Arod's Despair

This story was made by both me and Tyja, based on in-game developments.
Really enjoyed writing this.

-----< Arod >-----
The evening was especially cruel this night.
Dark clouds covers the northern lands, allowing only feeble rays of moonlight to pierce through – enhancing the menace in Arod’s mind. It was only minutes ago when his closest friend, and Sergeant, informed him that he lost Tyja Ladimore on his mission. They rode together to Corin’s Crossing, but Arod rushed his Charger forward as soon as he had the news – leaving Cantor in his wake.
Bellows of despair, blended with holy vows as he hacked into the Scourge with righteous anger, in search of his beloved.. to no avail. Cantor arrived at Corin’s Crossing accompanied by Footman Davin, aiding Arod while he continued his reckless crusade against the remaining Scourge at Corin’s Crossing.

A Wheeping Banshee caught Arod’s attention, cursing it almost the same instant with divine wrath – sending forth the energies of Light, while demanding the banshee the location of Tyja. Crippled by the grace of Light, which almost seemed as torture, the Banshee called forth a vision in Arod’s mind.

Moments later Arod put the Banshee at eternal rest, summoning forth his Charger – knowing where he had to ride. Cantor and Davin were battling the remnants of the Scourge, while Arod told them to not follow him.. this was his fight now, not the Militia. Arod charged away, leaving Cantor and Davin to deal with the Scourge, knowing they were unable to go after him this way.

Long minutes later, a radio contact was heard from his: “N ..axxr …as.“, this transmission was ended the same time a dark laughter was heard, in the background – forcing a chill down the to the bones to all able to hear the transmission.

Now, Arod has to face the dark horrors that awaits him in Naxxramas, walking within the dark, shadowed halls of the Necropolis in search for his beloved - Determined not to let another fall to the Scourge.

-----< Tyja >-----
She slept, or atleast she felt that way.
The dreams where horable, something was clearly not alright in that damp and dark place, there where whispers in the air and Arod was in pain.. Somewhere, in the Dread Citadel.

All of a sudden it was like something grabbed her, and she felt like she was beeing purged by a thousand blessings. She opened her eyes.
She peered around, things where hazy but there where clearly two blue beeings standing over her , they where talking but she didnt make out what they said.
As she gasped for air she got up on her knees, the voice was Sergeant Cantor, he asked for her name.

They where in somekind of a tower, the flags where red and then stench in the air was something like death, they where in a scarlet bastion.
They told her what happened.

She just stood there for a while, and then started running, grabbed her sword lying near by on the floor and rode towards The Citadel.

Things where still blurry as she made out the pavilion entrance to Naxxramas. She stepped of her horse slowly and went for the entrance.
But it wouldnt let her in, there was somekind of a lock, a feild that refused to let her save her dear Arod.
They tried to get her to stop trying but she couldnt just leave him in there, she had to do something.
The blue figures of Militia men tied her hands, and she was carried towards the Chapel, her eyelids started to weigth more and more and she closed them for just a breif moment , the dreams started again.

-----< Arod >-----
Long days have passed since his return from Naxxramas, but the memory in his mind is still fresh as if it took place yesterday. Each day he remembers this woman before him, capable of giving him excruciating pain in the arts of torture. This woman, who’s features were an exact resemblance of Tyja Ladimore, performed unspeakable practises upon Arod’s body and mind. The memories were always there..

Arod’s eyes came open a little. His mind was in a fog. He was facedown on a cold stone floor, lit by flickering torchlight. The stone walls had no windows to tell him it was day of night. There was a coppery taste in his mouth. Blood. He tried to think of where he could be, and why. A sharp pain in his side caught his breath when he tried to inhae too deeply. His whole body hurt. He throbbed everywhere. It felt as if someone had given him a beating with a club.

The memory of the nightmare seeped back into his mind. At the thought of Tyja, his anger flashed. Instantly the pain of the thought made him inhale in a gasp. He thought of Tyja, remembering the way she kissed him. The unexpected shock of it made him draw his knees up and let out a moan of agony. He recoiled from the anger, put her from his mind. The pain melted away. Desperately he tried to keep his mind off Tyja; he couldn’t take the pain again. He can’t bear it; he already had to much.

He had to think of a way to get out of this. If he didn’t get control of his anger, he had no chance. He remembered how his father gad taught him that anger was wrong, how for most of his life he had been able to choke it off. He told him that there were times that when bringing the anger out was more dangerous than keeping it in. This was one of those times. He had a whole lifetime of keeping his anger; but must do it now. That thought gave him a sliver of hope.

Carefully, without moving to much, he took appraisal. His sword was back in its scabbard, his knife still in its sheath and his Symbol of Divinity still around his neck. Parts of his armour lay against a far wall. The left side of his shirt was hard of dried blood. His head pounded with pain, but felt no worse than the rest of him. He thought maybe he should say something: “Where are your spectres of evil?”

Arod knew this wasn’t his beloved, he saw weakly nearby. But it was her for his eyes. Every inch of her body alike Tyja’s. She kept chewing for a time as she watched him. At last she set the bowl down and pointed to a spot on the floor next to her. Her voice was calm, almost gentle: “Come and stand here”.
With great difficulty, Arod rose to his feet and walked to stand where she had pointed. She watched him without emotion as he stood watching down at her. He waited in silence. She stood and with her boot pushed the chair back to him as she picked up a glove off the table and worked it into her right hand, pushing the fingers down.
Abruptly she spun around, backhanding him across the mouth. The armoured back of the glove split his lip open on his teeth. Immediately, before the anger could grip him, he thought about a peaceful place in the Elwynn Woods where he first met Tyja. His eyes watered from the sting of the gash.

The spectre of Tyja gave him a warm smile. “You forgot the appellation, paladin. I told you before; you are to address me as Beloved. You are lucky to have me as your –trainer-, most are not as lenient as I. They would have used the runed dagger at first offence. But I have a soft spot in my heart for good-looking men, and besides, even though the glove isn’t a very effective punishment, I must admit I rather favour using it.” She gave a little frown, her voice hardening. “Take your hand away.”

Arod took his hand off his mouth and held both at his sides. He could feel the blood dripping from his chin. The spectre of Tyja watched in satisfaction. Unexpectedly, she leaned forward and licked some of the blood of his chin, smiling at the taste. It seemed to excite her. She pressed herself against him, but this time she sucked his lip in her mouth and hit, hard, on the cut. Arod could swear at this point, over the scent of his own blood, that she even smelled like Tyja. He squeezed his eyes shut, his hands into a fist, and held his breath until she backed away, licking the blood from her lips with s mile. He shook with the pain, but held the vision of the Elwynn Woods, the stone at the river side, in his mind.

“That was just a gentle warning, as you will learn soon. No, repeat the question properly.” Arod took a deep breath to steady his voice. “Where are your spectres of evil, beloved?” “ Much better”, she cooed. “Most don’t allow those in training to talk, or to ask questions, but I think that becomes boring. I rather like to talk to my trainee. As I said, you are lucky to have me.” She gave him a cool smile. “I’ve send the spectres into Azeroth to find more like yourself. Soon the one true King will begin with his plans.” At this point Arod realised that Tyja’s disappearance at Corin’s Crossing was only a decoy to make him believe she was here. But this spectre couldn’t be his beloved. If only he could keep that in his mind.. This is not Tyja, the woman he loved.

“And why do I still have my sword, and knife?”
Too late he remembered. With an arm he blocked her fist to his face. The act of stopping her brought a sharp pain into his side. Then, unexpectedly, a runed dagger came up into his side. He rolled over on the ground, crying out in agony.. This was just one day..

Truth about this is that Arod drew his strength form Tyja’s visage - his beloved. Seeing her, as the torturer continues to work, made him not forsake the hope to see her again.. even at the most dire times, she was close to him, even when he knew his eyes were misled by some spell.

After an unknown time, being silenced from the world of Azeroth, Arod’s spirit was forced back into his dead body by divine magics. Light surged through his veins, fueling his heart and mind with life.. but upon opening his eyes, it was not Tyja how held his head in compassion, worry and love..

-----< Tyja >-----
Some weeks after, Stormwind City's Mage District.

They rushed down the stairs, after the Horde members as they where ordered, they where supposed to watch over them, til they where ready to teleport out of Stormwind for good.Corporal Liva seemed to be able to comunicate with one of the elfs, thou it didnt make much sense to Tyja as she stood next to Arod with her shield and mace ready.
She didnt understand much what was going on, it went fast, Arod said something and the elf laughed. Liva told us to step back.. she looked worried and in that moment they tried to get out. Militants blocked the stairway but they didnt obey, Liva screamed for everyone to put the weapons down.
Tyja didnt see who took the first swing but the battle was feirce.. Arod was slashed down and something hit her in the side, sending stinging pain through her chest area and she fell to the floor, closing her eyes, seeing Liva stand in the corner not fighting.


It was wierd waking up, Tyja didnt see who it was who got her up.. but she looked everywhere for Arod, only to find him in one of the staircases, she tried to bring him back but it didnt seem to work, Liva came , tried, and failed. So did even lady Miriel arriving from the surface.
She even screamed but nothing happened.
The elven Commander wanted him in a save place to find out in peace why his spirit was unable to return and they carried him to the cold stone floors of the Cathedral.

She spent a few moments, chanting about him, It felt like years! Was she ever going to say something important? Give her the solution?

Miriel had a mysterious aura around her, somehow soothing as she opened her mouth to speak.
"All i can see is Naxxramas.. The Dread Citadel, something in that dark place might be holding him back.. since his last visit."

Sergeant Cantor was quick to rally up a few good Militants to head for the Citadel, and of they went towards the plaugelands.
After their last visit there and a night tied up in a tent, they all knew that they did not possess what was needed to enter though the main portal, so they made for Stratholme, Naxxrama's back entrance.
The fight in there was, like the earlier fight, fierce and they fought with all they got against the onslaught of undead from the city streets. She hacked and slashed her way through, dropping the shield to wield another blade in her left hand. She kept going, she knew that every moment counted, but she didnt notice her seperating from the group and found herself along infornt of a big square, with a Undead Slaughterhouse smack down in the middle.
And there it was, the gate to the back entrance. She tried to keep a low profile, sneaking behind the supply crates at the edges of the square, there was no way she was going to take on the horrors that stood in the middle alone.
It felt yet again like ages, but finaly she reached the gate and snuck inside, and there it was a dead end with a swirling blue vortex in the middle.
She placed her hand inside slowly.. the inside was cold and damp, just like she had imagined it. And she stepped through.

-----< Arod >-----
Darkness swirls around him like an unending blur. Without sense of movement, of time or touch, Arod’s spirit was pulled away – torn from his body. With sadness of little emotion he gazed upon the brutal slaughter of his beloved, while he drifted away .. away from her. Away from Stormwind. Away from life..

Sounds of life faded into nothingness, leaving nothing but an echo in the distance, fading away. A dark shadow formed around him, at first hardly perceptible. It grew stronger, until it became a sold form of darkness pressing against him – growing around him. At first, he thought a humming sound was heard, like thousand bumblebees.. but after darkness consumed his spirit he learned they were soft voices.

He was in a different place now, as if in the dark, coldness of a cave at night. However, he saw forms on the other side. Inky black shapes wavered in the gloom around him, specters floating in the deep.. the dead surrounded him. Thousands of distant voices called out to him. The black shapes were gathering, calling to him, holding their arms out to him. He felt a sudden, unexpected stab of loneliness, felt the solitude of his life, of all life. Why did he need the pain when they were waiting, waiting to welcome him? Never alone again. The black shapes drifted closer in the gloom, calling to him, and he began to see their faces. It was as if he were looking through murky water. They came closer. He longed to step through. To be there with them.

And then he saw his son. His son called out to him mournfully in a long sorrowful cry. His arms thrusts out, trying desperately to clutch for his father. He was just inches away. Arod’s last remnants of life felt as it going to rip with yearning. It had been so long since he’s seen his son. He wailed for him, hungered for his touch. Then, at an unknown moment, the small specter faded away into nothingness. Arod searched around desperately, about to cry in agony at the loss of his son.

A blurry specter of Pilus appeared, speaking demeaning words to Arod. “You’re lack of training has brought this end to you, Arod.” He was able to understand the sentences, even as it seemed they were whispered through each other “You’re a disgrace to my people..”

Arod’s attention was lured by another visage. This time a face he associated with Liva, hearing her soft voice in sadness. “Why her, Arod?.. What can she offer, that I cannot?” The dark lips of Liva touched his own, rendering Arod into a slight paralyzed state of emotionless paranoia. “I own you..”

“You’re not even close to a brother”, he heard besides him from a voice. Cantor’s face appeared from his side, angered: “You left me to rot!”. “You’re not even worth the grace of Light, boy.. ”, spoke a voice similar to that of Uther, followed by a sadistic laughter of Algorath the Highlord of the Scarlet Crusaders. “Elune curse you for this corruption, human..”, spoke the melodic voice of High Lady Miriel. Shortly after the face of a Draenei woman appeared close to him “I can’t believe you let this happen to me, Arod”. He wanted to reply to Diante, but failed as Tyja’s specter manifested itself before him – ever present, smiling with sadistic glee.

With a calm, almost caring voice, it spoke thse harse, simple words of truth.. “Welcome back, pet..”.

-----< Tyja >-----
Tyja rubbed her head, after falling through the portal.

Looking around there was not much to be seen, the place was dark and damp as she felt so clearly, shivering a bit before picking up her sheild and heading to the only doorway she could spot in the room.

She wandered around the hallways for a bit, only light was from a few torches here and there, so she could not see much.
Wondered for a while, if she should try and shout his name, to see if there was any answer, but that would most likely alert something terable, lurking in these dreaded halls.
She walked around a corner, deep in thought and something hissed at her.

"Holy..!"

Tyja almost fell backwards, infront of here stood some kind of a Nerubian. Maby twice her size, just standing there clearly as supriced as she was, they eyed echother and she thought of running for a quick moment and in that moment the beast leaped at her.
Raising her sheild to block the creature was maby not the smartest idea as she fell on her back from the weight of the creature, bearly dodging as one of the spiders feet hit the ground next to her left ear.
She had to do something, focusing all her power into her hammer and closing her eyes,the glowing hammer hit the creature in the face.
It staggered of looking dazed, having trouble keeping balance, this was the moment, Tyja took a deep breath and charged forward, aiming her sheild for the nerubians head.
She fell to the side from the impact, as did the creature, out cold.

"No time to waste.. i ha..."

She looked to her left, at a half open doorway as she heard noises.
It sounded like soft groaning and she gently pushed the door open, peering inside.

"Arod! Get off him whoeve..."

And there she stood, looking at a young woman with long blond hair.
Looking at herself.

-----< Arod >-----
Darkness seemed to fade after long hours of torturing memories - of lies, deceit, trickery and manipulation. Arod was focused on the apparition of Tyja, almost without emotion, gazing into her as she was whispering words of corruption. Until, at this fateful moment, a radiant figure appeared from one of the many archways. At first, it was a blinding light – clearly disrupting Arod’s spirit that lingered on in torment of despair and corruption.

Slowly Arods weakened spirit adjusted against the intrusion of true light within the dark chambers of Naxxramas. He could hear a faint whisper coming from the light, but was unable to understand any of it – a faint whisper in a strong wind. The apparition of Tyja was clearly amused and shared no discomfort against the light that Arod’s Spirit had to endure. Tyja's voice rang through the chamber, resonating darkly throughout the corners in a sad echo. “You hold no power here, paladin..”

Tyja witnessed herself floating only inches away from Arod’s spirit, wearing a mooncloth dress that revealed more tempting parts of her. Almost to gracefully it turned herself, her golden hair dancing slowly around her as if she was in a environment of timelessness.

Memories of Arod’s kindness, his laughter, his love, his friendship, their time together, and a thousand other brief glimpses tore through Tyja in a flood of emotion - in one white-hot instant it. The door that held back her anger, and the wall of reason containing her temper, burned away in a flash of holy righteousness. Tyja reached out for her hammer again, curled her fingers around the rightly decorated shaft, gripping it tighter and tighter until her knuckles were white. The mucles in her jaw flexed. Her breathing came sharp and fast. She saw nothing else of what was around herself. The beauty of love, blending with the devotion of Light, surged forth into the hammer once more, not of its own volition, but summoned by Tyja. Her chest heaved with holy anger at knowing what had happened to Arod, and what this specter of evil was doing to his spirit.

Ever has the Light been strong in the family of Ladimore, but now – at this faithful moment, where the need was great – it shone like never before. The apparition of herself became aware of the possible danger, changing appearance into a dreadful shade of darkness and corruption. A black void where nothing requiring life would last for seconds. Two ghastly arms yearned forward as it approached Tyja with hatred, leaving small wisps of shadow in its wake.

Instinctively Tyja chanted a Blessing of Light and placed the Judgement upon the Aspect of Shadow. At this point the ghastly hands moved through her shield, as Tyja attempted to block the attack, yearning through her chest and took hold of her heart. Unholy coldness took hold of Tyja as the ghastly hands of shadow materialized within her, squeezing her heart in a death grip. Life drained away, where seconds seemed like minutes, before she raised her Symbol of Divinity calling forth the Divine Protection with a single holy vow. The grip was released as the hands of shadow faded into nothingness, leaving the Aspect of Shadow before her in a visibly angered state. Attacks bounced against a shield of Light that shone brightly around Tyja, protecting her from the dangers that were pressing close around her..

Then, after gathering her strength and faith, she raised her hammer and continued to battle the Aspect of Shadow, giving it no chance to strike at her again in such a way. With each strike against the Aspect of Shadow her body began to shine brighter, transforming her slowly into a beacon of Light, until the moment where the Aspect of Shadow was purged from before her, like a small shadow fleeing from the sight of light.

Arod spirit was still in place but showed signs of despair, grief and forlorn hope – even when this very chamber of Naxxramas was bathed in a light that could shake the foundations of each Ziggurat on Azeroth. A faint whisper could be heard from his spirit, like a fell voice carried upon the winds of a storm. “Help me..”

-----< Tyja >-----
Tyja stood there, panting heavily from the fight, eyeing the spirit for a split second before sprinting of towards it reaching forward to hug him but her fingers ran through it like water.
She dropped on her knees, exhausted from the battle and tears flowing from her eyes.

"How! What must i do! How do i get us out of here!"

She looked at him, something was difrent as the shade slowly disgenerated, He was somehow comming into color, more bright and lively then the spirit of him.
He fell to his knees, gasping for air as he turned alive infornt of her. she stood up and ran towards him, hugging him tightly and smiled as she could finaly feel him again.

"Intruders! Dont let them leave alive!"

The shout was like a cold breeze and they could feel it shiver down their spine. They looked at eachother for a split second and then started running towards the door.
As they entered the hallway they could hear footsteps not far away, sounded like tics, fast tics.

"Nerubians! We have to get out of here!"

She almost yelled it out and paniced, started breathing very hard, looking in all directions.
Arod grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her towards the room she came from at the start, there was a blue glow at the end of the room.
There was a portal operating not far, but they could hear the shouts getting closer and the air became cooler.

They jumped through, seconds passed and they hit muddy, cold and wet ground.

"Oww.."
_____________________________________________________

Wow.. very awesome story !

Xariandra wrote:

Wow.. very awesome story !

More then that! Really nice, with the screenies:D

@_@

That's an amazing story! Once I started reading I couldn't even stop. 10/10!

Woah

If that's more than 8 pages in word then you just beat me Arod

Story of Arod's soul and Naxxramas is about to continue: Here.