Trials of Darkness

The true tale of what really happened, all quotes here are the factual ones.
 
Author: Alastar
==The New Beginning==
Fed up with living in the basment of Lakeshire's Inn, Alexander Belmondo, at the age of thirty, had pondered about the last few years of his life, and what to do with it. It's been three years since the death of his wife and children.
As he wrote studies in his books and meddled with alchemy, he had thought about what he tried to work for with his shadow magic, and what grief it has caused him. His candles started to melt all the way to his make-shift crate desk. He was now sorrounded in darkness on this eerie night, bearing a melancholy mood. He stood up and tried to adjust his vision but it was far too dark... with anger he crumpled his fist and it began to blaze into a searing fireball. He was shocked at the fact he could still manipulate magic.
"This... has to be a sign!", he says. He hasn't practiced magic in years, and he was able to conjur up shadowy fire with ease. He walked up the stairs and proceeded to walk outside and admire the envoirment of the lake. He was wearing nothing but a dark pair of pants and some sandals. He reached for a rock sitting on the dock and threw it in the water, as he was bored. It splashed a bit, but he then heard a *THUNK*. He walked to the edge of the docks and saw a pool of blood appear before his eyes, on the band of eerie moonlight. Unfolding like a horrific pair of demonic eyes.
He then, without fear, dove into the water. There was enough moonlight around for him to see. He spotted, to his amazement, a young woman dressed for swimming. He wondered why she was out so late. He grabbed her unconsious body and and swam to the muddy banks. She apparently had water in her lungs, far too much. Alexander tried and tried to push it out of her but it did not work... without thinking, Alexander somehow recalled an old shadow spell he knew of from his old studies... everlasting breath. He placed his hand on the center of her chest and said the words. The moment he casted that spell, he has forgotten it... once again.
She began breathing again, and apparently absorbed the water within her, but she was still unconscious, and her head wound seemed to be too minor to bother with. Alexander picked her up and took her inside the inn and place her on the chair, and got an old blanket from his stock downstairs and covered her up. Alexander then realized... his powers CAN save lives. Why let all of the past go in vein? Why not seek further knowledge!?
Alexander walked outside the inn door and never returned for years to come.
==The Plague of Undeath==
We all know about it... the spread of the Plague of Undeath in Lordaeron.
Alexander, now age thiry-one, was devastated to hear about it... even though his new family has perished, he suddenly felt need for his old family once again... he became... worried for them, despite what they had done.
He ventured back to Tirisfal in search of his old manor. The landscape was barren with ghouls and living humans trying to struggle to survive. Alexander easily overpowered the now weak ghouls and made it back to his old homestead near the shore... the trees whispered in the wind, calling out the name of death. Alexander pressed on through the glades determined to find his home. The smoke from the fires of Stratholme were quite visible, adding more horror to the barren wasteland of undead.
Alexander reached his old manor, and bursted right into the creeping wood. There laid slain members of his family... the house was rotting with blood, but there seemed to be no signs of ghouls or other monstrosities. He heard something in the upstairs and ventured there. The old clothing cabinent was rattling and he opened it up without fear to see his father... 
"Archmagus Trephus Belmondo cowardly cooped up in this stink hole? Such honor, father.", said Alexander.
"Alexander... you've... returned.", said his father.
"I'm never going to forg--", said Alexander when he was suddenly interrupted.
"Avenge us Alexander! AVENGE ME! THE PLAGUE! STOP IT!", uttered the old mage.
Alexander looked dumbfounded... the rotten scum who banished and forgot him wanted him to avenge him? Just then his father pulled out a yellow gemmed pendant and rolled over dead... or it seemed that way. It kind of looked like he passed out. Alexander bluntly took it... he did not know why, but he did. 
Alexander then left the manor but did not leave the area... he remained in the plagued wastelands for years to come.
==The Cult of Feldar==
One year had passed of wandering the "Western Plaguelands", fighting off ghouls with the little magic he has known (note, the plague was not as strong back then). Eventually he came across two red-robed magicians fighting off an abomination. They hurled great balls of shadow, and commanding imps to fire bolts into their caked fleshy skin.
"Ahoy!", screamed Alexander to gain their attention.
"Naztheros, rakkiz!", screamed one of them, with flowing blackish gray hair. Clearly an old man by the looks of his grayed out beard. It was a language unknown to Alexander.
"Mage boy! He tells you to aid us! Stop sitting around you koot!", shouted a woman with blonde hair, attemping to translate the old man.
Alexander then conjured up a fireball and fired it at the abomination, doing somewhat decent damage to it's hide. Eventually the three knocked it over, dead once again.
"It's good to see living flesh here.", said Alexander to the two.
"Pardon me my young man, but I thought you were of the clan.", said the older cloaked man.
"No, I'm a wandering... mage I guess.", said Alexander.
"That was dark flame, kid. What're you trying to pull?", said the woman.
"Kid!? Hah, I'm probably old enough to be your father I bet, young lady.", said Alexander smugly.
"Looks can be decieving, pureblood. I'm forty years old, but a blood pact I've made has hindered my aging.", said the young woman.
"Warlocks!?", said Alexander, in shock.
"That is correct, my boy. But what're you then? You claim you're a mage but wield the same fire as us? Where's your demon...", said the older man.
"I've no demon, I am not a warlock but... a confused mage. I used to practice dark arts a long time ago.", Alexander said nervously.
"That's a lie, you've too much energy source to be a straight up mage. You may be a pureblood but stop shitting us, honestly.", said the woman, grinning.
"Pureblood?", said Alexander confusingly.
"You've no pacts, you newbie. So am I suppose to believe you?", said the woman.
"Calm down Justine. He is not one of us, I think he speaks no lie. Pardon me my friend, but I am Xaran, one of the chief members of the new order, The Cult of Feldar. This here is one of our more skilled fighters, Justine. Don't let her good looks fool you, she's a wicked witch.", said the old man followed with a small cackle.
"My name is Alexander... Belmondo.", said Alexander.
"Hahaha! The exiled boy of the Belmondo Clan! I know your story, and you're a foolish one indeed... but it seems your exile saved your ass from the Plague!", said Justine smugly.
"I guess... look, I've lived here for a year now and I've been looking to... enhance my power -- but killing these ghouls isn't doing much, I need to stabilize myself, I need to learn more.", said Alexander in a rush.
"I know of what you want, and yes you can join our cause. We're a warlock faction containing both humans and the Forsaken... Scourge ghouls who've broken free of the Lich King's curse and given their souls back.", said Xaran.
Brushing her hair a bit and smiling "Welcome aboard, handsome...", said Justine in somewhat of a sarcastic way.
Alexander had joined The Cult of Feldar and learned many new things, and how to stabilize his power. However the clansmen noticed his unusual energy source, in which he inherited from the Belmondo Clan, it was just like his father's. Xaran mentioned he knew his father long ago, back when the Belmondo family was part of Dalaran, but then eventually broke off due to elitism in their part, and they haven't spoken since. Alexander learned how to speak Demonic, and grew quite fond of Justine, but never really tried to pursue a relationship... still mourning his dead wife. During this time, Alexander transfused demon blood inside of him, to further help him control demons, as well as detect them and their trickery. Alexander refers as this to "when he lost his humanity".
==Rebirth==
The Cult of Feldar was somewhat tied to the Burning Legion's remains, feeding off power from them in exhange of servicing the nefarious dreadlord, Lord Banehollow by supplying him with souls of powerful archmages.
Banehollow became aware of Alexander's sudden self-energy source and demanded an audience with him. He contacted the Clan and told them to send Alexander down... which he refused at first but went anyway, he thought he could learn more power from them. Xaran begged him to stay, for it was suicide, but Alexander ignored him, and Xaran gave Alexander his family staff to "protect" him, like a good luck charm.
Upon arriving in Felwood, Alexander marched down Jaedenar. The cultists there serving Banehollow all watched him walk down the paths into the inner lair. Eventually Alexander reached the chambers of the nefarious dreadlord himself.
"Greetings, mortal. I've been expecting you.", said Lord Banehollow.
"Never thought I'd meet a dreadlord, heh.", said Alexander.
"Watch your tounge mortal! Your lowly kind will not refer to me as such!", said Banehollow in anger.
"Whatever.", said Alexander rolling his eyes.
"Pfft, I should kill you right now... but there's more important business. Are you aware, flimsy Alexander, of your inner energy! It is amazing, I should suck your soul up right now... but I have USE of you.", said Banehollow.
"Oh, really? Do explain.", said Alexander somewhat interested.
"You see, you be my errand boy for awhile, and I will grant you some of my powers in exhange. Otherwise I'll have you killed and de-souled. The son of the mighty Archmage will be a great feast!", said Banehollow in delight.
"That coward? Hah!", said Alexander proudly.
"Coward or not, power is power, mortal.", said Banehollow annoyed.
Alexander started regretting coming here, but he had nothing to lose. He did just that, errands for Lord Banehollow... started off by collecting the souls of convicted maguses. Banehollow granted Alexander some power to further his progress... and gave Alexander a pet name... "Alastar", a bastardization of Alexander in Demonic lingo... and Alexander took up that name as his own, to forever forget his birthname, Alexander... which meant nothing to him. However, Banehollow moved him onto more villianic quests, such as harvesting the souls of the innocent but then he crossed the line. Banehollow became enranged and stopped trusting his new pet, Alastar and sentenced him to death.
The demonic guards of Banehollow started closing in on Alastar as he tried to escape but they caught him, and Banehollow caged him. Alastar's clansmen back in the Plaguelands learned what was going on, and before Alastar was sucked dry of his soul, Xaran summoned a ritual portal and Alastar escaped. Banehollow, lazily dismissed it for now but put a price on Alastar's head in the demon world... to bring his soul.
Alastar was back in the Plaguelands, with his newfound powers. He was amazingly strong, but trouble had befallen. The Plague of Undeath became too strong and the ghoulish inhabinants became too much for the Clan... they had no choice but to attempt to flee, they tried to in the past but were almost killed, but if they stay here now they'll get killed anyway. Xaran said he was going back home and gave his blessings to Alastar. A death knight named Joakhim approached Alastar during his remaining days there spouting "Alexander, son of Belmondo! Fight me!" and challenged him to a fight, and Alastar put up a good fight and defeated him in a duel, but noticed his power started to fade... the dreadlord must have learned how to cut off his new power taught by the dreadlord himself. The death knight took note of this and proceeded to get back up and slay Alastar, but Alastar managed to land a deathly blow on the death knight, killing him for good. Alastar had found Justine's imp guardian, Rupmat lying dead on a fencepost. He revived him and took him along... to remind him of the Clan. While they were tied to the darkness, they took him in and treated him like family. Rupmat was Alastar's first true demon under his full command. Alastar had assumed Xaran and the rest were entirely slaughtered.
==Epilogue==
We all know how Alastar fled to the south, ran into Duran and learned about Iron Blue Intention. Alastar was determined to gain his powers back a more fair way through warlock training.
The dreadlord Banehollow still seeks out Alastar's soul for revenge, even though Alastar recently tricked Banehollow into giving him some Xorothian Stardust, thinking he was another powerful warlock seeking to steal a dreadsteed from Banehollow's arch enemy.
...at age thirty-five and in his prime, Alastar has gained a lot of power and still remembers the dreaded Banehollow... and wishes to defeat him once and for all, regretting to have ever worked for him once he saw how greedy and vile his hunger for power... Alastar's, that is. Alastar is still guilty about his actions with Banehollow, even to this day and feels he must kill Banehollow himself to relieve the guilt.
Why Alexander keeps the name "Alastar" is because his hatred for his father is far more than the dreadlord Banehollow. He thinks Alastar is a fitting name for him, since he is after all, a "relocalized Alexander".
Regardless of being free in his own eyes, he doesn't realize he is still bound to Banehollow... by a thread. 
(Note, in the future Alastar sets up a soul pact in desperation for power to defeat Death Knight Jimbotomy but eventually destroys Banehollow to free himself, and when Banehollow regenerates, he finds he has lost all control and tracking of Alastar.)
Category:Stories