I could feel my head throbbing; searing with white, hot pain that radiated through my limbs. I tried to look around; tried to get a glimpse of where I was. But all I could see was darkness, even now as I gazed down at my clenched fists. I was stuck in a blinding darkness that engulfed whoever was within.
I continued to just sit where I was. I'm not sure for how long I sat there, doing absolutely nothing. Time was of no importance anymore; it meant nothing to me. The only thing I could think about was how to get out of here.
I mustered every bit of strength I could get and began to wander around the chamber slowly. I extended my arms, letting my hands do the seeing for me as I felt around for a window or door of some sort. However, after roaming around for what felt like hours, I had only repeatedly felt the same dampened walls of stone. I was sure I had probably done twice a dozen laps around the room; as far as I could tell it wasn't very big at all. Which only discouraged me. Convincing myself that there was no exit in the enclosed quarters I was in, I gave up and sat down on the cold, stone floor.
With no weapons and no armour, I didn't stand a chance if my capturer did decide to finally show up. As I sat there, I began feeling something that I had not felt in a long time - weak.
Being a faithful assistant to the Banshee Queen, I rarely felt weak, in fact, just the opposite. I always felt powerful...important. After all, I was her most loyal guardian. The only time that I could remember feeling so helpless was when I was enslaved by the Lich King, before my Queen had set me free from my own personal hell.
My head began throbbing much worse than earlier, but at the moment I ignored it as I heard foot steps approaching. But from where?
My hopes rose as I saw a thin, bright light shining through a crack in the stone wall ahead of me. I slowly climbed to my feet and moved a bit closer, but made sure to keep my distance. The wall slid open, shaking the floor as it did so. A figure stood in the doorway, surrounded in a blinding, bright light; it was hard to make out any features, I could only see a shadow against a lit up background.
"My Queen?" I asked out loud.
My mind was racing as the figure continued standing there, facing me.
"Who are you?" I questioned.
The chamber I was in lit up suddenly, revealing torches on each wall that were burning brightly, casting an orange glow inside the dark room and making eerie shadows upon the ceiling. The figure stepped forward and as they did so the wall closed behind them automatically. As soon as they stepped inside the light from the torches danced around them and they were once again submerged in light. This time however, I could see my capturer clearly and upon one glance, every hope I had sank into a bottomless pit.
The Lich King looked the same as he did upon my enslavement. He wore his usual dark blue plate armour, which bore small engravings just above it's small crevices. My eyes wandered to his helmet, the same one I had seen before. It hid his face perfectly, immersing every feature into complete blackness, every feature except- his eyes. It only revealed his cold, icy blue eyes.
The pain in my head throbbed prominently as I locked eyes with him. He let out a cackle that echoed inside the chamber and pounded my ears from all sides.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" he said in a drawling voice.
His voice was deep and raspy. Speaking only in a whisper, yet his ice cold voice bounced around the room, repeating the same spoken line, relentlessly.
"Don't tell me you forgot who I am." he laughed, as he continued staring at me.
"I only know of the name you've given yourself. The name that holds more power itself than anything you could ever possess!" I snarled.
He let out a shrill, high-pitched laugh, "Not to worry. Before this night ends you'll know of nothing but my name as you beg for mercy."
"What do you want?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"You...the Forsaken. You're mindless puppets, unworthy to even be near me, but your sheer size, your vast numbers that you all would add to an army, is somewhat valuable."
I could feel heat rising up in my face as the anger pulsed through my head, mixing with the pain that had already claimed it as it's home.
"You know you belong here. With me." he continued.
"Never! We're not the same!" I bellowed.
"Don't you see? Are you that blind? You claim you're so different. When, in fact, you are the very thing you're fighting against," he paused, "You are part of the scourge."
"That's a lie! You are nothing but a liar!"
"We're all undead here. We're on the same side, and you know it. You tell yourself we're not, since you ran and seeked shelter with the Horde. But, deep down, you know you belong here," he explained, "By joining you're only returning to the place you belong. You're real home, is along side me."
"No! Shut up!" I yelled as I fell to my knees. I couldn't think anymore. My mind felt like it was twisting and turning. Even my anger, all of my anger that I had just built up, had left me. I couldn't control myself any longer, I saw images play inside my head, ones I had never seen before. Glimpses of Northrend, of decaying bodies, of blood covered weapons passed before my eyes. Images he was making me see. My mind was now an open book, that he could freely take out and place things inside. Once again, for the second time in my life, I knew nothing except pain.
I heard him laugh again but it sounded so distant, which couldn't be right. He's here! He was here... Was he?
Then, like a small beacon of hope, I heard my Queen. I heard her yelling just as she had the first time she had set me free. Her voice was gentle and calming, spreading warmth through my entire body. It reached out to me as the pain began to slip away.
"It's not who you are, you know that! Fight! Fight against it! Don't let him in!"
Her whispers floated in my head encouraging me. I heard another cackle and the whispers began to grow faint.
"Fight against his control! Don't let him do this!"
Then they stopped abruptly as I heard a chilling voice take her place.
"You're exactly where you should be. Serving none other than the Lich King."
It was..his voice. My hands shot up to my head and I crumpled to the floor. The throbbing returned, shooting out wave after wave of blinding agony. My skull felt like it was on the brink of splitting open.
"No!" I screamed as I gritted my teeth.
"Join us. This is your purpose."
I screamed again, my ears catching the sound as it echoed right back to me, only intensifying every wave of pain that coursed through my body. With each word he whispered, it felt like a chain was being tightened around my head, only inscreasing the severity of my torment.
I heard him speak, this time not a whisper in my head.
"Don't tell me you thought your Queen was here to save you." he laughed, "I can make you hear anything. I can make you see anything."
He walked towards me, his steps quiet, the only noise coming from his cape as it dragged across the floor.
"So easily broken. You have no will. You thought you were so powerful next to Sylvanas. But, without her around, you're nothing." he said as he watching me twisting on the floor.
"Please...just...stop it. Please..." I begged, as I stared up at him.
His laughter filled the room. I began seeing more detailed images flash before my eyes; close ups of fallen allies- their bloodied, gory corpses, their faces, their dead eyes. They wouldn't stop. They wouldn't go away. The whispers began to accompany the decaying bodies.
"You belong here... It's...your home...your purpose."
A moment later, I felt like I was submerged in coldness. Not the kind that made you shiver a bit or made your hair stand on end. The kind that completely engulfed you; the kind that was deep within you and froze your insides.
I couldn't fight any longer. The images...his images, came quicker, showing more and more. His whispers grew louder eating away at any other thoughts I might have. I felt my body writhing on the floor.
I shut my dim, yellow eyes tightly.
"Just...come to us. Come."
"I'm...I'm sorry...I have failed you...My Queen." I whispered.
The agony only continued to increase. The pain now excruciating as it lashed at me- unforgiving...relentlessly, and before long any other thought ceased to exist as my vision went black.
The Lich King stood against a railing as he looked out over Northrend. The sky was rather odd for morning; a shade of dark gray casting shadows down below. Snow fell from the sky quickly, blanketing the ground and covering everything. He turned slowly as he heard one of his servants approaching him.
"My King, you have orders for me?" he asked, kneeling before him.
"Ah, yes. A very important task. But I'll need to make sure you're up for it." the Lich King drawled.
"Yes, sir. Anything for my King." he replied obediently.
"I wish of you to return to Undercity. To be Sylvanas' most loyal servant once again. Keep me updated on her plans. I trust I returned enough of your memory so as not to make you seem like a complete outsider."
"Of course, sir. You did."
"And, if you happen to come across anyone, feel free to...convert them." he cackled.
The undead grinned up at his master, bowed, and took off without another word, leaving the Lich King alone.
The Lich King gazed lazily back outside, a small smile that was hidden by his helmet, began to spread over his face.
"One loyal, undead down and the rest will follow in his path, like the senseless servants they are." he mused.
