Death Knight Vignette: Search and Recover
The dead mountain peak was eerily quiet in the dark moon-less night. No wind to speak of and absolutely no life for at least a mile in any direction. Kneeling, Uthoraxter inspected the stone beneath him again, as if hoping he had been wrong the first time. No tracks. Nothing. The lead was as dead as he was. Why had the two elves fled up here? And where did they go?
The death knight stood up. A sigh escaped him, as it so often did when he was annoyed, despite having been dead for almost two millennia.
"Fathelion," Uthoraxter commanded, his dead eyes still gazing to the ground. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but he knew the others would hear him. A sound stirred behind him, as one of his four lieutenants stepped towards him.
"My lord," the lesser death knight addressed his commander.
"Find them."
As Fathelion began his divinations, Uthoraxter turned towards the south. Several moments went by as he contemplated. Without a word, he began walking down the mountain. The three remaining lieutenants would follow him. Fathelion didn't need more instructions. And yet Uthoraxter envied his master's telepathic bond with his lich minions. It would have made things easier.
The four death knights walked through the remainder of the night, through the thick cloud cover. The sun would have been rising in the east if the sky had been clear. But it was still dark here, and the rain was pouring. Uthoraxter enjoyed the sound of the rain for some reason. It was somehow soothing, even to his undead mind.
"Whrant," Uthoraxter lifted a hand, motioning forward.
The largest of the lesser death knights increased his pace to walk in front. The mindless skeletons and zombies littering this place were no match for any of them, but they were a nuisance. The death knight lord didn't have minions for no reason, so he put one of them to walk ahead and cut them down. The orcish death knight took particular pleasure in all kinds of destruction, even when it posed no real challenge.
The day went by, and soon darkness crept over the Sword Coast again. By nightfall, the quintet had reached the River Chionthar, having walked directly south from the Troll Claws. Uthoraxter kneeled down on the river bank and dipped his right hand into the water. He whispered a quiet chant to Mystra, then retracted his hand again. He stared into the water for several moments before rising, turning to his disciples. He then paused, as a message was sent to his mind.
"Dezarium," He uttered.
"Death Lord," came the reply from one of his lieutenants.
"Fathelion is waiting for you at the Boareskyr Bridge," The Death Lord explained and Dezarium bowed his head, turned and walked back north.
Uthoraxter then turned to the last two of his death knight followers.
"Go across the river and into the Woods of Sharp Teeth. Find the orcs, slay their shamans and wait for me."
His command was followed without even the slightest hesitation, and his glowing blue eyes followed the disciples as they walked into the streaming water and some moments later, up on the other side and past the treeline. He then turned to look north again. The two elves had known something. That much was clear. He had to find them again. But he also had his other duty. He looked across the streaming water and into the Woods of Sharp Teeth. There were powerful magical artifacts in these woods.
He would find them.
He would bring them to his Shadow King.