guide him on his path? The demonic whispers took full advantage of Amerand's increasing doubt.

“Yes paladin, we are here to help you...”
“The Light has taken notice of your efforts... We are your reward.”
“Do as we say and you shall become the strongest, wisest and most powerful paladin of your era...”

Chosen by the Light itself? Was it truly so? He had always heard tales of the former Grand Crusader's strong connection to the Light, had he been chosen to be his apprentice for his own? Amerand wasn't certain. He wasn't certain about anything anymore these days. All that he knew to be true, were his teachings. Everything else the paladin began to slowly doubt under the influence of the maddening whispers.

“Listen to us and you shall become strong...”
“Take our advice... We mean only the best, we are a gift from the Light after all...”
“Drink the blood... It will strengthen your faith...”

Even more days went by and Amerand found himself listening to the demonic whispers more and more. They had helped him make the right decisions, under their influence the Order had prospered. Amerand was sure they were not a curse but a blessing, a gift from the Light itself. The whispers had given him new confidence in his abilities, they had made him stronger, like they said they would but still Amerand didn't trust them completely. He valued their advice highly but... drinking demon blood? The Paladin wasn't too sure about that.

“Fel can help you... Fight fire with fire!”
“If -she- can remain pure... Surely you can as well?”
“Drink the blood... The Light wills it...”

She had called for him. The demoness had sent one of her lackeys to bring Amerand to a shoddy house in Elwynn Forest. She seemed like a nice girl, she looked innocent in the paladin's eyes, he pitied her predicament though he wasn't in a much better position himself. The felsworn could call on him at any moment apparently. She could have lackeys all over the world for all he knew, it was unlikely he could escape from his bond to the demon woman.

One demonic teleport later, Amerand found himself in a forest, a dark one with many mighty trees. There were ruins all around the place, the paladin believed them to be elven. Apparently the demon had created a new hideout for herself as the demoness had set up some sort of encampment here. A few tents stood amongst the elven ruin, one of them harbored the felsworn herself. She sat in a simple wooden chair, blowing smoke into the air, seemingly unaware of Amerand's presence though the battle hardened paladin knew better then to assume that.

Their talk was rather plain, the demoness had called upon Amerand to hand him his monthly sack of coins and to see if things were working out. She didn't seem very interested in what he had to say. “You tell me plenty of what I don't need to know and not enough of what I do need to know.” the demon woman had said to him. Perhaps she was right, but Amerand didn't feel like disclosing any of the Order's business to the demoness.

Alice had joined them shortly afterward. Amerand quickly found out the she was not as innocent as he had thought. Her eyes filled with darkness, becoming as black as an inkwell, shadowy veins circled around her white face, giving her a rather horrifying visage as well. It seemed like the demoness enjoyed surrounding herself with other abominations... So what did that make him?

The situation did not go down well with Amerand. He refused to become like them, abominations that had forsaken their humanity for a faint whisper of power. He had to break free of this bond, he needed to find an edge over the demoness. He wasn't powerful enough to escape her grasp. She was able to find him, able to call upon him. She dictated the course of their allegiance, if she wanted to she could crush him like a bug. He needed to find something that would grant him power over her, was there something she desired? The paladin was unable to think of anything that would please the felsworn.

So it had to be him. He needed to become more powerful, with greater control over the Light he could slay her and end this allegiance once and for all. Should he listen to his advisers? Perhaps drinking her blood could indeed gain him some sort of an advantage over the demoness. The demonic whispers chose to take advantage of Amerand's doubts once again their malicious words rose up from the dark confines of the paladin's mind.

“Take the blood and you shall find what you seek...”
“It will give you insight in her weaknesses...”
“It will strengthen your faith...”
“It will give you power untold!”

The promises were almost too good to be true. Amerand doubted their words still but he was tempted, so very tempted... He had to get out of here, he had to get back to the safe walls of Stormwind, where he could ponder the situation in peace. He sat through the dull conversation with the demoness and the lady of shadow until he was allowed to leave. The paladin took a good look around the encampment before he stepped through the portal, figuring he might have to come back here some day to confront the demoness.

Amerand came to peace within the walls of the city, it was the only place he could truly relax. The Cathedral would protect him from demonic influences, upon the hallowed ground he would be safe. The Paladin would spend the night praying to his faceless deity to no avail. He had grown tired instead of wiser. His frail state of conscious had allowed the hellish whispers to continue their work with increasing success.

“There is no other option...”
“Listen to us, listen to your gifted advisors...”
“Drink. The. Blood.”

The sentences echoed through his head, repeating themselves over and over without a single moment of rest. Amerand was forced to face the truth. There was no other option. He could not grow stronger in any other way, could he? His prayers didn't invigorate him, they didn't grant him the strength he needed... What other options did he have?

He retreated to his chambers and locked the doors behind him tightly shut. The vial was taken out of the locked cabinet he had kept it in. The black substance bubbled ominously in the glass. The foul smell of the oil-like blood reached Amerand's nostrils. He placed the vial of demon's blood down on the table and stared at it curiously, observing the the foul drug curiously.

“What are you waiting for?”
“Glory awaits you, paladin!”
“All the power you need to break free from your bonds...”

The feeling was unlike any other. He felt his tiredness drain away into nothingness, he was reinvigorated. His muscles swelled up slightly as he felt the pure, raw strength from the blood seeping into his body. He felt... incredible, as if he could take on the strongest man and crush him like a bug. It was glorious and he had only taken a single sip... Imagine what the entire vial could do! He took another sip... and another... He had already drunk a quarter of the vial's contents by the time he stopped. By the Light did it feel good, the effect of something so small, so tangible, so easily destroyed amazed Amerand. He had to do something with this new found strength...

The paladin awoke from his high to find his room mostly destroyed. Nearly all the pieces of furniture lay in pieces, most of them carrying traces of blood as well. He groaned loudly as he felt pain overcome him. He looked down to find his chest and hands covered in wounds and remains of dried up blood. The wounds stung with his every motion, the pain he had inflicted upon himself was nearly unbearable. Amerand had only just made it to his bed before he collapsed, falling unconscious.

In his peaceful slumber he saw a vision. A blood red landscape, filled with mountains and gorges surrounded him as he laid on a demonic alter. An army of demons was all around him, Amerand wasn't able to identify all of the different races. A couple of imps danced around the altar, screeching in their high pitched voices. They spoke to him in turn.

Another has fallen to the burning desires of his heart.
Poor misguided paladin, this is where your troubles start.
You drank the blood and now you shall soon see,
That it is rather fun to be like me!

Let all your worries be of the past,
Because we are going to have a blast!
So come on and take another sip,
I guarantee it will give you quite the kick!

Turn in your sleep and awaken to find,
that you have been left blind!
The Light doesn't follow where you now thread,
Oh the dread!

Now you are without your powers, miserable and lost,
Tell me paladin was it truly worth the cost?

The choir of demons disappeared as Amerand opened his eyes. He was miserable, the demon's blood had worn out and left him with wounds and a very bad low. He lifted his arm and tried to call upon the Light to heal his wounds, but found himself unable to do so. Amerand had given in to temptation and was now forced to face the consequences. He had lost all control over the Light. The paladin found himself unable to cast even the simplest of holy spells, no matter how long he prayed.

He had to resort to other means then. The blood would grant him the strength he needed. If this was the price he had to pay to free himself from his allegiance with the demon... So be it.

Amerand's hand twitched as he reached for the vial once more. How long had it been since his last drink? A few hours? The blood was losing it's effects more rapidly every time Amerand imbibed more of it. Not only that, he also found himself drinking more and more to get the effect he had on his first sip. He found himself quickly running low on his supply. The vial was already nearly empty... The fallen paladin needed more blood. He needed to sate his thirst, his hunger for the oil-like black substance, there was no other option.

The blood needed to come from a demon obviously... But where could he find one? There weren't any demons around in the Kingdom of Stormwind for as far as Amerand was aware. Even if there were any, they would likely be slain by the Paladins of Stormwind before he could even get to them. The fallen paladin stared at the bubbling black blood in the vial long and hard as he pondered where he could gain more of the addictive substance that he craved.

“She has given you her blood... She will give you more.”
“Find her! She will set you on your path...”
“She is your only option...”

Again the damn whispers spoke, they were Amerand's sole companionship these days as the fallen paladin had opted to stay away from his brethren. They wouldn't understand. He had to do this... for them, for the good of the Order he needed to break this allegiance with that demoness, even if it would cost him his powers. He would save the others and that would be enough for the former paladin.

Forced to face the facts, Amerand quickly reached the conclusion that the felsworn would be his best option. He would seek her out and get the blood from her one way or another. But where could he find her? Amerand knew that her encampment rested in elven lands, but the forests where the elves lived were vast and huge, you could easily get lost if you didn't know where you were going.

“Do not worry... We will lead you to her...”
“We have done so before... You just need to trust us...”
“Get to elven forests... We will take care of the rest...”

His faithful companions, always ready to offer advice... Amerand had grown sick and tired of their whispers, even if they were the Lady's gift. The way they always spoke in threesome, in different pitches and eerie voices, it was maddening but the fallen paladin had no way of blocking them out. He was forced to listen to them, he was at their mercy but perhaps if he followed their instructions they would grant him some peace.

Amerand donned some simple brown robes and a staff as he prepared himself for his journey. He packed some food and water in his backpack along with the vial of demon's blood he could no longer do without. His armor and weaponry would only slow down his progress, he needed to reach the encampment before he ran out of blood.

Of course he couldn't simply leave the Order without a leader, so he summoned all of the members of his order for a final meeting with them before he headed off into exile. Amerand smiled warmly upon the gathered members of the Order. He took his time before he began to speak, taking in all of their faces as a final memory of his brethren should he not be able to return to them.

“Brothers and sisters of the Light, I have summoned you here for one reason: to announce my absence. I will be going on a pilgrimage to sharpen my connection to the Light. My duties have long kept me doing this and now that we have entered a time of relative peacefulness I say that is finally time to do such. I will be leaving tomorrow morning carrying naught but some simple robes and water. In my absence I leave the High Inquisitor and Divine Champion to look after the Order. I will return to you as a stronger, better leader once I've honed my connection to the Light. Fear not my absence, but rejoice at thought of my return as a stronger, better me.” Wielding the same warm smile he had worn on his face during his short speech, Amerand turned to brother Bernard. “Brother Bernard, I ask you to lead the gathered in prayer, may your words inspire me on my journey and the gathered on theirs.”

The gathered knelt before the alter in the Cathedral of Light, their eyelids closing almost immediately as brother Bernard began to speak. “Oh, holy Light, force of all that is good and pure, just and righteous, we ask of you to lend your protective powers to brother Amerand. May his faith and purity allow him to wield your divine strength and keep him safe from all harm on his journey. Lady of White, granter of the Light's holy power, we ask of you to watch over brother Amerand and the order and keep him out of harm's way. May your guiding hand lend itself to us and lead us further down the path of the truly faithful. Oh holy matron, we ask of you not only to look after ourselves but our race as a whole. May you keep watch over the citizens of Stormwind, wherever they may find themselves. May King Varian Wrynn's be long and prosperous under your watchful eye. May your wisdom present itself to him and his kin and allow them to lead us justly as we enter these dark days.” In near perfect unison the gathered spoke. “By our faith, let it be so.”

And so after a final prayer Amerand departed, wearing naught but his simple brown linen robes and a backpack. He wasn't proud of what he had done. But the lies were necessary, if they knew the truth they would certainly strike him down. They who consort with demons and undead are evil, that was what they had been taught but it was no longer what Amerand believed.

His views and opinions had changed drastically over the last few days, he didn't know what to think anymore. He had done what was necessary, he had listened to the guiding whispers of the Lady and under their advice he had lead the Order into an allegiance with a demoness. There was a reason for this surely, perhaps he was to slay the demoness with his new found strength and free the world from her terrors. Amerand wasn't certain however, he simply couldn't make up his mind. It didn't feel right but who was he to turn down the Lady's gift?

The fallen paladin had a lot to think about as he made his way to the harbor. Would he truly be able to count on the whispers guidance? Was he right to have listened to them in the first place? Was he truly on the right path? Amerand simply didn't know anymore, he had reasoned that his best option would be to just continue down the path and hope that by some form of miracle the Lady of White would present herself to him and tell him what had to be done. As if on command the whispers roared up again, their voices growing louder and reaching audible levels once more.

“Board the ship to Auberdine...”
“Trust us, paladin! We mean you no harm...”
“Once you are in elven lands, we shall lead you to her...”

And then they backed down again, the whispers where never truly silent, Amerand could still hear them albeit vaguely. They were the cause of his indecisiveness, sharing his thoughts with these whispers was slowly driving him mad. Not even his thoughts were his own any more...

Seeing no other option, Amerand paid for his voyage to Kalimdor and boarded the ship known as The Bravery. He chose to keep to himself during the journey to elven lands, spending most of his time in his cabin. He prayed and drank more of the blood, hoping that the answers he so desperately needed would come to him in due time.

Amerand stumbled through the woods, leaning heavily on a piece of wood for support as he pushed himself forward, groaning with every step he took. He had run out of blood and was now paying the price. It was as if every fiber of Amerand's being had been set ablaze. The pain and agony was almost unbearable but he had to push forward, he had to keep going for there was no way back.

Everything would be better soon... He just had to reach the felsworn's encampment. He just needed more blood. The fallen paladin had grown addicted to the black substance over the past few days, his body had grown dependent on it. Now that he was out of blood and the high dissipated, the pain of the withdrawal effects hit Amerand rather hard. His body desperately craved for the black, oil-like substance but there was nothing to give.

Amerand took another step and began to feel faint, he found it harder and harder to concentrate on his journey as the terrible pain of withdrawal was slowly taking over his entire body. He was about to take another step but found that he lacked the strength to continue and fell to the ground. The fallen paladin coughed, groaned and sweat madly as his body began to fight off the corruption that it had become so dependent on. The man struggled to keep awake but he was fighting a losing battle and eventually passed out in the woods.

In his quiet slumber the fallen paladin once more saw the vision he had seen ever since he had began to drank from the blood. He found himself chained to an alter, surrounded by a legion of demons who watched over him. Four imps danced around Amerand's bound form, cackling madly. This time there was something different though... In the distance he could see the red wasteland that surrounded him had started to disappear. The fallen paladin could vaguely make out the shape of a tree in the distance.

Amerand's eyes slowly fluttered open to find that his body had been moved in his slumber. He now found himself inside a warm, comfortable bed surrounded by walls of fine wood. The room had clearly been built by elves, their architectural style easily recognizable in the wooden room. The fallen paladin didn't have time to wonder about where he was, quickly the terrible pain overcame him once more and he began to shift uncomfortably in the bed. Bedsheets were tossed to the side as Amerand flailed around himself, trying to fight off his invisible assailant. Eventually the former paladin lost conscious once more, his body requiring all the energy it still had to left to purge itself of the influences of fel blood.

A few hours later and Amerand's eyes slowly opened once more, this time they locked themselves on the form of a male night elf. The man was clad in simple brown leather pieces of armor and not much more then that. A long blue beard dangled from his chin, giving him somewhat of a sagely appearance as he looked upon the fallen paladin with a concerned look. “How are you feeling, human?”

“Do not waste time...”
“Get out while you can...”
“He is up to something...”

Surprisingly enough Amerand actually felt a bit better then before. He was still suffering from the painful effects of withdrawal, but it was manageable now. He pushed himself forward to sit on the edge of the bed with a grunt, and looked the male night elf straight into his amber eyes with a faint smile. “I am a lot better now... Thank you, kind elf.” He had to get out of here quickly. He trusted in the guiding voice of the whispers and the fallen paladin still longed for more blood to sate his thirst.

“Do not exert yourself, human... Rest further.” The male night elf crossed his arms and his worried look turned into a stern one. “I can not do that... I am on a pilgrimage and I am running out time.”Amerand pushed himself off the bed and stumbled to his staff, using it to lead himself towards the only door. “The wandering soul knows no rest... “ The elf merely stayed behind and watched the fallen paladin walk out of his humble home.

Amerand hadn't the faintest clue where he was right now, all he knew that he found himself in a forest that seemed to go on for miles and miles without ending. Yet not all was lost. A few yards north of the night elf's home lay a slightly overgrown, dirt path that lead further into the elven forest. The fallen paladin deemed it his best choice for survival and started following the path, threading deeper and deeper into the forest.

The path lead Amerand into an open area in the forest. He found himself surrounded by giant trees on all sides with no clear path to follow. He stumbled onwards nonetheless, hoping to find another path to follow. The man stopped when he a heard a sweet, sultry voice coming from the woods. “My my... What have we here? Another wanderer lost in the woods? Don't you worry about a thing, I'll take care of you.” The voice seemed to come from all directions. The captivating sound of the sweet woman's voice halted Amerand in his steps and he found himself unable to move away.

Suddenly he felt the touch of flesh around his shoulders, looking down the man was able to identify a pink arm draped around him. Amerand once more found himself captivated, this time by the beautiful creature that now hung onto his body, whispering sweet promises into his ear with her sultry voice. The fallen paladin was about to give in to her wishes before he heard the all too familiar voices of the demonic whispers roar up again in his mind.

“Do not give in to temptation.”
“You have found a succubus... She is a demon!”
“Focus, paladin! Slay her while she is distracted...”

With a small series of blinks Amerand returned to conscious to find the succubus bent over before him in a lewd position, urging him to come closer. Slowly he moved forward and grabbed the piece of wood which he had used as a walking staff before and pointed the sharp end at the demoness. “Well? What are you waiting for handsome?” She called out to him again in her captivating voice yet she didn't glance over her shoulder. With a grunt Amerand drove the piece of wood into the succubus' abdomen.

A loud, womanly scream of pain and agony rung through the forests as the man drove the piece of wood into the succubus again and again and again until the screaming stopped. The succubus corpse now laid before him and the black, oil-like substance that Amerand so desperately craved started to ooze from her wounds. He didn't hesitate for a moment and started lapping it up straight from the source. The depravity of this act didn't bother the fallen paladin at all, he was just happy to once again feel that glorious feeling.

After Amerand was done feasting on the succubus' bloody corpse, he collected the remains of her blood into the vial which had previously held the blood of another. He quickly made his way out of the forest, utilizing the strength he had gained from the demon's blood and pushed onwards through the elven lands to find himself a demon woman.