Warcraft Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodstained Shadows - Chronicles of a Lost Soul ❯ Frozen Hearts - Chapter 9 ( Chapter 54 )

Chapter 9:

 

 

Originally I planned on waiting for the Ashen Verdict to make their first move, but something inside me told me I still had to settle something beforehand.

It was actually rather easy to track down Orbaz Bloodbane, thanks to the Ebon Blade. They were constantly tracking him with everything they had and he wasn`t too interested in hiding away anyways.

After he had fled from the battlefield of Light`s Hope that one day, his bond to the Lich King remained unbroken. He then quickly advanced inside the Scourge.

No one would deny that he had always been a born leader, strong and cruel enough for the Scourge. He was destined to take a top position in the ranks of Arthas` legions.

They even found replacements for the other three of `us`, somehow it`s just hilarious although I am anxious to meet them..., just like my axe is too.

This noon I took a wyvern from Dalaran to the stronghold of the Argent Crusade in Icecrown. There I met an ambassador of the bronze dragonflight. I greeted him with a certain distance. I trusted none of the flights too much, although I still hold my grudge mainly against Alexstrasza and her flight for trying to fool me into something. Nonetheless the dragon in a bloodelf guise as an officer of the Warsong Offence simply tried to help me, so I agreed eventually. His brethren would take me to the steps of the black citadel.

As we flew over to the fortress of the Lich King, I had the chance to gaze at the different smaller battlefields below.

There were constant explosions around Mord`rethar, the gate of death - one of many scattered throughout the whole of the Icecrown glacier; I guess the Orgrim`s Hammer or the Skybreaker were unloading onto it again. Ymirheim stood in flames as I saw how soldiers of the Warsong Offence charged at the city walls. Inside the surface mining area called the Pit of Saron most slaves had been freed by members of the Argent Crusade and the undead overseers were taken down as I flew over it.

The dragon landed in the middle of the large staircase, right in front of the citadel. A small encampment of the Argent Crusade as well as the Ebon Blade had already been set up and a large battering ram with the head of a lion was waiting directly in front of the barricaded door for the right moment to strike.

A cold breeze blows directly into my face as I summon Abigore. With a short nod I try to show the dragon my acknowledgement for the help he offered to me. The bronze creature rises up into the air as fast as we have travelled here and heads back to the stronghold of the Argent Dawn.

I noticed how his eyes were fixed to Shadow`s Edge most of the time we weren`t flying. Animals fear this weapon. Their instincts tell them to flee, to stay away from it. For a short period of time that dragon carried the same burden as I do.

Abigore is as fast as always. Sure-footed he jumps down the stairs. As we reach the ground level, we are surrounded by the undead nerubians roaming the area. More cannon fodder of the army of the Lich King. Abigore just rushes past them as I navigate him towards the east.

We pass through a gate leading into an area filled with blazing forges and undead blacksmiths forming Saronite. A skeletal structure of a Necropolis is hovering above us.

I already know where I should find the replacements of Koltira, Thassarian and me. During the course of the last day I received another note from Darion supplying me with the information I needed to find them. I have to admit he is pretty good in guessing what goes on in the back my head.

Baelok, Rider of Blood, is the name of my first target. All three of them have these fancy titles `Rider of...this and that`. Even the names of their deathchargers are taken down on the little sheet of paper Mograine has sent me. All of them are supposed to become lieutenants on the unfinished Necropolis above me, Malykriss. I can still remember how I was once promised something similar to that.

They really are good at collecting information about people.

I get off Abigore and draw my axe as I dismiss him.

Lots of deathknight initiates are wandering around the area, it shouldn`t take long for them to notice me. And just as I finish this thought in my head, the first one comes charging at me. He seems to be not much of a fighter, probably just woken up from his agonizing dreams. What a pity that destiny has led his path right across mine so early. With a step to the right I plunge my axe directly into his chest as he tries to strike at me.

Motionless the initiate falls over as I remove the axe from his torso. A feint white entity is sucked from the body of the dying deathknight into the blade of the axe. I feel a sort of sting in my body, but the pain is immediately washed away as I notice the increase of my strength. It may not have been much and it may not make too much of a difference at this point. But if I can already feel it now...

I look at the blade of my weapon. Shadow`s Edge just tore apart a piece of armour probably made of pure Saronite and didn`t even take a scratch.

Another two of the foolish deathknight underlings come charging at me on my way to Baelok. None of them takes more than one blow.

I now can see his steed standing next to a tent filled with bars of Saronite, Bloodsunder is its name.

`A beautiful animal.`, I think to myself as I see it. It's rider also wouldn`t be far. I turn a bit to the east and there I spot him standing next to one of the forges.

I get a little closer. At first I think that this might be a joke but it actually... is the truth...

On the little note there are even remarks about who they should replace. Baelok is the one in my place... they gave him a weapon that looks exactly like Armageddon. But not just that... Baelok is a... vrykul.

My fist clutches tightly around the handle of my axe.

I start to enrage as I see him standing there, a bulky human-like figure, with a long white beard.

“Who do you think you are?!“ I yell as I charge at the tall deathknight.

He turns around and offers me one of his simple battle calls, a scream, nothing more.

Once in motion Shadow`s Edge turns out be a strong and swift weapon. Easy to handle, but still with a deadly precision to it when you strike.

Baelok blocks the first hit with the edge of his blade. With a loud crashing sound Shadow`s Edge hits the side of his weapon going through it for a third of its width. Within the blink of an eyes I can suddenly see fear in the eyes of the vrykul. I almost laugh out loudly as I see that he is actually making a step backwards.

With a strong pull I free my axe while breaking out a bit more of the sundered sword. I`m sure Armageddon would have withstood such an attack easily.

The expression on his face is sullen as he looks at his weapon while he speaks a few words in his native language.

I don`t care... I simply don`t care what he`s trying to tell me...

A vrykul..., they compare me with a ... vrykul.

I dodge his following attack and strike low. I aim for the right knee and my axe finds its target with ease.

The blade almost cuts through the whole leg as Baelok drops his weapon and lets out an agonizing scream. I don`t worry about the initiates around here hearing us. If they see what I am doing to their overseer most of them won`t even hesitate to flee.

Dark red blood covers the earth as the vrykul is forced onto the knees. He again says something to me in his native language. I guess a curse or an insult. He tries to grab the sword lying only few metres away.

At least his fighting spirit isn`t already broken.

“I`ll make sure they can`t make a vargul out of you, my dear friend...“ I say as I lift my axe again.

Baelok hurries to raise his sword to block the strike aiming for his neck. I hit the blade a few centimetres above the other `notch`. The sword isn`t able to withstand the power of the blow anymore, the tip simply breaks off and my weapon cuts through the neck of the vrykul unhinderedly.

With a loud rattling noise it rolls away still in the helmet, the ice blue eyes wide open, the braids in his white beard now covered with dark red blood.

Bloodsunder looks at me eagerly after his master has parted from this world.

I pet his head and say quietly, “Sorry for you, but I already have a deathcharger of my own.“

The horse shrieks as an answer and vanishes into the shadows. He now is one of the few free nightmares.

Behind the tent I see a small pass winding up the mountains to the higher levels where I will find the over two.

The replacement for Thassarian is called Sapph, Rider of Frost, with a steed called Icefury. As I reach the end of the path I stand high upon everything else on the top of the black Saronite walls on the same height as the unfinished Necropolis.

I hear how weapons clash against each other. It seems to be a training ground for the not so experienced deathknights. While they fight, geists jump around the area, servants for them, fulfilling everything they wish for or need.

All of them are too far away to be a threat for me. To the east there is long ledge from which you have a good overview of the battlefield around Mord`rethar.

Sapph is standing at the very end of it, only centimetres away from the edge. It turns out that Sapph is actually a female bloodelf. So Thassarian was replaced by a women, how amusing.

Her deathcharger stays away from the ledge. Its stares at me as I approach, but remains calm. It knows I wouldn`t try to hurt it without reason.

As I come closer she turns around.

“I knew you would come.“, she announces and lifts her axe.

She has no problems dodging my first attack.

With a swift strike of her own, she scratches my armour, but it hardly inflicts any damage.

She is fast, but that is all that is to her.

I grab her arm with my left hand and lift Shadow`s Edge with the other one.

“Nice try.“, a smile is on her face.

Chill shoots through my arm. I look at it in bewilderment. It is..., it is just as if she has frozen it. Immediately she aims for my arm with her axe. I`m hardly able to pull it away fast enough. Instinctively I thrust my axe at her side. It`s tip gouges through her armour knocking her away sideways. She staggers to the edge not able to find her balance. I walk towards her as she tries to prevent herself from falling from the edge. I would have imagined that this should be a lot easier for an elf, but maybe she has lost that trait upon becoming undead.

I give her a little kick against the left leg which finally sends her falling down the cliff. I look carefully over the edge as gravity does its work. The body is smashed upon hitting the ground. The moment she has passed away, the effect of her spell wears off and my arm becomes movable again.

A short fight, but I have to admit it was a close call. Still she wasn`t that different to the Thassarian I know.

But there is no time for resting, not yet at least...

The next way I am going is following the path along the Saronite walls to the west and then south. Somewhere directly near the citadel I should find Rokir, Rider of the Unholy, and his steed Plaguehoof. Concerning how much Koltira has changed, I am anxious to meet his substitute.

The most annoying part about this whole thing is be getting there. I have to travel through the whole training grounds.

To my surprise some of the initiates don`t even notice that I`m not of the Scourge. They look at me, bow and keep on training with their partners. That way I actually manage to go about half the way without being attacked once. The abomination in the middle is the first to `notice` and attack.

From that point on I have to cut my way through to get to the other end.

It doesn`t take too long to get used to the small amount of pain I feel every time one of them dies due to my weapon. After I finally leave the training grounds only a few more geists playfully jump right into my blade. One of them actually leaps directly at the blade of my axe.

As I come closer to Rokir, I can see that he is human. The ground around him is covered with bones.

He has kept close watch over me from the moment on that he spotted me.

I slowly walk over to him.

As I set foot onto the layer of bones, something grabs my ankles. The Rider of the Unholy only smirks as he looks at me and how I try to get out of this grip. He then mumbles something very quietly and hands start reaching up from the piles of bones around him. Skeletons are digging their way up and out of the earth. There are eight of them. At least he is a skilled one, not like the other two. All eight skeletons start approaching me. I hope he knows that thingies like those are no real opponents for me, they are just puppets on a string.

I strike for the first one in range. Shadow`s Edge separates the upper body from the lower part with ease. With a loud explosion the remains of it explode knocking me over.

I almost lost the grip of my axe.

In the meantime more of them have reached me. As soon as they touch me, they start exploding like the one before. One of the last blasts knocks me off the layer of bones. I cough as I get up to my feet. I take back everything..., he`s not skilled, he`s just plainly annoying.

Rokir just laughs out loud as he sees how I charge directly at him again.

I`m able to take two or three steps before the bony fingers are again clutching around my boots. With a strong pull I tear off the arms still holding tightly to my feet on each side. I hear a faint explosion underneath the earth behind me and keep on going. It doesn`t take long for the next pair of hands reaching out for me.

I strike at them with Shadow`s Edge severing them from their bodies. Rokir`s eyes widen as I make my way towards him hacking and slashing at the ground.

Not much longer and I will reach him. He backs off further and further to the end of the layer.

“End of your territory...“ I say the moment I stand right in front of him with a short look to the ground around us, before offering him to the blade. "Maybe you should have become a fire-mage instead, they're also annoying as hell..."

I drag the dismembered body to the edge of the path along the forges and throw it down to the blacksmiths just for the heck of it. That bastard deserved it.

I then continue to follow the way winding down the mountains again leading to the cavern underneath the citadel of Arthas.

If I can believe the note of Darion, I will find him down there, Orbaz Bloodbane, The Hand of Suffering.

It seems he has risen to be the commander of the deathknights of the Lich King. I guess he is the one who is supposed to be head of Malykriss.

He really doesn`t even try to hide away the slightest bit. He was standing there in the cavern in midst of the ongoing fights between warriors of the Ebon Blade and his own underlings.

I`m sure he noticed me the moment I entered the cavern and I`m also sure that he recognized me immediately.

I`m greeted with a cold laughter.

“So you are still alive?“, he asks. “I assume you are now a puppy of the Ebon Blade, aren`t you? Another fool who turned down immortality for false hope and believes.“

“You missed the most important thing...“, I answer as I come closer, “I`m nobody's pet. I`m here on my own behalf.“

Orbaz laughs out once more.

“You`ve never been a piece of trash like the other two... You had the chance to become someone, to obtain strength beyond your imagination. To stand at his and my side! But no... You turned the master down! You disappointed him! You will pay for your treachery!“

Bloodbane lifts his weapon and prepares to strike. As I try the same the blades of our weapons hit. The notch my axe hews into Orbaz` weapon is not as large as the ones before, but still remarkable. Yet Orbaz` strength is tremendous. It feels as if this single hit has shattered several bones within my body.

“Be witness to the power the Lich King has bestowed upon me! A power you can only dream of!“

The runes on Bloodbanes weapon start glistening in a dark violet, a nova of shadow energy comes emerging from him.

Shadow`s Edge is drinking the foul magic happily.

“What is this trick of yours?“, he yells as he tries to hit me again.

I dodge the attack and strike back on my own. I am able to hit the side of his weapon and break something off from it.

“You cannot defeat me, you fool!“, he yells but his next attack also misses me. As I try to return the attack, Orbaz manages to block it again with his weapon. That damned thing. He can call himself lucky that it`s so long.

“You had your chance as his servant! I will take parts of your limbs and this time you will become one of the mindless slaves!“ Again he charged at me directly, but this time I won`t dodge. The blade of his polearm comes rushing towards me as I pull up my axe to stop it. A spark flies through the air before the blade of his weapon finally breaks.

“How did you...“

I immediately strike at him again with out warning. The blade of my axe cuts through the side of his Saronite armour as well as his undead flesh. He falls to the floor holding the wound, gazing at me.

“The master will eradicate you... Every... single... one...“

He tries to laugh once more, but is interrupted by him coughing up a few last drops of his viscous black blood.

I've always wanted to fight him, although from time to time I even feared him. I despised him for what he was. And I wanted to kill him for who he was.

Now the time had finally come. I was the one to wield the weapon that cut him down.

But still..., what an ignoble way of dying.

The Ebon Blade will soon win this fight down here, there is no need for me to stay.

A bang from above interrupts my thoughts. From a distance I hear people yelling, followed by another bang..., the battering ram.

So it has finally begun.