A Dark Overture (IC Tale)

Setting: Farstrider Square, on a quiet, late summer afternoon.

A tall, broad-shouldered Sin'dorei veteran is standing on the steps near the entrance of the Blood Knight headquarters, clad in his most heavily-enchanted plate. Gauntled hands are clasped about the haft of his blood-tempered ranseur, sunlight gleaming on the burnished, battered-scarred steel. A crowd has begun to gather, all but a handful expected witnesseses for what is to take place here this day, before the very doorway that leads to the prison of the Captive itself. Knight-Lord Maelthas Bloodhawk, the Sword of the North, Master of the Blood Knight Order, looks out over the crowd, seeking out the young man who brought him here this afternoon: Nastra Kirasath, a promising knight of the Order. He finds the young man standing nervously at the edge of the crowd, forcing himself to remain still and not fidget before a ranking officer. Maelthas stares down at Nastra, glowing green eyes burning behind the narrow visor of his dark helm. The tip of the Knight-Lord's ranseur digs into the stone of the stairs, the steel ringing faintly as he shifts his grip on the weapon that serves as the badge that marks him as a member of his Order. "Nastra Kirasath, stand forth and be judged in the eyes of your Brothers and Sisters."

The Knight-Lord's voice is roughened from years of bellowing across the battlefield, booming with the stony growl of command. He gestures with the point of his ranseur for Nastra to kneel at the foot of the stairs. Nastra pauses only a moment to compose himself before stepping forward, and lifting his gaze to meet the glowing green eyes of his superior officer. The young man sinks to one knee before Maelthas, bowing his head as he obeys the command. T he lack of hesitation draws a flicker of approval from the more experienced Blood Knight as he begins the ceremony of investiture. His voice carries over the Square, echoing faintly off the surrounding brick and stone. The crowd cranes collective necks and falls silent as the Blood Knight Master speaks.

"Brothers and Sisters in arms, before you is Nastra, an Adept of the Blood Knight Order. Years have passed since his entry into our ranks: here stands one who has been forged in battle, tempered by the flash of steel and the kiss of blood and fire. He has passed his trials, never flinching from his duty, never turning from the path that lies before him." Maelthas stares down at Nastra, his glowing green eyes burning behind the narrow visor of his helm. He knows this one is iron -- he well remembers the test given to all potential Masters of the Order, to defile the last remaining holy temple of the Light within the walls of Stratholme and destroy its human paladin guardians in the process. "Adept Nastra, is it your wish to ascend to the rank of your commanders? To be proclaimed a Master of the Order, and serve your people with honor?"
The younger knight nods, replying in a level voice, "Yes, Knight-Lord."

Maelthas listens to Nastra's response, the glow of his eyes flickering dangerously. "Are you certain? You'll sacrifice everything of yourself to walk this path. Duty will claim your every waking hour. Bitterness will be your bride: they will not love you for what you must do to protect them. Your path lies over stony ground, and it will break you if it can." The crowd shuffles and whispers, but he pays them no heed. Some truths must be shared, even here. "From the ashes of Quel'thalas have we risen, instruments of justice for our people. We are the swords that shine in the darkness, the shields that guard Quel'thalas, the wrath of the dead that cry out for vengeance from the grave. Our hearts are forever in the frost so that our people will survive. Adept Nastra -- I ask you one last time. Will you pay the final price for the honor you seek?"

Nastra nods once more. His voice is firm, betraying no hint of the nervousness he must be feeling. "Yes, Knight-Lord. I do." Maelthas' eyes blaze at the choice that's been made. "Then die, and sample what lies ahead." His ranseur screeches across the ground as he raises it, and swiftly plunges it into Nastra's heart in a mortal blow. Horrified gasps and a single strangled shriek sounds from the crowd as the weapons strikes true, tearing through Nastra's plate armor like rotted paper. The shock of the blow numbs the doomed Adept from uttering a sound as Nastra falls over on his side, gouting blood across the sun-baked pavement. A single death-rattle bubbles in the fallen Blood Knight's throat before his life flees his body on dark wings.

***

Maelthas twists the blade free of the corpse and stares down coldly at fallen man, watching Nastra's blood trickle down the stairs. "The choice is made. Before you lies an uncertain future, and a short life." A single voice from the crowd shouts in defiance and anger, "Bastard! This is why I left your damned Order...this stupid display of violence is the very essence of everything that's wrong with our people now!" The Knight-Lord ignores the idiot in the crowd: she is unimportant and a traitor, and the watching Guardians will arrest her before she can take one step out of the square. Her head will be taken to Lady Liandra, the Head of the Order, as a gift. He presses on, as the crowd stares down at Nastra's lifeless body, muttering in dismay and surprise. "You will likely sire no children, you will not die peacefully in your bed of old age. You will die in battle, and ravens will feast where you fall. You have chosen to pay the price of blood, and by that choice countless others will live." There is no answer. Blood cools on the stone, glowing with the light of the burning sun as the harsh light beats down on the silent crowd below.

Maelthas slides his ranseur into the sheath on his back and opens a conduit within himself, one he forged long ago after slaying his first Brother this way. He channels the Light torn by force from the captive Na'aru, the tell-tale red glow of a Blood Knight's stolen power flickering about his gauntled hands like flame. He unleashes the gathered power, letting it flow into the empty corpse lying before him. Nastra's body twitches, and a choking gasp tears from his throat. The Blood Knight Master quickly gathers and releases more energy to heal the young man's wounds before the mortal injury he's suffered slays him again in the space of his first breath: the first breath Nastra takes as he's reborn to a darker road. Nastra drags himself forward a few paces to the stairs, and shakily places a hand on the lower step to steady himself. Maelthas smiles with grim satisfaction behind his concealing helm: this one will fight to the bitter end.

"Rise, Brother, and kneel before me. Swear your Oath to the Order." Nastra blinks and scrubs an arm across his eyes, and shakily follows the command. The Knight-Lord's voice booms out over the square, as the hushed crowd looks on. "Do your swear to wield your blade against our foes? Do you swear to protect those who cannot protect themselves, to face those who would destroy them? Will you remember the destruction of Quel'thalas, and seek vengeance at the gates of Northrend itself?" Nastra's voice is low, but clear. "Yes, Knight-Lord, I do." Maelthas' glowing green eyes flicker with pride for this young man's courage and dedication to his duty.

"Then arise, Master of the Order. Hold forth your head with honor and pride, and ride out to battle reborn. Rise, and slay all who seek the destruction of our people!" The Blood Knight Master's thundering words carries on the voice of the wind as he bellow forth the final words of the ceremony of investiture: "HAIL NASTRA, MASTER OF THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER! RIDE FORTH, AND DESTROY THE SCOURGE WHO HAVE SLAIN OUR KIN! DEATH TO THE LICH KING! SELAMA ASHAL'ANORE! JUSTICE FOR OUR PEOPLE! " The crowd cheers and roars their praise, fists stabbing upward into the air. Across the city answering shouts are heard in many voices and tongues, as the Horde roars its defiance and rage. Swords and spears are sharpened, fierce wolves, raptors, skeletal horses and hissing hawkstriders are saddled and armored. Before the sun sets, battle will be found in the gathering shadows of the day.

(( I remember thiisss. Love it. :3 ))