The tales of Rusty - 15

Vindicator's rest:
I took the north road going out of Blood Watch, walking slowly, savouring the world around me.  Exarch Admetius had said that he did not expect me to do the job, only to be an assistant. But I remembered my last visit at Vindicator's Rest, how they all had hinted at some unknown hero.

I felt a foreboding, and then a thing I had not felt for a very long time. Pure hatred. Sironas was ruining my world, she was poisoning the animals, the rivers and even the soil, we lived off. I would not be sorry to die, if only I knew that Sironas was dead as well. I could see, in my heightened state of awareness, that the trees, the soil, in short everything had taken a red tinge. Only the blue sky was unchanged. Today was the day to end this.
 

At Vindicator's Rest, some people were gathered. Vindicator Corin greeted me: "Perhaps you will be the one to deliver our people into a new age of prosperity and peace."
I felt them to be true, bowed deeply for everyone present and made my way to her. She looked squarely at me and said: "Only the most battle hardened, noble and positively fearless will follow Legoso on his mission. The exarch will not order anyone to take on the task of destroying the Vector Coil and dispatching Sironas. He refuses to send any draenei to their death - which is what the mission is: suicide..." She sighed. "Hopefully a hero arrives before they are able to call forth reinforcements to guard the area we just secured."

My courage and my voice suddenly failed me, and I could not tell her, I was that hero. I managed to croak: "I'll do my best!"

The Vector Coil
She lead me to a massive old man with an unruly mass of white hair: "This is Demolitionist Legoso.
Follow and protect him as he attempts to destroy the Vector Coil and slay Sironas. Return to Exarch Admetius at Blood Watch should you complete the mission."
Demolitionist Legoso looked at me, scoring up my still slender frame and lacking years. I had never in my life wanted more intensely to be older and bigger than in those minutes.
In the end he spoke to me in a slow, deliberate voice: "Don't accept this assignment if you value your life. You see that gigantic power core jutting out of the mountain side over yonder? Whoever takes on this burden will need to fight their way through that mountain, battling an army of Sunhawks while protecting me as I rig the core up for demolition. Sironas the eredar is somewhere up there as well. I won't think less of you if you just walk away, Rusty.
But maybe you're the one - the one to destroy the Vector Coil and take down Sironas. Well, are you?"

I found my voice, and said: "Yes, Demolitionist Legoso, I think I am the one."

He only looked at me, and said. "Follow me."

Together we walked the winding path to the Vector Coil. It seemed deserted but for some Bloodhawks coming two by two, but they were no match for us. We reached the plateau in front of the big, purple building where a lady stood with upraised arms, blue streaks of energy washing over her body. Demolitionist said: "Blessed Light! She's siphoning energy right out of the Vector Coil! Cover me, we have to do this quickly. Once I blow the support on this side, it will disrupt the energy beams and she'll break out! I doubt very much we'll make it out alive."
I could not care less. I now saw Sironas with my own eyes. She was hideous in her beauty. I could not stop looking at her. She was the master mind behind our suffering. I longed to sink my sword into her body. I knew this was what I was created for. If I survived the coming fight or not, was of lesser importance to me. But Sironas had to be stopped.

Legoso began his job. He had one bomb set and armed before anybody discovered us, but from then on I was busy protecting him from Sunhawks set on killing him before he could finish his job.
I was in a killing frenzy, almost out of my mind. The time seemed to slow down for me, and I killed Sunhawk after Sunhawk until I heard Legoso's basso voice "Take cover! And be ready for the fight of your life!"

I only just made it behind a protecting crystal before his bombs exploded and the blue flames died down. As the energy streams stopped Sironas grew to four times her normal size and yelled for us to be ready to meet the Light.
In an overwhelmed voice Demolitionist Legoso exclaimed: "Holy Mother of O'ros!" I said a quick prayer and jumped between Legoso and Sironas' sword.
From there it was an all-consuming battle, Demolitionist Legoso placed many of his small healing and supporting  totems on the ground. I could see their energy battering at Sironas' shields and reinforce my feeble powers. Powers that were of almost no avail against her wicked, purple shields, but my sword made small dents in her defences.  The Naaru must have been helping us, for just as The Demolitionist started sagging and almost fell to the ground, Sironas began shrinking. We had worn out her tapped powers. I threw my sword upwards with a desperate prayer to the Light. It hit, Sironas dropped her sword and crumpled to the ground, now once again her normal form and size. I finished her off, and turned to Legoso.
He looked at me as if awakening and said: "I... I can't believe it's over. You did it! You've destroyed the blood elves and their leader! Let's get back to Blood Watch" Slowly, holding up each other, we made our way back stumbling over rubble and burning embers. When we finally made it back, we were at the end of our powers.


Blood Watch and beyond
Exarch Admetius came out of his house and had us carried inside. After he had us fed and washed, he gradually pieced the story together from our telling.
We slept. For how long, I did not know. But I awoke to a dazzling day. I felt empty, but good. Nothing hurt, nothing ached. and I stretched luxuriously. I was in Adnetious' sumptuous guest suite and I could see Legoso in bed in the next room, and the Exarch talking with him. As they realized I was awake, Exarch Admetius came to me: "You have saved the whole of Bloodmyst and Azuremyst, securing the way of life on Azeroth, Rusty!
For this, there can be no amount of thanks, no reward, nothing large enough in scope to truly express our appreciation. Yet, there are still so many that were left behind who cannot be here for this historic event. You must find your way back. Find your way back to our origin, Hero of Argus. Bring our people to this new home. Home to the land that you saved. Home to Azuremyst ...

Now rise and dress, the Prophet has come in person to thank you."

I dressed in the simple, yet beautiful clothes laid out for me. My sword was black, almost shrivelled, I dared not touch it.

As I left  Exarch Admetius' home and walked into the dazzling sunlight I saw that not only the Prophet had come. Everybody was there. I walked toward the Prophet through a sea of people. I saw the Princess of the Stillpines, the Chief of the Stillpines, and many of their people, Admiral Odesyus, The Cook, the wounded Elven princess pale but happy, traders and blacksmiths, Gurf, Morae, Exarch Menelaos, smiling as I'd never seen him smile beofore, in short everybody.

Prophet Velen himself stood at the end of the ranks beaming at me. I slowly made my way down to him and knelt in the sun. He bade me stand and spoke to me: "These islands will serve as the home to thousands. Most of these people will remain here their entire lives. If you so desired, you could do the same. But that's not what you want, is it, Rusty?"
Silently I shook my head no.  He looked me straigth in the eyes.
"You will do many more great things before you pass. You must embrace your destiny and meet it head on!
Before you leave, I present you with two gifts: This tabard is worn by only the most revered of the Hand of Argus and this signet ring worn by our wisest sages. Wear them both with pride, Rusty."
He pulled the tabard over my head, and everybody clapped and made happy noises in my honour. I was deeply moved, almost to tears.

Then I saw Kessel turning towards me. Laughing he told me he'd brought a friend. I looked up and saw Fant, my favourite elekk. "Yes, Rusty, she's all yours. Remember to keep her out of the water." Then we all began laughing and hugging. The party lasted long into the night.