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| A Hunter's Tale, Part 3 | | | Author: | | | IP: | ool-182fXXXX | | Date: | 07/23/02 05:07 | | Game Type: | Other | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 1, Max: 6, Min: 6
Lifetime Rating for Epoch71: 6.0000 |  |
A Hunter's Tale
Part 3:
The Trial of Kathris Starsong
Alright, looks like I'm going to have to fess up. I was claiming that I would include hand-drawn pics in this one... But a combination of some advice of Kane, and the fact that the drawings just didn't turn out like I hoped... So, there won't be any pics in this one. Sorry =/
On a different note, I'd like to add that this is NOT based upon the Single Player campaign, with the exception of the Prequel Campaign. Otherwise, this is based entirely on the stuff on the battle.net page, and the stuff in the manual.
On to the text!
-Epoch
Tears of rage and confusion dampened the purple cheeks of Kathris Starsong, huddled in the corner of her dank and cold prison cell. Left only with a simple tunic after being stripped of her armor the cold air of the Hyjal night chilled her... Yet caught up in her disbelieving remembrance of the day before, she didn't even bother to shiver.
* * * * *
It was the day before...
Kathris strode into the High Council room, escorted by two armored Sentinel warriors. She stopped in the center of the bowl shaped room and kneeled before the High Council. One of the Night Elves seated on the sides of the room, the Chancellor, sat on an ornate chair, elevated above the rest; it was almost a throne... The woman sitting on the throne was more garnished than her seat; A complex robe of a light, purple cloth rippled with the slightest breeze, yet revealed nothing. The Chancellor folded her arms across her chest before she called the Council to order.
"Kathris Starsong..." Spoke the Chancellor, "You have been charged with Treason to the Sentinels. You took away Hyjal's defenders, leaving it wide open to attack. You risked the lives of hundreds of Night Elves. You stole a Tiger that was not yet yours during your trials. The logical conclusion is, you are serving the Enemy,"
Kathris was amazed at how they were able to turn everything she had done to her disadvantage... She paused a moment to collect herself, then spoke: "I took Hyjal's defenders to save the lives of hundreds of the soldiers of the Sentinel assault force, and to stop the Scourge's advance. If the Undead had come out the victor of that battle, Hyjal would probably be in their hands now,"
"The ends do not justify the means!" Said the Chancellor. "You still left Hyjal defenseless in a time of war, without any authority over the soldiers you took,"
"If I hadn't saved the assault force, it wouldn't matter if those forces were still at Hyjal," Kathris responded.
"This will lead only to us talking in circles," Spoke the Chancellor. "Let us take a vote. Those who say that Kathris Starsong is guilty, make yourselves known,"
Kathris expected to hear just a few voices... She had saved Kalimdor from invasion, after all. She was shocked when almost all of the council said 'Guilty'.
"The Council has spoken, Kathris Starsong," Said the Chancellor. "You have been convicted of Treason to the Night Elf Sentinels. You will be executed at nightfall, tomorrow,"
Kathris blinked in disbelief... What...? She was shocked... How could they do this to her? She had saved the world from domination by the Undead... Kathris looked up at the Chancellor, and their gazes met. Kathris sensed something wrong with the Chancellor, but she couldn't figure out quite what it was. Especially not with the raging, chaotic whirlwinds of absolute outrage and confusion ripping through her mind. The pair of armored guards escorted her out of the room. Her armor and bow were taken from her, and she was thrown into a dark jail cell to rot until the day of her execution came...
So there she was, sitting in the corner of a cold jail cell, awaiting death.
* * * * *
Word of Kathris's conviction traveled fast, and Shadowfury was one of the first to hear of it. He was shocked; she had saved an entire Night Elf army, and they were going to execute her? The council has lost it... Thought the Demon Hunter. After hearing the news Shadowfury had decided to take a long walk in the Hyjal wildlands, where he could easily think without the distractions of a city. He had no personal debt to her, and she had repayed her debt by bringing the reinforcements to that losing battle that he remembered so vividly... But by bringing those reinforcements, she had still saved not only himself, but the entire Night Elf race from death by the Undead. That must count for something.
And he considered her his friend. Demon Hunters tended not to have friends, but there was no law... And their friendship was more out of mutual thanks than anything else. He would not stand by idly as she was killed, not after what she'd done for the Sentinels... And him.
Shadowfury returned to his room in the Barracks. Most of the other Night Elves were asleep, but he had not yet re-adjusted from the times spent awake in the Lordaeron day. He took his blades off their mount on the wall, and paused. Will I have to sink that low, will I have to kill my brethren? He thought. He stared at the blades for a long while, just thinking... Then he put the wickedly curved tools of death away. He would not need them. He stepped outside his door, and literally ran into a Disciple of Elune; He managed to maintain his balance, but the Disciple fell to the floor. He helped her up and she brushed herself off.
"Good, I was hoping I'd be able to catch you," Said the Disciple, looking up at the Demon Hunter's blindfolded face, "You know Kathris Starsong personally, correct?"
"You might say that," Replied the Hunter, "Why do you ask?"
"She's a good woman, and something's wrong with the council. She saved the lives of untold thousands of Night Elves; it's not right that she be executed," Said the Disciple, "My name is Felore Moonray; I was in charge of Kathris's training and testing. I don't want to see all of that hard work gone to waste. I'm going to break her out. If you want to help, you're welcome to do so,"
A smile tugged at the edges of Shadowfury's lips. "That's what I was going to do, right before I bumped in to you,"
"Aren't you bringing your blades?" Asked Felore.
"I will not need them, for I do not plan for anyone to die today,"
* * * * *
Mave Whisperwind took over the other guard's post in the jail cell. She wore a light suit of armor similar to that worn by Huntresses in battle, only more suited for the oft chilly weather on Hyjal; A light purple cape flowing behind her matched her armor's color. The Guard leaned against the wall to the side of the stairwell, and looked around. The room's walls were painted the traditional Night Elf light purple; chairs lined the wall, some occupied by the 'reinforced security' the High Council had given the Prison because they were holding a 'convicted traitor' that night. Mave rolled her eyes; she didn't see how a few wet-behind-the-ears Night Elves with pikes would be any help.
A few minutes after taking up her guard, Mave heard the door creak open letting in a blast of cool Hyjal air. She watched as two Night Elves stepped in to the Prison's ground floor. One was obviously a Demon Hunter, and the other wore the armor of the Disciples of Elune. Mave spoke in a formal voice, "What is your business here?"
The Demon Hunter and Disciple swiftly strode across the room; Something's not right here... Thought Mave. The Demon Hunter proved her right as he reached out, grabbed her neck and hurled her across the room. She landed on several unoccupied chairs, upturning them and nearly knocking her unconscious. She watched woozily as the Demon Hunter and the Disciple of Elune engaged the extra guards. The pike-wielding Night Elves did not last long; the Hunter could easily dodge their weapons' stabs, get inside their guard and deliver a blow to knock them out of the fight. The Disciple took one of the pikes and used it's blunt side to strike for afar.
Mave's vision began to clear as the Disciple and Hunter made their way for the stairwell, the guards scattered across the floor, unconscious. Mave stood, grabbing her pike and using it to help herself up.
"Halt!" She ordered, her voice weaker than she had hoped it would be. The Hunter and Priestess turned to face her, and the Hunter rushed toward her. Mave knew he would be inside the range of her pike before she could align it with him, so she dodged off to the side. Her pike swung down, it's blade missing him but the shaft scoring a powerful hit. The Demon Hunter hit the floor and rolled. He recovered swiftly, grabbing a pike as he rushed at her. Mave dodged to the side, swinging her pike at him again. He turned and put the shaft of his stolen weapon in the way to meet her weapon's blow, then twisted away, spinning his pike away from Mave's own and towards the guard's lightly armored head. Mave fell back, swinging her pike up to meet the Hunter's blow, but only succeeding in dampening its effect. The blunt end of the pike slammed into her head, not as hard as it would have, but hard enough to knock her to the floor. Her vision blurred as her skull was jarred by the force of the impact. Weakened, she stood, readying her pike for combat once again.
"Must we continue this?" Spoke the Hunter, "It will only result in more pain for yourself,"
"I am a Guard," Replied Mave, her voice weak, "This is what I must do," The young Night Elf hurled herself at the Hunter, stabbing at the him; He simply dodged to the side. Mave rolled to bring her pike up to block any blow the Hunter might throw at her, but did not succeed as the Hunter's bare foot slammed into her stomach, smashing her against the mild cushioning of the carpeted floor. Mave tried to recover, her mind slowed and blurred; All she was able to manage was an agonized groan. She felt a trickle of blood run down her cheek as she watched the Hunter and the Disciple move for the stairwell. Ow...
* * * * *
Kathris stared through her barred window at the slowly falling sun. It won't be long... She thought. She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and figured that they had come for her... Why me?
A voice echoed through the prison hallways: "Hey, you're not supposed to be--" A hollow THUD reverberated off the stone walls, followed by a rustling that could only be a body sliding to the floor. The footsteps continued, growing louder and louder with each step. Kathris looked out through the window in the prison door, and watched as a Demon Hunter and a Disciple of Elune walked in to view.
Kathris stood, and walked over to the door, but was warned away by the Demon Hunter: "Stand back!". His clawlike hands wrapped around the bars on the prison door and a blue fire coursed across his body, quickly turning the bars into a puddle of rapidly cooling liquid metal. Kathris jumped over the metal blotch on the floor and out of the cell, that much closer to freedom. She looked up at Shadowfury.
"I... I... Thank you..." She said, stuttering. She hadn't thought she had friends good enough to do something like this for her.
"Not everyone agreed with the Council's decision," Said Felore, "We must hurry; there will be time for thanks later,"
The three rushed down the otherwise deserted hallway, past the unconscious body of the guard. They reached the stairs, and quickly descended to ground level. As they made their way out of the building, Kathris had to step over one or two unconscious bodies. Many more were scattered across the room, slumped over various objects. Upturned tables, loose papers and tipped chairs all showed signs of a fight having taken place there in the recent past. They stepped out into the street, and did their best to blend in. One or two people glanced at Kathris's light attire, but few of the few people outside noticed them; not many were awake yet. After walking several hundred yards, they ducked into a narrow alley between two of the buildings lining the street.
* * * * *
Kathris stood on the beach of Kalimdor, with Felore and Shadowfury beside her. A small, odd looking boat with an odd paint-job was grounded on the beach; a little tube stuck out from the back of the ship, and it had no apparent sails. It was built on a small scale, and the reason became apparent as it's captain vaulted off the railing on the sides. The Dwarf looked at the three Night Elves, and suddenly seemed very nervous.
"Oh no..." Said the little dwarf, "I didn't do anything, really!"
"Calm down, Aggronor! I didn't tell anyone you're here, I just need a favor," Felore turned to Shadowfury and Kathris. "This is Aggronor, he can get Kathris to Lordaeron, and fast,"
"Hey, it's Aggronor the Mighty, not just 'Aggronor'!" Said the dwarf, disgruntledly.
"Aggronor the Mighty?" Asked Kathris, cynically.
"Sorry about him, he's like that," Said Felore. She turned to the dwarf before he could respond, "Aggronor, I need you to take Kathris to Lordaeron for me,"
"Kathris Starsong? Isn't she that girl who saved the Sentinel assault force, then got sentenced to death for it?" Asked the Dwarf, scratching his brown hair.
"Yes, that's the one," Replied Felore. "Before you say 'No', and I have to blackmail you, you'll be well paid,"
"Oh, on that case..." Aggronor turned to Kathris, "We'd better hurry. The boat's a little cramped, but it'll make thirty knots,"
Kathris turned to look at Shadowfury and Felore. "I... I can't thank you enough. You saved my life..."
"Nothing I haven't done before," Said Shadowfury. "And nothing you haven't done for me,"
Kathris looked up at Shadowfury's face. He looked very grim, yet very heroic as the beach's strong winds blew his long, very light purple hair. She felt a pain in her chest realizing that in all likelyhood, she would never see him again. "Shadowfury... I..." She looked away as she blinked back a tear. "Just, thank you... for everything,"
She turned to Felore, "Thank you for training me, Felore Moonray. And thank you for being on my side,"
"It was the least I could do, for my best student," Said Felore. The Disciple reached to a bag on her belt, and gave it to Kathris. It was surprisingly heavy for its small size. "This should be enough money to keep you alive. Good luck, Kathris,"
Kathris closed her fist around the bag, turned, and walked to the Dwarf's ship. The dwarf climbed the ladder up the side of the odd boat, and Kathris followed him. She took a seat on the bench in the back of the boat while the dwarf headed in to the cabin. A few moments later a chugging noise from deep inside the boat began to rattle the boards of the deck, and smoke poured out of the tube projecting from the deck. The boat slowly backed away from the beach, performing a slow turn after reaching far out enough. A clunk and a pause in the chugging signaled the engine reversing direction, and the boat began to go forward, accelerating steadily. Kathris stared out at the two figures standing on the beach until they faded in to the distance.
* * * * *
Shadowfury walked into the dark room, and knelt at the end of a long path of red carpet. The torches lining the path flared to life, casting deep shadows around the two people in the room. I wonder why he has such extravagances... I thought Demon Hunters were supposed to lead simplistic lives... In front of Shadowfury was the Master of the Demon Hunters, his chest bare and his face blindfolded in the traditional ways of the Hunters. His pants, puffing out near the bottom but coming to a tight fit at the ankles, were a bloodred color except for the stripes of bright gold that look as if they were made of thin strands of the metal.
"Shadowfury, you have oft proven yourself one of our best Demon Hunters," The Master spoke in a deep voice that was amplified and echoed by the shape of the room. "So, we have a special assignment for you. Doubtless you know of the escape of Kathris Starsong. We will not stand for this. The Chancellor herself has contacted me with a request to eleiminate Kathris Starsong, and I am giving you the job of accomplishing this,"
Shadowfury suddenly felt very sick, but hid it as he replied, "Yes, Master,"
Well, that's it for Part 3. I apologize for the fact that there wasn't nearly as much action in this as in the previous two parts, but it was quite fun to write. Comments/criticism/suggestions are always welcome and appreciated, with the exception of: "YOU SUCK BECAUSE YOU WRITE FANFICS! STOP WRITING FANFICS NOW YOU FUXING NOOB!!!!!1111". ^_^
Oh and if you liked Mave, tell me so I can figure out some way to fit her into the rest of the fic...
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