Disclaimer: I do not own some of the elements of this story; certain place names, plot elements, and characters are property of Blizzard, Inc, and are used out of appreciation for the radness that is World of Warcraft. In other words: I love you, Blizzard, please don't sue me.
Chapter One: Things Fall Apart
Kaya clutched her husband's charm in one soot-covered, trembling hand and begged the Light for aid. The Prince's forces were still moving through the city—she could hear the screams of the innocent citizens and the monstrosities some of them had become—but her main concern now was the fire. Besides the flames themselves, the smoke they caused was pervasive and carried a rotten, roasting meat smell which dizzied and sickened her. Though she kept trying to tell herself otherwise, in her gut Kaya was certain that she would lose everything here in this nightmarish city. Even as she ran and prayed, part of her was saying goodbye to her husband, her daughter, and everything else she loved.
As she paused to gasp for breath, Kaya heard a voice shouting commands in the square ahead. The sounds of the city tearing itself apart made it difficult to understand exactly what was being said, so she crept cautiously closer. It looked like Arthas and his followers had already been through this part of the city, if the corpses strewn on the ground were any indication. Still, if the voice belonged to one of the Prince's men, following it could result in her death. On the other hand, if it belonged to someone else, one of the citizens organizing an escape, perhaps…
Things got quieter as she got closer to the square, and at last she could make out what the voices were saying. "Ranulf, get as many of the reagents as you can carry from the basement. Sesca, is the circle almost done?"
"Almost there, Summoner."
"Summoner, what about the wards? They could be traced back to us if—"
"Destroy them. My minion will aid you."
Minion? Kaya thought. Then these people are warlocks? Kaya shuddered at the thought of asking that kind of person for help, but leaving with them gave her a better chance of survival than staying where the fires—or worse—could get to her.
In her rush to move forward, Kaya stopped watching where she was going. Something caught the hem of her dress, causing her to fall face-first on the ground. She looked back reflexively and screamed at the sight which confronted her. The thing that grasped her hem might have been human until just recently. Now, it was the embodiment of decay and malevolent hunger. Its skin was corpse-gray except for the places covered by scabs and sores, it reeked with the sourness of lasting illness, and despite its emaciation, when it switched its grip from her hem to her ankle, its fingers squeezed hard enough to cut off circulation.
Kaya screamed again in defiance and fear and kicked the abomination in the face. She heard the cartilage in its nose crunch, felt the impact of the kick run up her leg, but the corpse-thing seemed unfazed. It let out a phlegm-y growl and started pulling itself up her leg. Desperately, Kaya felt around her for some kind of weapon, but there was nothing nearby. As the thing got closer to her waist, the charm around her neck began to grow warm. When it started to glow, the corpse hissed and shrank back marginally.
"This will protect you from evil. Uther himself blessed it in the name of the Light. Keep it with you always, and know that even if I'm not by your side, I love you with all my heart and will do everything in my power to keep you safe." That was what Fallon had told her on their wedding day. She had been a little embarrassed at the time, but she hadn't once removed the chain and pendant after he fastened them around her neck. Now, she reached up with both hands, yanked until the chain broke, and thrust the charm at the abomination. When the gold touched the corpse-thing's forehead, the flesh sizzled. The undead yowled in pain and released Kaya's ankle, its hands flying up to the smoking skin of its face.
Kaya scrambled to her feet and turned to run, but she froze again before she could take more than a few steps. Other corpses were twitching, opening their eyes, pushing themselves to their feet…blocking off the entrance to the square. One of the undead, a female, seemed more intent, more controlled than the rest. Her gaze landed on Kaya, and to Kaya's horror, the thing emitted a rusty sound which might have been a laugh.
"What have we here? Breakfast for the troops, I think." The other corpses looked to the female speaker as if for direction, and she raised one discolored hand to point at Kaya. "If you hunger, brothers and sisters of the Scourge, your sustenance stands defenseless before you. By all means, sate yourselves!" With that, the "troops" surged forward, arms outstretched and hands grasping, crying out in wordless hunger.
Once again, Kaya frantically looked around for a weapon, any weapon, but the debris around her was too small to be any use. Finally, Kaya looked back down to the charm, still dangling in one hand. The circular gold pendant was glowing brighter than before and giving off enough warmth to be too hot to hold on its own. Inspiration struck, and she adjusted her grip on the chain. As the group of Scourge advanced, Kaya began spinning the charm on its chain in front of her like a radiant shield, praying that it would be enough of a deterrent.
The "troops" did pause, shielding their eyes, some of them growling or hissing, but the female leader snarled at them, "What are you doing? You act as if a mere trinket could stop the might and will of the Scourge! Fine, I will give you a glimpse of the power the Lich King has granted us!" She raised both hands and spoke a series of fluid but somehow nauseating words, and the charm began to cool and darken. When she finished, the charm was completely encased in blue-green ice, and when she shouted one last word, both the ice and the charm shattered.
Kaya flung one arm over her eyes, but flying shards of metal and ice still left numerous cuts on her face, arms, and shoulders. The charm threw out one last burst of light as it exploded, obliterating the Scourge closest to Kaya and incapacitating nearly all the rest. The only undead left standing was the female leader, who screamed in ire as her display of power backfired.
"NO! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE WORM! I will make you curse the day your mother met your father, and once I finally kill you, I will raise you from death so that I may torture you again!"
Kaya tried to run back the way she had come, but the undead was faster. She grabbed Kaya by the hair and pulled sharply backwards. Then, while Kaya's balance was off, the undead switched her grip to Kaya's neck, turned the terrified woman so that they were facing, and with unnatural strength, lifted her off the ground.
As Kaya kicked and gasped for breath, the undead gloated, "Perhaps I won't stop with you, after all. Perhaps, after I raise you, I will subject you to my will and make you lead me to your loved ones. You destroyed my little family; it seems only fair that I return the favor."
Kaya went completely still. Memories of her husband and daughter flashed through her mind: the day she met Fallon on the road to Andorhal, their first kiss and how brightly he had blushed afterward, the way little Lia had stared up when the midwife placed her in Kaya's arms, Lia's laughter as Fallon gave her her first pony ride on her third birthday. They were safe now (or so Kaya desperately hoped), but this thing with its cold hand wrapped around Kaya's throat wanted to bring them harm. Kaya imagined her undead self leading the female Scourge to the little cottage in the woods, imagined Fallon trying and failing to fight her off, imagined Lia's face as the little girl realized that there was something wrong with Mama. No! I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. Kaya felt the rage and determination spread through her limbs like fiery quicksilver. Red-tinged shadows crowded around the edge of her vision, then obscured it completely. One thought registered before she lost consciousness.
I will NOT let you hurt them.
Earlier that day…
Fallon was sweating beneath his armor. The day was actually cool for late summer, with rain clouds gathering to the north and blocking the sun, but he was dreading the upcoming mission. His fellow paladins were their usual selves, joking with each other, praying, doing whatever they normally did to mentally prepare themselves for a battle. All Fallon knew was that Arthas had requested their aid, and though he trusted the prince, he still had a terrible feeling that this particular fight would not end well. He took off his helm and let it rest on his saddle horn, hoping that a stray breeze would come and dry the fear-sweat that soaked his hair. The men and women behind him began to murmur, and he turned to see what was going on. When he saw who was riding towards him, he bowed at the waist and, putting one hand over his heart in salute, said, "Light keep you, Sir Uther."
The Lightbringer returned the gesture. "And the same to you, my son." As he slowed his horse's pace to match Fallon's, he continued, "You've seemed distracted this whole ride. Are you feeling all right?"
Fallon blinked, then looked down the road, where Stratholme was just coming into sight. "Truthfully, sir, I've been feeling rather…anxious…ever since we set out."
"Worried about your family, perhaps? I know you're one of the only knights in this group with children."
Fallon smile ruefully. "I'm always worried about my family. I've become accustomed to that, but this—" His smile faded. "This is different. I can't put my finger on it, exactly, but something feels off. Sir, the messenger who came to my house didn't know any specifics. I might feel more confident if I had a better idea of what we're riding into."
Uther sighed. "With any luck, we're riding into an opportunity to take down the mastermind behind the destruction of Andorhal." He paused, then, shaking his head, continued, "Mal'Ganis must be stopped, but…" Uther trailed off.
"But Arthas, the stubborn fool, seems almost too invested in defeating the demon." The voice came suddenly from Fallon's other side and conveyed equal parts exasperation and affection.
Fallon jerked his head around, causing his horse to sidle anxiously, but when he recognized the speaker, he bowed again. "Lady Proudmoore, forgive me. I did not hear you approach."
Jaina Proudmoore smiled. "Good. That means my skills aren't getting rusty."
"There you are, Jaina," Uther said. "I've been wanting to speak with you. Will you excuse us, Fallon?"
Fallon nodded, and the other two trotted forward until they were a few yards ahead of the rest of the paladins. Fallon was left with his worries once more, and though he tried to pray, he couldn't focus properly. Before he knew it, they had arrived at the gates of Stratholme. The thunderclouds above finally broke open, and great sheets of rain began to pound the landscape. Uther ordered the paladins to halt, and he and Jaina approached Arthas on their own.
Fallon was too far back to hear all of the conversation, but he managed to catch a few words and phrases, and what he heard did nothing to calm his fears. "…just a matter of time…undead…" "…purge this city!" "…not my king yet, boy!..." "…treason." "…relieve you of your command…" Fallon was not the only one who realized something was wrong; his fellow paladins were disciplined enough not to talk amongst themselves, but many of them looked uncomfortable.
Arthas turned from Uther and Jaina to the paladins gathered on the road and shouted to them, "Those of you who have the will to save this land, follow me! The rest of you…get out of my sight!" Now the paladins began to whisper to each other. A handful broke off immediately and went to the prince's side, but the rest waited until Uther came back to them and explained the situation: many of Stratholme's citizens were infected with the plague of undeath, and Arthas' solution was to raze the entire city. The paladins were silent for a moment, then all began asking questions at once.
Uther held up both hands and called for silence. After the general outcry had died down, he continued, "I have been relieved of command, so I must leave it up to you whether you stay or go. If you stay, you may help save many of the people of Lordaeron, but you will almost certainly take innocent lives in the process. If you go, you will be suspended from official service as a paladin, possibly permanently." Uther looked as if he wanted to say more, but he remained silent. In a daze, he walked to his horse, mounted, and rode off, all without saying another word. His former subordinates remained silent, as well. After a few moments' consideration, some of them moved to join the rest of the prince's forces marching into Stratholme.
Fallon watched them with disgust. The thought of what those men and women were about to do made him sick to his stomach, but he couldn't see any way of stopping them. He was in no position to command them, and if they truly believed they were in the right, he wasn't sure if he could talk them out of their decision. Part of him wanted to ride up to Arthas himself and demand that the prince think of a better solution, but Fallon had seen the look in his eyes. It had been the look of a man ready to destroy everything he loved, so long as it didn't fall into the hands of his enemy. It had been the look of a man whose mind was intact, though his heart had gone insane.
Fallon scrubbed one hand over his face, as if that would erase the events he had just witnessed, then turned his horse and galloped towards home. As he rode, new worries crowded into his mind—would there be repercussions for Uther, for himself? Would Arthas succeed in containing the plague, or would it continue to spread? Would Fallon be able to keep his family safe in Lordaeron, or should they leave? All he knew for sure was that he needed to see Lia, needed to speak with Kaya, as soon as possible. When he finally pulled up at the path to his cottage, his heart skipped a beat. No smoke was coming from the chimney, and no light shone in the windows despite the growing darkness of the stormy day. Fallon dismounted in a hurry and ran up the path to the cottage door. There was a note tacked onto it, and Fallon could just barely make out Kaya's messy, rain-smeared handwriting. It said, "I should be back before you come home, but just in case: had to go to Stratholme for medicine, left Lia with the Burnses. Be back before sundown, at latest. There's leftover stew, if you want to feed Lia an early dinner. Love you, Kaya." Fallon, his heart beating hard enough to damage his ribcage, ripped the note off the door and ran down the forest path to the neighboring cottage. If Kaya had gone to Stratholme, he should have passed her on the road at some point. And what had she meant when she said she needed medicine?
There was light behind the curtained windows of this cottage—that much, at least, was comforting. Fallon pounded on the door until his neighbor, Dunlarren Burns, yanked it open. "What in the Twisting Nether—Fallon, what's wrong? You look like death warmed over."
"Dunnie, please tell me Kaya is here with you."
"What? No, she left Lia with us a few hours ago. Said she had to go pick up old Mrs. Turnkey's arthritis medicine from the apothecary in Stratholme." Fallon pushed past him into the interior of the house, and Dunnie followed, continuing his explanation. "The poor old woman can barely get out of bed these days, and with her sons gone off to train in Silverpine…Fallon, what are you doing?"
"Where's Lia?"
"She's out in the shed, helping the missus make jam. Fallon, you're scaring me. What in the name of the Light is going on?"
"Go get them and bring them in here. I'll explain then." Dunnie stared in mute shock until Fallon shouted, "Just do it!"
As Dunnie went to get his wife, Fallon knelt by the cottage's small hearth. A fire was crackling in the grate, but it was running mostly on coals, and the flames were hardly impressive. Fallon put more logs on, then reached into the pouch at his hip and pulled out a small vial full of clear liquid. He said a quick prayer over the vial and watched as it began to give off light. When it was about as bright as a candle flame, he threw the vial on the fire, shattering the delicate glass. The liquid it contained, rather than dousing the small fire, caused it to flare up. The flames were white-gold now, and their warmth seemed to sink not just into Fallon's bones, but into his soul. He drew as much of his courage together as he could muster, then turned to the door just as Dunnie and his wife, Hilda, walked in. Fallon breathed a sigh of profound relief when he saw little Lia walk in with them, her face and hands smeared with jam. Part of him had believed that she might have disappeared completely, but here she was, safe and sticky as a three-year-old should be. When she saw him, she broke away from Hilda and ran towards him crying, "Daddy!"
Fallon scooped the girl into his arms. "There's my little mischief-maker. But where's Goldie?" Lia looked around the room for her favorite toy, a stuffed lion, then pointed across the room. "Can you go play with him there for a bit? I need to talk to Uncle Dunnie and Auntie Hilda."
Something in Fallon's tone must have betrayed his tension. Lia tilted her head as she looked at her father, and a small crease formed between her eyebrows. "What's wrong, Daddy?"
"Just go play, all right?" Fallon set her down and gently nudged her in the direction of the stuffed toy. When she was far enough away, he motioned Dunnie and Hilda closer. "Listen very closely, and try not to panic. Stratholme is being purged as we speak. This illness that so many have been coming down with? Uther said it was actually a plague of undeath. Arthas and his men hope to stop it from spreading any further by killing everyone in the city—infected or not. Uther and most of my order refused to aid the prince, but the forces already under his command are enough to carry out his plan. Now, I need some information from you: when did Kaya leave, and which route did she take?"
Hilda looked at the gnome-made clock on the mantelpiece, her normally rosy cheeks now bone-white. "She dropped Lia off about three hours ago. She said the main road was too crowded, so she was going to take Hunter's Path."
Fallon groaned. Hunter's Path cut a diagonal through the woods to Stratholme; Kaya would have reached the city before Uther's forces, before Arthas began his assault. Fallon could only hope that she had finished her errand quickly and had been able to escape the city limits before the purging began. "Her charm is still intact…I can feel that much. But I can't tell where she is, or if she's still ali—" Fallon couldn't finish the thought. Dunnie and Hilda said nothing, but tears were streaming down Hilda's face, and Dunnie gripped the edge of the mantel as if he was having a hard time standing on his own. Fallon swallowed back his own tears. "I have to try and find her. Can you two watch over Lia until I get back?"
Dunnie wrapped an arm around his wife. "Aye, my friend, we'll keep her safe."
Fallon nodded. "Lia, can you come over here?" Lia walked over hesitantly with Goldie clutched to her chest. "Sweetheart, I have to go away for a little while, but I promise I'll be back. While I'm gone, be good for Dunnie and Hilda, all right?"
Lia buried her face in the ruff of fur at Goldie's neck. Then she looked back up at him, a pained expression on her face. "Daddy, don't go. I don't feel good."
The paladin leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead. "I have to go. Besides, I'll be back before you know it." Hilda motioned to Lia and picked the little girl up, running one hand comfortingly over her hair. Fallon went to Dunnie and whispered in his ear, "I put a special oil on the fire. It should continue to burn like this until I return. If it goes out, you'll know that I'm not coming back, and you need to take Hilda and Lia and get them somewhere safe. Do you still have those connections in Ironforge?"
Dunnie nodded. "We haven't written to each other in a while, but we're still on good terms." He hesitated, then blurted, "Fallon, from what you've told me, there's not much chance that Kaya is still—"
"I know, but I have to try. She's my wife, Dunnie."
"Aye, I understand. But what I'm tryin' to say is, Lia might have to go through her life with just one parent, but she shouldn't have to live as an orphan. If you can't bring Kaya back, at least bring yourself out of that city alive."
Fallon just stared at Dunnie for a moment, then clapped the shorter man on the shoulder and walked out the door to find his wife.
Thanks for reading chapter one! I love reviews and would really appreciate any suggestions/creative criticism you want to share.
"Remember: don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff."
--Worldomination