+- Omni Archive (https://omni.zulenka.com)
+-- Forum: The Omniverse (https://omni.zulenka.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: The Nexus (https://omni.zulenka.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=9)
+--- Thread: Riding through the Ashes (/showthread.php?tid=4201)
Riding through the Ashes - Sarah Kerrigan - 04-11-2016
Raal's exit from the tangled green was accompanied by the echo of hoofbeats in the void and the tremors of an ogre's footstep upon the world. It seemed to Raal that they were making good time.
"care to tell us why we be runnin' this fast, boss?" a young voice stated behind him. Raal turned, causing his horse to slow. "Once I'm certain we're out of earshot. Luckily, the nexus seems relatively...." Raal trailed off.
What in the underworld had happened here?
Scorch marks, cracked and pitted ground, missing chunks of the white flooring of the nexus were the all-too obvious signs of battle that had occurred here. some of these marks were inconsequential, but others... they reminded Raal of the great demons lurking within the nether, and a shudder flew through his bones as he considered that fact.
Some great power had been set into conflict here, and the pockmarked battlefield gave way to a blasted battlefield that few he'd seen would match in unmitigated devastation.
This was clearly not a safe place, and one glance at Zul'kis's face showed that the young troll shared the notion. One glance at Ur'gash's face... well, if nothing else, it had made him attentive enough to keep his finger outside of his noses.
The skeletal wizard made a single motion with his head towards the shimmering, icy portal that would bring them to the fields - and their mission. Zul'kis nodded, and started running, the trolls inhumanly long legs giving him a dashing speed no human would ever match, and Raal's death-charger snorted before running to a gallop.
As the two kept going towards the nexus, with Ur'gash's earthshaking steps loudly informing Raal that the oaf was following at top speed. the trek was not vast - the portal perhaps fifteen minutes away at most - but Raal counted every second as they moved forward, the mage nervous for one of the few times since he'd first entered this place.
A vast power, one sweeping through the nexus... he knew there were beings in this place capable of this level of devastation, of course, but why, then, were they brawling in the middle of the nexus? was it perhaps a result of a squabble between the Empire and the Kingdom, or had Volvagia left it's home universe somehow? Perhaps yet another battle between different factions of primes had broken out? Even with that idea, though, how many primes were capable of this devastation even in groups?
That was what truly bothered him, he realized. Not the level of devastation, or the power of those responsible. it was the lack of knowing that truly rankled Raal. Lack of information had always plagued the horde’s otherwise sterling victories, and produced vulnerability like nothing else could. The first war was plagued by their lack of knowledge on the human’s strength or magic, the second by Gul’dan’s foul work in the shadows, and the battle for the portal by Nerh’zuls secrecy and hidden selfishness.
Yes, Raal reflected. There was nothing nearly as dangerous as ignorance.
“I’ll summarize for you. Your village was attacked. Shortly thereafter, an artifact of importance came to Ven’jo’s attention. The dwarves plan to claim it. He has called me back to deal with both problems.” Raal stated quickly. “To share anything more at this juncture would be risky. For now, let’s focus on crossing the remaining kilometer to the portal.” Raal stated flatly.
He waited to hear a response from Zul’kis, before realizing the troll was likely focusing his energies on running. Unlike Raal and his undead body, Zul’kis had to worry about things like catching his breath. Instead of waiting for an answer, Raal stopped staring at the sweating Troll dashing beside him, and focused on the portal in front of them.
It was his hope that their foray through the nexus would be as uneventful as planned, but not his expectation...