edgeofsilverpineforest

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #8)

Theo

Pain crawled up his calf, almost seizing the muscle. Chill followed after, helping with some of the sting. The master assassin pushed it all out of his mind to focus on the task at hand, which was severing the front of the death knight’s neck as fast as possible.

“Ah hah. I’ve got you now… elf.” 

Theo could feel two hands gripping his legs. The fucker was going to try and launch him. Before the undead Worgen’s fingers could find their grasp, he released his legs and slid, still holding onto the dagger’s hilt embedded into the death knight’s neck, and swung forward. Pressing soles onto the beast’s torso, Theo had to act quickly now in the danger zone. He let go with a hand and reached for his belt. As the Worgen’s arms lifted, his hand shoved something into the pocket Theo had just created in the death knight’s neck. Kicking off, the Sparrow leader hoped he’d clear the bastard in time, shadow-stepping behind a tree just in case. The Shadow Sparrow felt the ghostly fingertips of the death knight around one of his ankles. But, he was free, standing securely behind a pine. “You talk too much. Two… one.” “I’ll haunt y-”

The grenade Theo had shoved into the death knight’s neck went off. The head instantly exploded with the helm flying off, interrupting the end of that sentence, much to Theo’s delight. Still, the chill left by the undead Worgen lingered. He attempted to shake it off as he moved to stealth and communicate with the rest of his Sparrows.

It was then he smelled his blood still dripping down his calf, and he cursed under his breath. That had to be attended to first. They could leave no trace, and he’d spattered an entire area with his little leap. ‘Fucking fel.’

To save time, Theo pulled out a small pouch of incendiary powder and began sprinkling it around the area while drinking a potion of his creation. As his wound healed and his armor soaked up the blood, he cleared the perimeter and tossed a match. With so much of the forest burning, what was one more section? It was best to burn the death knight, too. It could have gone far worse than him experiencing severe pain in a calf.

Theo walked away from the lit area, shaking his head at his own folly, focusing on the next task and looking for the next target.

Sparrows

“Headcount,” came from Theo’s comm.

“Boss!” “About time you showed up to the party.” “Less than half remain.” “The ferals are handling the leader.”

“Feather Six rounding the rear for deserters, but you should know. Reinforcements are not far off.”

“Let’s finish this quickly, then.” “Boss, can you take care of the warlock?” “What fucking warlock?” Theo’s curt voice can be heard. “The one that keeps staring down my barrel.” Her round had not reached the target after all.

An audible sigh flows through all the Sparrow’s ears before, “Fuck me. Yeah, Two and Three, on me. Give us a location.” “Got it, boss.” “Two relocating.” “Three relocating.”

The Shadow Sparrows maneuvered the chaotic field, utilizing any advantage found. 

“It doesn’t appear they are communicating well.” “The fire is starting to get out of hand, Boss.” “Then, let’s use our time wisely.”

They knew what that meant. Each Sparrow took inventory and stock of the situation. They had a maximum of about seven minutes to finish their assault, which included the Worgen reinforcements. That wasn’t enough time for Dreadfang to fully take hold. It had only been about that many minutes since they stood on the cliff behind them.

“We still using-” “Yep,” came Theo’s crisp reply, cutting off any possible information transmitted over their comms. That was a Sparrow he’d be talking to after if they survived.

<<to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #7)

Sparrows

“Where is the signal?” “Look.”

Feather Three pointed to a small clearing ahead for Feather Two to discover Shadow Sparrow in combat, surrounded by an icy landscape.

“Oh shit!” “Let’s do this?” “Yep. It’s time.”

The two lept forward among the trees, realizing that most of the fire was centered over the Worgen front line. They began climbing lower among the branches and looking for targets after drawing their small crossbows. Feather Two took aim and pulled on the trigger. He felt the slight recoil while pulling back on the crank and notching the next bolt, all in the same action. When his first bolt claimed its target, a small explosion went off. The Worgen’s shoulder burst, spreading gore all around to reveal inside organs (including its beating heart).

Feather Three loosed a larger bolt that opened up to capture a Worgen inside a barbed net. As soon as the warrior struggled, the barbs took hold and dug in deep. With each tug or attempt to gain freedom, the sharp curves embedded among the net’s webbing sought to slice further along the Worgen’s flesh. Laced with some of the Shadow Sparrow’s poison, the Worgen’s blood poured out more than anticipated, which sent the warrior into a panicked frenzy. By the time Feather Three had another netted bolt in place, the Worgen’s struggles had halted. 

—

Left Wing repositioned stealthfully, gaining a new line of sight with the addition of the fires falling from the treetops. Their main sniper required shelter from the rainfall, and the sighters needed a wider range to call out potential targets. A large pine provided natural refuge on top of a rocky rise. There were plenty of lookout notches to reposition to keep the enemy guessing once shots resumed. 

“Swapping ammo.”

“The fun shit?” “Yea. Azerite should break the ranks further. Try spotting the casters. Then the berzerkers.” 

“You got it.”

Within moments, the arcane sniper peered through her unique scope and down the barrel at one of the targets. Just as her finger pulled on the trigger, the Worgen turned to peer back at her precise location. “Fuck!” “Did he just….” “Yeah.” “Won’t it still….” All of Left Wing pulled their heads down and waited for the azerite bullet to hit, that is, if it did. 

Worgen Front Line

Haywood blinked and took in the scene around him. A fallen Worgen lay dead in a web. Another bled to death with half his torso gone. Several appeared to be bleeding to death from self-inflicted wounds. And still, the forest burned, raining down branches from above. He could feel something occurring within him, some unseen affliction warring with the Worgen’s ability to heal. His blood felt near boiling as it fought to keep him standing, to remain alive. Even as his heart pounded inside his chest, his feet felt heavy with each step. Whatever this enemy had hit them with was unlike anything he’d ever known. Was it a spell? Maybe if he got past the boundary….

Movement caught his attention to the right through the tree line.

“Over there,” Haywood pointed his axe before stepping forward. A sizeable clawed hand reached across his chest, barring his advancement. Ears pointed upwards inquisitively at the gesture when the ground suddenly burst open, and a figure appeared, attacking. Haywood lifted his battle axe and issued a warning growl. The two beside him roared. One pounded their fists together while the other swept their club toward the night elf. 

Sparrows

Feather Four had waited as long as they could, but the smoke lingering across the ground had begun reaching them. The first footfalls that approached drew the first from the earth, a distraction to catch them off, guard. It apparently worked, as only one of the three massive Worgen took a swipe at him. Retreating backward, the first Feather Four barely missed having his ribcage cracked to pieces. The second Feather Four eased from the ground with blade drawn, behind the three Worgen unaware. Crouched low, he quickly ran the line and his blade across the back of their legs to render their mobility useless. A clean swipe sent blood splattering all across the ground, and the second Feather Four moved out of sight. 

Feather Four number one pointed his palms toward the three and lifted his hands upwards. Now that the sacrifice had been made and blood had been spilled, vines rose from the ground, entangling along the three Worgen’s legs and torsos. Thorns sprang forth, digging into the massive warriors before him, protecting him from them. He saw Feather Four two had taken cat form and positioned himself strategically should any of them gain their freedom from his brambles. 

“Time for us to add to the light show,” he muttered, calling down beams of painful Starfire onto the three Worgen. When their cries were not loud enough, “Again,” he whispered. Theo had brought druids of his own. 

—

When the mechanical sparrows returned to their roost and all were accounted for, one of the Feather Sixs sent a bird call to signal for a mount. The pair loaded up the small caged crate, and away the mount went. With hands now free, they took out binoculars to measure the state of the field below. They gave themselves a full minute to take in the chaotic state of the Worgen, the location of their fellow Sparrows, and the battle the Shadow Sparrow was in before putting the binoculars away and exchanging a shared look. 

Setting off, they descended the slope and headed to circle behind the Worgen front line. Their secondary job was clean-up crew: to kill those in retreat or Worgen hanging on to life. 

<<to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #6)

Sparrows

Feather four felt the ground buzzing overhead. Thuds sounded more frequently, erratically above their heads and not long after the Dreadfang deployment. The two Sparrows waited for their moment, according to the plan. There would be a signal, a sign from the Shadow Sparrow, which should arrive any moment now.

Feathers Two and Three were hooded, masked, and leaping among treetops toward the Worgen frontlines. The problem was finding trees to jump to that weren’t on fire. 

“The Boss kinda fucked us.” “Just keep going and find us a clear path.” Lightning forked from the rolling, illuminated canopy of storm clouds overhead, striking toward the ground and hitting various targets in rapid succession. The two Feathers instantly flattened to the tree trunks, clinging with gloved hands. 

“I’m not wrong.” “And yet, he made this easier.” “Did he?”

—

Feather Five released the two smoke bombs from his hand, listening to them bounce around a few branches toward the approaching pair of Worgen. His other hand withdrew his pistol, pushing the tip into another holster with a snap-on silencer. Feather Five’s thumb brushed up alongside the pistol grip, and a shimmer illuminated until he pressed his thumbprint over the proper depression, selecting his ammo of choice. Severite shot with an internal magma chamber that explodes internally. Lowering the barrel, Feather Five aimed and felt the recoil of the first pistol blast all the way up into his shoulder. After steadying himself on the branch, his head turned just in time to discover the other Worgen standing there behind him…, just as the other howled on their descent toward the Silverpine forest floor. “You’ll pay for that.” “Oh yeah? Say when.” Feather Five took aim, his arm snapping up, and he clicked the trigger faster than the Worgen could blink, sending the beast to smash into the tree trunk. It shook the tree, sending the Sparrow off balance, and he soon descended among the branches. 

“Not again,” he cursed under his breath, reaching for any hold that would take. Two small ‘booms’ sounded as the bullets imploded inside the attacking Worgen. Their howls instantly ceded.

Worgen Front Line

Chaos. This is what the enemy had fashioned. Carol no longer screamed as her body burned in the brush, muscles twitching as Dreadfang took hold. The tree top rooted Haywood to the ground. He’d cast his battleaxe aside to shove the fiery trunk off him. Ripped muscles and Worgen fury were insufficient. Smoke boiling off the bark filled the leader’s nostrils, choking his cries for aid as the smoke filled his lungs. It stung his eyes, blurring his vision. Just as his arms were about to give out and his hope waned, the log’s weight lightened, and the treetop was pulled from his body. 

Haywood blinked back the soot-filled tears while the world righted itself. Two of his men had pulled him to his feet. Someone shoved his axe back into his hand, and he found himself nearly unable to grip it as his bicep started twitching. His eyes glanced sideways toward Carol’s body.

“What are you thinking? Forward or retreat?” asked one of the men who had saved him.

“I…,” Haywould began but then hesitated. What was the correct course of action here? They still did not know who this enemy was or how many were out there. 

“How many-” he began to inquire before the second man cut him off with the answer. “Over half.” “Dear gods.”

Haywood brought both hands to the handle of his battleaxe and turned it to view the symbol between the blades. Then he took a deep breath, the sort that filled deep into the diaphragm. Opening his maw, their leader let out a battle cry howl. They would all overcome this unseen enemy tonight… or die together. 

Haywood’s muscles began to twitch randomly. He pushed forward in an attempt to ignore the effects… for now.

Theo

Small pockets of brilliance fluttered about among the Shadow plane. The fires raining down from above, landing on the ground, were nothing more than waves of light grey. The color of magic in the forms of boundary lines, weapons, armor, and spells ahead could be viewed in the elf’s periphery. Potential spoils of war to be claimed once the last mutt was cast down. First, he had to deal with the death knight. 

He was at a disadvantage on the ground, with them on even footing. The Shadow Sparrow glanced upwards and saw the path ahead before crouching down. With the shield of the tree’s trunk, Theo launched himself upwards and raised his arms high. He readied himself to grab hold, pulling himself up to his feet. Any slight movement of the branch could give his location away, so he had to move quickly to another tree, much like some other Sparrows were doing. 

Theo withdrew both blades, readying for when the death knight’s hook came out to play. Mid-air and on his way to the third tree, he was suddenly plucked from the Shadow plane and dragged toward the ground. The assassin’s lips almost twitched in a smile. 

At mid-distance from his challenge, Theo dragged his blade along the curve of the hook to disengage himself, and he shadow-stepped behind the death knight. Both blades were poised, turned to dig into the flanks of the Worgen’s backside.

“Did you think it would be so easy?”

Theo could feel the chill attempting to creep around his wrists and within his mind. His eyes narrowed, and his exhale could visibly be seen. His blades sunk in slower than he’d have liked, but they did take hold. Twisting the blade, the assassin pressed his thumb against the pommel of one while ripping the second dagger free. Naturally, no blood ran out of the wound. He needed to distance himself from the Worgen before his feet froze to the ground, feeling the chill creep into his boots. 

“I see you have more talent than a fly.”

Theo back-flipped and then sprang off the trunk of the nearest tree, attempting to gain height again. The Worgen reached around and pulled the dagger Theo left behind free. Blood ran freely this time, causing the death knight’s head to snap up. A low growl vibrated in the cold vicinity. 

“Perhaps a rat.”

The death knight flung Theo’s blade away, which was a mistake. Theo had recall glyphs on his blades, though he suspected the Worgen had an anti-magic zone around him. The assassin watched as the Worgen held a hand against the bleeding wound. The button pressed quickly injected one of his concoctions along the blade, a toxin made especially for the undead. The wound would not be closing anytime soon. 

With another growl, the death knight turned and waved his blade. A sheet of ice dangerously poured out, making Theo climb higher. He didn’t want any of that touching him, knowing it would disorient him. When the cone of ice nastiness ended, the Worgen stepped forward to inspect the area with his blade raised. Theo waited patiently until the death knight was directly below before dropping onto his shoulders and instantly digging his blade into flesh.

The howl wasn’t what had Theo going wide-eyed. The sudden surge of force tried to launch him off the Worgen’s back. The elf’s thighs flexed to keep him wrapped around the bleeding death knight. His dagger had gone through an ear. Pulling his dagger out, he sunk it in, deeper this time while opening his palm to recall the other one, hoping he’d disrupted the Worgen’s concentration. 

Claws sunk into Theo’s calf. He gritted his teeth from making any sound and reached around to grip the hilt with both hands to swipe it across the front of the Worgen’s neck beneath the helm worn. Beheading was going to take a few attempts.

<<to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #5)

Sparrows

Feather Five was indeed having a rough day. Landing on that branch had punctured his side. He’d used the patch kit and had scattered the powder that should have taken care of all his blood. Hell, it had burned the skin around his wound to close it. He’d deal with the piece of wood inside him once they were done with the mission. 

Hearing the message on the comms, he had his head on a swivel. Two Worgen were climbing towards his location. They must have been faster than the rest and not under the Dreadfang cloud. He wasn’t too worried. His specialty was better served on the sea, but up in a tree was no different than fighting on the yards of masts. “A’oy boys,” Feather five whispered while they each clawed along the tree’s broad trunk. Their growls dripped menacingly. Feather Five rolled two balls in one hand and then gave a two-finger salute with the other.

Worgen Front Line

It suddenly felt like thousands of bugs crawled beneath the surface of her skin, scratching their tiny claws to break free. All the while, it was as if hands were gripped around her throat. What was this?! It was unbearable, and breathing became difficult. Carol clawed at her neck and dug into her flesh, not someone’s hands. ‘What was going on?’ Fear and panic overrode her logic, sending her into a bloodlust frenzy. Suddenly, a hit came out of nowhere, broadsiding and launching her into the air. Another Worgen, hands clawing at his ears and roaring uncontrollably, had blindly run straight into her. The burning increased tenfold when Carol hit the ground, landing in the underbrush that had caught on fire. The flames ignited her fur, which soon caused her fury to transform into screams. 

Haywood looked around him, blinking hard as his vision became blurry. He shook his head as ringing started in his ears. Tingling itched across his flesh, and his muscles began to twitch. He gripped his battleaxe tightly while his friends and kin broke ranks, turning into a dismantled mess around him. Hearing Carol’s painful screams alarmed the makeshift leader. The mighty Worgen twisted around, searching for his right hand, only to stumble his footing. He shook his head again, trying to shake off whatever this shit was. ‘Pull it together. They’re counting on you.’ His ears suddenly filled with a flickering roar of fire overhead. Tilting his head back, even with his blurry vision, Haywood’s widening eyes could see the massive treetop headed straight for him.

Theo

“You think you’re clever, elf.”

Theo slowly blinked and gently turned his chin across his left shoulder. The urge to smirk was there with back still perched against a tree and on the Shadow plane. He knew better than to respond and give his immediate position away. 

“I’ve smelled your kind before.” 

It was a lie. However, Theo wondered if the muffled voice on the Azeroth plane realized he was a plane walker. 

“All of you will die tonight. The odds are stacked against you. But you know that walking into these woods, didn’t you?”

There was so much wrong with those statements that Theo almost laughed. Cautiously and gradually, he inched his way to the edge of the tree to glimpse around it. He needed to see who was fishing because they had no clue who had dropped into their backyard. Theo also needed to know what type of magic they used, not willing to jeopardize himself needlessly. Plenty was within his arsenal, but he needed to know which tool to use.

“Before the dawn shows her face, I will personally ensure you suffer… elf.”

A flicker of color showed itself among the shades of grey and fluttering chaos. Theo spotted the figure, and he instantly held still. He didn’t even dare breathe. The Worgen wasn’t the tallest, but it was definitely a tank and beast. The cool blue and black flames emanating from the mutt reeked death knight. It glanced around casually, walking among the fallen enflamed branches without worry. Where it stepped, ice formed. Theo narrowed his eyes and returned behind the tree when the death knight faced away from him. Having served on both sides of the line in the Lich King’s attempt at world domination, he suspected this was one of Arugal’s. ‘Fuck me.’ If he was right, this death knight could pull him out of the Shadow plane every time.

<<to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #4)

Orange lightning exploded across acres of treetops, shooting upwards chaoticly into the storm clouds until the skies illuminated the region. As the device hit the druid in the Shadow plane, it forced the bird to return and carry the device and the explosion back to Azeroth. The sheer destruction now caused a fire to rage across the forest’s treetops. Bolts of lightning struck trees at their peaks. Some splintered on impact, while others exploded into flame, threatening to burn the forest down. The storm opened overhead. Rain began to pelt down from the glowing clouds, doing little to quench the fires as the growing storm’s wind spread the flames.

“Boss, you back? Boss?” “Nice light show.” “Boss-” “Shut. The fuck. Up. And kill.” “Oh shit.”

With the skies lit up, silhouettes of several dozen Worgen how crested the hilltop. Two down and many pissed off meant they were about to be hunted. The bird overhead flew towards their front lines, ablaze. The scent of burning feathers fueled their fury as flesh began to fall away in flakes of ash.

“So what was that, and how can I get one?”

Theo stepped back onto the Shadow plane, still walking toward the Worgen. They’d spotted him and knew his location with having to get rid of the tainted druid. He wasn’t stupid. It wouldn’t be their only one. This clan wasn’t the average pack, abiding by loyalty and upholding pack law like many in the region. They were dabbling in shit they shouldn’t and fucking with his supply lines. When Theo’s associate had nicely reached out to explain matters and had been gutted and eaten, he’d returned the gesture with their leader’s head.

No one fucked with his shit…, for long.

He stuck to walking in the shade of trees, keeping a thin visage of their locations. He could listen to the muffled howls. Popping in and out between the planes allowed him to keep tabs on their coms.

“Feather Six engaging.”

Theo paused on Azeroth behind a thick tree and turned his head to watch a large deployment of mechanical sparrows (courtesy of the Romolos twins). The new design gave them speed and the ability to drop an item of their choosing. The master assassin had concocted a powder, especially for the Worgen tonight, a new aerial poison he called Dreadfang. So long as his Sparrows could hold out for half an hour, they should be good. A lot could happen in that amount of time.

Pulses of arcane shot through the air along his left. Left Wing engaged while the mechanical birds fluttered along the trees, distracting the Worgen, who now advanced through the forest. Theo smirked and ran a finger along the handle of his favorite blade. It ached to drink mutt blood tonight. He drew his gaze upwards, seeking out his little friends to see the moment when they deployed. Being out this far forward, the clan would reach him first. Theo inhaled and counted the number of slow heartbeats for when they emerged around him. He also placed a mask to cover his nose and mouth before lowering goggles over his eyes.

Worgen

“Where the fuck are they?” Carol asked beside her in frustration. Haywood advanced cautiously among the wood giants and quickly jumped to the right as a large branch fell down from above, engulfed in flame. The heat from the burning wood instantly had him and the other Worgen in the vicinity moving away, not to mention the illumination causing them to become easy targets. The arcane sniper was cutting his brothers and sisters down with ease.

“I dunno.” His mind rolled over who’d been sent. He had been there when they’d received the message of stupid supply lines and other bullshit. He’d also been the one who had opened the locked box. They had turned to him to lead. What the fuck did he know about leading? He wasn’t built for tactics but for raw fury. Turning the large twin-bladed axe in his clawed hands, Haywood peered at all the shadows above and along the ground. “Sneaky fuckers. We should smoke them out.”

“Isn’t that what they’re trying to do to us?” asks Carol as she has to duck behind another tree with more burning debris falling from above. The large female Worgen then has to duck as an arcane bullet flies past her head. “FUCK!” Her fingers brushed against the ragged stump where her ear had been. Throbbing pain fueled a white-hot rage within her. Those in the shadows wouldn’t know what hit them.

Sparrows

A flurry of mechanical wings sliced through trees and rain, the sparrows unleashing a silent cloud of Dreadfang. Within seconds, the Worgen below roared in confusion, some clawing at their throats as the insidious poison began to take effect. Others scratched at their eyes, burning by an unseen foe. Some of the Clan lost their footing and clawed at trees to regain their balance. Howls rose in panic.

From the shadows, Theo moved like a phantom, navigating the chaos with practiced ease. He reached the first Worgen, a hulking figure, its eyes wide with terror, and with his blade in a blur of deadly precision, ended its struggle. A throaty growl, then silence as Theo fled to the Shadow plane. Another Worgen slumped to the forest floor.

Theo wiped his blade along his sleeve, the dark stain absorbing into the fabric of his armor. Theo reached up to adjust the goggles, allowing him to view the silhouettes of the Worgen better. He then took a few paces to the next form and sliced his door open and reached out only with his blade onto Azeroth to cut up into the Worgen’s ribcage, true to the heart. His disengage closed the opening between worlds.

Before it closed, he heard a warning, “Feather Five, you’re being flanked!”

<<to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #3)

Just over the crest line, shapes moved and shadows crept.

”They’ve got a shaman.”

’Of course, they do.’ Theo thought to himself while the com’s relay required no response. He cast one last glance at Feather Five’s location. The Sparrow wasn’t there; instead, well on his way to the second location. Theo’s head inclined into a silent nod before he checked all the other locations and was satisfied. The Shadow Sparrows were ready.

—-

Haywood glanced up the embankment with a grimace. His people would be visible when they moved crested the peak. He gripped the handle of his battleaxe with a menacing growl. His scout hadn’t returned, and there was a blood stain on the air, his brother’s blood. Already one loss, even before they even knew what they were up against before the battle had fucking begun.

“Julien says there’s no scent on the wind but that the arrows came from the trees,” reported Carol, a sizeable female Worgen, and his right hand. Haywood narrowed his gaze and lifted them to the forest. The trees here were some of the largest, this area being the oldest in the region. He could smell the adrenaline in his warriors and feel their fury. Trespassers weren’t welcome here, and whoever walked into their backyard was about to figure this out. He turned his eyes toward their head seer.

The Worgen in robes stood bent forward with hands held high. The shaman’s maw moved, mumbling as he called the spirits to aid them. The area around them began to glow while he imbued their weapons for whomever, whatever they would face. The wind began to stir with leaves kicking up off the forest ground. Grass tickled at his feet while he chanted, calling on their fallen brothers and their ancestors to aid them, honor those who came before them, and protect the lands they were charged with. He knew warriors encircled him, keeping him safe to complete the rituals. Totems also perched nearby, creating a circle for him to work within.

Derek clutched at his knives, itching to sink them into the flesh of whoever dared to fuck around on their territory. The package that had arrived at the manor had sent him and the others beside him into a frenzy. A leather bag drenched in the stench of the sea and dripping blood had arrived inside an arcane sealed box. The moment they had unlocked the seal, the entire tribe felt their bloodlust. Inside the leather bag was the head of their alpha- Michael.

—

Thunder coiled across darkened clouds overhead, a herald of impending doom. Wind bent tree tops and filtered down branches to sway the Sparrows in their perches. Two dropped and dug under needles and brush until they blended into the earth. One of the Sparrows felt heat around their neck as the black market trinket began to glow. Turning his head with care, he mouthed into the coms.

“Druid.”

Theo instantly glanced around the air and narrowed his eyes. He disappeared from Azeroth’s plane into the land of Shadow. Fucking druids. His Sparrows were well equipped, each having trinkets and tricks ‘up their sleeves.’ He would best serve them here, on this plane, able to aid the mission effectively where….

His head was on a swivel, and a bird on the Shadow plane flew overhead. Theo held still, not daring even to breathe or blink. He’d blend into the surroundings at that height, or so the theory would be. 'They have a tainted druid?' Theo’s thoughts instantly turn to the new objective. Without being able to aid his Sparrow unhindered, they were at a greater risk against heavy numbers. Micro movements over fractions of seconds saw Theo reaching within a pocket inside the lining of his chest armor. His lengthy Quel’dorei ears tilted when he heard the bird’s swoop, making a pass back across the terrain overhead. Any sound would alert the tainted druid above to his presence and location below, and there was no time to figure out how far gone the corruption had overtaken it.

Fingertips felt for the small round device. The hum pressing up into his hand almost tickled, but Theo ignored the sensation. Pulling the small device out of the slot took painstaking patience. As soon as he palmed it, Theo became a figure of action. His torso twisted, and his arm flowed downward. In the momentum of an upward gesture, his fist released the device at the precise moment the bird’s flight would collide overhead. The assassin then ran as if his life depended on it, for it very well might. He counted in his mind, ’Five, four, three….’ At the ‘two’ count, Theo sliced open the fabric between the planes and returned to the Azeroth plane.

<< to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #2)

“Status report,” went through the comms.

The forest began to quiet after the initial disturbance of the onslaught on the trees.

“Right Wing, in position.” “Feather Three in position.” “Feather Four in position.” “Feather Six in position.” “Feather Two almost in position.”

Theo’s lips pressed into a firm line. “Get there now. Feather Five? What’s your status?”

“Uh… I’m a bit plucked.”

Theo cursed and glanced over to his left to peer through the tree line. At this level, it wasn’t as thick as down a few yards, and yet it was still almost impossible to spot another at these distances. However, they were all wearing specially crafted goggles that enabled them to view various signatures depending on the current setting. Theo’s was set to heat, which allowed him to find the outline of ‘Feather Five,’ who was laid out sideways and skewered on a broken branch. What might make some wince made Theo narrow his eyes briefly.

“Patch up and get to your mark.” “Working on it.” “Feather Two in position.”

The howls that were in the distance began sounding a lot closer.

“Hold steady. Wait for my signal. Don’t fuck this up, or we’re all dead. Confirm.”

Each voice sounded off into the comms, even one rather strained voice. Theo still had eyes on Feather Five. They were sawing through the branch until it broke to keep from spilling blood all over. Still, the Worgen on their trail would smell the blood on the winds even in their stealth. That Feather needed to patch up and relocate.

“Feather Five. As soon as you’ve closed that wound, move to your second location. Right Wing. The target field is likely on Feather Five’s first location. Be alert.”

Movement caught Theo’s attention just as someone spoke up over the comms.

“Sparrow lead, we’ve got a scout at-” “I see them. Let them take in a good whiff.” “Target locked in.” “Take the shot.”

One of Left Wing’s Feathers was an arcane sniper who enjoyed the challenge of ‘impossible’ shots. Theo had long stopped inquiring about the nature of her bullets as they all heard the trigger be pulled and the hammer hit the pin. There was a slight pulse of air to the area in the Left Wing area, but nothing was seen at first. The Worgen scout on all fours was lifting their snout in the air, sniffing. They were opening their mouth about to give out a rather loud bay when a blue pulse smacked them right in the exposed throat, making all the Sparrows turn and close their eyes with the brilliance of the explosion.

”Bit of an overkill, don’t you think?” “Gal’s gotta make an entrance.”

Theo glanced back at Feather Five to see they’d packed the wound. They were now making their way to their secondary location. The other feathers in his wing were also shifting to adjust. With the first Worgen downed, the howling tripled, and Theo smirked at the sound of fury behind it.

”Sounds like they’re going to arrive with some fight in them. Don’t fuck this up.”

”Good.” “Bring it!” “You got it, boss.” “You say that every ti-.” “About time.” “We keeping tally?” “Tell that to Feather five.” “Hey, now. I outkill you every mission.” “Yo mama!” “Who said that?!” “I’d rather yo daddy.”

“Ahem.”

Theo never minded their banter but also rarely, if never, engaged in it. He knew they were all watching with heads on a swivel, in all directions, above and below and all around. The Sparrows were positioned between thirty to fifty feet above ground, an easy drop for when the Worgen showed. All ears were listening for anything out of place. All of them were becoming accustomed to the smells of the forest, for when foreign smells entered their vicinity. Their goggles were now on a special setting to aid their particular skills. Theo’s were positioned above his eyes at the moment. His veteran ways preferred an authentic entrance into the battle.

“Boss. We got about sixty headed our way.” “And?” “That’s just the first wave.” “There some event going on we didn’t know about?” “Keep the comms quiet unless it’s pertinent.” Sixty angered Worgen against twelve highly trained assassins. Theo slowly smiled at those odds. He knew he wasn’t the only one. It was going to be a bloodbath.

”Make your attacks count. Keep your heart rates regular. Remember. You’re my fucking Shadow Sparrows.” <<to be continued>>

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

The Descent

The sky was still darkened across the horizon. Clouds pillowed past in a crisp breeze high overhead, allowing the blinking stars to briefly peek through. The surrounding treeline stood several paces from a high-up cliff, whose steep edge instantly broke off and fell over a thousand yards to the forest floor below. Fog overshadowed the peaks of endless treetops of the Silverpine forest. Over a dozen hooded figures withdrew from the secure confines of the upper forest treeline in unison and silence. They gathered along the brink of the cliff, surrounding the leader- Theo.

The many pairs of eyes lowered as one into the thick of Silverpine as if they could pierce the blanket of tree branches and see what lay beneath. The crew readied themselves for what came next. One licked a finger to gauge the wind direction from this elevation. Two checked their armor and equipment. Three lowered onto bended knees. Four stood as statues, two on either side of Theo. Those that remained popped a potion and discarded their vial into a secure pocket, taught well by the man of the early dawn hour.

Theo lifted up two fingers in a subtle, halting signal. All heads turned towards him as they all drew in a single breath, waiting. His hand came down. Every single member dove over the cliff’s edge and the Shadow Sparrows flew.

The wind cut into clothing and forced their eyes into slits. Fifty yards down, two Sparrows kicked off the side of the mountain to spring out and further downward. Like a small flock of birds, the figures flew down the mountainside together. A couple Sparrows tumbled, kicking off the face of the cliff to sustain their downward acceleration. A few more shadow-stepped ahead in mid air. Theo maintained his arms by his sides, focusing on finding his landing point still hundreds of yards below. He led them by a few dozen yards, not breaking the straight line descent. Several more Sparrows ran along a flat surface of the wall before leaping off again, spurring themselves towards the seeming impossible.

This was why some found Theo to be a suicidal jumper. The crazy height they’d just leapt from should secure their deaths. This was why he trained his Sparrows, so wings didn’t get broken.

Over half the way down the mountainside, the entire group flipped and touched the face to kick off, breaking apart in their prospective directions in unison. Practiced behavior from Theo’s personally chosen assassins. Trusted associates whose identities were unknown and unplaceable, but who always came at the call of their leader.

The forest tops came alarmingly close at a rushed rate. Theo relaxed his body while widening his legs and forcing arms to pull away from his sides to slow the descent even by a faintest margin. The sounds of over a dozen bodies pummeling into tree tops and falling through branches struck almost in harmony through the pine canopy. As the limbs cracked, breaking under the weight of the Sparrows' arrival, sharp edges of wood scratched to draw blood as well as punctured against leather to bruise. Not a single cry pierced through the crash-landing as their invasion lasted a matter of mere seconds. It ended with each of the Sparrows vanishing, blinking out of sight mid tree level.

Birds, woken up before the usual time, rose up out of the top of the forest in protest, flying away in flocks from the vicinity.

Off in the near distance and down wind, the howling of Worgen began.

<< to be continued >>