Battle Ready

Battle Ready
The air was thick with ice and snow, covering the ground so quickly that footprints made less than a
minute ago were already covered up. The conditions in Northrend were horrendous, Èlae and the rest of
the army that wanted to put and end to the Lich King’s reign of terror had to endure these conditions if
they wanted to succeed. It was hard, there was no doubt in that, but Èlae knew she had to do it, she had to
find her brother and father...She wasn’t leaving without them, even if it meant she had to give up her own
life for them. She couldn’t bare to see her mother in the state she was when she left. “Wildwalker!” Èlae
looked up suddenly from the fur sleeping back she was sitting on top of within her open tent. Leaning
down to look into the tent was one of the commanders of the battalion she was resting with “Medical
check. You’re up.” Giving a nod, Èlae got up and made her way towards the medics tent - which was
considerably bigger than the tents Èlae and the rest of the soldiers were given to rest in, since the medic
tent had to house beds for the terribly wounded. As Èlae walked into the tent, the stench of infection and
the sight of gore made it hard for Èlae to swallow the bile that had made its way into her throat, but she
knew a soldier couldn’t show weakness to something such as wounds...Because she’d be seeing them
every day, plus, the rest of the guys and girls would probably poke fun at her. She hadn’t gone through
the training like they had, hell, she’d even faked her own certificate to get into this army. That’s how
desperate she was to find Andaar and her father. “Wildwalker” a nasally voice called out and Èlae walked
forward towards the table that had multiple...bloody medical supplies across it. It didn’t exactly look
sanitary. Thank Elune for healers Èlae thought, before the woman who had spoken her last name spoke
again “Any fatal injuries?” She asked, and Èlae looked down at herself...She was fine, apart from a few
scrapes and bruises on her face and arms, probably her legs too but they were covered up
“Uh...No?” Èlae spoke, looking at the woman with a raised eyebrow, it was obvious Èlae had no fatal
injuries, but no wonder this woman had asked that question, she wasn’t even looking at Èlae, she was
looking at a clipboard in front of her!
“Any diseases? Curses? Been touched by one of the Scourge?” Èlae rolled her eyes as she sighed
“Nope. Nothing. Nada. Zero.” She spoke, her voice monotone “I’m completely fine minus a bit of
bruising.” finally the woman finally looked up from her keyboard to inspect Èlae with her own eyes.
After the brief inspection, the woman had told Èlae to go back to her tent and get some rest. Apparently
they were set to head off earlier in the night, to try and surprise the Scourge, the leaders of the battalion
hoping it would surprise them, hoping they’d expect the living to be sleeping during the hours they were
to set out. As Èlae watched the ground as she walked, the snow crunching beneath her boots, she was
suddenly punched in the arm harshly, making her look up with a frown. Grasping the area that had been
punched, Èlae was ready to yell at whoever it was who’d just assaulted her for zero reason that she knew
of, until she saw who it was. “Arenthia.” She sighed, rolling her eyes with a snicker leaving her lips
“Hey bestie.” Arenthia spoke in a bubbly tone, before jumping into the tent her and Èlae shared. They
were lucky to be assigned the same tent...like literally, it was pure luck. It was as if Elune was on Èlae’s
side, the entire way through this battle it had seemed that way. Èlae had never been an active worshipper,

but in the past few months she had been alone at home with her mother, she had been praying almost
every day for Andaar and her father to return home safely. Maybe this was Elune’s way of having Èlae
prove herself, with Elune giving her the little helpful push she needed to complete this mission. “So, what
did the quack shack say?”
“Quack shack?” Èlae asked, raising an eyebrow as she sat down beside Arenthia, removing her shoulder
pads and gloves, along with her boots
“You know, the medic hub, the medical base...the...you know! Where they do all the magical stuff.” Èlae
let out a little snort at Arenthia’s wording of the medic tent, shaking her head, before moving to lay
herself down inside the fur-coated sleeping bag, as Arenthia did the same, the two facing each other
“Nothing to worry about. Just a bit of bruising and a few scrapes, nothing that’ll hinder my fighting, and
nothing that won’t heal in a few days.”
“That’s good!” Arenthia nodded against her arm as she was lying on her side “Mhm, that’s good.” She’d
repeat, more to herself than to Èlae as her eyes fell downwards somewhat. Èlae couldn’t pinpoint what
was wrong with Arenthia, but she’d learnt the past few days it was better not to ask. They’d both seen
things they hadn’t seen before...Horrendous things, things they both had nightmares about that made them
too scared to sleep at night sometimes. “Anyway” after a moment of silence, Arenthia spoke again “We
should sleep, if we’re heading off in a few hours. We’ll be no good on the battle ground tired!” She’d
speak in her usual bubbly tone, before turning away, back now facing Èlae. As Èlae stared at the back of
Arenthia, she couldn’t help but feel sorrow in her chest. Arenthia tried her best to be bubbly, fun, happy
and bright elf everyone perceives her to be...She never wanted anyone to feel dulled down, everyone in
the camp loved her for it, she was the light of everyone's day sometimes, but Èlae knew Arenthia wasn’t
all that happy inside, she couldn’t be, not with the things they had seen on that battlefield...they’d made
friends when they’d arrived here, but in the same breath, they had lost them. Turning on her side, back
now facing Arenthia, Èlae decided it was time for her to sleep too...Or to at least try to. She needed to rest
for the day ahead...But boy...she couldn’t ever be prepared for what this next battle brought towards her.
****
“Storm the gates! We’re through!” Yelled one of the many commanders on the line. With the order, the
army, that Èlae and Arenthia were part of, did exactly that. Their plan had worked, they had indeed
surprised the Scourge, and managed to break through the gates and this was the bloodiest battle Èlae had
ever seen or heard of. She was amazed she had made it this far. Quickly, Èlae saw an opening, running
towards the walls that surrounded the gates and scaling up them with the rest of the rangers...Those
childhood memories of climbing trees day in and day out sure paid off. As she reached the top, she
readied her bow, aiming and shooting again and again. If she didn’t land a head shot, she landed a fatal
blow elsewhere on the enemies body. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins by this point, it was
as if she was a machine that couldn’t be stopped. “Forward!” yelled a different commander. On that
command, Èlae and the rest of the rangers made their way down from the wall, merging back in with the

rest of the army. Screams of anger, terror and adrenaline filled warriors, paladins, and whatever else were
within their ranks filled the air...along with the terror-filled roars of the scourge.
“Stop!” she heard someone yell behind her. As Èlae looked over her shoulder, she saw a female human,
dressed full clad in your typical Paladin armor, hand outreached towards a scourge creature that seemed
to have been human in a previous life “Mother!” the girl cried “It’s me...It’s me, Cathlina…” Èlae
watched in curiosity, but readied her bow nevertheless, something inside her not trusting this situation.
The scourge warrior, apparently this woman’s mother, stared down at ‘Cathlina’ “Mother please, I know
you’re in there and-...”
“Watch out!” Èlae screamed suddenly, running closer to her target, before shooting her arrow through the
scourge warriors head. Èlae had noticed what Cathlina hadn’t, and that was the growing mist around the
scourge mother, and Èlae had seen enough in this war to notice that was a sign that an attack was coming.
The scourge mother stopped dead, before falling down and going limp, the terrifying cold-blue glow
disappearing from the holes in her decrepit body, now just leaving what she should have been the day she
died...a corpse that was just that. A corpse. Cathlina looked towards Èlae with hatred in her eyes
“You killed my mother!” She screeched, pointing at Èlae
“She was already dead!” Èlae yelled back and before Cathlina could yell back, the poor human’s body
went flying as a huge mace was hurled towards her. Èlae’s eyes widened as she froze for a moment,
before looking down to see Cathlina lying there...well and truly dead. Blood flowing from every crevice
within her face that was possible...Her eyes, her mouth, her nose, her ears. A few twitches came from her
gloved hand, but after that, there was nothing.
“Èlae!” a familiar voice screamed in absolute terror. Èlae’s eyes quickly fell towards the voice, to see
Arenthia in trouble. Fighting off a huge Scourge Orc. Èlae could see from here that Arenthia was tiring
out, because scourge never tired out, they were dead for crying out loud. Taking off running, Èlae jumped
from boulder to boulder, trying to get the higher ground, before taking a stand above Arenthia, drawing
her bow and letting go in one swift motion. But the arrow didn’t hit where Èlae had hoped for it to go,
instead embedding itself in the Scourge Orc’s chest, staggering it backwards. This gave Arenthia enough
time to jump out of the way and disappear in a puff of smoke as she had dropped some kind of smoke
bomb. Now it was Èlae vs the Orc...Had Arenthia really left her? In this moment? She couldn’t believe it!
Èlae’s eyes widened as she quickly drew her bow again, before she shakily aimed it as the Orc’s cold,
dead eyes focused on her. Ripping the arrow out of his chest without a care in Azeroth, he began making
his way towards Èlae. This isn’t the time to get scared! Èlae told herself as she continued to try her best to
aim and shoot, but missed each time. She was shaking far too much! Suddenly a war cry was heard from
the smoke and suddenly Arenthia was on top of the Orc’s shoulders “Not my bestie!” Arenthia screamed,
before jamming her daggers deep into the jugular of the scourge Orc, twisting the blade, until suddenly
the Orc’s head fell from his shoulders and onto the floor. As the body fell to the ground, Arenthia jumped
off moments before it hit the floor. “You okay?” She’d ask, dark, rotten blood across her body. Èlae stood
there a moment, eyes wide before she nodded. Arenthia took hold of Èlae’s hand suddenly, pulling her
towards her “Come on. Let’s go. We’re almost at the front lines.” Èlae nodded at Arenthia’s words and
they took off running, meeting back with the rest of the army.

****
Èlae had been ordered to search inside one of the many towers around the area, of course she wasn’t
ordered to do so alone. That would be a death sentence. Bow drawn, she ran up the stairs with the rest of
the group ordered to search the tower. Finally getting to the top, the doors flew open and Èlae stopped in
her tracks at what...and who she saw. Inside were a handful of Scourge soldiers, weapons drawn, ready to
fight Èlae’s group. But it wasn’t that, that had stopped her. Within the group, side by side...stood two
faces she recognised all too well, two faces she wish she didn’t. Now feeling a ball in her throat, finding it
hard to swallow, her eyes stinging from the tears wanting to release. In front of her stood Andaar and her
father, their eyes dead, but they didn’t look as rotten as some of the corpses, indicating that they hadn’t
long been risen as part of the scourge army. A day, two at tops. The groups had already merged in
fighting, scourge against a mix of Alliance and Horde, whilst Èlae still stood there, finding herself unable
to move. The groups, including Andaar and her father were too busy fighting one another to notice her
standing there on her own. Suddenly she remembered her mother’s grief, and felt the right thing to do was
to finally lay this to rest. Taking a step forward, Èlae sheathed her bow, but instead unsheathed two of her
hunting knives...This needed to be personal, this was her brother and father, she couldn’t shoot them from
afar. She needed to face this face on. Coming behind Andaar and her father, as they fought beside one
another, Èlae caught the eye of one of the warriors who were fighting against her brother and father...He
seemed to click on what was happening the moment he saw the look in Èlae’s eye. Maybe he’d been
through this same situation? Who knows...With a single nod, the warrior let out a roar as he pushed Èlae’s
father back with his shield, and as he did, Èlae let the hunting knife piercing through the back of her
father’s head as he fell backwards. As she did so, she closed her eyes, letting out a whimper as she felt his
body go limp. She didn’t bother pulling the knife out, instead she turned towards Andaar, who was now
charging his way towards her. Dodging out the way just in time, Èlae attempts to thrust her knife towards
Andaar, but he blocks it with his sword. She was starting to feel the pressure as she tried her best to fight
the block, pressing her own, smaller blade against his own, her eyes reluctantly meeting his. Tears were
rolling down Èlae’s face by this point, before she began letting out a battle cry herself, just like Arenthia,
as she finally took a chance. She’d duck just in time as she let Andaar’s strength overtake her own and as
he fell forward, she rammed her hunting knife upwards, into his throat. Suddenly Andaar’s body went
stiff, but Èlae caught it, falling to the floor with his body and placing him on his back. Her knife still in
his throat, which wasn’t enough to kill him, just yet, gave her enough time to simply just...see him, one
last time. “Andaar…” She spoke shakily, grasping the knife, not pulling it out, but not digging it in
further...just yet “I’m sorry...I failed you.” She let out a sob, as she watched Andaar’s cold, dead eyes
weaken in glow...Until suddenly his hand grasped her own, weakly. His touch was cold, making Èlae
jump
“Do it…” Andaar spoke in a guttural tone, obviously finding it hard to speak with a knife in his throat
“...Sister.” Èlae felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her brother had shown a second of clarity, just a second.
Maybe it was to do with him being risen under forty-eight hours ago, or maybe it was Elune granting her
that last bit of closure. Andaar’s eyes had dulled moments ago, but she watched them grow again in the
light blue hue and knew she had to do it now. She needed to spare him from this terrible life. Closing her
eyes tightly, she let out a pained cry as she dug the knife further into Andaar’s skull. A single, breathless
noise escaped his lips, before she felt his body go limp. The battle behind her had already seized, the rest

of the scourge in the tower had been defeated and the group had begun walking out, whispering things
along the line of “Leave her, she needs this time alone.” It was clear they knew what was going on. She
sat there, sobbing into the chest of Andaar, as her father's lifeless body lay next to her, hunting knife still
embedded in his skull. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t abandon the war, not now...But
she’d already came here to do what she set out to do, she found her brother and father. But she hadn’t
found them in the way she was hoping to find them. Shaking, and audibly crying, she finally took a look
at the pair, before she felt anger rumble inside her. With tear stained cheeks, she looked through the
window of the tower, towards Icecrown Citadel, the place where the Lich King ruled, the monster who
made her brother and father what they had become. She was going to avenge them. She wasn’t
abandoning this war. Not until the Lich King saw his end. Not until he paid for what he had not only done
to Èlae’s family...But for what he had done to the hundreds upon thousands of other families on Azeroth.
“He will pay for what he has done.” Èlae growled out, before taking her hunting knives from the bodies
of her brother and father...And taking the necklace her brother and father wore. A pendant of sorts. A
family heirloom. She took it as evidence for their death...And also as something to have to remember
them by. This wasn’t over until the Lich King’s reign ended. Èlae would help make sure of that.
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