Wrath of the Light

Chapter Fourteen: Fire on the Water

The die, as they said, was cast. After this, there would be no turning back.

The ogres and troll warriors followed Arthas out from the village. He led them out of the hills and into the lowlands. There they found still more dead waiting for them, guarded by many spirit towers.

'Baelgun,' said Arthas, 'get your forces onto the hills and take down those spirit towers! Zul'amon, follow me into battle!'

There was a battle roar, and the ogres, trolls, dwarves, and one human rushed to meet the enemy. The spirit towers launched countless shots of magical energy. Several trolls died in the onslaught. An ogre clobbered three ghouls to death with his club, as one of his comrades was dragged down and torn to shreds. Arthas hewed down a crypt fiend, as Muradin hacked and slashed his way through.

As the first of the spirit towers fell, more undead streamed into view and joined the fray. Muradin met them first of all and was soon fighting back to back with an ogre. A dwarf fell back, wounded, only to be healed by Zul'amon's magic. Arthas healed a troll warrior as he limped away from the combat, and slew the undead trying to slay him.

Finally, the battle was over, and hundreds of undead lay slaughtered. Many ogres and trolls also lay among the slain. Arthas walked forward to their bodies and realized that they had used the light. These trolls were able to wield the light against the undead. Didn't that mean they were worthy of life as well?

Raising his hammer, Arthas summoned his powers. Was it the figure of an angel which appeared above, as the corpses of the trolls and ogres arose once more to live? Their friends rant o them, clasping their hands and slapping each other on the back.

It made him doubt his plan.

Their kills were recounted among warriors, who boasted of their accomplishments. Arthas walked up to Zul'amon, returning his mind to the task at hand. 'Very good, but there are still the ships to deal with.'

'We'll be getting to them mon.' said Zul'amon quickly. 'I've never been seeing anything like that before? How did you do it?'

'It requires a profound connection to the light.' said Arthas 'We should move on.'

'I gotta be getting one of those, one of these days.' murmured Zul'amon as they pressed on.

Together the group crossed a land bridge over to an area that was less snowy, and a bit warmer, though not much. The ground here was packed and frozen hard. As they went, however, Zul'amon held up a hand. 'Wait mon; we be having a problem.'

'What is it?' asked Arthas.

'The nerubians be holding the shore ahead of us,' said Zul'amon 'see ahead.'

Arthas saw there in the distance many spider creatures waiting about. 'They look like living crypt fiends.'

'That's because they are, lad.' said Muradin. 'Fifteen years ago the nerubians were the dominant faction in Northrend. That was before the undead came. In those days they were always trying to expand into the other races dominion.'

'These days we be killing their corpses more than we be killing them.' reflected Zul'amon. 'They hate everyone who isn't one of their kind. We'd better be taking care of these ones before more come up to meet them.'

'I'd prefer to bypass them if possible,' said Arthas, feeling like he was back at Strahnbrad.

'I don't be caring what you'd prefer.' said Zul'amon. 'This be our territory. We'll not be letting spiders, living or dead take it from us. Wipe em out!'

The army charged without orders and Arthas had no choice but to charge with them. Battle was joined, and the nerubians fought back. Trolls dragged some of them down and hacked them to pieces. Some of the trolls were torn to pieces by nerubians in turn. An ogre was crushed to death by a massive nerubian. But Muradin cleaved that one down.