#barirn

“Dear Barirn,

I am sure you are finding this strange, a letter sent by me, but there is good reason for such a thing. You know as well as any other, I would not reach out to you unless it were dire. Times are trying these days, and as much as you have attempted multiple times to steer Monisha away from me. You have failed, but I now offer a hand, a chance to redeem yourself in her eyes. I care not how you think of me, but you swore yourself as her guardian. Her guard... One that will never leave her side or turn their back. You have done so, and in you doing so... Monisha is on the brink of death. I -cannot- do this alone. Which is why I am requesting your help. I have tracked down those that have done this, and I desire a meeting with you. I will bring you to her so that you can see for yourself should you think this a ploy or set up. We will talk more upon our meeting, and I will fill you in on all that has transpired.

All must be forgiven, and all must be cleansed.

Sincerly,

Lord Zeronex Fenris.”

Barirn looks around as he dismounts from his skeletal gryphon. It had been a while since he had been back to Acherus, soon after they broke away from the Lich King. He had been doing well after the break, going under the wing of a Death Knight named Casity, who had been helping him readjust back to the world around them. But now he was called back. As he walked forward, a blood elf approached him.

“Greetings, Barirn. It has been a while.”

Barirn nodded his head at the elf, as he recognized them. The elf was Jorah Dawnblade, who became a death knight around the time that Barirn was first brought to the Ebon Hold, under Arthas’ reign. The blood elf stood around 6′, the armor he wore being the standard that death knights were given, matching the kind Barirn currently wore.

“It has been a while, Jorah. Where am I to go?” “You are to meet with me.” Jorah responded, as he leaned against the wall of Acherus. “You are being assigned a new task, to handle on top of your regular duties.”

“A new task? What may it be?”

Jorah paused for a moment, before pulling out a scroll and handing it to Barirn. 

“You are to go to Stormwind, and work for the Golden Odyssey. Those higher along the chain of command have deemed them to be of interest, as of right now, and you are to join up with them, with the Ebon Blade’s permission. You are to offer yourself as a bodyguard to one Monisha D’Angelo. You are to protect her with your life, and keep an eye out for what they may be up to. If there is something you deem worrisome, you are to report it to us immidiately. Do you understand?”

Barirn raises an eyebrow, then takes the scroll.

“Yes, but why was I picked for this job?”

Jorah smirked. “That is for you to find out. Now go.”

Barirn looked around, still holding the closed scroll. He had arrived in Stormwind two days ago, but, due to the attack on the city by Deathwing a couple of weeks ago, everything was still in shambles. He had spent his time there searching for the Golden Odyssey, until he was finally informed that they had moved into Elwynn Forest. Another day of travel, and he had finally arrived at the location given to him. The building looked like a monastary, which he found odd, but he pushed that feeling away as he walked up the steps, before knocking on the front door.

One’s Sword

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

Barirn grunts as he quickly ducks, barely dodging the sword swung at him by a classmate. He couldn’t remember their name, only that they had been trying to bully him since the first day of class. He quickly swings his sword, parrying his opponent, before twisting the blade around and disarming them, the tip of his blade now at their throat. He hears a whistle come from behind him, causing him to pull his blade back, then bows to his opponent and turn around to look at the rest of the class.

“Was that sastifac-”

Barirn suddenly grunts as he feels something hit him from behind. He falls into the mud, as he then feels a boot kick him several times in the back. Then, suddenly, it stops. He slowly turns around, wiping the mud off his face, before seeing Diore, his only friend, pummeling the young elf he had just fought, while the instructor had his hands on the collars of two more classmates, friends of the bully. His head rings, unable to hear anything that is happening, before he passes out.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

Barirn grunts as he quickly ducks, barely dodging the sword swung at him by his sparring partner. He keeps going in and out with what he remembers about this event. He ducks. He swings his runeblade at his opponent’s head. The hilt hits his opponent’s left hand. The tip of the blade is at his opponent’s throat. His opponent is another night elf, though he cannot recognize them. A loud “HALT” reverberates through the room. Barirn turns around instinctively, instinct being the only thing he has relied on since he was turned. Suddenly, something hits him in the back, forcing him to the ground. He turns around to see his opponent over him, their blade at his throat for a moment, before they are suddenly death gripped by a veteran knight. He then passes out.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

Barirn grunts as he quickly ducks, barely dodging the sword swung at his head. He then growls, before swinging his own runeblade at his opponent. Sparks flew off their blades as they fought. A fight to the death. Barirn snarls as he slams his blade into the ground, causing ichor to flow out of it at his opponent, causing the elf to scream in pain. He then barrels forward, knocking them down and disarming them, before pointing the tip of his blade at his opponent’s neck. He looks down, before suddenly hearing a sound from behind him. It sounds like...his name. He wants to turn around, his instincts tell him to turn around. As he is about to do so, a thought suddenly flashes through his mind.

“...I need to break this pattern...”

He then turns back, to see his opponent is back on their feet, posed to strike. His memory flashes. The bully. This is the elf who bullied him as a child. When the Scourge came, they were both raised at the same time, and fought, mindlessly, as sparring partners. And when the Ebon Blade broke free from the Lich King, this one decided to betray them, instead of joining them in the fight against the Scourge. Barirn was sent to hunt them, to bring them back, dead or alive. He would not fall again. His sword leaves his hands as he throws it, piercing the bully through the chest, knocking them back over. He then walks over, pulls his sword out, and then beheads them.

Ashenvale is known for being a quiet forest. One could walk through the trees, barely hearing a sound. But on this day, there was definitely a sound... “WHY WOULD SAY SUCH A THING! I HATE YOU!” Barirn sighs as he watches his daughter Mikikara run off into the forest. They had gotten into a huge fight, over Mikikara wanting to join up with the Watchers, even though Barirn had forbade her from joining. He felt it was a waste of her talent, joining up with a group that was watching over a comotose traitor. A hand touches Barirn’s shoulder, causing him to turn around and look into the eyes of Diore. His expression soften as he saw his mate, the love of his life. Ever since they were children, they were the best of friends. That was mostly due to the fact that Diore being the only person their age to even approach the introverted Barirn, her cheerfulness counterbalancing his cold and quiet demeanor. She was the only person to actually make Barirn truly smile.

“She will return, Barirn. She always return, and you two have had worse arguments.”

“I know.” Barirn says, as he sighs. “But I worry. This will not be the last time we clash with each other. I just wish she would listen to me, and join the Priesthood. It would do wonders for her behavior. She is too volatile, the Watchers would never accept her.” “There is nothing else we can do about it, however. Let her go, let her cool down.” Diore then reaches up and gives Barirn a kiss on the lips. “Now, come inside. I made supper.”

Barirn walks across the upper level of the Ebon Hold, heading to one of the runeforges. He was instructed to meet with the Varm Blackhoof, the first death knight he meet when he arrived at Archerus. He had become Barirn’s mentor, teaching him the skills needed for a minion of Arthas. Barirn spotted the tauren in a corner, and approached him.

“I am here as instructed. What do you wish for me to do?” Barirn crossed his hands behind his back as he spoke, standing at attention. Varm turned around, holding a blade out.

“Ah, Barirn, you have arrived. Good. You have been trained and tested for ages now, and you have been finally deemed to receive your own runeblade, and take your place among the loyal servants of the Lich King.” He holds the sword in his arms out to Barirn. “Come, take it, and carve your runes into it with the forge next to us.”

Barirn takes the sword and held it up to examine it. It was a finely crafted blade, unmatched by anything he can remember, though admittedly his memory only extended to when he awoke in the Ebon Hold. He traces a finger along the flat of the sword, as energy from the runeforge poured out, carving runes unlike any he had seen before.

“Now,” Varm said after the last rune appeared on the sword. “I have one more mission for you. We have a prisoner on the ground that we can no longer keep, due to an impending battle that we shall be participating in. You shall go down and kill them, charging your blade in the process, before joining the rest of us across the hills into Eastern Plaguelands proper.” The tauren then held a scroll out to Barirn. “Now, go.”

About an hour later, Barirn arrived at the building he knew prisoners were kept at. It was a small house, normally surrounded by death knights, though, due to the upcoming fight, was now unprotected. He breaks down the door and steps in, before looking around the room. Not much could be found in it, except an night elf woman, kneeling on the ground, chained to the floor. She was bruised all over, as if she put up a fight against her captors. She looked over at Barirn with a glaring look, though her face slowly became shocked as she saw him approached.

“B-Barirn? Is that you?”

Barirn stopped in his tracks. How did this woman know his name. A slight pain coursed through his brain for a moment, as something tried to rise to the forefront of his mind, though he quickly pushed it away. He takes another step closer, and draws his runeblade, before stopping as the elven female starts to cry.

“Barirn...I thought you had died...but I see it is actually worse...you probably don’t hear me...Elune...” She then stops crying suddenly and stands up, the chains groaning as they go tight, reaching their limit. Another spike of pain runs through Barirn’s head as she speaks once more. “Barirn, I know what you must do, but always remember that I love you.” She then suddenly jumps forward, the floorboards holding the chain splintering as they cannot hold her, as she impales herself onto his blade before he can react. “I shall be waiting...” She says as the last of her breath leave her, his sword glowing with the kill. Barirn stands there for a moment, as another wave of pain strikes him, before muttering one word.

“...Diore...”

Barirn then collapses on the ground, screaming, as memory after memory comes back to him in full force. His training as a child. the day he became lifemates with Diore, the birth of his daughters. One last memory come to him before he falls unconcious.

“Barirn! BARIRN!”

He struggles as he hears the cries of his mate, Diore, calling to him from another room, as he struggles against the men holding him down. Several corpses already laid on the ground, the first few he killed as they storming into their home. A fist flies, striking him in the face and stunning him, before a humanoid finally speaks, their voice cold and sharp as ice.

Here are five facts about the character this blog is about that you may not have known:

1. Barirn is an expertly trained in the use of several different kinds of fighting styles, though he is only formally a master in two, 1-handed and 2 handed swordplay

2. He has been married twice. The second time was as a death knight, after he broke away from the control of the Lich King. His second wife is currently MIA, and he is legally divorced from her.

3. Barirn knows how to knit, and knits when he has free time. He does this because it is something that reminds him of his former life, when he had to knit to make clothing and blankets for his family, and to help keep his fingers nimble.

4. Those who stand close to Barirn may notice that he does not smell or look like a member of the undead, even though he is a death knight. This is partially because of the magic imbued in him as a death knight, but also because he bathes himself every other day.