Banehallow, A Wolf's Tale Options

[headspin]

Behind every great man lies a story waiting to be told, a tale that would mark his existence forever. The death of such a person gives him eternal fame, which never would be possible without his demise. Bearing this in mind, I present

A Wolf’s Tale

As a child, Banehallow lived in Azshara, a bustling town close to the Sentinel camp. Situated on a large plateau, Azshara was a vast purple, with countless houses arranged circularly. The oddity was what made Azshara so unique and popular. The happy town folks existed in absolute harmony, as seen by the wide smiles on each one of their faces. The fishermen and hunters ensured a ready supply of food, and so was the availability of fresh water. Frolicking all day long in the pasture and playhouses, the children lived a life of excitement, unaffected by the worries and burdens of the grown-ups.

But of course, nothing would remain unchanged. A catastrophe was about to befall Azshara and her people. Indeed, as predicted, Kel’Thuzad’s cold ruthless finger pointed to the town of Azshara. Long thought to be a possible threat, the Lich King was planning to eliminate it forever. The folks would never have expected to witness an assault on their beloved town. Banehallow first heard the marching of a full legion, then come to see with his own eyes, an undead army about to raze Azshara, personally led by the Lich King himself. The frightened boy hurriedly warned everyone of the upcoming attack, screaming insanely. “Run everyone! Run! The… the undead! They’re in!” Banehallow was shocked in tears as the sight he beheld proved more terrifying than any. The skeletal footmen easily killed the villagers by a slash of their swords. Each building was set on fire and burnt to the ground. Azshara’s only defenders, the Watchers, were severely outnumbered and neither could stop the unstoppable force of Kel’Thuzad’s army. In mere hours, the old alive town of Azshara was no more. Banehallow, the only survivor, felt pain beyond pain, experiencing the loss of his entire family, hometown and companions. He lay on the rubble, staring at the skeletal mage standing in front of him, about to release the final burst of energy that would finish Banehallow off. Closing his eyes in anticipation of his inevitable death, he suddenly heard a high-pitched, cold voice. “Wait.”, said Kel’Thuzad in admiration of the lone survivor. The lich’s dark eyes looked directly into Banehallow’s own pair, seeing the fear and hatred in them. Banehallow sensed an abrupt freeze in his head. Kel’Thuzad then had a sudden foreboding, and he could not bring himself to kill the boy. “Leave him, Pugna. Let us leave this dreaded place now.”

“Why, my lord? Letting him live will only mean more trouble. Shall I not finish him now?”, questioned Pugna curiously. “A premonition, and even I cannot explain it. No more questions then, Pugna. Our brave warriors are impatient, awaiting their reward,” replied Kel’Thuzad. Not completely convinced, Pugna threw one last look of contempt at the young one, before striding off with the Lich. Banehallow was completely taken aback as he heard the previous conversation. ‘Why did he not kill me?’ Too many questions unanswered, he picked himself up and began walking, not concentrating on the direction.

It seemed an eternity, till he saw that the landscape had drastically changed, only realizing it when he bumped into a massive tree. Looking around, he momentarily put aside the hurt, and recognized the place as Ashenvale, a perpetually dark and beautiful forest. Soon enough, he settled down fittingly in Ashenvale, his new home, where his curiosity ran wild. The forests of Ashenvale always seemed so surreal, like a page out of a book from the stories that his mother used to read to him as a child. Every night, the alabaster moonlight illuminated the trees, and watching the flickers of lights known to him as wisps swirling around the trees gave him a sense of calm and belonging.

In no time, Banehallow was fully adapted to Ashenvale, and was even fonder of it than the old Azshara. Sleeping soundly one afternoon, he abruptly felt a soft furry muzzle nuzzling against his left cheek. Startled, the dopey boy sat up hastily, only to find himself looking directly at two wolf cubs, on either side of him. Both cubs certainly looked adorable and lovable. For the next few days, the trio wandered the forest together. Banehallow then decided to admit the wolves into his care permanently, giving them both names. “Flip” he said, examining the young wolves. “and you, Rio.” As if they could understand, the cubs lay beside Banehallow, looking extremely pleased with their master. The teen was suddenly aware of how it felt to have companions, after being lonely for a long period. Painful memories of the destruction flashed before his eyes again, leaving him to weep in silence once more.

The nightmares never stopped coming, as Banehallow often shivered wildly in his sleep, only to find himself drenched in cold perspiration. As time passed, his dreams began to vary, becoming stranger everyday. A pity he couldn’t recall these queer visions once he awoke. The fateful night arrived, the night that would answer his queries regarding the dreams. While singing an ancient song under the moonlight, Banehallow was disrupted by a wolf’s howl, and he realized something was amiss. A creepy music started pounding in his head as Banehallow stood to take every caution. ‘Am I in danger?’ he thought to himself while moving. Tree to tree he walked, attempting to escape from the wolf. Everything happened too rapidly for the human to react. The heavy panting of a wolf preceded an immediate tear in Banehallow’s hamstring. It appeared that the wolf’s fangs had pierced the inattentive man, leaving Banehallow in utter pain. The afflicted victim helplessly fell onto the ground, wailing uncontrollably. The agony was unbearable and somehow, this bite had a toxic effect on Banehallow, infecting his blood and nerves. Before even catching sight of the wolf that crippled him, it had already disappeared into the night. Flip and Rio came to his aid upon hearing Banehallow’s cries of torment, but even they could do nothing besides shedding tears on their master. ‘I’m dying, my wolves.” said Banehallow in the weakest tone, trembling irresistibly. Just then, the light from the full moon seemed to shine on Banehallow with great power.

Something began to happen to Banehallow. He began hunching over, and grew a thick coat of fur. His normal human teeth extended and sharpened, and his face elongated into a snout. It was an extremely painful transformation, and Banehallow could only cry in horror. As his hands began turning into paws, with razor sharp claws extending out, Flip and Rio were terrified to see what their master had become. A bloodthirsty werewolf. Right at that moment, rage flooded his vision, and blood throbbed through his wolfen temples, the adrenaline blocking out all rational thoughts. The insanely strong urge to kill brought his feet moving, to hunt for prey, particularly, humans. For the villagers living in Hyial, that night was a disaster. With no energy remaining, and no prey in sight, the werewolf lost consciousness. The next morning, Banehallow awoke, only to find his hands bloody, and his clothes torn, also with traces of human blood. ‘Where am I?’ he wondered to himself. Glancing around the plains, he saw countless dead villagers, all with the look of absolute fear. Banehallow could only gasp in utter horror, apprehending that he was the cause of the innocent deaths. The agitated man kicked the nearest tree as hard as he could. He was furious with himself, yet he rejected fate. Banehallow felt cursed and controlled. Indeed, never would he be the same loving man as before. Banehallow wandered the dilapidated Hyial, searching for at least a living soul. ‘Not a single person’. He had expected everyone to flee already, since no one in his or her sane mind would want to remain in a dangerous spot. The only artifact he found was an oval-shaped clear mirror. Looking in the mirror, Banehallow hardly recognized the person he saw. He had aged mildly, grown more facial hair and had his features sharpened, slightly resembling a wolf. In fact, Banehallow was more charming than before, just as long as his identity was concealed.

Shortly, he returned to Ashenvale, his true home from then. Gone were the times he could consult in someone when in doubt. Banehallow was all alone to fend for himself, and there were a few moments where he almost felt like ending his own life, one of undying sorrow and hurt. ‘Who’s the cause of my misery? It all roots down to him.’ Yes, the one who had ruined his life forever was none other than Kel’Thuzad. Bending more hatred on the Lich King, Banehallow pounded the earth with his bare fist, as he vowed to slay Kel’Thuzad himself. Walking back into his hut, something suddenly caught his sight. In a distance ahead, was what appeared to be a moving shadow. Walking over to see what had distracted him, he saw a girl surrounded by two men, both looking extremely strange. Banehallow actually found them a nuisance. He slightly overheard the fierce conversation between the three.

“Gondar! It is you! To think that even you would have turned to the dark side, after all that my father had done for you…”

“Silly girl, we Bounty Hunters go where the power goes. The tides are changing young one, and the Scourge shall rule once more!”

The weird men were considerably thin in size, with eyes of pure greed, razor sharp teeth and had wicked scythes for hands. A severely powerful beam of light from the skies unknowingly attacked one of them, probably Gondar. Caught of his guard, Gondar immediately retreated into his wind form, ready to strike out again. This time, Banehallow readied himself to attack once Gondar appeared. In no time, the bounty hunter stood behind the girl, raising his arm to plunge his scythe into the girl’s back. Banehallow, of course, was anticipating it, as he swiftly caught hold of Gondar, and tossed him hard on the ground. “Leave her alone Bounty Hunters! Your prize lies not with her, be gone or feel the wrath of Banehallow!” "Watch it. I'll remember you Janefellow. Let's leave, Sham'eul." Grinning widely, the two hunters disappeared into the shadows, without even considering taking on their new enemy. Banehallow himself was surprised at his might and speed, and even his words just now. Apparently, the memorable wolf bite had its own benefits.

“Are you all right?”

“Quite so, thanks to you.”

“What is your name, Rider?”

“It is Luna.”

“Banehallow’s my name.”

“Pleasure meeting you, Banehallow. Do you.. this is your home?”

“Yes. Why have you come to Ashenvale?”

“Just having a break over here. Such a lovely place, isn’t it?”

Their eyes never left each other, as Banehallow and Luna conversed concentratedly. Leaning sideways on her panther, Luna looked absolutely stunning, bestowed with great looks, and was unmistakably, a nightelf. It was the first time Banehallow had truly appreciated the beauty of a woman. ‘An eyeful makes the world go round.’ Luna, a Moon Rider in training, told him that she was supposedly the chosen one who would defeat Pugna, the prince of darkness. “I have heard the name.”, replied Banehallow, suddenly remembering Kel’Thuzad’s great offense and his apprentice. With that, their friendship began to blossom, as they spent much time together in Ashenvale, learning about each other’s background. Banehallow knew he had fallen in love, and Luna was forever on his mind. It certainly was difficult distinguishing who was fonder of the other party. Luna was especially interested in Banehallow’s history. He told her much about his life in Azshara, Kel’Thuzad’s attack, and finally, after much hesitation, his true identity as a werewolf. Banehallow was convinced that Luna would leave him upon hearing this harsh fact. Instead, Luna did not feel dejected and even shared his grief, giving him great relief and joy in being loved and understood.

One memorable night, Luna came to look for Banehallow, while he slept soundly. The drowsy man sensed some movement along his lips, only to open his eyes to see Luna staring at him lovingly.

“Luna, what brings you here at this hour?”

“I missed you so much, so I needed to visit you.”

Banehallow brought Luna to rest atop him, as he kissed her softly and continuously, realizing how long since he last held her. In the soft moonlight, underneath the canopy of trees, Luna’s sapphire eyes seemed so beautiful and enchanting. Reaching with their hands to undress their lover, the motion got more intense. He gaped as Luna’s hand reached for his groin, fondling with erotic skill. As if to follow the rhythm, Banehallow nibbled her breast, then her neck and back to the intent kissing. Finally, Luna’s unbound hair covered them both. They first connected playfully, then more urgently, cherishing these special moments. Eventually exhausted and satisfied, Luna stroked Banehallow’s inner thigh before they both fell asleep, holding each other intimately. When Banehallow awoke the next morning, Luna had gone home already. ‘Silly girl.’, he thought to himself. As a matter of fact, he was thankful that Luna came the previous night, a night beyond any other.

Something was very different about the landscape. The usual earth ground outside his hut now burnt in little red dancing flames. Stepping on the scorched earth, Banehallow felt his energy marginally drained out by the fire. A huge reddish monster came into sight. Its slyly pair of eyes was blood red and was infamous for its conning powers. This creature had a pointy nose and a wide malicious mouth, revealing sharp teeth. Wielding a sturdy infernal staff, and with great demonic wings on its back, Lucifer the Doombringer looked every bit intimidating and resembled a devil adapted for combat. “Banehallow, I suppose you’ve heard of me. Lucifer is my name. I have been building a legion to start a vendetta against the Lich King. As far as I know, your life was devastated by his ruthless actions.”

“Indeed, I’ve hated him since then. What do you want then, Lucifer?”

Lucifer turned to stare right into Banehallow’s own eyes.

“I require your aid, and hope you join my legion that will finally overthrow Kel’Thuzad. I see the hatred and hurt in you. Do you not want to avenge your family and kill Kel’Thuzad with your own hands?”

“Of course, I do wish to. But first I have to consider.”

In his head, Banehallow still had clear visions of how Kel’Thuzad wrecked his hometown of Azshara with his vicious army, killing all the villagers, including his family of five.

“If you pledge alliance, I can grant you full control in your werewolf state, and even be able to shapeshift at will. So much stronger you will become, and finally be able to end the rule of Kel’Thuzad. Most importantly, the uncertainties that you’ve had all your life will be cleared.”

“What’re the conditions?”

“You will have to make a sacrifice and give up your personal life. With this, you will have great powers, but all at the cost of heavy responsibilities. In the process, you, Banehallow, must go through a ritual, which will maximize your potential as a lycanthrope.”

With no one to assist Banehallow in making the choice, Lucifer was able to persuade him without much difficulty. Lucifer’s deceiving tricky eyes accompanied with his appropriate tone and words, were always the key in convincing the other party. Banehallow listened in awe, and found that Lucifer could offer him something no one else could. ‘Is it worth a try?’ he asked himself, already on the verge of agreement. The allure of Lucifer’s exchange consumed Banehallow, as he exclaimed aloud, “Deal.” Lucifer the Doombringer laughed triumphantly. “Very well. I daresay you have chosen correctly. Shall we now begin the ritual? You will be metamorphosed, into someone much more powerful.” Banehallow proceeded to lie flat on the scorched earth, with cursed human skulls suddenly encircling his body. Lucifer smeared Banehallow’s face with some fresh wolfish blood, following an eerie silence which instantly pierced the vicinity, causing Banehallow to tremble occasionally, his eyelids twitching in discomfort and unease. Lucifer then began chanting demonic incantations, summoning the powers of the bright moon and the devil. Soon, fiery spirits arose and they swarmed Banehallow’s body. The crescent moon gradually became perfectly round, this time glowing brightly in blue, focusing directly on Banehallow. He now heard a wolf’s long sweet howl, before losing consciousness under all the pressure…

While in this unconscious state, a part of him remained hesitant and confused. ‘What have I done, and what would Luna say about this?’ Indeed, he wasn’t sure if he had made the right decision. It was certainly a grave choice, determining his future and changing him forever. His hatred for Kel’Thuzad grew, as Banehallow saw the destruction of Azshara once more. He previewed a werewolf killing countless villagers. Finally, he was exposed to the hellish fires, bringing about mixed emotions in him, engraving greed, fear, vengeance and ruthlessness. Banehallow was permanently reborn, with a feral heart. Banehallow’s stood and analyzed his new self. Although he could not see this yet, his bright blue eyes had been replaced with great orbs of fire, burning with the anger and hatred of the burning legions. His skin had turned red, and radiated with immense demonic energy. Finally, he now had a tough and muscular body, full of energy. Lucifer looked at his new apprentice. Bursting with pride, knowing he would be a terrific warrior.

“Welcome, my Banehallow. Strong you have become, and I fear when the full power in you is released. Report to me here in an hour’s time. I know you have your own matters to settle.”

“Yes, my lord. Thank you, and I’ll see you soon.”

As Banehallow returned to his hut to possibly do some packing, he saw Luna in a distance, waiting for him. All of a sudden, he couldn’t bear to look at Luna, for he had betrayed her, and chosen his path of darkness and grudging.

“Banehallow! What happened, I saw a green light and I saw that your hut was empty…”

“Luna, I have done something very wrong today. Please forgive me, I never meant to do such a thing. I merely wanted to get stronger, and fight alongside you to avenge your father, I never thought…”

“Hush now Banehallow, it is alright. What could you have done to make yourself believe that you have sinned so?”

Unable to hold out any longer, Banehallow turned to face his lover in shame. As he saw how Luna flinched in shock, it was as if a spear had pierced right through his heart. He knew he had to give her up, so as not to have any distractions. Making up his mind reluctantly, he determinedly told her the truth, cautious of his words.

“I am sorry, Luna. But I can no longer be with you. You see, I have sold my soul to Lucifer. He holds the mysteries to all my unanswered questions, and that, I must know. Bother me no more, Luna. I do wish you would forgive me. I… ”

Knowing he could speak no further, Banehallow looked at Luna once more, then ran back to meet Lucifer, his master from then on. That was the last time he ever saw Luna in his life. In his departing journey, he faintly heard Luna crying aloud, “Bane.. no..” Banehallow never turned back. He ought to have done it, but no, it was too late. When he reported to Lucifer later, he noticed two wolves there as well. They were undoubtedly, his old companions, Flip and Rio. Delighted, he patted them lightly and rubbed each of their heads. Flip and Rio had unfathomably mastered the art of shadowmelding, as they now could fade with the shadows. Banehallow saw that they had grown a lot since the previous time, and were now ferocious beasts, far more hungry than typical wild wolves. “Let’s depart now, my friends.”, said Lucifer in impatience, after seeing Banehallow’s actions. Banehallow followed Lucifer’s lead, with his two shadow wolves, into his destiny. Ashenvale never seemed darker.

The route to Nendis was an extensive and exhausting one. Without the ability to teleport or fly, Lucifer and Banehallow could only use the basics- land and water. From Ashenvale Forest to Moonglade, they had to sail past the Predfield river which separated them. The Nendis camp was situated 800 miles north from Moonglade, which would take them approximately 5 whole days to reach. In this long journey, Lucifer told Banehallow numerous great stories of great battles and warriors. And finally, Lucifer revealed to Banehallow the secret truth, which was what he had been most eager to hear.

“You see, Banehallow. I have researched a little into divination, and have a little prowess at foretelling, but obviously not as precise as the prophet Furion. I dread to tell you this, but your life will be filled with setbacks, losses and also many discoveries. I’m sure you’d understand. You must have wondered why Kel’Thuzad didn’t kill you back in Azshara.”

“Yes,why?.”

“The Lich King ought to have finished you back then. But you survived, to grow up into a fine man, and soon to become Kel’Thuzad’s greatest enemy of all time. Ten years ago, something in his mind told him not to kill you. Your gaze of hatred reinforced his premonition, and he could not bear staring into your eyes. Despite him showing you mercy, he placed a curse in you, which would tell inform him whenever you were in danger or felt strong hatred. Kel’Thuzad never leaves his enemies untouched.”

“What? A curse?”

“That’s right. When that werewolf bit you, Kel’Thuzad felt it, and my guess is that he instructed his night guard, Balanar, to force the appearance of the full moon. If not, the full moon wouldn’t have been present. Legend is that the moonlight of the full moon has demonic powers. His hasty decision actually saved your life and you painfully transformed into a werewolf, deeming you a lycanthrope forever.”

“Why would he want to do that?”

“I’m not too certain about that. My far sight has its limitations, and even I am unable to read everything. Like I said, he probably was overly hasty, without considering the consequences of his action. But, Banehallow, you are destined to go against Kel’Thuzad, and he will be preparing for the battle. His curse in you will give him an advantage already, and so defeating him may be toilsome.”

“I will devote the rest of my time to killing him.”

Lucifer knew it was inevitable, and so he refrained from dissuading the now unfaltering Banehallow, who planned on using every bit of energy to annihilate Kel’Thuzad. Seeing how determined the man was, Lucifer settled to hold the coldest truth from Banehallow. Besides, should Banehallow be exposed to reality, all his hopes would be shattered, and the wrath would be unfathomable. And on they went to the home camp Nendis, of the legion Halsreny.

At long last, the duo made it to Nendis, where Banehallow was introduced to the large group. “Evening Lucifer!” roared the whole camp, upon seeing his return. “Good day, my people. How are things, Axe?” Mogul Khan replied, “Never better, my lord. You will soon see that our new archers are now of the elite class.” “Jolly good. We have a newcomer today, people. He is Banehallow, our very own lycanthrope.” Once again, the place exploded with cheers and delight, as they welcomed him into Halsreny. In Nendis, Banehallow heard about Lucifer’s past, and his efforts in establishing Halsreny. Apparently, Lucifer was never on speaking terms with Kel’Thuzad. He detested that tone of utmost arrogance and superiority. Lucifer used to be under the Skeleton King Leoric, till Leoric was slain by Chen of the Sentinel force. With no one to lead him, Lucifer gathered several people and established his own legion, which promised to defeat the Lich King’s undead force. Unlike Kel’Thuzad’s army, Halsreny’s troops consisted of brute orcish footmen and spear throwers. An isolated island located in the middle in Winterspring Lake, Nendis had that whole area in command, and was always left in peace. No one else exactly knew of a such a place, and the landscape wasn’t exactly fantastic at all. On the borders of the island sat small fires, each apart by an equal distance. The champions each commanded a twenty, and they often sparred with each other to build on their combat powers. Warriors like N’aix, Crixalis, Lion and Nessaj were once banished by Kel’Thuzad. With nowhere to go, the lost swarm turned to Halsreny, to seek Lucifer’s aid. In bare weeks, Banehallow proved to be one of the top melee fighters. Lucifer was of course, expecting it.


To be continued…
More to come:
Mortred
The Frozen Sanctuary
Kel'Thuzad vs Banehallow
Soul I'kentum
Lucifer's Flaw

[headspin]

From the older forums, I've successfully transferred my story. Please do leave feedback after reading.

[Zelius]

lol still as fantastic as ever but is it just me or is the font kinda weird and u shld really change it to something more clear and big cos its really hard to read it again now.

[Kuda idu divlje Svinje]

ah, headspin, what a pleasure it is to see you back! magnificent as the first time i've read it, and i look forward to more chapters.

btw, I also don't know how to change size/colors, been trying many variations but never did it, can you tell me how do you do it?

[headspin]

Aren't there toolbars for you to edit the font?

[Kuda idu divlje Svinje]

well, sorry to spam your story, but i don't know how. - watch this.

[SIZE=7]i like this story[SIZE=7]

[SIZE=7]i like this story[/SIZE=7]

[COLOR=purple]i like this story[COLOR=purple]

[COLOR=purple]i like this story[/COLOR=purple]

i like this story

but bold works.... if u know how to, please PM me.
on the downside, i just bumped your story, I really hope that Terrorblaze will spare my wretched life, argh

[headspin]

Don't you see these code buttons?

First, type out the text, then highlight those that you want font-edited.
Next, select the type of edit from above, ranging from Bold, Italics, Underline, Font face, size and color.

[headspin]

After placing Fan-Fiction at the off-topic section, no one ever comes here. How very sad. We should all put links to our stories in our signature.

[Kuda idu divlje Svinje]

yes, exactly....
i began with it first so my story has most views, almost double
we could buy pendragon or mafaga a beer and telle them to get this into DOTA section...

[Eric84]

Its a fantastic story! I'm really eager to read more of your post in the future.

[headspin]

Thanks alot. Anyway Kuda, I really want Fan Fiction to be in the DotA section too, not the goddamn off-topic area. Gotta tell Pendragon to do it. If not, hardly anyone comes to read fan fic, cause they don't really check the bottom part of the discussion.

[Kuda idu divlje Svinje]

if you need me to join the hunt (i.e. think up threathening PMs and mails), PM me

[Aconite_Vyper]

Love it. Can't wait for more

And in case your wondering about others out there, I agree, we should get one of the mods to put this in the Dota section where it belongs. Power to the Fan-Fic Writers! etc, etc....

So, if you folks need any help, give me a buzz

[headspin]

Yes, we certainly should get the administrators to do something about this. Placing Fan-Fiction off topic is blatantly foul and inappropriate. We need support for this action.

[headspin]

The forums are really too unstable. For that, I don't know to blame Invision Power Board or the creators. Fan Fiction and Strategy owns.

[Futile[wolf]]

O, a great read, and definetly looking forward to the next chapter. One quick suggestion though. Write it on something like word and post it as an attachment. That way people can edit the text sizes, colours etc themsleves. Plus it makes the story last.

[headspin]

Haven't been able to write due to time constraint. It's a busy period now, this time of the year. Thanks for the great feedback.

[FireHawk]

Very nice. I really like wolf as a hero. And i really like the story

[Tolzok]

Quite a nice story, keep up the good work.

[Blademasta]

Great story. You should keep continuing, giving up this wonderful story would be almost considered a sin