UGT X=/8 Thomas Trollbane sighed. His father had been in TWO wars, and had fighting in his blood. Yet somehow, Thomas had learned to hate war. And now, a group of bandits had captured both of his potential generals, and he had received no word from either Phex Aramond or Captain McCay since then. Perhaps it was just as well. He had no experience in warfare, and any decision he made involving the matter would most likely be wrong. The doorway to the throne room opened a crack, and a servant yelled through. "Lord Trollbane, a Phex Aramond here to see you." "Send him in." Phex looked like the soldier type. It appeared that he had taken a bath before meeting his ruler, but he still looked like he had been through a hurricane. "Is the matter with the bandits solved?" "Yes, my lord." "Did they give you any trouble?" Trollbane immediately regretted asking that question, for Phex began to tell the entire story of everything that happened. Trollbane swore as he heard that Lance Aramond, General Melay, and Captain McCay had died. He was relieved when Phex finished the story, telling of how Perenolde had met his match. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" He hoped there wasn't, but it was his duty as king to ask. "Yes, my lord." Phex handed him a slip of paper. "We found this on Perenolde's body." Trollbane began reading: Dear Lord Perenolde, I'm afraid I must report bad news. The orcs in Stormwind have deserted us. When we began to lose the battle, they claimed that you were doing as bad a job as nineteen years ago. They then retreated North, to the orcish base near the portal off of The Dennaro Peninsula in the Arctic. I believe that they plan to either regroup there and attack, or retreat from this world entirely. I am also sending this message in warning, for we cannot keep the armies of Stromgarde from taking over the city any longer. They will soon be heading your way. Captain Chalice P.S. It is essential this not get in the wrong hands. If your orcs get it, they will desert you also. If the armies of Stromgarde get it, they will know the location of the last portal. "We must resolve this matter in the north immediately. To the north of Quel Thalas is nothing but mountains. To get to the Northern Peak, you will need to sail a fleet around Gilneas, and head north through the sea." Phex, for some reason, looked hesitant. "Yes, my lord. Should we bring the armor used in our last battle?" "I'm afraid not. It is too heavy to put in our ship's cargo, and there won't be any resources to spare up north to make new ones. Now, for your leadership against Perenolde, you will be appointed temporary general until a suitable replacement is found." "I'm honored, my lord! Thank you!" "You're quite welcome. Now, you must prepare immediately so you can leave by tomorrow morning." "There is one more thing, my lord." "What is it?" "We captured many orcish prisoners, and the jail is full." Trollbane thought for a moment. "Take the remaining prisoners with you, and drop them off at Tarren Mill. Explain to them that it is a matter of extreme importance." "Yes, my lord." Phex, now General Aramond, departed. * * * * * They had hardly passed Tol Barad when Phex's head was over the side of the boat. A soldier ran up to him. "General Aramond, are you all right?" Phex stood up straight. His face was pale. "It's just a small case of sea sickness." "Sea sickness? I would think that a man like you wouldn't have sea sickness." "Well, I've never been on a ship before?" "But, I thought you were a soldier..." "We didn't have many naval battles recently, now did we?" "I suppose you're right. Well, it's almost time for dinner, sir. We're having a feast out of some of the supplies we bought at Tarren mill." Phex's head went over the side again. You should now play Arctic1.pud before reading any further. "Captain Gerrand! Load the ships up, we sail for the Dennaro Peninsula tomorrow!" "Yes sir, General Aramond!" "Lieutenant Cox! I want you to lead a squad southward! Lieutenant Backs! You lead a squad northward! I want you two to find any stragglers! You make sure you come back by nightfall!" "Yes, sir!" Phex's throat was sore from all this yelling Across the camp. General was a busy job, that was for sure. Even though the part about giving orders was done, he still had to inspect the troops, prepare the transport shipments, help pack up the supplies, and ten other things that wouldn't be easy. He guessed that he would have to get used to it, even if his position WAS only temporary. It wasn't until a few hours later that he was done with these tasks. By then, it was almost nightfall, however, and he would have to listen to the reports of the squads he had sent out. He hoped they had found nothing so he could go to sleep soon. It was a long journey tomorrow, and he hadn't quite completely overcome his sea sickness. When the team from the south came back, however, it was obvious something was amiss. They led a gagged man by a rope tied to his hands, and a sword pointed at his back. A pack horse behind them held his armor and sword. The armor was colored orange. "We found this... scum riding around!" "Remove his gag." It looked as if the man had been waiting for that. As soon as the gag was removed, he began screaming. "I'm innocent! Whatever crime you have against me, I didn't do it!" "You bear the uniform of the Alterac nation." "Yes. I am from Alterac..." "Then you are guilty of treason and murder!" "No! I've done nothing wrong!" "Alteracians have been enemies to the crown for over twenty years! You have fought against us alongside the orcs! You betrayed us, and killed your own race to appease another! Your leader killed my friends, and my father! I should strike you down right here and now!" "I have never fought alongside the orcs! And Lord Perish did not kill anyone!" "Perish!? I'm talking about Perenolde! Lord of Alterac!" "We deserted Perenolde long ago!" "I don't th... You what!?" "When we learned of his tracheary, we escaped to the north." "Then why do you still wear the armor bearing his colors?" "When we tried to return after the war, we were accused of treachery and driven further north to the Arctic. We couldn't get a loaf of bread once it was known we were from Alterac! We were discriminated against by our own race just as you are discriminating against me now!" "And how can we know that you are telling the truth?" "I will take you to Lord Perish, and you can judge for yourself." "Good. I would like to talk to him. Captain Gerrand! I leave you in charge while I'm gone! Lieutenant Cox, you and I will travel to this man's city, and find the truth of this matter. Go get two mages, just in case he tries anything. We will leave tomorrow morning. Until then," Phex turned to the rest of the guards who had brought the man in, "keep him under heavy guard, and don't let him out of your sight!" * * * * * The man had tried nothing, yet. According to him, they were nearing the city, and this matter would be straightened out shortly. Also according to him, they weren't allied with the orcs against the humans, but presently fighting a sudden onslaught of orcs from the south. Phex told him nothing of their mission here. The land was completely barren. If not for the snow falling, they would have been able to see for miles around. So far, they had headed southward along the coastline, and were now approaching a river, and the only way across seemed to be a large ice bridge formed over it. "Is that safe? With all our horses and equipment?" "It is several feet thick. It has never broken. It is the rumored that if the ice bridges break, the Isle of the Pack will float off southward, and melt in the heat of the warm Lordaeron seas." "Seems like a pretty dangerous place to live." "We did not used to be limited to the Isle. Ever since a year ago, when the orcs first came, we were pushed farther and farther onto the Island, until we were completely on it. Its ice bridges are much easier to defend than a city in the barren wasteland of the Arctic." "Yes, we had a little trouble with the orcs when we were trying to establish a beach head." "They live in the Serpent hills, and are protected by its mountain walls." Phex pulled out his map. Dennaro Peninsula was nowhere near the Serpent Hills. "What about Dennaro Peninsula? Do they live anywhere around there?" The man thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, they have been attacking from the east recently. Why do you ask?" "Just trying to pinpoint the location of the orcish stronghold." "Oh. Well, enough chit - chat, are we going to cross or not?" Lieutenant Cox spoke up. "I would prefer if he went first. If he is lying about the bridge, he will be the only one to die." "Yes, but he could easily escape, and if the land bridge is destroyed, how will we reach his city?" "True, but if we all cross, there is a greater chance of it cracking. If we send part of our men across, he could..." The man was impatient. "For crying out loud! You're all a bunch of superstitious morons! I'm going over, and I don't care who comes with me!" He began riding his horse towards the bridge. "He's right you know. We are all acting like idiots. Come on." They were halfway across the bridge when they were challenged. "Who goes there!" "Sergeant Thorn and... associates." "You may pass." As they reached the other end of the bridge, they saw the men they couldn't see through the snow before. There were only a few men here. If the orcs attacked at this point, they would easily get through. Fortunately, the orcs liked a challenge, and they were not well known for their intelligence. "You never told us you were a sergeant." "You never asked." One of the men ran towards them. "Sergeant Thorn! Thank goodness you're back! We need all the men we can get. We are under attack!" "Again!?" "They've closed into the border, and they've killed most of our men and officers! You are our highest ranking official here!" "What?! But I've had no experience with leading an army!" Phex rode up next to him. "But I have." "You... but... I thought you didn't trust us!" "Any enemy of the orcs is a friend of mine. At least, temporarily." The soldiers looked surprised. "Who is this man?" Thorn smiled. "A friend. At least, temporarily." You should play arctic2.pud before reading any further. "How can we ever thank you, General Aramond!" Thank him? Before this battle he had not even believed these people would let him into their city without killing him. Was it still possible that these were the same traitors he had thought they once were? Could it be that this was all a trick? Impossible! This battle had been all too real. People and orcs had died, and whether they were valuable or not, he assumed that they would not let so many of their soldiers die. He just wondered if this was enough proof for his men. The Alteracians, or at least the ones that obeyed Perenolde, had been hated, scorned, and discriminated against since their first betrayal. He could almost say it was better to be an orc than be an Alteracian. No grudge was worse than the one the armies of Stromgarde held against these men. "No need to thank me. I hate orcs as much as the next person. But I'm afraid, Sergeant Thorn, I have to return to my base and prepare for the attack on..." Lance had second thoughts. Should he tell him? This WAS a secret mission, and there was the remote chance that these WERE traitors. "Pardon?" "Never mind. I'm afraid you are going to have to take control of your army now." "I'm afraid I can't do that. Much of the army was destroyed, as well as the town. If we are attacked again, we will surely fall. We barely have a settlement anymore!" "Well, unless you are planning to come to our base, I don't see what I can do." "You would let us in your base?!" Phex had not meant that in the literal sense, but it actually DID seem like a good idea. They could use the extra help in defeating the orcs. "Yes. Yes, I believe I will." "Believe you will what, Aramond?" The man had walked up behind them softly, and Phex almost jumped out of his horse in surprise. It was an old man, yet he was still dressed in clothes that signified him as a leader, or a high - ranking officer. "Phex, I'd like you to meet our leader, Lord Perish. My Lord, Phex has invited us to come to his base to keep us safe from the orcs." "And your men will not attack us... Phex?" "Not unless you attack us first." "Thank god! You are our savior! You have saved us all!" "Yes. I've been doing that a lot these days. Gather up your people and prepare for our journey north." * * * * * The peasant didn't even see it coming. The arrow had gone completely through his neck. He lay dead on the ground now, staining the snow a reddish brown with his blood. The armies of Stromgarde rushed forward. They held their swords raised, prepared to kill every last Alteracian. Seconds before each sword began to strike its victim, Phex yelled out. "STOP! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?!" Captain Gerrard responded, "They are attacking us, General Aramond!" "What are you talking about! You are attacking us!" "What do you call THAT then!?" The Captain pointed to the shipyards beyond the base. One of the Stromgarde ships was sinking. The ship that had destroyed it clearly displayed an orange, triangular banner of a soaring eagle. The Alterac banner. Phex's eyebrows curled, his eyes darkened, and his frown turned to a scowl of hatred. He had never been so angry, never felt so betrayed in his life since his father had died. He leaped from his horse and grabbed Lord Perish by the collar of his robe. "I TRUSTED YOU, YOU FILTHY SWINE! I DEFENDED YOUR CITY! I SAVED YOUR LIVES! I LED YOU TO THE SAFETY OF MY BASE! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME! BY ATTACKING ME AND TRYING TO DESTROY OUR TOWN!?!" "It isn't us! I swear it! We're innocent!" "I'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE BEGINNING, AND I BELIEVED IT! I GAVE YOU MY TRUST, AND YOU STOMPED ON IT LIKE A BLADE OF GRASS! I SHOULD RIP INTO YOUR CHEST AND PULL OUT YOUR BLACK HEART RIGHT NOW!" "I swear! We're innocent!" "Captain Gerrard! Take these filthy creatures to the dungeons where they belong!" "We're innocent!!!" Gerrard hit Perish on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Perish fell to the ground, unconscious. You should now play Arctic3.pud before reading any further. Drake Chalice felt a sharp blow from behind, and lost his balance. He could feel the wind rush past his face as he fell. With his hands tied behind his back, he had no way to break his fall. He pulled his head as far back as he could, and stuck his chest out in preparation for the fall. The blow was softened by the snow, but his head throbbed as he hit a rock in the front of his skull. He clenched his teeth to keep from yelling out, and showing that he was weak. He could feel the warm blood running down his face, and dripping down to stain the snow and ice. "Get up, you pile of filth!" He had scarcely breathed another tortured breath before the soldier behind him grabbed him harshly by the rope tied to his arms, forcing him to his feet. He had to clench his teeth harder to blot out the pain running up his left arm from the deep gash he had suffered during the battle. He cursed himself for letting the wound take his attention off the reins, and causing him to fall to the ground, where he had been easily captured. Now, he was most likely being taken to the general of the Stromgarde armies, whether it be Lance or Phex Aramond. Whoever it was, he hoped that the general would kill him quickly, so he would not have to be a prisoner, or continue to be a slave of Perenolde. He shuddered when he thought of his Lord. If not for his endless magic, he would have run a sword through him long ago. For over twenty years he had served him as a soldier, and had risen in the ranks until he was now a captain. He held no joy in his office, though. He commanded troops to go out against impossible odds, getting themselves killed, just for the pleasure of their master. They were forced to do battle with their own race, while the orcs breathed down their necks to keep them in line. The rope tied to his hands went taut, and he realized that the guards behind him had stopped. They were talking with a guard standing next to a large tent. "We got one of their high officials here, thought Phex might like to see 'im." So it WAS Phex who was leading this army. "Umm... Okay, just keep him under a tight rope, so to speak. The general took a nasty blow to the head." "Yes, I heard. That's why I thought I'd find him here. Is he all right?" "Eh, it'll heal." "Come on, mongrel." The rope was pulled even tighter behind him, and he nearly fell backwards. After gaining his bearings, he slowly followed the soldier into the tent. A rush of stench flowed into his nose. The smell of doctor's medicines and disinfectants filled the tent. He could sniff out the distinctive odor of blood. He wished his hands weren't tied so he could swat the flies in his face. As he looked up, he saw the obvious reason of the stench. Wounded soldiers, ranging from those with gashes up their arms like his, to those with limbs that had been amputated to avoid a diseased part to kill the rest of the body. Every now and then, he would hear the scream of a man who was having a part cut off or a bandage squeezed tightly around a painful wound. Directly in front of him, a soldier lay on a table with an arrow jutting out of his chest. A doctor was preparing to pull the weapon out. The soldier looked his way, and stared into Drake's eyes. At that moment, the doctor yanked the weapon out, and, despite his best efforts, the arrow tore a large chunk of flesh from the body of the man. Drake watched in horror as the man's eyes rolled back in his head, and he breathed a heavy sigh, as if his life was passing through his mouth. The doctor sighed as well, as he stared into the vacant, dead eyes of his former patient. He had little time for grief, however, and moved onto his patient. Drake turned his face away, and again stared at the floor. He had never seen so many victims of his master Perenolde's whims. These people had died for their country, and he had killed them for no reason but the fear of his ruler. Right about now his own problems of a gashed arm and a cut on his head seemed so insignificantly small that he felt foolish for thinking about them. He felt like making an escape attempt, so they would kill him. His living had done nothing but hurt others. Suicide seemed like the only answer. Not that he hadn't thought about suicide before. Many times, he had pressed a knife to his chest, poised over his heart, intent on ending it all. Or even thought of escaping. The humans would kill him if he succeeded, and Perenolde would kill him if he didn't. Every time, however, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Of all the lives he could take, his own was not one of them. "What's the matter, scum? I thought you'd be happy to see that your armies have led soldiers to their deathbeds!" "No." "What did you say!" "I said-" The guard slapped him across his face. "Let that be a lesson! You shut up until you are TOLD to speak." The guard again pulled him along, towards the back of the tent. They approached a man with a blood soaked rag pressed against the left side of his head. He looked up as they approached. "General Aramond, sir, I thought you might like to see this prisoner. Apparently, he's their leader." It appeared the man's interest perked up. He rose from his seat on the table. He lowered the bandage from his face and placed it on the table. The left side of his face was not in bad condition, except for his eye. From the look of it, someone had barely gotten a blow through, and sliced a straight line across it. He had stitches to his nose, all the way up to his hairline. The eye, however, had received a blow as well. The doctors had apparently patched up the wound, but the eye was now a vacant white, and showed no sign of healing further. Drake turned away in disgust. "Why do you turn? It is your own handiwork, you and your army. Why do you regret it?" "Do you not regret every life you take, every man you down with your sword?" "Yes I do, even though I fight against men and orcs that do not deserve to live. But how could you show such feelings? A man who betrayed his own country, a man who has no feeling at all!" "I have feelings! I mourn night and day over what I've done! I weep and plead that someday Perenolde could die, so I can be free from this torment! I wish that I could die, so that I will no longer be a plague onto this earth! I look into the dead eyes of your fallen comrades, and feel as if I should bring a knife to my throat! Do not talk to me about feelings, for my soul is tormented by them!" "If you press a knife to your throat, then why don't you do us all a favor and go through with the deed!? Why do you not escape Perenolde, willing death should you fail!? If you want to die, then why don't you!?" "Because I am a coward, that's why! I can no more stick a knife through my chest then kill Perenolde myself! I cannot escape because of fear! I fight your army for no reason but the fear of my own life! I do not deserve to live, and I know it! I cannot kill myself, but I would be eternally grateful if you would kill me!" "What is your name?" "Captain Drake Chalice." "What are you doing here? I thought you sent a message from Stormwind to Perenolde! Shouldn't you be dead right now?!" "We retreated just before the city was destroyed. How did you get that message?!" "It came off of Perenolde's dead body." "Nobody can kill Perenolde!" "I killed him myself!" Drake's mouth hang open. The old man was dead! The wizard was dead! He was free! He didn't have to fight the humans anymore! The next time he saw a putrid, smelly orc he could run it through! But no. He wasn't free. He was now the captive of Phex Aramond! Damn! His timing couldn't be worse! He needed to find a way to escape. "The only reason we fought you was because of Perenolde. Now that he's dead, we have nothing against you! We can fight with you against the orcs!" "Do you really expect me to trust you?! I trusted that Perish fellow, and he betrayed me! Why should I treat you any better!?" Well, apparently, that tactic wouldn't work, but who was this Perish guy? He felt like he had heard the name before, but he couldn't quite place it. "Perish? I've never heard of him." "You've never... how old were you when Alterac first betrayed the alliance?" What did this have to do with it? "A few years younger than you, I guess. Why?" "Do you remember anything about some of the Alteracians betraying Perenolde?" Suddenly it came to him. "Perenolde's general! General Perish! Yes, he led those who disagreed with Perenolde north somewhere!" Drake sighed and then mumbled to himself. The guard next to him punched him in the ribs. "Speak up! What was that?" "I said, at least they got away!" "Why didn't you go with them?" "Some didn't disagree with Perenolde. My father was one of them." "But you didn't try to escape." "I tried! I failed and received the worst beating of my life, but I tried!" Phex sighed. "So Perish DID retreat northward. I have made a terrible mistake. Guard, tell those in the castle to release the Alterac prisoners we captured before, and put any prisoners taken in the battle in their place." Phex rose and walked toward the exit of the tent. The guard rushed up to him. "Sir, where are you going? You should rest!" "I'm sorry, but I've got an army I have to lead to Dennaro Peninsula." Dennaro Peninsula? That was the where the Dark Portal was! They wouldn't be able to take it though. Unless they had taken over the gold mine in the serpent mountains, the orcs would have more than enough gold and reinforcements to defeat them. They would surely lose. Should he tell them? Why not? Perenolde was dead! "Umm... Phex, is it? You don't want to do that." Phex was stunned that the prisoner had any further interest in talking to him. "What do you mean?" "I mean that unless you take the stronghold in the Serpent Hills, you will surely defeated. Half of the orcs' gold supply is there, as is most of its army. They can send the orcs down on you from the north easily. You try to take Dennaro now, and you'll be committing suicide!" "Why do you care? You side with the orcs!" "Not if Perenolde is dead as you say he is." A confused look came over Phex's face, which was just what Drake was hoping for. At least he would have some fun while helping to destroy the orcs! "If you're lying to me, scumbag, I'll make sure that you'll have a slow, painful death. Speaking of pain, guard, get a doctor to treat Mr. Chalice's wounds. He looks disgusting!" Drake was about to say that Phex didn't look so hot himself, but a hard stare from the guard kept him quiet. You should now play arctic4.pud before reading any further. "Come here and get your food, scum!" Drake was getting very, very sick of that name. He rose from the pile of hay that was his bed for the moment, and opened his weary eyes. He gazed toward the bars, and saw the prison guard holding his tray of food. He rose slowly, just to annoy the man. "Cocky, are you? Hmph! You better not get too cocky when I tell you that you were right." "Right? About what?" Drake moved closer to the bars. "That Serpent Hills thing. They were there." "Of course I was right! Why would I lie?" "Cause you're from Alterac! You're a henchling of the cursed orcs! Now take this tray!" The guard held a tray holding nothing more than a stale piece of bread, a cup of water, and small piece of cheese which he could barely perceive mold growing on. he was holding it through a slot in the bars designed for the purpose. Drake reached through the bars and took the stale bread off the tray and took a small bite. "Not anymore. Perenolde's dead." The guard was getting impatient. "Take the tray, creep! I need to help prepare for the journey to Dennaro Peninsula later tonight! And once we get back, you'll be going to Stromgarde, where you'll most likely be hanged or burned! Now don't make it hard on me, or I'll make sure you get a nice long torture before you die, you worthless scum!" Instantly, Drake's hands reached for the bars. Instead of grabbing the tray, however, he grabbed the man's shoulders, and pulled. Before the guard could react, his head hit the bars with a loud clang. Drake immediately regretted it. He had hurt the man for no good reason. His temper had gotten him into big trouble. He didn't want to know what would happen when this was found out. He had wanted to get back at the guard for his endless taunts, but this was too much. He let go of the man's shoulders, and the unconscious body fell to the floor. "What have I done!" He gazed down at the man, and felt so stupid he wanted to hit his OWN head against the bars! But then he saw his only chance out of the situation. Attached to the man's belt were the keys to the cell! He could escape! He was free! But where would he escape to? Once he got out of the base, there was nothing but an arctic wasteland, populated only by orcs! He would be a wanted man, so he couldn't go back to the south. He didn't want to be hiding out for the rest of his life! He had done so many horrible things to the world! He needed something. Something to put under his belt and be proud about. He needed something to make up for everything bad he had done so far. Wherever he escaped to, he needed to do it now, or he was done for. He reached quickly for the keys, and jutted them into the lock without a second thought. He threw the door open, and was just about to rush upstairs when he thought of something. There were likely to be tons of soldiers upstairs, and a man dressed in prisoners clothing would easily be caught. A guard on the other hand... In a few minutes, an armor clad soldier came up from the dungeon. He looked around to see if any guards were around, and then carefully proceeded further. He looked as if he knew his destination, but not how to get there. He looked both ways every time the hallway forked. Whenever he passed any guards on patrol, he would duck his head and barely nod to acknowledge their presence. He looked quite nervous, but everyone was too busy to notice him. The guards at the gate didn't give him any trouble, either. When he exited the castle into the darkness of the middle of the night, he turned onto the path headed toward the shipyard. A lot of people seemed to be headed that way at that time. They had all finished their last meal, and were now loading up cargo onto ships. Every peasant and soldier was carrying some sort of box onto a boat. Drake would have to fit in, so he picked up a box that didn't seem too heavy, and proceeded up the ramp. "Hey, you!" Drake froze. Someone had seen through the uniform. Someone knew who he was, and that he was trying to escape. He was doomed. Goosebumps rose up on his skin, and his heart dropped into his stomach. A lump rose in his throat as he turned to meet his doom. "Next time, get a bigger box! Those are for the women and children to take up!" The man and his comrades burst into laughter. Drake did not sigh in relief, he simply rushed up the ramp to avoid further contact with anyone. Soon, he reached the cargo hold. Quickly, he put his box down, and crawled over the boxes and supplies. He found a small niche in between a few boxes, and settled down to rest. Wherever this ship took him, he wished it would do it slowly, so he could get some time to think. It had been a long night. You should now play Arctic5.pud before reading any further. Phex stared at the spiraling depths of the dark portal. A shiver ran down his spine, but he didn't think it was from the cold. He knew that Perenolde had been a powerful wizard, but to create a dark portal near Stromgarde about 20 years ago, and then one in Azeroth recently, and then this one showed that it was possible that he had been the most powerful wizard in the world. Ever. Perenolde was dead now, but it seemed to Phex that a powerful wizard could arise again and create even more portals, and it would all begin again. He had let someone take his face in this last battle. How long would it be before someone took his life? This world had been blessed with many heros these past few years, but now they were all dead. When he was gone, who would stop the orcs next time? Phex watched as the magical energies in the portal twirl around, awaiting the next orc to cross through. Just how many orcs WERE there? Why did they still persist in taking over our world? And then a bigger question came into his mind. Why didn't the humans take over theirs? If the humans had defeated the orcs so many times, then why didn't they cross the portal and take over the orcish world? True, the orcs would be on their own turf, and wouldn't have to send reinforcements through a small portal, but at least they wouldn't be ravaging human villages and killing women and children! The armies of Stromgarde were just as afraid to go through the portal as the soldiers of Alterac had been afraid of Perenolde. This made him feel ashamed of his own country, and he wished he could do something about it. So why didn't he? His army wouldn't go into the dark portal, but he still could! Lord Trollbane HAD said he would only be general until a suitable replacement was found. They must have found one by now! Phex had made up his mind. He rushed to his tent and packed up plenty of supplies. He put everything on his horse, and then got on himself. Dressed in full armor, with his sword by his side, he rode towards the gate. "Phex!" Only one person on this base called him Phex and not General Aramond. That was Boris Darren, son of the man Phex Darren, to whom he was named after. "What is it Boris?" "You don't want to go near the gate, we're blowing it up soon." "Well, don't blow it up until after I go through it." "WHAT! Why are you going through it!?" "How many portals have we destroyed?" "Uhh... I can't recall." "Five! We've destroyed five portals! How do we know that someone won't make another one!?" "But all those who made the portals are dead!" "And how do you know that another person won't become a powerful wizard and create another one!? We need to destroy the orcs, or they will strike again!" "But... why are you going alone?" "Do YOU want to come with me?" "I..." "I didn't think so. If no one will come with me, I have to go alone." "But you... This is suicide!" But Phex had already begun to ride closer to the gate. "Make sure to close it up after I go through. Good bye, Boris." And he was through. One of the dwarves in charge of explosives ran up to him. "Did 'e say ta leave it open, 'r blow 'er up?" Boris still couldn't believe it. "Keep it open." * * * * * Drake peered out of the exit of the transport. The transport he had stowawayed on had been here since the afternoon, dropping off explosives. This was extremely good for him, for he had made up his mind. He was going through the portal. It was the only way. He would be shunned or killed if he stayed in this world, and he would be nothing more than an outlaw. However, he could finally get revenge on the orcs when he went through the portal. He stepped off the boat, carrying his supplies in a large sac, all of which he stole from the ship's supply room. No one seemed to be on the island, and no wonder; it was extremely cold out. It was snowing too. No one would even know where he had gone. It was perfect. As he approached the gate, however, he saw a figure in front of it, staring into the gate. This would make things a bit more difficult. It looked like a big, strong man, but he wore no armor. Drake assumed he was a blacksmith or something. But what was he doing out here? He just looked like he was staring into the gate, as if he had dropped something he wanted dearly through it, but dared not go after it. Drake would have to push him out of the way, and run through. The snow suddenly crunched beneath Drake's feet. The man turned in surprise, and saw Drake. "What are you doing here?!" Drake thought of the only thing he could. "What are YOU doing here?" "I'm Boris Darr... Wait! I know you! You the leader of the Alteracians! How did you escape!? What are you going to do!? You're going through the gate to kill Phex, aren't you!?" "No! No! I was just..." How could he explain it to him? "Yes you are! But you're gonna have to go through me!" In moments, Drake was on the ground, with Boris on top of him. Drake reached for the sac, and after a few punches to the face, he had it in his hand. He brought it up, and hit the man in the head with it, which sent him reeling. Drake rushed for the portal. Just before he went through, he was tackled from behind. He lost his grip on the sac, and it fell through the portal. Boris began hitting him again. He picked Drake up, and got him to his feet. He punched him repeatedly in the stomach. It was a good thing Drake hadn't had much for lunch, or he would have lost it by now. Drake found himself with his back to the portal, and the man staring into his eyes. Drake got an idea, and a devilish grin came over his face. Boris, as if in comprehension, tried to drop Drake, but it was too late. Drake grabbed onto the man's shirt and fell back into the portal, taking Boris with him. You are now done with the "Crimson Ice" saga. Look for its sequel, "Escape and Release" coming out soon. 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