Self-betrayal

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Right, before I start, here's a little side note. Im not the best at grammar, nor the best at spelling. Any grammatical faults/spellings can be edited, if you find any, just tell. I've never been that much of a writer so I'll prolly make 1000 mistakes, Im open to criticism.

It was a normal day in the Arathi Highlands. Dull, rainy, cloudy and overly dark. It was approaching midnight, though the moon was no where to be seen due to the dense clouds. Eowale Dreadbringer, Lieutenant of the Fordragon Company and Ebon Blade Knight stood idly at the gates of Stromgarde together with Olian "Shadepelt" Nithiladora, Silver Raven and Scout of Arathor. Both of them were talking about recent incidents, while bantering with eachother, casually exchanging insults. The sole reason for Eowale and a few from the Company being there was one thing; Finding their Captain, Garodin Silversmith.
The reason for his Captains absence was simple. Only a week ago, Eowale had recieved a letter from Faralan "Bearclaw" Thorgint, an old friend and brother-in-arms, saying that Garodin had been spotted with the Forsaken, but not captured. Quite the opposite, he was seen walking with them willingly. The very thought of Garodin betraying everything he had fought for filled him with relentless anger. Olian felt the same, as Garodin was his teacher and mentor, he wished to see Garodin being brought to justice. Eowale always knew that Garodin have been meddling with the arts of Shadow magic as himself, but he never thought he'd sink so low to sell his soul to Phelgas. So there he stood, fully covered in his saronite armour and with his runeaxe on his back, ready to act at any moment.
This was the last time both he and Olian were seen as members of the Alliance.

"Is it official then?" Eowale asked to Olian, standing just a few feet away from him.

"Aye, 'tis. Garodin 'as been branded a traitor, an' is te be killed on sight."

Eowale let out a long, though needless sigh, running a plated hand over his plated helm, looking forward again.
"I wish I know why Garodin did this. I knew he had gone on a mission in the Plaguelands, but -this-? I thought I knew that man better."

Olian nodded firmly, looking over the road, peering at a scout running towards them.
"Seems like te scout 'as somethin' urgent te report. He's runnin' like he 'as seen a ghost."

He squinted at the running scout, raising a eyebrow underneath helm.
"It would seem like that's the case. Let's see what he has to say."

Eowale and Olian walked forward to meet the scout who was running in a dead run towards them, his eyes looking wild.

"Slow down, lad. Wha' do ye 'ave te report?" Olian eyed the scout, noting a bit of blood over his side and arms.

The scout nodded, trying to catch his breath.
"We-.. We got ambushed by the east Watchpoint. Up in the hills. T-.. They were Forsaken. They slaughtered everyone. And they were laughing. Those.. horrible laughs.." The scout fell to his knees, letting out a sob. He was not more than twenty years old, Eowale noticed, and he had just experience a traumatic incident.
Eowale looked at Olian grimly, gave him a quick nod before going to his deathcharger.

"Right, me an' te Knight 'ere is goin' ahead. Go talk te Bearclaw an' te rest te catch up with us. We're goin' te see wha' happened."
The scout nodded before shuffling up to his feet, running through the gates of Stromgarde.

"What do you think Olian?"

Olian frowned deeply, before looking to the east.
"I thin' these Forsaken is in te wron' lands." He grinned towards Eowale, pulling down his facemask before running to his own horse.

Eowale and Olian rode in a quick galop towards the east Watchpoint, reaching there within half an hour.
When they arrived to the point, they left the saddles and moved carefully up the hills towards the point. When they reached the watchpoint, the image they got was a unpleasant sight. There were bodies everywhere, mutilated, burned, gutted, cleaved and killed in was so horrible they cannot be described. One was hanging from a tree branch in his own entrails. Olian looked around, letting out a disgusted grunt.

"Forsaken alrigh'.. always killin' an' mutilatin'."

Eowale nodded in agreement and looked around. There was still a few yards towards the peak. He looked around once more, staring at a few large and quite dense bushes. The snap of a tree limb gave away the situation. He and Olian had walked into the same trap!

A Forsaken known as Rasonal Dranger, leaped from a bush and landed the hilt of his dagger into the back of Olian's head. Olian fell back with a groan of pain, landing on his side. Eowale looked over his shoulder, his hand flying towards his runaxe. "Olian! Stand up, before you-.." He had no time to look back at Olian, as drew his axe and warded off a powerfull over-head blow from the two-handed sword of Sulthar the Wraithlord. He stood there, locked weapon to weapon while staring at the Forsaken. He let out a snarl of hate before pushing his axe forward, making Sulthar back off. Atop of the peak, another Forsaken appeared. This one was wearing robes, and in his right hand, he held a banner of the Forsaken. The Forsaken, known as Mervyn let out a cackle.

"You have walked into our trap, fleshlings! You shall be consumed by the Shadow!" Mervyn cackled once again, nodding over at Rasonal.
Rasonal walked over towards Olian, kicking into his chest. Olian let out another cry of pain, still dazed by the blow he had recieved before.

"Not yet.. Keep them alive for a moment more." This voice, was a voice Eowale knew all too well. He looked away from Sulthar sharply, staring at the Forsaken who just arrived. A terrible rage filled up within him. Before him stood Garodin Silversmith. He looked like a Forsaken, but his armour and his characteristic self-satisfied smirk gave away who he was. One of his oldest friends, stood over Olian, with a wicked grin.

"Why, hello there, Eowale. Long time no see." He grabbed a hold of Olian, a dagger sliding out of the scabbard at his hip, watching Eowale's reaction with a sadistic smile.

"You-.. You traitor.."
Words were beyond Eowales comprehension. He wanted blood, he wanted to spill Garodins entrails and send his soul to Phelgas himself!
He would not get a chance to do so. A moment after speaking, Rasonal had leaped at him from behind, his daggers thrusting straight into Eowales sides, piercing his kidneys and liver. Being undead, Eowale felt no pain, but, he did get a feeling of the two metal daggers entering and destroying his insides. A frustrated grunt left his lips as he aimed his plated elbow towards his Rasonal, hitting his chin. The blow made Rasonal back off, ripping the daggers out from his back.
Eowale's attention had been misplaced, however, as Sulthar raised his sword, delivering a cleave on his left shoulder. Even as an undead, he felt that. He gave a groan of pain, stumbling backwards. His back was now turned towards Mervyn, who had already raised his hand and sent a bolt of fire towards his back. His back was hit and set aflame, burning through his plated chestpiece and burning his cape. He fell to his knees, trying to get steady even as Sulthar rushed up to him, aiming a plated boot towards his face, shattering the cheekbone on his left cheek, also destroying a part of his helmet.

"EOWALE!!" He heard Olian call out who were less dazed by now, but stripped from his weapons and held captive by Garodin.

"Y-.. You mindless beasts.. you will not.. escape.." He grasped his runeaxe, and looked up. Sulthar had moved to place himself between Olian and Eowale, staring at Eowale coldly. Rasonal had also moved and took a hold of Olians arms, holding him up so Eowale could see. Mervyn moved on the side, down from the hill, also looking at Eowale.
Garodin had released Olian, walking to the side of Sulthar, grinning down at Eowale.

"And now, my dear friend. You will watch as I kill Olian infront of your very eyes."

Eowale looked up, stumbling to one knee, supporting himself on his runeaxe.
"No-.. I will not.. let you do that.. NO!" He roared and leaped to his feet, using the anger as his fuel as he charged towards Garodin, raising his axe to deliver a fatal blow! Though, Sulthar intervened and parried Eowales cleave. A mighty shockwave shook through Sulthar as his runeaxe hit, and he let out a hiss at Eowale. Even though it was a powerfull blow, Eowale was already weakened from being attacked over and over. Sulthar pushed Eowale back with his sword, exchanged a few blows before forcing Eowales runeaxe to the ground. Then Garodin was there. He leaped towards Eowale, delivering another kick towards his already battered face, making his saronite helm fall off his face. He tumbled backwards, his runeaxe clattering next to him.
Mervyn, who had been watching idly, walked up to Eowale slowly, looking at him with a calculating look.

"Do you wish for me to stop him in his tracks, Garodin? He's starting to become an annoyance." Mervyn looked from Eowale to Garodin, sending the banner from hand to hand.

"Do so. But try to evade to essential parts of his body."

With a nod he took a firm hold of the Forsaken banner, raising it high in the air. Olian could only watch as Mervyn impaled the banner through Eowale's chest.
Eowale let out a loud roar of pain. Even as an undead, he could feel that. A sickening crunch was heard as Eowale was run straight through by the banner and the sound of flesh tearing apart was heard as the banner appeard through his back. Eowale stared blankly at the banner, taking a hold of it with his plated hand.

The Forsaken thought that it was the last of Eowales actions, so they had all turned their attention to Olian. However, with a insane determination, he took a hold of the wood producing from his chest and snapped it off, stumbling to his feet once more, his runeaxe in hand.
Garodin turned to Eowale, a eyebrow raised as he looked at his former friend.

"Not giving up, are you?" Garodin stood next to Sulthar while Mervyn and Rasonal were holding Olian firmly in his place.

"Y-You should know me.. better than that, -Voidsworn-." He grinned at Garodin, taking his runeaxe's handle in both hands.

Garodin knew, that Eowale would never join him willingly, loyal as he was. However, he intended to try.
"Join me, Eowale. Join -us-. The Shadow will consume all and we are the vanguard of the Shadow."

"Oh, be silent, you filthy rat. You are not going to make me believe your shite. Are you too much of a coward to face me in combat? Did death steal your courage aswell as your soul?"

With a grin, he stepped infront of Sulthar, his right hand behind his back.
Eowale charged straight for Garodin, his axe held high. When he was just a few yards from Garodin, his hand lashed out and a green canister flew towards Eowale's chest.

Once again, Olian could only watch as the plague bomb hit Eowale dead on. Eowale literally blew up into pieces, his limbs and parts flying towards the hill.
Olian stood, speechless as he looked upon Eowale's dead body, or what was left of it.
He began to struggle agaisnt Rasonal, trying to get loose.

"Get yer feckin' hands o' me! I'LL FECKIN' KILL YE ALL WITH M'OWN HANDS!"
Rasonal coolly drew a sedative dart and inserted the strong poison into his body. Olian quickly fell asleep and Garodin walked over to the remains of Eowale.

"We'll take them with us to Undercity. I expect our that our presence is no longer a secret. Mervyn, bring the deathcharger down there. Kill the other horse. We have work to do."

As the Forsaken reached Undercity, they headed straight for the Apothecarium. The following days, Eowale was reanimated while Olian was tortured, brainwashed and finally, killed into submission.

Eowale's body was mostly destroyed by the plague bomb. His entire torso was almost like a crater, and his back was burnt deeply. His legs, arms, feet and hands were all severed in the explosion. Most obvious thing was his jaw, who was missing entirely.

"So, what are you going to do with this one, Silversmith?" Sulthar asked as he looked over the Death Knights left overs.

"Im going to put him back together. I trust you can twist his mind enough into believing that -he- was betrayed and that we saved him?"

"Ah, I see.. You wish to twist his memories when we raise him."

"Indeed. I knew well enough that Eowale would not join me willingly and he will still not join me if we raise him with his memories intact. We need to change them."

"I can do that, just make sure he is fit for battle. And replace what is left, and improve him. Make him a true abomination of the War."

"It shall be done, my Lord." Garodin bowed before turning to Eowale, rubbing his hands. "Time to start, my friend."

Garodin filled the missing flesh of his torso aswell as back with melted metal. His entire chest and back were atleast partly metal by now. His shoulder joints were joined with metal, along with his arms and hands. The same happened to his hips, legs and feet. His legs were almost utterly destroyed, so Garodin decided to reinforce them with metal, making them longer and thicker. He made sure that Eowale was still able to run, walk and use his arms as he used to. More characteristic, Garodin engraved Eowale's fingers with long metal-claws, each of them sharp as a dagger.
Another characterstic touch was that Eowale's jaw was missing and was not found by Garodin after he was killed. That was also replaced with a metal-jaw with razor-sharp metallic-teeth. The prodcedure took several days and was performed with the screams of agony, which were made by Olian in the background.
By the time Garodin was finished, Eowale's body has been strengthened by metal from top to toe. In his sadistic moment, Garodin had covered Eowale's added metal pieces with skin stolen from other humans. The skin was dark and half-rotten, sewn and patched together over the Death Knights entire body.

"Is he finished?" Sulthar asked as he looked over Eowale. He was lying on his back, his eyes closed and in full armour once again. His armour had been mended and repaired, now fitting his tall body and his runeaxe was lying next to him.

"Yes, he is. All that is needed is to revive him." Garodin answered. He looked around at the other Cultists gathered, a eyebrow raised.

"Very good. I shall move along then." He turned and looked at the Cultists and the Apothecary's gathered around. "Brothers and Sisters of the Shadow! Today, we bring a new brother into the world of the Shadow! You shall greet him and respect him as any other fellow Forsaken brother or sister. For know that the Forsaken nation is strongest when we stand together!"

A chanting of "Shadow wills it!" and "Power to the Forsaken!" was heard by the spectating Forsaken as Sulthar turned around.
He raised his hand, sending a hollow beam of Shadow into the Eowale's body even as the Apothecary's sent charges of electricity into his chest, the metal in his torso conducting it along with his armour.

"You were betrayed. Stabbed in the back of your fellow so called 'brothers-in-arms'. Your trust in them lead to your own demise. The so called "Alliance" is nothing but a bunch of traitors and corrupted filth. They fall easily to corruption and bodily needs. In their greed and lust for power, they killed you, one whom they called 'friend'. They did not wish for you to be with him. They only used you as a tool! A mere tool for their own needs. Now that you were of no use, they disposed of you. A used puzzle piece that no longer fits in their puzzle. Now, awaken and take your revenge upon those who killed -YOU-! RISE!"

With a powerfull lurch, Eowale doubled over, rose up half-way. A roar of endless rage escaped his lips even as his eyes opened, glowing a powerfull light-blue colour. He looked around mindlessly, then down at himself. He looked over at Garodin then to Sulthar. He grabbed his axe and slid off the board, standing tall with his back straight. He was very tall after Garodin's work, standing easily at two and a half meters.

"All shall perish to the might of the Shadow. All the living shall die by my hand! Power to the Forgotten Shadow! DEATH TO THE LIVING!"

And so it began. After that moment, the Eowale that people used to trust and respect, was gone. He roamed the lands of the Alliance with his brothers and sisters in undeath, killing at will. All for the Shadow. No-one knew why he did such. No-one bothered to ask him, because he would instantly try to kill them if they got in his way. Several men and women of Arathor have already fallen after that event.

The betrayal of his friend lead to his death, which lead to to him betraying everthing he has fought for during life and as a Ebon Knight. Not only that, he himself does not know that he was betrayed by Garodin. He is betraying himself everyday in undeath.

All lead to a self-betrayal.

And that's how I saved christmas.

Good story, Eow. Brings one back to the good old days. (Y)

Loot wrote:And that's how I saved christmas.

Good story, Eow. Brings one back to the good old days. (Y)

You horrible person you.