Makeshift horns heralded Anak’thas’ approach. Even before he entered the area of Node 14. His army marched all around him. Many in what could be described at best as makeshift weapons. Despite the visual, his army was not lacking in zeal. Many of them were almost eager to retake their former home. Anak stopped at the border with his previous node. Two cypress trees were flanking the never finished Silver Road here. If he stepped between the two trees, he will have brought war to his own people. In his mind he went over all the other things he could’ve done. He could’ve gone further east. He could’ve sent a messenger to Benea. He could’ve simply obeyed Benea when she asked him to come. And then he stepped onto the stones of the road. A great cheer erupted from the army. The line had already been crossed, Anak’thas realized. It was crossed when Benea decided to cripple him. The choice was out of his hands. With renewed certainty Anak’thas and his army marched on. In the next couple of days bands of self-declared warriors joined from nearby villages. The faith of Anak’thas was still strong here. It was fueled by the tiny miracles brought about by the Silver Faith. After so many days of marching, Anak’thas crested that final hill and sawn Tanaäth, that beautiful city. Except he was disgusted to see what had become of it. A few shacks were “growing” on the edges of the city. Like tumor up civilization. Without Anak’s orderly guidance it would have never happened of course. He gave a signal and the horn blowers all throughout the army blew their horns again. Announcing the arrival of the army. [hr] The afternoon sun was warm and the black material of the node seemed to radiate that warmth and more. Benea stood on top of the flat cylinder of power, letting the heat of the node pulse in through the bottom of her shoes. Her arms were crossed and a pensive look knit her brow as she stared off into the distance. A lot of thoughts fought for control over her consciousness and tugged at her heart. If she were a military woman, or even a strategist of war and battle, she would have stopped Anak’thas on the road, or ambushed him in Node 15 itself. She would have used the resistance forces that were growing under her name to do something, or even lure him into a trap using the city. But she didn’t plan any of that, she wasn’t a person of war, but what she did plan weighed heavier in her heart than she imagined. She stood on the node in the afternoon sun, not as alone as she wanted to be. Jermane and one-hundred paladins stood around her location, eager to protect their Queen if not from the enemy than from her own decisions. It pained Benea to know they were there, but she couldn’t stop them. A blue orb of light appeared over her shoulder and she nodded her head in the direction of Anak’thas’ army. The tiny messenger light zipped away, sending one of Benea’s last hopes for dialogue with it. Benea needed to know if it was too late, if she had already failed everybody. [hr] “We are taking the city as we speak.” A warrior, one of the more disciplined ones, said. “So far nobody has resisted us. It’s a clean sweep.” [color=fff200]“Don’t lie to me.”[/color] Anak’thas grumbled as he looked over the city from the hill. If Benea was there, he would give her the time to get close. Not after what she did with her power. To feel so disconnected from the world was pure horror for Anak’thas and he would do anything to not relive the feeling. The warrior swallowed deep. “There is… some resistance. Nothing much. Mostly grumblers believing the lie of your madness. They see us coming for the city as a clear sign that Benea is right.” Anak’thas sat on his chair hunched over. The hearts of man were truly so quick to corrupt. He gave them a place of peace and prosperity, and when someone else disturbs it they are mad with him. After all this he would have to hold a Council on what to do with the traitors… the unbelievers, the heretics. For now though, he had to reclaim the node. [color=fff200]“Continue our advance. Try to not engage a Paladin with less than fifteen people.”[/color] Anak’thas ordered. The warrior gave a curt bow and left the god. Of course, some zealous fools would attempt to fight a Paladin for glory. Either personal glory or in the name of their god. Either way he would disapprove it. The search for personal glory leads down a path to an early grave. His brooding thoughts were interrupted by a mote of light flashing across the air until it reached him. A messenger, from Benea? Anak absorbed the information. She wanted to talk? After the indignation she made him suffer? Never. Still, it confirmed Benea was in the city and Anak’s heart did drop to see it confirmed. He created his own messenger of golden light and imbued it with his own message: He bid her to flee. When the mote of light streaked across the air towards the city Anak’thas got up. [color=fff200]“Everyone into the city. We take back Tanaäth [i]now[/i]!”[/color] [hr] Benea looked down at the golden speck of light. She shook her head and turned to Jermane, who stood at the foot of the node loyally. “Jermane, darling.” The man looked up at his Queen. “You and the others need to leave.” Jermane narrowed his eyes. “You know we will not. We will not allow doom to overtake you or the Crucible.” Benea closed her eyes. “There is only one way for me to confirm the sickness, and if he has it, then this place will not be safe for you. I will not allow the innocent to be slaughtered.” “What about yourself?” Jermane argued back. Benea pursed her lips. “This is one of those instances where I hope I’m wrong, dear,” was all she said in response. Jermane scoffed and looked away from his Queen. “He clearly has it; he’s killing his own people.” Jermane’s words sank into Benea and she let out a shaking sigh. “Please leave, Jermane.” [hr] [color=fff200]“What?”[/color] Anak’thas said. The one mote peered at the shaking soldier. He was just a kid but he was the fastest one they could find. “The paladins.. they are retreating from the node.” The kid said. He was clutching his spear close. “And the goddess… doesn’t seem to be amongst them.” “It could be a ploy.” One of the more experienced veterans, and Anak’thas’ advisor, said. The Lantern-God was inclined to agree. What game was Benea playing? What ruse was she using? He couldn’t trust her, obviously. Not after she cut him off from the world from the back. After that, why would he ever have any faith in her words? [color=fff200]“Wait until the Paladins left the city.”[/color] Anak ordered. [color=fff200]“Don’t fight them.”[/color] That was more a precaution. The paladins of Benea far outmatched his own troops. Even now he saw the tears and cracks forming in his force. They were far too undisciplined and discordant. He’d solve that once Tanaäth was his again. [color=fff200]“Then seal the city. No one enters. No one leaves. Then I will talk to her.”[/color] “You can’t!” One of the veterans exclaimed. [color=fff200]“I have to. She is my sister still. A treasonous snake who locked me in a box and left my realm for carrion perhaps, but she is still a goddess and still my sister. I’ll give her the respect she is due.”[/color] “She might not return it. What if she uses that weapon of hers again on your my lord?” Another zealous veteran asked. Anak’thas smiled. [color=fff200]“Then I know I’ll be in safe hands. For I will be surrounded by my faithful.”[/color] [hr] Karlene stared at the backs of the paladins. The group had gathered outside the city after the order to withdraw came through. Some blood splattered the bronze armor of a few of her comrades, but in total the fighting had been light compared to what the chaos lands had offered. In her left hand she held the spear of Eleanna, it’s primeval tip caked in the blood of an unfortunate enemy. The settlement seemed calm at the distance they stood at, but karlene knew that inside the city, zealots of Anak’thas and locals who didn’t take Benea’s offer to flee were fighting to the death. It didn’t sit right. “Karlene.” Larissa’s voice came from the side and Karlene looked over at the Axe of Benea. “Hm?” “Where’s Jermane?” “Didn’t he withdraw with your group?” “I thought he withdrew with your group.” Both warriors blinked and turned to Renault, who was standing there with a soapstone in one hand and his recently used sword in the other. “Hey, I thought he was with Karlene’s group as well.” A pause. Karlene dragged a hand through her hair. “At least that gives us an excuse to help some of those locals.” Renault rolled his jaw. “You don’t mean?” “Well we can’t very well leave him in there,” Larissa hefted her mighty axe from her shoulder. “On me.” [hr] A soldier of Anak’thas stood between two buildings. The chokepoint was picked to keep any stragglers from leaving the city or any bold paladins from returning. The man himself stood proud and with zeal in his heart as he looked over the outskirts of the city. Sure, the bodies of some of his comrades littered it where paladins once stood and perhaps his weapon was crude in comparison to the enemies, but he had a god — perhaps [i]the[/i] god. A hand came and grabbed his shoulder, causing him to spin to meet the face of one of his comrades. She stabbed a thumb behind her at a group of soldiers. “We’ve come to reinforce this point. “I don’t think we are going to need it, to be honest,” The unnamed soldier responded. “The paladins left pretty quickly.” He smirked, about to say something else when he noticed his comrade’s eyes grow into saucers. Hand shaking, she readied her crude sword and so the original soldier spun to meet her fear. A golden streak cut through the street as soon as he did and before he knew it, the largest woman he ever saw was in front of him and his comrade, the biggest axe imaginable already midway through its swing, a horrible back spike arcing towards him. It punched through his chest with an eruption of pain, sending him off his feet. His body collided with the comrade who was next to him, the spike impaling her side and sending her into the arc as well. Larissa swung her axe in a complete circle, taking her two victims with the swing before launching the corpses at the horrified reinforcements. The bodies knocked two over and before the others could react, Renault appeared above them, seemingly shifting into existence, rows of needles and knives in between his fingers. With a quick flick of his wrists, a shower of death rained down. Seeing the massacre, the final Anak’thasian soldier dropped his weapon and began his retreat. Eleanna’s spear came blasting through the air, slamming into his back and carving through his lung before stabbing into the ground before him. He let out a gurgle and fell to his face. Karlene ran past, ripping the spear free and back into her hands. The others quickly jogged behind. They would carve an escape route for their comrade. [hr] Benea sat on the edge of the node with her eyes closed. Even still, she could feel Jermane’s stare dig into her. “Won’t you please leave, dear?” “You know I won’t. I made an oath.” “That you did…” Benea sighed. Slowly she cracked her eyes open, and just in time. Filtering through the alleyways of the city was a dark mass. Anak’thas’ army was upon the node site. Benea dropped from her seat and made her way down the steps that lead to the structure until she stood in a small courtyard of sorts. Jermane stood to her right, sword drawn. The pair stood between the node and those who had come for it, eyes worn with anxiety. Benea stood tall, like a queen despite it all and kept a calm and composed look now that the enemy was staring her in the eye. Jermane, contrasting her, started to shake, his sword hand flicking with adrenaline. “Stop fretting,” Benea cooled, her voice more compassionate than demanding. “How can I?” Jermane answered. “When I know who I might lose?” “And who you might not.” Benea said, her eyes flickering over to a gap in the enemy lines, no doubt where Anak’thas would emerge. “Don’t fret, Jermane.” There was an eerie tension amongst Anak’thas’ troops. They looked ready to pounce but were held back for now. Like a sea they did part as Anak’thas’ light passed them. Until he reached the edge of the troops. Though he was still a fair distance away from the courtyard. “She can approach you now, my lord.” Said one of the warriors beside Anak’thas. In the last few days the man – whose name Anak’thas would never know – had become a great advisor. “Wait here. Let her step away from the protection of her paladin. You already came to her. It is time that she comes to you.” Amongst purely human tensions the man would be right. This was a war between gods, however. [color=fff200]“Things are different. I’ll go. If only as proof that I am not the mad god she says I am.”[/color] “She won’t care.” The man said. “Your madness gives her power. It gives her the right to keep this node. Should she admit you are sound of mind she would lose that right.” [color=fff200]“It’s not to her that I must prove myself.”[/color] Anak’thas replied as he walked forward. Alone. It was his brothers and sisters that could still be convinced. After Benea’s treason he would never trust her again. Not like before. But she did drag at least Tsunya into this fray. Reports told him that she claimed Node 13. If there was any hope he could regain Telum’Velik without bloodshed he would take it. [color=fff200]“You wished to speak,”[/color] Anak’thas said as he stopped approaching. He was still about twenty feet away from Benea and showed no inclination to get closer. In fact, with his hands on his back he was already weaving the zealous faith in him into a trellis that would appear and stop Benea the second she’d take a step closer to him. [color=fff200]“So speak.”[/color] "How many nodes have you touched?" Benea asked abruptly. [color=fff200]“Three.”[/color] He answered. It was a simple fact, easy to verify. Still, the Lantern-God did dearly hope his sister would not waste his time with inane questions. Benea's face seemed relieved, "do you know why I am asking?" [color=fff200]“You want to know if it is enough for me.”[/color] If it sated his maddened thirst for conquest and land, more likely. Though she would never word it like that. Shaking her head, Benea said. “I’m asking because a dormant infection lies in the nodes, and I have no reason not to believe your mind is already being altered by it. That’s why I detained you, but your friends took you from me before I could examine you, and now look how you’ve returned.” She gestured behind him. [color=fff200] “You’ve claimed nodes too, have you not?”[/color] Anak’thas asked. “Many have,” Benea pursed her lips. “You would not hear me if I told you why not everyone has become infected but you have.” [color=fff200]“Awfully convenient, isn’t that? I refused your wish once and I turn out to be the only one infected by this mysterious disease. And when I come to you willing to talk you tell me I would refuse to hear your reason. So why did I come here then?”[/color] To be blinded and bound again? The trellis weave was ready to be cast. It would take but a moment to cast it around himself instead of before Benea. “You’re not the only one and certainly not the first,” Benea hissed, a hurt look in her eye. “Don’t be so egotistical to think you are the only one to be shadowed, but you are the first one I think I could have truly helped.” She looked at Jermane for a moment then back at Anak’thas. [color=fff200]“But I was the first one you deigned to put in a box!”[/color] Anak’thas shouted. For the first time in his life he shouted. “I give you a choice, and you can pick either option freely,” Benea recollected herself. “Either you can sit down, call off your army, and return with me to Node 1 without touching this node, or you can slaughter me and take node 14 for yourself and continue on your plans.” Anak’thas did not move. He did not speak for five whole minutes as his divine mind ruminated the offers. He could take neither, of course, but he wanted to dig deeper. Did she truly believe that he would come with her after she betrayed him? If so then she was at best naïve. And to kill her and take Node 14 would only confirm the accusation she raised against him. [color=fff200]“Neither are options I would take. It hurts me that you believe I would wish to harm you.”[/color] Even after everything she did to him. [color=fff200]“But you also know that this node, and node 13, are both my lands by duty. I swore their denizens that I would guide them. So knowing that, what will you do now?”[/color] Benea made a face.” Dear, you have no rightful lands and nothing in this Crucible belongs to you except the choices you take. You have two, follow me to node 1, or kill me here and complete your ‘duty’. You won’t be able to take me as a prisoner.” [color=fff200]“I won’t kill you.”[/color] Anak’thas formed the trellis of gold in front of him. [color=fff200]“My soldiers! Tanaäth is ours! Take the goddess!”[/color] His voice boomed across the city and the army charged forward. Jermane flinched, stepping between the horde and his Queen. Benea didn’t move, however. Her skin started to peel away and her dress began to grow in brightness and then with a woosh of air, she combusted into a white flame, the shadow of her old form hidden under the wreath of divine heat. Her voice came from the ignition. “You can either follow me, or kill me. The decision is yours to make, not for those who believe the poison.” [color=fff200]“Then it is to me capture you.”[/color] Anak’thas expanded the trellis weave. Straight lines of gold began to wrap around Benea and Jermane. It was a test, it had to be a test. Those faithful enough stopped as they saw their lord create the weave and began to add their own meager strength to his. A secondary, silver trellis began to form around the golden one in an attempt to seal Benea within. “I said you have two choices,” The goddess stood inside the trellis. “Whether or not you take it now won’t change the outcome. You’ll find your sickness will consume you in time, and that I myself and all the others being alive is simply in your way. You’ll kill us then, likely starting with me — since the one who cares the most tends to be the closest to your knife.” The trellis sealing in Benea was complete. The silver one would soon be as well. Despite the perceived victory Anak’thas let out a weary sigh. The conviction by which she believed he was sick was too strong. [color=fff200]“You hurt me.”[/color] He said. There was only sadness in his voice. [color=fff200]“But if you truly believe that I am sick then write damn it. Write everything you know about this sickness. I swear to you, upon my duty as a guide to humanity, I’ll give it due consideration.”[/color] With that said he started walking around the circular prison he and his faithful had made. He had to claim node 14 first. “It hurts because I’m only telling you the truth. You likely believed this to be a ploy by me, to discredit you and take power. Paranoia feeds into it well, I’ve seen it before. Even now you’re walking past me to collect the node. Nothing I can say will help you right now, but I do sense that you are not completely gone. Not yet, dear.” Benea tapped her staff onto the ground. “If hurting you is telling you the truth, then I will always be there to be the one to do it — that’s my love for the others.” With that, a great white flash devoured the city. Benea’s voice came cutting through the nothingness. “Stay in node 14. Do not spread your illness beyond its borders. I will find your cure.” [hr] A few hours later and Anak’thas slumped back into a chair that his followers so dutifully put beside him as he was conquering the node. The city, nay the land as a whole, was his again. Though the whole ordeal left him disillusioned. Could his own siblings be trusted anymore? Had Benea gone mad? No sooner did Anak take back the node that the troubles were already flowing in. Some still resisted him and chose to believe Benea and her mad tale. Then there were the worrying reports from the north. Humans but animalistic in form were raiding the villages. There was so much to do. The first thing Anak’thas did though was elevate the minds of his followers. After that, he called to gather his wisest warriors. [hider=Summary]Anak’thas and his army are storming the city. Benea has sent away her Paladins. All but Jermane obeyed. Eventually the two divine come into contact again. Benea and Anak’thas start talking. Benea claims that the nodes contain a sickness but Anak finds ia a bit convenient. Benea offers him two options: go with her to Node 1 or kill her and claim Node 14. The Lantern-God dislikes both options. When things reach a boiling point Anak tries to imprison Benea. However Benea uses her artifact to blind him – and his army – again. She flees, asking Anak’thas to remain at the node. The god claims the node and then fulfills part of his promise and elevates his people to Bronze Age tech.[/hider] [hider=MP]Anak’thas Start: 5 - 2 MP >> Elevate the people to Tier 3 tech (Bronze Age) Anak’thas End: 3 Benea start 3: -1MP to buy a new form, wreathed in divine fire. End: 2 [/hider]