Lemayas' Mission to Outland

Cluching her knees closer to her body, Lemayas shivered in the biting cold winds that swept across the remote Peninsula. The dry landscape showed few signs of vegetation, and even in the cover of the makeshift camp set up near the face of the nothernmost mountain, the cold winds still froze the little Girl to the bone. Unable to make contact with The Thorns, save a single letter she sent during their brief stay in Thrallmar, Lemayas was beginning to feel the disapointing pang of lonliness, Clea having yet to return from the Mana-rich tempest in the Netherstorm.

Below her she could see the edge of the Abyss, the pinacle of the cliff that streched down into nothingness. Demons and other vile creatures swarmed the edges, and, in the far distance, she could see the dark Sillouette of the Portal, huge and black against the colourfull sky. Tired of waiting, Lemayas pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote a note to Clea. Heading down the mountainside, watching her footing, often using a bone jutting out of the rockface as a foothold, Lemayas started down the Mountainside, towards Thrallmar. Cluching her bow tightly in one hand, she prepared herself for the training that lay ahead. Time to prove herself.

"I gave you one order."
Lemayas hung her head, the hood damp from the heavy rain pouring off the top of the large mushroom above her, a steady stream of cold, wet water. Clea was hovering before her, her Banshee even more terifying than her body, cold dark eyes simply staring at her, the blue tint of her spirit putting fear into Lemayas' heart, just from the stare.
"Stay Put." She Repeated, for the third time since she had found the Girl north of the Cenarion Expedition in Zangermarsh. "Don't draw attention to yourself. And what do you do? Hou head for the nearest swamp and get into trouble."
Looking through Cleas translucent form, Lemayas could see the large creature, still twiching, lying in a pool of stinking water and its own blood. She was only trying to help, trying to survive on her own. Thats what Dark Rangers did wasn't it? And yet Clea had interfered again, without giving her the chance to fend for herself. It just wasn't fair.

Cleas Banshee circled the campfire Lemayas had just built, under the shade of one of the Mushrooms, the rain falling all around them. The Night had given the surrounding marsh a dark blue glow, small fungi and bugs producing eerie little lights out in the darkness. Lemayas was wet through, the leather of her substitute Uniform sticking to her body, the cold material slimy to the touch. She had never got a new uniform after her old one had been destroyed in Blackrock - Rangers made their own Uniform, and she didn't have the skill or the time. And now she was sitting, in some alien planet, with the ghost of her superiour, who's body was probably miles off, somewhere exciting.

"Now your here you had better get usefull. The Chief Officer, the Leutenent of Sunwhsper, has somehow caught wind that we are coming - so your Ranger Uniform is not acceptable any more. Take your knives, and your bow, and burn everything else. The Undercity will send us both some new equipment for this mission, but untill then I suggest you keep out of sight - Everything must be Burnt, and I mean everything. Immediately. When the equipment arrives, you are to scout out this... Marsh, and find a way into the spiny mountains of Blades Edge. Gather whatever information you can from locals - and buy their silence or silence them using... other Methods. You are not Permitted to reveal your Banshee withing sight or earshot of anyone... and your new equipment will contain an enchantment to produce an Illusion over your eyes, turning them green. Theres enough Blood Elfs still around here to blend in. No contact is to be made with your 'Mistress' that you seem to idolise, or your little Crush. Nothing is to get back to Azeroth - the device you were given at the start of the mission is still working I presume? Communicator Messages will not be able to get anywhere near you without being Interupted. And if I catch you disobeying my orders again, I will drop you off the Abyss. Got it?"
Finishing, Cleas face consorted into the kinder one - the one Lemayas liked more. Drifting into a sitting position she touched down to the ground, and reached out an Ethreal hand, patting Lemayas' knee.
"I'm sorry to be so hard on you, and I'm sorry you have to burn your clothes, but were on our own out here. Outland is a hostile enviroment, we have to trust each other. If we dare to disobey orders - then we will both get it. Understand?"
With that, Clea shot up into the air, cackling on her way up, stopping herself in the air, she twisted and shot off again, northbound, Leaving Lemayas alone. Sighing, she tore off her hood and sadly throw it into the fire.

Lemayas shivered in the cold, goosebumps once again forming on her pale skin. Following Cleas order she had burnt all her clothes, save for her cloak which she had fachioned a crude tunic out of, dispite direct orders that everything should be burned. Still, she had been sad to see them go, the remains of the fire still sitting in the cave she was huddled in away from the torrential rain. Her silver hair was soaked, and hung loose from her head, for the first time in a while perfectly straight, having no hood to protect it from the rain. But still she sat, loyaly waiting.

Something caught her eye. A dull glint, feint and almost invisible from the fire. Suddenly, the rain stopped, and almost at once light shone into the enterance of the cave, a beam of light crossing the floor, and running over the fire. Leaning in close to the fire, Lemayas looked, and saw a black disk, covered in soot. reaching in, she plucked it out of the fire, and wiped her thumb across its smooth surface, the soot brushed away by the slow movement. Underneath the black coat, she could see the shiny metal surface, a red circle, with several spines pertruding from it. It was the thorn Insignia, her broach, and it had survived the fire. A gust of wind suddenly whipped through the cave, blowing ashes across the back wall of the cave, as well as unburnt scraps of cloth. One of the scraps, easily the largest, pasted itself to the back wall, and in the second it stayed up there, Lemayas could see her Tabbard, tattered and blackened, but the majority of the Thorn insignia still there. slowly, the cloth peeled off the wall and slumped into a heap.

She missed them, she missed having people she could call friends. She missed her cat Esmarela, she missed her Deathmaster Arli. She missed her cosy bed in the dormatories for the Dark Rangers in the undercity, she missed her alcove where she would sit sadly. But for the first time in her life, she really missed the excitement of being someone, and not just the quiet girl who no-one cared about. Slowly she smiled, the first one in a long time that wasn't forced and weak, and turned to the enterance of the cave.

There it was.

A package, wrapped in black paper with a red bow, was sitting at the mouth of the cave. It was dry - it had only just been placed there, and a little note was tied to the top. Pulling it in, she inspected it.
"Dark Ranger Lemayas Suncrier,
Small cave,
Zangermarsh,
Dreanor"

Looking slightly supprised at its sudden appearence, she gingerly pulled at the bow, and the wrapping fell off. inside was a wooden crate. Frownign slightly, she prised open the lid, and suddenly giggled with glee, as she saw the contents. On the top was a red helm, wonderfully crafted, with decorative spikes across the top. nestled beneath it was some neatly folded clothes, and beneath that was some of the best made armour she had seen in ages. Crimson in colour, it filled the large crate, the armour including large pauldrons, and some smart red leather boots. Pulling them out she grinned at them, laying them out on the floor of the cave. At the bottom there was even some underclothes, silken boxer shorts and an underwire sports bra. Removing her cloak she sliped them on, before putting on the clothes and then the armour, leaving the helmet by the fire. Picking up the blackened thorn Broach she affixed the new cloak, discarding the second broach they had supplied and replacing it with the blackened Thorn one. Reaching for the helmet, she froze. There was something elce in the box, an empty vial, and a note. Slowly, she reached into the box, and pulled them out. The note was sealed, with the insignia of the Royal Apothecary Society. Slowly, carefully she opened it, the parchment crackling as it opened. The paper was clear, except at the very bottom someone had scrawled six words.
"Time is running out." The ominous words were followed by two more that made her spine chill - "Tick. Tock." As she read them she suddenly became aware again of the ticking in her chest, her mind had got used to it and she had forgotten about it. But there it was again, tick tock tick tock tick tock... Closing her bright red eyes Lemayas chose to ignore it. She didn't have time for it - it could wait. Besides, she still didn't know what it was. Reachign down again she picked up he Helmet and, tying her hair into a bun, slipped it on. As it landed on her head, her eyes flashed and turned green, the powerfull enchantments woven into the Helmet filtering out the red and replacing it with a sickly green colour. Slipping her Knives into the belt, and picking up her Bow, tucking the arrows she had left under her fingers, she strode out the cave. Catching her refelction in a puddle - she barely recognised herself. In fact she didn't, she was a completely new person. Making a desision on the spot, she decided that she would return to Azeroth - just once, to visit the Thorns. Then she would complete her mission.

Looking off the edge of the Mushroom, Lemayas watched Arli approach the bank to the lake, following the tracks she had spent so long trying to hide. Now the Thorns knew where she was - something she had thought of as good at first - visits this frequent could only draw attention to her and, lonely as she was, she couldn't afford to be caught. As Arli walked out of sight, slowly following the tracks, she slid the spyglass into its holder on her belt, and, leaning over the edge, drove her knife into the soft fleshy skin of the Mushroom. Gripping the hilt she slipped over the side, and swung her feet up onto the underside of the huge top of the Mushroom, driving her toes into the skin, and securing herself, upside down, in a position where she could see him approach the stalk. Awkward as the position was, she held herself there, silently, and watched him run a hand along the stalk, tracing the knife marks she had made on her long climb up to the top. Then there was a gunshot.

Lemayas swung her head in the direction of the sound, and suddenly ducked to advoid the wind rider shooting across the sky, followed by a Dwarf riding a huge griffin. Gripping the hilt of the blade wedged into the side of the Mushroom, Lemayas loosened her footholds and, using the momentum from swinging down into an upright position swung further, pushing on the knife and succesfully flipping onto the top of the Mushroom, pulling the knife out in the process. The Orc; a mag'har, who had been mounted upon the wind rider, was standing on the crest of the mushroom, the beast on its side, a small tear in its wing from the bullet hole. The Dwarf was flying off into the distance, but as he did, the Orc was loading a crossbow, the bolt tied to a long rope. Taking aim, he fired, in the direction the Dwarf was flying in, and Lemayas watched the bolt and the rope arc off into the distance, before wedging itself into a kink in the Griffins Armour. Taking the slack in the rope the Orc braced himself and siddenly the rope pulled taught, and the large brown creature was dragged a few feet forwards, struggling to stay upright but pulling on the tight rope. Slowly Lemayas watched the Griffin begin to turn, held back by the rope while attempting to fly away, rotating clockwise around the top of the Mushroom. Turning the bird around, the Dwarf began flying towards the Orc, gun in hand, but this time the Orc was ready. raising his crossbow again he fired another shot, this time the bolt striking the barrel of the gun, a few inches of target and the Dwarf lost his grip, the weapon curving away and falling to the swampy floor far below. turning again to face the Orc, his gaze having followed the decent of the gun, The Dwarf narrowed his eyes and pulled out a large Warhammer from its holster on the Griffins back. The Orc meanwhile was pulling out a battleaxe of equal size, and, as the two forces met both swung at the other. The Orcs axe cut a sizeable hole in the belly of the Griffin, the bird squauking painfully and falling out the sky, but the Dwarf was more on target. His Mace hit the Orc square in the chest, knocking him backwards, sprawling across the top of the mushroom. As the Orc ground to a stop the Dwarf fell off the Griffin, who curved out of sight over the edge of the Mushroom, falling dead to the floor far below, and clambered to his feet, using his hammer as support. The orc was also getting up, miraculasly surviving the bone breaking strike of the Hammer, gripping his chest with one hand and the Axe in the other, glaring at the Dwarf. Both parties swung at each other, dodging each others swings and again attacked, parrying the blows, each one getting faster and faster. the defences were immaculate, each one carefully planned and each strike administered with complete procision, both of them trained to perfection and completely equally matched. But one side had to break first. Finally, after several minutes of unrelenting blows the Dwarf knocked the orc of his feet, his injury slowing him, and raised his hammer in order to bring it smashing down on the Orcs head.

The Arrow struck him square in the chest. Looking down the Dwarf watched the shaft of the arrow, as the frozen tip began to work its magic, ice spreading out from the wound, snaking up his body, spreading out and engulfing him. The frost spread quickly, his hands frozen to his warhammer before he even had tome to move them. His last action was to take a startled step back, his foot falling on thin air as he toppled backwards off the Mushroom. Far below his body fell, before shattering on the floor below. Slowly, Lemayas lowered her Bow. She sprinted over to the Orc and grabbed him, fumbling to find a healing potion, but the Orc stopped her with a painfull gesture of his hand. Sighing deeply he looked her deep in the eyes, and let out a deep chuckle, spitting painfully out a few words.
"Been fighting that barstard for days... That was a noble thing you did Missy..." He let out a deep cough and closed his eyes for a second, opening them again, and with his last strength saying: "Someone would be lucky to have you watching their backs." And with that he let out a final sigh, and Died. Brushing her hand down his face, Lemayas gently closed his eyes, and stood up. Turning to the Wind rider, she knelt down by it, and inspected its wounds. Apart from a punture wound on one wing, the beast was fine, and panfully got to her paws, sadly eyeing the body of her fallen master. Turning to Lemayas, she nudged her nose against the Rangers leg, and looked sadly at her. Lemayas gently ran a hand down the creatures back, and then towards its wounded wing. carefully inspecting the hole she gently touched the leathery flap, before taking the healing potion she would have used on the Orc, if he hadn't stopped her, and went to the creatures head. Kneeling down, and looking into its sad eyes, she popped the cork on the glass jar, and the creature lapped up the contents, the hole in its wing repairing itself. Slipping her bow into the holder for the orcs axe, she swung her leg over the back of the saddle, and pulling at the reins the Large blue creature took off, its body lurching on takeoff, Lemayas, unused to flying on a Wind rider almost flaling off. Leaning forward to stroke the creatures back she pulled the reins Northward, and looked towards Blades Edge Mountains. Now she could get through the spiny peaks... Soon she would be in the netherstorm.

Lying flat on her chest, Lemayas pushed herself over the edge untill the upper part of her body was leaning over the side of the rockface, looking down on the Cultists who were now swarming the cave she was camping in. Turning her head she could see her Wind rider, roosting on a spine, making quiet cooing noises as she slept. Turning back to the new inhabitants of the cave, Lemayas noted the presence of black dragon whelps, darting around on the quiet cave floor. A bat swooped down into the lower regions of the cave, and was pounced on by one of the small drakes, and quickly killed with a flash of fire and yellow teeth. Pushing herself back onto the ledge she was camped on, Lemayas looked at her temporary home. The Ledge was several metres wide, enough to move around on and jumping distance from the next one along. The only way of accesing it was by flying, but a Well trained individual like herself or Clea could climb up the side, and over the lip. It was only a week or two before she had to meet Clea at the bace of the Stormspire, And she had to make sure she was perpared. Over the past month, she had played out every different senario in her head, and most of tiem involved combat. The Chief Officer knew they were coming, and would have posted neccesary countermeasures. Ethereals were tricky creatures, she had read the file she had been given on them, and they could certinately see through invisibility, removing all chances of simply releacing Banshee, and turning invisibile before just grabbing the Weapon. No, combat was almost a certainty. But one thing she had learned from the Thorns, was that Victory in combat was certain if supprise was on your side. Ethereals were only bound to the world through their wrappings, break them and the unstable ethreal energy would probably dissapate. The Pair of them were both Trained in combat, and could both avoid it and finish it quickly. But they were up against the Sunwhisper Expedition and the Consortium. Chances of victory in outright combat were slim.

Stringing her bow Lemayas cocked one of her arrows. Lifting her shoulders she raised one leg, and held her entire weight upon her other. Closing one eye she took aim at a spot on the wall, hair flying in the breeze flowing in though the opening in the cave. Breathing slowly, the closed her other eye, and held full concentration on what she could hear and smell, feeling the air around her and putting her trust in her sences. Holding her position she waited. A Minute passed. Five. Ten. Half an hour later and she was still standing there, on one leg, bow drawn, eyes closed. She was ignoring the tremendous pain in her arms, ignoring the pain in her leg. Eventually, she loosed. As the arrow flew through the air a bat, flying its course through the cave flew in front of it and the arrow struck the creature in the chest, the small animal falling with the arrow down onto the floow below. Opening her eyes, Lemayas breathed again, a small smile crossing her face. she was improving. A good sign. A shout attracted her attention. Leaning over the lip of the ledge, looking down at the sound she dived out of the way of an arrow, which ricoched off the edge, spinning off past her ear. Looking down again she saw the cultists pointing up at the edge, bows drawn. The Bat lay next to them, Whelps swarming its body traring flesh off.
"Bugger."

*claps* Keep this up! It's an enthralling story!

I agree, really loving this storyline!

Throwing herself to the floor Lemayas advoided the hail of arrows that curved over the lip of the shelf just where she had been standing, the keen dragon tooth heads striking the rock and driving through it like butter. A few fell short, and clattered down around Lemayas, as she held her head protectively under her hands, cluched into a ball. The Rain continued for what seemed like hours, the whole time pondering her actions. Flight was out of the question, these cultists had Dragons, and her Wind rider was sleepy and would be slow to fly. She was still roosting, the noise not having woken her. The only other option open to her was to fight. There were twenty or so Cultists, but a real Dark Ranger could manage it... Was she up to it? As the rain of arrows ceased she grabbed her bow and, snatching a few of the arrows littered around her ran to the lip of the shelf and jumped.

Aiming for a crack in the opposite face of the cave Lemayas drove one of her Knives into the slit, wedging it in tight, and gripping onto the handle. Quickly pulling herself up so she was standing on the knife, she nooked an arrow and with barely a heartbeat to aim sent it shooting down onto the cultists below, the dragon tooth head finding its mark and felling a Dragon whelp that was about to spurt a volley of flame up towards her. Loosing another two arrows, in the time it took the cultists to reload one, she sucessfully dropped two more of them, and nocked another arrow. With a crack the knife gave into the weight of the Girl standing on it, and the blade snapped, causing Lemayas to fall down to the cultists below. However as she fell the broken edge of the knife snagged her cloak, that billowed behind her, disloging the specialised arrows in her special quiver, causing them to fall down to the floor below. There were only three left in there, one of her favoured frost arrows, an arrow laced with a crippling poison, and one with an explocive seaforium charge wired to the head. Fortunately the Seaforium arrow landed flight down, so therefore didn't detonate. Slowly the cloak began to rip, and as the last thread gave way Lemayas twisted, dropping her bow and remaining arrows and drew her Knife. As she fell a fresh volley of arrows struck the cave wall, her decent causing them to miss. Twisting further she made contact with the cave wall with her feet, and pushed off towards a cultist who was frantically reloading her bow. Crashing into the Cultist Lemayas drove her knife into the Womans throat, the blade sliving through the back of the Womans neck, and as Lemayas lept swiftly off her she slived it out the side, causing the head to fall freely off the body. Ducking from a Huge Cultist with a large double bladed Axe, Lemayas spun around and stabbed the Cultist in the chest, who twisted out of the way causing the knife to only cause a glancing blow. The Cultist dropped to the floor in pain, drawing a dagger of his own, and making a stab at Lemayas. The Girl jumped out of the way at the last second, Driving her fist into his Jaw, both forces making a painfull cracking noice. The Cultist fell down, a stab wound in his chest and a broken Jaw too much for his constitution, but Lemayas also winced away, her hand in roaring pain. Not given time to nurce her wound Lemayas Jumped up, and quickly surveyes her surroundings. The Majority of the cultists, well over fifty, had been hidden by the Ledge, and were standing on an Elevated rock face, looking down on her. Most of them hadn't seen her the first time, and were mostly taken by supprise, but were now loading their bows, Dragon whelps snarling loyaly by their sides. There were also a few more cultists on the lower Rock Platform with Lemayas, who had discarded their bows and taken up the double bladed axe that each cultist seemed to have. Taking the Male cultist she had just felled knife, Lemayas charged at the nearest one, parrying a blow from his axe and delivering a fatal slice to the neck, followed up with a dagger to the back. Leaving the blade in the fallen Cultists back she dived away from an Axe swing, then another, the Cultists surrounding her, pinning her towards the cave edge. Backing away from them Lemayas back pressed against the wall of the cave, her foot catching something. As the Cultists closed in she lunged for her bow that was lying discarded on the floor, and grabbed the Frost arrow and one other. Quickly nocking the frost arrow she aimed it at the floor, and, given no time to think, fired it. The head exploded, snakes of ice threading across the floor, grabbing the feet of the supprised cultists. Jumping up the wall away from the spreading ice, she franticly scrambled up the rock face, the cold blue puddle just at her feet. Strugling to maintain her speed and find handholds and footholds she Jumped, drawing her knife and driving it to into the rockface, pulling herself up as the Ice stopped spreading. Quickly, she ballenced herself, and nocked the final arrow. Aiming it at the Near army of cultists, who had their bows now aimed at her, she stopped to think. Relocating her aim, she let the arrow sail up to the Ledge she had started on. Letting the String go, the Arrow sailed up, driving into target in the rock face way above the cultists heads. The Cultists followed the path of the arrow with their gaze, before returning their look to Lemayas, who was standing, ballenced on a knive, halfway up a sheer rock face. Then the arrow exploded. The initial force disloged rocks, which showered down onto the cultists heads, the shock causing some of them to loosen their bows, the arrows flying short with not much to aim them. Then, as the Cultists watched the entire rocky Ledge broke off from the cave wall, and came crashing down, hundreds of tonnes of solid rock cascading down on their heads. Then, Lemayas sliped, and fell of the knife.


As the dust cleared Lemayas looked around. She was surrounded with dead cultists, but she had lost both her knives and all her ammunition, the remaining arrows frozen to the ground with the Cultists. Suddenly there was a clap. One, slow, clap. Then, after a few seconds pause, another. Looking up, Lemayas spotted a spark of light, up on the next rock ledge along. Her Wind rider was also fluttering around, the explosion rousing her from her sleep. There was another clap and the light disapeared. Suddenly there was another clap, right behind her. Spinning, Lemayas looked right into the eyes... wrappings of an Ethreal, Hooded and wrapped in their special bandages. He was wearing the Garments of the Sunwhisper Expedition, but his colours were different. And he was clapping, slowly, sarcasticly.
"Dark Ranger Lemayas Katrina Suncrier, Aged twenty seven Elven years, seventeen Human years, twenty three Dwarven years, four thousand Treant years, ecetera. Cause of Death - Knife. Childhood friends, One Doll. Current friends. None. You see girl, I know all about you and you know nothing about me. I can tell you how many Gnolls were in your service, how many hairs are on your head. I can tell you what you had for breakfast today and what your life asperations are. And yet you come to steal from me. You see, I am the Chief Officer."
All Lemayas could do at this point is gawp, Even she didn't know some of the stuff he had told her.
"You may be wondering why I haven't killed you. In the next few days you will kill a lot of my men. It will give me a bigger share in the Profits. But I know them, and I will be very disapointed to see you do so. But whatever you are planning, know this. The Mana Bomb must not be used. Sunwhisper has only been keeping it to find out a way of disarming it safely. However while you attempt to steal my employers property, you will come across something far worse. Be warned. Transmission out."

With that the Ethreal, a mere hologram, flashed static then disapeared. Lemayas was so lost in thought at this point the sound in her ear made her literally jump. Through her Thorn Communicator she heard Cleas voice, crisp and clear.
"It is time"

"You've been busy."
The Purple sky above flashed as mana rich lightning streaked across the cloudy atmosphere. Dark Ranger Clea was standing on a rock, that was floating aimlessly over the abys, Lemayas standing on the far larger rock, by the Eco dome that housed the Stormspire. Clea was barely recognisable. If Lemayas had thought her new armour was good, Cleas was far better. She was wearing purple tinged armour, both practical and slightly good looking. At her belt was her knives, a pair of newly crafted blades, given enough curve for a swift draw, positioned exactly to reduce the slight unarmed pause as she drew them. On her back she was wearing a full quiver, and a Bone bow was in her hand. Meanwhile Lem had neither ammunition nor weapons, and her cloak was ripped.
"Should I assume you have been clumsy or normal, or have you actually been productive?"
Lemayas simply hung her head, the overload of the mana around her causing the green projection over her eyes to malfunction, the green tinge flashing red every few seconds.
"Still, you have found yourself a mount... somehow. I can't stress how dangerous Releacing your benshee would be here, the wind that shoot around these cliffs could tear you apart. Fortunately, I have found the Target."
Spinning around, Clea pointed to the structure that sat on top of the massive rock behind her. It was a decommitioned Manaforge, the pipes no longer collecting the Mana of the Netherstorm.
"Manaforge Ultris. Like most of the Manaforges in the area it was shut down after Keal'thelas' defeat, but Sunwhisper has kept it running in secret. He stores the power in his Mana cells, which he sells to various different Clients, including our Own Royal Apothecary Society. He also has various other Projects... Some shrouded in so much protection even I couldn't gether enough inteligence on them. Nonetheless, it does not matter. I know every last detail of the caves below the manaforge, I sucessfully... aquired the plans from an Ethreal. The Weapon is in there."

Both Rangers jumped out of the shadows. Using her knives the taller one sliced through the bandages restraining the first Ethreal, who spasmed as his unstable energy disapated and his bindings fell to the floor. Grabbing his Weapons the Taller Ranger threw them to the smaller one, who lept on the second Ethreal, dodging a swing from his knives and slicing the bandages on his arm, As the energy began to split she swung down, cutting the bindings down the center, and he split up and disapeared in a flash of light.
"Theres something you should know!"
"What?" the taller Ranger replied as she ducked a swing and dived out of the way of an Ethreal who had blinked behind her and made a lunge, dropping her knives and swiftly pulling her bow out, an arrow already in the string.
"I think the Chief Officer knows were here!"
The taller Ranger releaced her arrow and reloaded, the head slicing through the bindings of an ethreal heading towards her, which unraveled as he flashed and disapeared.
"Why would you think that?"
"He, er..." The Smaller one replied as she parried an Ethreals blows as he blinked in front of her then behind her. "He Contacted me"
"Oh. That it?"
"I-Is that alright?"
The taller Ranger slived open the final Ethreals bandages and stuck her knife right into his chest, as he Exploded in a flash of Energy.
"I think I got the same message Lemayas" Clea answered. "As I said, he knows were coming. He just didin't know when."
"I-Isn't this warning enough?" Lemayas answered. "I think we've blown our cover."
"Then lets move."

The Chief Officer lowered his spyglass as the Two Rangers entered the Tunnels, and slipped out of sight. Turning to look at Jaelen Sunwhisper, he nodded as the Hologram of his Employer disapeared. Looking past him at the Two Ethreals he gave his Orders.
"Seperate them."

Drip. Drip. Drip.
Crawling through the caves, the pair of Dark Rangers had squeased themselves through rediculously small gaps, climbed sheer rock faces and jumped crevace after crevase. As they moved downwards the rock had turned to mud in places, water from some distant source liquifying the dirt. Since the Mouth they hadn’t seen a single Ethreal, or a single piece of Sunwhisper Technology, right up to the point that Lemayas doubted that the Expedition had ever even visited these caves. Still, Clea continued without falter, her face expressionless as she crawled out of the gap into a larger tunnel, the walls apparently mined, pick marks littering the rough stone walls. The Tunnel continued into the blackness.
Technology. Everywhere. From a dark Tunnel the pair walked out into a room with walles lined with flashing gizmos, Ethreal machines continuing their unknown purpose. Stepping from the dry dusty floor onto a metal surface, Lemayas looked into the Next room. Larger than the first there was a Plinith in the centre and on that… The Weapon. A cylindrical tube, with a smaller one on top was toped by a cup, and in the cup was a glass ball, unstable energy crackling inside. On the crest of the ball was a metal plate, bearing the insicnia of the Sunwhisper Expedition. This, was the mana bomb. Capable of shutting down any magical source in the vincinity, this weapon could Destroy a small town full of mages. Needless to say, Sylvanas wanted such a weapon. Clea wasted no time in Surveying the room, checking for traps. Satisfied, she approached the Bomb. Lemayas approached it from the other side. Picking up the glass ball, Clea pulled her cloak off and wrapped the sparkling pall in the cloth, tucking it under her arm. Turing, The Two of them left the room. As Clea Stepped over the Threshold of the Room, Lemayas’ Vision flashed purple as a Forcefield flicked into life right before her nose.
“Clea!”
“Uh… Right Lemayas, you need to find another way out. Rely on your training, I’ll attempt to shut this force field down.”
“But Clea!”
“Go!”
Turing, Lemayas Left Clea working on the controlls to the force field. Beyond the room she was in the tunnel returned to bare rock and curved steeply down. Walking through that, Bow gripped tightly in one hand, she followed the tunnel Down. Something moved behind her and she spun, but it was only a spider. Heart ticking in her chest, the moved through the blackness, the lights having faded long ago. Breathing deeply she felt her way along the tunnel, her eyes glowing dimly providing some light. Slowly, the cave walls widened untill they opened out into some sort of cavern.
“Good Evening”
A Light Far above Lemayas Clunked on, Illuminating the Enterence to the Cavern. Another two, further in Followed suit, and then three even deeper in, More and more lights turning on as the Cavern was slowly bathed in light. It was perfectly circular, and a few feet from Lemayas’ boots the floor fell away into a hole, which exited through the bottom of the entire floating rock She was on. Ninety degrees around the circular pit a Metalic bridge left the Rocky ledge, that traverced the pit reaching the ledge again on the other side. In the middle was a massive bright light, that flickered on as the lights finished switching on. Pausing for a second, Lemayas circled the pit, and nervously stepped onto the Bridge. It was solid under her feet, there was little chance of it giving away. Gingerly, she approached the light, which faded as she got closer. The voice sounded again.
“Good Evening”
Looking around, Lemayas was sure the voice had come from the light. Taking another step she gasped.
The light began rising with a wirring sound. Out of the bridge a pair of Generators swung up, around the light, and closed around it, their design similar to the Consortium’s Eco Domes. The Shield they produced suddenly flickered on, Reducing the lights brightness greatly, allowing Lemayas to see the source, a small shimmering star, contained within the ball of Energy. Below it… Was a monstrocity. It was a Mana bomb, but it had been smashed open, wires shoved into the glass ball, which was flashing intencely. The Shield had been attacked to the Cup, and below it someone had attached hundreds upon hundreds of mana cells to its stand, which had been broken open and more wires attached to it. Someone had strapped a body to the bace, wires pertruding from the corpce, running into the bomb, which continued to flash. Taking a step back, A Hologram flashed to life where she had been standing.
“If you are watching this, You have broken into the Vault, containing one of the Most Dangerous Weapons Created. I am Jaelen Sunwhisper, and I will be your guide tonight. This is a Recorded Message, so please, no questions.”
Gawping, Lemayas took another step back, Mouth Ajar.
“Prince Keal’Thelas has developed the Weapon ‘Mana-Bomb’ for the purpose of destroying those who stood against him. While more advanced than a Mana charge the Bomb was still weak.”
As he spoke, a Hologram of a Blood elf village flickered into view before him. From the centre something exploded with blue light, and the buildings around it simply fell apart.
“But I have taken this one step further. In my attempts to learn how to disarm the weapon I have inavertedly created a More Advanced Bomb, which I call the Mark II. This is what you see. Its Destructive power includes a blast Radius of Miles, and no Magical Energy can Withstand it.”
With this the Hologram of the ruined village shifted, and Below her, Lemayas saw a Hologram of a Peacefull land. Above her a Massive rock shimmered into view, and she recognised it from pictures – the Great floating city of Dalaran.
“Unfortunately this is where the Guide ends for you. The walls of this room are lined with a compond that prevents the blast, but the Core of the Mana Forge is Right above your head. This Platform is also Held up by Magic. The Mana Bomb cannot Fall into anyones hands. Goodby-“
The Hologram of Jealen Faded, as the Mana Bomb Exploded.

Thrown violently back by the explosion, Lemayas fell onto her back as a flame erupted from the Metal Chasis below the bomb. Scrambling to her feet, Lemayas shielded her eyes from the light, as they slowly adjusted to its intencity. In the centre of the light, the Glass Orb, shattered as it was, was rising, stil lconnected by loose wires to the smashed open Chasis. The Light was coming from the Mana Cells, which had passed critical mass and begun to react with each other, spilling energy out into the Cavern. Slowly, the Glass ball entered the Containment sphere, which was now floating without the assistance of the generators, feeding itself off its own unstable energy. As the Orb reached the Mana star in the centre of the Spheree, the Glass melted, and the Energy fused with the star, the Reaction causing the Containment sphere to falter and slowly fail. Looking up Lemayas looked at the Ceiling, and noticed it was made of a different meterial to the Thick Metal walls. If the Mark II’s blast radius hit the Mana Forges core, it could go supernova… And Potentially destroy Outland, let alone Netherstorm. Backing against the wall, she hit something hard and spinning round, saw it as part of the Hologram depicting Dalaran and the surrounding area. It was only a Hologram of a crystal Tree, but it was solid. Looking at the rock, she gasped as the Bombs Energys caused the Rock to begin Faltering. The Containment Sphere was designed to hold in the Energys of the Mana Star, but the Bomb, the Star and all those Mana Cells was causing it to fade, and If it was Crushed by the Huge floating Rock… It would Go off.

Throwing her Mouth open, Lemayas Screamed, Her Banshee shooting up out of her mouth, Flying up towards the ceiling like a Bullet. At the exact same time the Floating Rock above her began to break up, Towers toppling as the City began to fall on her. Noticing a gap in the rock she aimed for it, as it widened, Ethreal Earth and dirt falling down upon her. Dodging a falling rock, and swooping past another, Lemayas Entered the Crack, swooping left and right, navigating the ever changing maze as she rose and it fell, squeesing quickly through gaps no wider than her head, the wlls closing around her. With a scream she smashed through the Centeral Dalaran Plaza, The Comemorative fountain Splashing around her, and up to the Ceiling, where she Scrunched her eyes, liquifying her form in order to Phase through it. Dispite her loose form she still smashed into it as intence speed, The impact causing a loud crack and a heavy bump on her head, but she didn’t let it deter her, the Cavern continuing up past the ceiling, a Huge Glowing Red Rock wired to the Manaforge above her. Below her there was a crack and Silence.
Slowing Down Lemayas looked down at the ceiling below her. It was suddenly quiet, She could barely even hear the storm outside her or the ticking in her heart. It was as if she had done deaf. And as the sound that followed erupted, she wished she had. A Buzz, like none she had ever heard, as a blast wave broke through the ceiling, shooting up towards her. Twisting and pointing up, she shot off again, The Core closing in fast, but the Blast wave was faster. Catching up it engulfed her, blue energy lapping around her as all her energy leaked out of her, her momentum seeping as she stopped, then began to fall. Time slowed down, her white spirit fading to almost invisibility, curving in the air before plumeting down. The noise quietened, everything went quiet again dispite the fact she knew the noise was still there. She just couldn’t hear it. Slowly, she fell.

Strong arms caught her. A Second Spirit, Glowing brightly grabbed her in mid air, as Clea shot back up, Lemayas in her arms. Overtaking the blast wave, which engulfed the Crystal she shot up further, past the crystal which hade begun to glow and break apart, and through the floor of the Mana forge. Decelerating quickly, Clea lay Lemayas down on the cold floor, and pay her hand on Lemayas’ slowly breathing chest.

“Clea? T-Theres no time. You have to… Break the Chain.”

With that Lemayas Closed her eyes. Looking up, Clea saw the Mana Forge, Light Erupting from the Core below her, a chain reactiong flowing up to the top of the building. Pulling the Mark I out of her cloak She looked up at the Topmost Crystal, the Centeral Core and most Powerfull of all the Crystals. If the Blast reached that, Outland would Collapce into the Twisting Nether.

“This is for you Lemayas.”

Curcing her Arm, Clea threw the Glass Orb at the core, the ball shattering on contact, the Bomb Exploding, the blast absorbed by the Crystal. Less powerfull than the Mark II the bomb merely caused the core to break its supports, as it slowly fell onto the Floor of the Mana Forge, smashing through and falling into the blast. Beginning to go Supernova, it fell through the ceiling of the Cavern and Grashed into the Exploding Mark II far below the Dark Rangers.

Like the Mana Bomb, the Mana Star absorbed the Core, growing expernentionally, filling up the chamber. Lemayas’ body lay on the Rocky Ledge nearby, and Cleas not far off, but a Piece of rock had fallen in front of them, Shielding them from the following blast. Above, Clea grabbed Lemayas and flew into the Spinning energys of the Storm, the winds tearing at her body, threatening to Tear them apart. But it was less Dangerous than the Blast, that Shot upwards out of the Forge, the sheer energy and heat causing the Entire Mana forge to Disintergrate and fall into the Pit, but Jealen was true to his word, the Walls of the Cavern contained the blast and prevented it from spreading. Slowly, after several minutes of explosion, the light faded, leaving a gaping hole. Lying Lemayas down on a Floating rock, Clea Returned to get their bodies.

Concluded.


“Jealen Sunwhisper, you took out an Insurance policy on your shares in Outland a few weeks back. Because of the Effective immediately option and the Enormity of your property, we have decided to give you a Quote of One Hundred Thousand Gold. As a Regular Customer of the Consortium we will give you a week to pay up, but between you and me, I don’t see the Point. After all, what possibly could be big enough to Destroy all your property? Your wasting your money.”







Its finished, Comments would really be Appreciated! Its nice to know someone reads it

*Sniggers* I like the ending.

That was damn awesome, a very explosive ending and as always it appears, Jaelen is right! Nice one Lemayas!