Chapter 3: Shadows In the City of Light
A golden pillar of light could be seen in the distance emanating from the radiant city of Shattrah. Arthas and his Aldor companions were finally reaching the gates of the legendary city. Maelina perked up excitedly as she saw the light, "It seems A'dal is moved by something. Normally he never does that unless something important is happening."
"What could it mean, you think?" Kaera asked as she looked over at Ishka. The young priestess shrugged, "Perhaps mother would know. I have not seen A'dal shine his light like that in over a year."
This whole exchange got Arthas extremely nervous, 'What if this Naaru knows I'm coming? Is he calling for reinforcements to the city? I'll have to keep a low profile and stay out of sight.'
"So now that we're here, the first thing you should do is meet, A'dal!" Ishka exclaimed with a beaming smile at Arthas. He returned it briefly before turning his head away.
'Or not…' Arthas sighed. The prince glanced over the trio and spoke slowly, "I don't know if I am ready for that yet. I wouldn't mind taking a bit of time off to rest."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you must have been tired! When was the last time you slept?" Ishka inquired with concern.
Arthas thought for a moment, 'When was the last time I slept? I can't even remember…I never slept for more than a few hours as a death knight…if I could even call that sleep. I definitely never got any sleep as the Lich King.'
"It's been a while," Arthas answered vaguely. The girls all traded disbelieving glances as if something was wrong. The former Lich King wondered if he genuinely did feel tired at that moment. He was returning to normal in some ways, but the adrenaline from running away from the alliance and horde kept him from even thinking about it.
"How long is a while?" Kaera asked inquisitively. The others perked up with interest awaiting Arthas' answer.
He let out a heavy sigh, "Maybe a week or so," 'Since I lost my power…' he thought to himself at the end.
Ishka nodded her head apologetically, "Oh, I'm so sorry, we'll definitely head straight for Aldor Rise then. You can get some sleep once you finish talking to mother."
After a brief silence, Maelina decided it was best to change the subject, "Remember not to talk to any Scryers in the city. High Priestess Ishanah and none of the other Aldor will trust you if they see you associating with the Scryers."
"What if they approach me? How do you guys deal with them?" he asked curiously.
Ishka smiled, "Just tell them you're with us."
"Sounds easy enough I suppose. I'm curious though…what is their problem with the Aldor?" he inquired.
Maelina huffed, "It's a long story, but essentially they tried to take over the city from us. We only allow them to stay because A'dal prevents us from fighting. I'm serious though, Arthas…they're bad news. All the joking aside, they want nothing more than power like all blood elves do and won't hesitate to use any means they can to acquire it."
"Don't worry, I have no desire to be seen or heard by blood elves. They don't exactly like me anyways…" Arthas noted.
"How so?" Kaera asked almost suspiciously.
"You know how they are…" Arthas laughed trying to lighten the mood. Thankfully it worked as the girls joined in his laughter.
'I should put my hood up again. I would draw less attention,' Arthas thought as he raised his cloak's hood over his head.
Ishka looked at him confused, "What are you covering your face for?"
"It's less of a chance for Scryers to spot me," he thought up on the spot. He doubted that they would buy his excuse.
"Are you worried those people that are chasing you will be here? Don't worry about them…once you get to Aldor Rise, there will be plenty of guards to prevent that," Maelina stated.
He shrugged, "If you say so."
"Who are these people trying to kill you?!" Ishka almost demanded. She had a more determined face and Arthas could tell that she was serious about wanting to know.
The former lich king sighed, "They don't really have any kind of affiliation. It's just a group of people from the Alliance and Horde that want me dead."
"Why though? You seem so nice…who would possibly have a good reason to kill you?" Kaera questioned sadly.
He thought for a moment, "The world isn't nice or fair. I tried a long time ago to do some good and all it did was turn everybody against me. I would rather not discuss this."
They all frowned at Arthas' downcast stare. Thankfully, they finally reachedthe entrance through the east gate of Shattrah.
"Well the good news is you're here now. Welcome to Shattrah City! This is the lower city district," Ishka announced happily as they passed inside.
Arthas looked around with fascination as he took in the scenery. This lower city was bustling with activity from all walks of life. Every race Arthas could imagine was there as well as ones he had never even seen before. As the four trekked further inside, Arthas looked up and saw a shining temple at the center of the city elevated above everything else.
From it's center came the pillar of light that sparkled brightly into the sky. He looked over at Ishka and pointed, "What is that building called?"
"That is the Terrace of Light. You will find A'dal and many priests and mages within it. It's quite a marvel to behold for the first time," Ishka replied warmly as if she was sharing his awe.
Arthas had not been inside of a real city in many years. He almost admired the bustling activity as strangers ventured back and forth about their business.
He immediately got a lot of strange looks from the commoners who seemed frightened by his appearance. He wasn't surprised by this reaction. I mean he was fully armored and cloaked as a death knight after all. From what the prince could tell, a lot of these people were refugees.
As he followed the Aldor girls further down the street, he glanced around at the groups of people. This place had a lot of bird like people he had never seen before. Kaera seemed to notice his curiosity, "Those are called Arakkoa. Most of the ones here in the city are nice enough, but a lot of the outlying factions are aggressive towards outsiders."
Arthas inspected the bird like men more closely. They seemed interesting to him mostly due to the magic he saw them channeling. They appeared to have a lot of arcane knowledge. He had a feeling that these creatures were worth looking into at some point.
As they continued, Arthas felt something bump into him. He looked down to discover its source as an orc child. The young boy looked at him fearfully as he got back up. "NO! It's the monster!" the kid yelled terrified.
He almost felt as if this child recognized him. The death knight simply stared at him without saying a word. This caused the boy to gulp as he backed away slowly. The young orc child was trembling as he examined Arthas closer. The Aldor girls looked at him concerned and Ishka spoke up, "It's okay, young one. He's not a monster. He's just a traveler."
"No! It's going to get me!" the child yelled hysterically as he backed away terrified. Arthas knew for a fact that this kid knew he was a death knight. Although that seemed awfully suspicious to him…had this child seen him before?
Thankfully, a woman ran over to stop this scene from escalating into a mess. "Come here, Frok," a human woman said soothingly to call the boy over. The young orc ran over and clung to her as if his life depended on it, "T-the M-m-monster is b-b-back!"
"Shhh, it's okay, you're safe. Nothing is going to get you Frok. He is just an armored traveler. Why don't you go and play with the other kids," she suggested warmly. The boy nervously looked at Arthas before nodding his head and running off. The woman let out a sigh before turning to meet the group's attention.
"I'm sorry about that, the children don't see very many people like you here," the woman explained to Arthas.
He simply shrugged, "It is of no concern."
He instantly began walking again until the woman got in front of him. She looked up and smiled, "Please, don't hold it against him. Frok's father died fighting the scourge in Azeroth and his mother came here but never made it. One of the trade caravans found him on the road and brought him here."
"That's so sad," Kaera said gloomily.
"What's the scourge?" Maelina asked curiously.
"An army of undead…" Arthas answered bluntly. Ishka and Maelina traded concerned looks.
"So how did his father die exactly?" Ishka asked the human woman.
She looked sad as she eyed each of them, "Frok's father was killed by dark warriors called death knights."
"That is unfortunate, but we really don't have time for this. Let's go," Arthas interrupted rudely as he pushed past the woman.
"Wait, Arthas don't be mean. I want to know more about this," Maelina stated.
He spun around with an irritated look on his face, 'I don't need people saying my name in public in front of some woman who could easily figure out who I am.'
Thankfully, the woman didn't seem to catch on much to Arthas' relief.
"I apologize for being so forward," she bowed her head to Arthas, "I didn't mean to waste your time. I forget that travelers usually prefer to speak of happier things. I just wanted to spread awareness…the orphans have it very rough in this city. I was just wondering if you knew Frok's father or any of his family."
"Why would I know his father?" Arthas responded dryly.
She frowned at his question, "I'm sorry…I usually just ask all of the new travelers from Azeroth."
"How did you know I was from Azeroth?" Arthas asked suspiciously.
The woman chuckled, "Trust me I can tell. You get used to seeing the people around here. Outsiders are easy to spot."
'That's not good…I'll have to be extra discreet,' Arthas noted mentally.
"Who are you, exactly, miss?" Arthas asked as he examined their surroundings. Nearby was a big building where many different children from all sorts of races could be seen scattered about.
"I'm Lydia, one of the matrons at the orphanage. I help the children and keep them out of trouble," she explained.
Ishka frowned, "Those poor children. I forgot about this place. It's so easy to forget about the rest of the city when we're living comfortably at Aldor Rise."
"You are too kind, my lady," Lydia smiled.
Maelina sighed, "We don't really have any money to donate though…sorry."
The woman seemed surprised by this comment but smiled nonetheless, "That's okay. Simply visiting the children makes a big difference on its own. Right now what they need more than ever is role models."
"Hey, guys do you want to see all the children? They're so cute!" Maelina spoke up excitedly.
'I thought teenagers were supposed to hate kids…ugh,' Arthas thought to himself in aggravation.
"That sounds fun! What do you think, Arthas?" Ishka asked.
He simply shrugged, "Why not…" his monotone voice clearly emphasized his lack of desire to do so.
"Oh that would be so nice. The children would especially love seeing a visitor from Azeroth!" Lydia exclaimed.
Arthas kept a straight face but on the inside he was mad, 'What the hell is this nonsense?! I don't feel like going to some orphanage.'
"I know you're tired, Arthas, but we won't take long. Plus it'll be fun; you'll see," Ishka beamed.
Lydia turned around and led the four of them to the large building not too far away.
Upon entering the building, Arthas immediately spotted dozens of orphans playing and talking to each other. Upon spotting him, the room went dead silent. Lydia spoke up assuredly, "Hello children, good news! I have some visitors here today. They don't have long, so be sure to talk to them while you have the chance."
Much to his dread, many of the bolder ones instantly ran for him with eager eyes. "You're so tall! Hey, is that armor super heavy?!" a elven boy said awestruck as glanced up at the towering, hooded death knight.
"Where are you from?" a troll girl asked fascinated.
"What's your name?!" a cheery orc girl almost demanded.
"Now now children, don't crowd the man," Lydia interjected with a smile.
"So, you kids are all orphans huh?" Arthas asked bluntly. The Aldor girls shot him surprised looks for stating the obvious to children.
Some of the kids looked saddened by his comment, but others nodded carelessly. One of the children, obviously older than the rest, was a night elf, "Yes. My parents are from Kalimdor…I don't know what happened to them."
"So are you some kind of warrior?" the troll girl asked interested.
Arthas nodded his head, "Yes, I was trained for many years as a paladin when I was younger."
The blood elf boy's eyes lit up with delight, "A paladin?! So did you fight bad guys and stuff?!"
"Yeah, though sometimes it's hard to tell who the bad guys are," he answered with a drifting thought.
"You can sit down if you want," Lydia offered as she pointed towards a nearby seat. Arthas did as she suggested.
The three Aldor girls each dispersed and went to speak to the shy or cute children they could find. "What did you say your name was again," Lydia asked as Arthas sat down. Several of the nearby children that were gathered around him stared anxiously.
"Arthas," was all he said. He knew he was going to regret spreading his name around this city, but then again it was bound to happen sooner or later.
"I swear I've heard that name before…" Lydia said to herself. The prince instinctively moved his hand towards Frostmourne as he narrowed his gaze.
"You have?" he stated stoically.
She thought for a moment, "Maybe not…but it sounds so familiar. Are you part of the Alliance?"
"No…" he said callously.
He knew he was going to have to stop this woman from thinking about it so Arthas decided to change the subject, "So anyways kids, what do you all want to do when you get older?"
"I want to be a paladin too!" the blood elf boy said energetically.
Arthas chuckled, "I see, and why is that?"
"They're so strong and cool and everybody likes them! I want to be a hero too!" he exclaimed.
"Were your parents paladins?" Arthas asked. Lydia looked downcast when Arthas asked the boy such a personal question.
The boy briefly hung his head dejectedly, "My parents are both mages. My father promised me that he would take me to Silvermoon to train when he got back. But, he and mom went to war a couple of years ago and left me here. It's been five years but they'll be back eventually. They must be needed on the front lines."
'Talk about a classic case of denial…' Arthas thought.
"They're probably dead," the death knight said bluntly. The boy's face looked devastated by this comment and Lydia stood up and walked over towards him.
"W-what?" he said in disbelief. She instantly tried to soothe the boy, "We don't know that for sure, Raserius. Mages get called on long tours all the time."
Arthas sighed, "If you really want to become a paladin kid, then go do it yourself. Your parents aren't responsible for your future…you are."
The boy seemed saddened by this comment, but part of him seemed to be contemplating it as well. Lydia sent a disapproving look towards Arthas, "You can't say things like that to them. They're just children."
"No, he's right Matron Lydia…dad always told me I am co-creator of my own life," the boy said more confidently.
"I might be wrong, but consider how proud they would be if you accomplished it without them?" Arthas tried to lighten the mood.
The boy nodded his head in approval, "You're right, Arthas!"
Lydia let out a sigh of relief when the boy ran over and hugged him. Arthas awkwardly returned it with one arm. He did not feel very comfortable in this situation.
As the boy backed away, the troll girl coughed, "Well I want to be a shaman."
"I want to be a druid," the night elf boy added.
Many of the other children were quiet. They looked uncertain about what they wanted to be and simply stared at Arthas. The troll girl shook her head at the night elf boy, "Shamans are way better than druids."
"No they're not! My father was a super strong druid!" he countered.
"Oh yeah? Well Shamans are more in tune with nature and far better healers," she stated.
He laughed, "You're funny aren't you? At least I know about my people."
She sent him a mean glare before turning towards the armored death knight, "Hey, Arthas have you ever been to Northrend? My parents were refugees from the Drakkari tribe…nobody here seems to know much about it."
He looked at her disbelievingly, 'What are the odds of that?'
"Nobody has ever heard of this tribe you keep making up…" the night elf chuckled.
"So that must be where that icy blue skin come from. Yes, I've been to Northrend. It's a beautiful place…as is Zul'Drak," Arthas replied. He was partially lying about this, but that was more to cover up his knowledge about recent happenings.
"You know about Zul'Drak?! I've only ever heard tales from my mom…well back when she was alive. Please, tell me more about it!" the girl requested eagerly.
He thought for a moment, "Well, the ice trolls were very interesting, but like most people in Northrend, they were barbarians. They spent the majority of their time warring with the Vrykul and the Nerubians. During my expedition there, I encountered a few. They did not like outsiders very much. I saw parts of Zul'Drak, but I never really got to see Gundrak, their capital city."
"What are Nerubians and Vrykul?" Raserius, the blood elf boy asked.
Lydia answered him, "Nerubians are a bug race and Vrykul are half giants."
"Cool!" he said in amazement. Some of the more skittish orphans started scooting in closer to listen to Arthas.
Lydia looked over at Arthas surprised, "You took an expedition to Northrend? That must have been treacherous. Only the strongest of adventurers or military from the Alliance and Horde dare to venture there."
"Hey, Arthas," Ishka spoke from across the room, "were you in the war with the Scourge? I heard my mother talk about it briefly a few months ago. She said a lot of refugees came here out of fear of the undead."
"I would rather not talk about it…" he said distantly. Part of him felt wrong talking to these innocent children without a shred of guilt. He knew he was undoubtedly responsible for a lot of these kids being put in this orphanage.
Arthas felt a tugging on one of his gauntlets and glanced over at a timid looking human girl. She had light brown hair and piercing green eyes. She was holding a book in one of her hands. He eyed her up and down curiously, "Yes?"
She didn't speak as she opened the book and pointed to a section in the pages. He read over it briefly, 'Genealogy of Human Kings. Lordaeron's Kings…wait my name is in this book!' he noticed shocked.
He kept a straight face but started to internally worry about how much this little girl knew. Much to his disbelief, she simply closed the book and smiled. "Ah, that's Tira, she doesn't talk very much," Lydia explained as the girl sheepishly twirled her thumbs.
"Where is she from?" Arthas asked the woman eyeing the little girl intently.
"I'm from Lordaeron…" the girl answered abruptly much to everybody's surprise.
'This is a disaster…that kid definitely knows who I am then.' the death knight noted.
"How did she end up here?" Arthas asked.
The girl smiled much to his disbelief, "My father brought me here. He's a researcher."
"Why did he put you in an orphanage?" Arthas asked.
She looked down, "It's only for a little while he said. He didn't want me to get hurt on his research trip."
"Exactly what kind of research does your father do?" Kaera asked as she walked over.
The girl did not answer. She simply narrowed her gaze at Kaera as if the girl was an enemy.
Many of the children quietly whispered amongst each other undoubtedly gossiping about Tira.
This little girl seemed like a future sociopath to him judging by her shy but creepy stares. Thankfully, Maelina seemed to distract the long, awkward scene when she spoke up, "Well we should probably get going. It was nice meeting all of you kids."
"Says the kid…" Arthas laughed.
The girl sent him a flustered glare, "Hey, I'm an adult! I'm also really mature for my age!"
Arthas wasted no time accepting her suggestion to leave as he made his way to the door. Ishka and Kaera soon followed suit. As they headed for the exit, all the kids waved. "Please come visit us again!" the troll girl announced.
Lydia bowed her head respectfully, "Thanks for talking to the children. We hope you come back and visit us again."
They all silently nodded as they left the building. Upon exiting, the human girl ran outside, "Oh by the way, Arthas, I want you to have this book."
The death knight looked at her questioningly, "What?"
She handed him a book. The surface looked unusual to him since it was covered in demonic sigils. 'They let children read this shit?!' he thought to himself surprised.
"Uh, thanks…Tira was your name right?" was all he said as he grabbed the tome.
She smiled warmly, "Tira Ebonlocke."
The girls looked at the book that she handed Arthas with extreme concern, "That looks like a demon book. How did a little girl get that?!" Ishka was clearly worried.
"My father gave it to me. He is one of the people that killed Illidan…" she said darkly. Her tone seemed almost sadistic as she smiled innocently.
"Your father should not be giving you evil demon books! Just what kind of research does he do exactly?!" Kaera demanded.
"Demonology," Tira giggled innocently as if it were nothing. It was at this point, Arthas was convinced she was a sociopath. He wondered what that would imply since the girl obviously knew who he was.
"That is disgusting…what kind of father would give something so evil to his child? That tome will twist your mind, little girl," Kaera explained.
Ishka nodded in agreement, "No good can come of child reading demon books. That's what makes warlocks so evil."
"What would you know of warlocks? Have you ever seen one?" Tira asked amused. Her tone in front of them was completely different than the way she acted inside the orphanage.
"They're terrible, power-hungry, and evil! Why are you giving that book to Arthas?" Maelina added.
"Yeah, that seems weird to me. Arthas was a paladin you know…why would he possibly want that disgusting book?" Kaera added.
Much to Arthas' surprise, Tira began to speak to him telepathically, "They think they know so much don't they? These other races underestimate human ingenuity."
His eyes went wide with shock, 'How are you speaking to me? Unless…you're a mage or priest of some kind then? Telepathy is an advanced form of magic…'
"Actually I'm a warlock like my father." Tira boasted.
'I see…and why do you think I would want this book?' Arthas asked.
She smiled, "That is a sealed tome of the lost legion. "My father kept it for many years and eventually gave it to me before he left. If you encounter him in Outland, which you most likely will…show him that and he'll trust you."
'What are you saying exactly?' he seemed bewildered by this girl who couldn't have been older than 13.
"My father always taught me to seize an opportunity when it was within my grasp. You are the perfect opportunity…The Lich King himself," she explained vaguely.
'I'm not the Lich King anymore…' Arthas responded.
"Umm, why are you too just staring at each other? It's getting kind of creepy," Maelina interrupted.
Both of them instantly shifted their attention towards the girl. Arthas nodded his head, "Yeah, sorry let's go."
"Tell me you're not going to keep that book?" Ishka asked rigidly.
"Yeah give it back to the…hey where did that little girl go?!" Kaera gasped in disbelief as she looked around for Tira.
Arthas heard the girl's voice in his head, "Help my father and he'll help you. By the way…don't let those goats or the elves touch it. They would surely destroy it to conceal the wondrous secrets within."
He didn't even bother responding to the command as he simply changed the subject, "We should be on our way…"
"Arthas, let me see that book," Ishka requested a little too imposingly for his tastes.
He shook his head, "No, if it's dangerous then you should definitely not touch it. I'll just put it away for now."
Ishka looked a bit put off by his refusal but nodded nonetheless, "Fine, but you should let my mother have a look at it when we get there."
"Man that little girl was so creepy…" Kaera noted as she shivered.
"I know right? I felt like her eyes were staring into my soul. That book must have made her act like that," Maelina responded.
"I bet her father must be a warlock or something…" Kaera pondered out loud. The others sent her shocked expressions.
"That's why Arthas should let me hold that tome instead so that we can properly sanctify and destroy it," Ishka suggested hopefully.
"No…" was all he said causing her to pout again. As they continued down the road, the girls led him further around the perimeter of lower city until he could see a huge base on the cliff above. An elevator was rising and falling as it brought visitors to and from the cliff.
Kaera pointed towards it, "That is Aldor Rise, Arthas. You see that elevator? It's guarded day and night to make sure nobody except official guests and our own people enter the area."
"Interesting," Arthas said almost mechanically as he drifted his attention towards the surrounding people. He received many more strange looks from the passing commoners.
It wasn't strange to him though. He was wearing his terrifying, heavy, armor still. The armor that struck fear into the hearts of the millions. Arthas knew he had to remain alert in case one of these people would recognize him, but so far he seemed to be fine.
Nevertheless, he made sure to turn his face away whenever he spotted humans or blood elves. They were his main concern at the moment since they were the most likely to recognize him. The last thing he wanted was even more people figuring out who he was. He couldn't stop thinking about the tome that Tira gave him.
She knew exactly who he was and seemed like she wanted to help. 'I am going to have to keep this book then. I wonder who that girl's father is…do I know any warlocks named Ebonlocke?'
Finally, after passing under several archways and going up a flight of stairs, they reached the elevator and Arthas felt a slight hint of relief.
As the elevator lifted upwards, Arthas got a great view of the city. It truly was a gorgeous as the girls had described.
Arthas turned his attention towards the red and gold banners in the distance to the right. He guessed it was the Scryer's base. Ishka was quick to point it out, "That's the Scryer's Tier…promise me you'll be careful around them."
"I won't go near it," Arthas stated almost carelessly as the elevator finally reached the top. He turned around and made it two steps onto the plaza before guards surrounded him.
"Halt! Who are you?! What is your business on Aldor Rise?!" One over-zealous guard demanded. He seemed extremely nervous by Arthas' attire and had his sword drawn.
The prince was about to open his mouth, until Ishka answered for him, "He's with us. His name is-"
She was about to say his name until Arthas interrupted, "I need to speak to High Priestess Ishanah."
Ishka looked shocked by his interruption but decided to play along, "Don't worry guards. He's a friend of ours."
The guards all seemed to relax as they returned to their posts, but nevertheless their eyes remained glued to the new stranger now making his way into the main building.
As they reached the entrance, Ishka stopped him, "Why did you interrupt me back there? Did you not want him to know your name?"
Arthas nodded his head, "I would prefer to keep it on the down low. Just as a safety precaution. I really didn't even want those kids to know, but that can't be helped now I suppose."
Maelina and Kaera traded confused glances but remained quiet.
Ishka thought for a moment, "If you're truly worried about your safety, I will tell the guards to only use your name here…I almost forgot you had people after you. Hopefully mother will know what to do."
"Thank you. I would appreciate that," he responded with a sigh of relief.
She leaned in closely and whispered, "I want to talk to you in private later about that book. I've heard of this lost legion…masters of felfire. It is too dangerous for you to just carry around. We need to destroy it."
He looked at her carelessly before she turned away and led him inside. As Arthas entered the building, its many inhabitants turned to greet him.
"Welcome, guest, what brings you to the Temple of the Aldor?" one lady spoke regally and calm. Arthas could tell she was used to doing it on a regular basis.
The woman quickly noticed Ishka and bowed her head low, "Ah, young priestess, who is this person you have brought to us?"
Ishka bowed her head respectfully, "He's a friend I met on the road in Terrokar. I wanted him to meet mother."
A burly and bald Draenei man came around the corner with full armor donned. "Lady, Ishka, I am glad to see your safe return."
She turned and smiled at him, "Good to see you as well, Adyen!"
Maelina sighed as she glanced over at Kaera, "Well I guess we should get back home. We will see you tomorrow, Ishka."
"Bye girls, see you tomorrow," the priestess waved. As the two were about to leave, they each gave Arthas a quick hug. Maelina sent him a quick wink, "Sleep well."
As they left, Arthas finally realized it would probably be a good idea to remove his hood. As he pulled it back and revealed his full face, the woman from earlier eyed him curiously, "A human? We don't get very many human visitors here anymore. Are you from the Alliance?"
"No, Sha'nir, he is not. He is from Azeroth though. We met him on the road…I wanted to introduce him to mother," Ishka explained.
The woman cocked her head, "That seems rather unusual. Why would you bring a total stranger here? Not to mention, if you're not with the Alliance then who are you with and why are you here?"
All eyes were pinned on him awaiting an answer. Arthas shrugged, "I don't see why that really matters…I just wanted to get away from all the nonsense in Azeroth."
Sha'nir sent him a disapproving glare, "Sounds awfully suspicious to me…you don't look like the refugees we normally get. I've never seen armor like that before. Are you some type of mercenary or warrior? Where are you from exactly?"
Arthas simply stared at her with a straight face refusing to answer. A long pause followed her question.
"Perhaps the light has brought him here for a reason…" a voice echoed from across the room. Two massive double doors opened in the hallway and a finely dressed woman emerged. She walked down the steps slowly and glanced between her daughter and Arthas.
Ishanah was quick to inspect Arthas' armor and face before letting out a light chuckle, "It has been many years since I last saw a death knight…though you seem very much alive. I find that curious…you don't seem to be undead but in a way you still are."
A loud chorus of gasps erupted from this comment causing everybody in the room to reach for their weapons instinctively as if Arthas was about to attack. Ishanah waved her arm, "Put those down…he's clearly not going to do much damage with a broken sword. In fact, you can all leave…shoo."
The guards in the room reluctantly bowed their heads and calmed down as everybody filed out of the room.
Sha'nir and Adyen were both still present, but a small cough from Ishanah quickly cued for them to leave as well; This left Arthas alone with Ishanah and her daughter. As Ishanah finally reached him, she looked at his appearance more closely, "Tall figure, Tattered black cloak, Saronite bone armor, and silver hair. Also if I'm not mistaken, that sword is named Frostmourne, am I correct? That must mean you are Arthas."
The man's eyes went wide with disbelief at being called out. He immediately backed away worried as if she was about to call out an ambush. He alertly scanned the room for any sign of approaching danger.
Ishka looked at her mother confused, "How did you know his name, mother?"
"Do you even know who this man is, Ishka? Where did you encounter him?" the woman interrogated her daughter while staring at him.
"We met him in Terrokar. Please, mother, tell me what's wrong," Ishka responded desperately.
Ishanah was silent for a moment as she stared at Arthas. She kept glancing down at Frostmourne, "How did you break your sword?"
"The Ashbringer shattered it…" Arthas answered honestly. He saw no reason to lie now that this woman knew who he was.
She laughed, "Darkness can never triumph over the light…I have heard many tales of this Ashbringer. Who wielded it?"
"Tirion Fordring…leader of the Argent Crusade," Arthas stated annoyed.
"My my my…so how did you end up all the way in Outland then? Did they banish you?" she asked curiously as she traced a finger over Arthas' armor.
Ishka looked between them confused and annoyed at being left out of the loop.
"What's going on mother, how do you know him and what do you mean he is a death knight?!" she demanded almost angrily.
Ishanah looked at Arthas amused, "I wonder…have you told anybody yet?"
The man shook his head, "Why would I? People are trying to kill me still…"
"SO you escaped death? Now you stand in Shattrah, the city of light. Perhaps this was meant to be. The light works in mysterious ways…Arthas," Ishanah smiled suggestively.
Arthas did not like where this conversation was going. He sighed deeply, "So what are you going to do then…"
Ishanah looked at her daughter, "Ishka, he's an old friend of mine. I'll explain this to you later. We need some time alone."
The teenager looked appalled at being sent away and pouted, "This isn't fair…nobody ever tells me anything."
She reluctantly left the room leaving Arthas alone with Ishanah. He almost couldn't believe that the woman just covered for him. He gave her a questioning stare, "What is the meaning of this?"
Ishanah leaned in and whispered softly, "I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the infamous Lich King with my daughter. I find it unusual that you didn't kill her."
"Why would I? She's just a kid…" he said not really sure what was happening right now.
"That's never stopped you before has it? No, nothing has ever stopped you until just recently I see. How many people are still looking for you?" she asked quietly.
"How should I know? The Alliance and Horde have a never-ending supply of self-righteous idiots that are always trying to kill me. Listen, if you're going to try and kill me yourself, you might as well do it now," Arthas muttered darkly.
Much to his disbelief, Ishanah hugged him, "So much anger in your heart…so much hatred. The light has brought you here to redeem your soul."
He quickly pushed her away and growled, "Stop that! What are you trying to do?"
She frowned, "I'm absolving you of your sins. Only then can you find the light once more."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively as he backed away.
Ishanah wasted no time binding him with holy magic to prevent further resistance. Chains erupted from all directions and wrapped around his arms and legs.
"Open your heart to the light, Arthas…embrace the warmth once again," she preached as she channeled soothing holy energy throughout the room.
It almost felt as if it burned, yet it was nowhere near what it once felt when he was fully undead. "ARGH!" Arthas roared as he burst free and fell to the ground in a thud.
"Don't come any closer! Stay away!" Arthas shouted as he drew his broken blade.
"What are you so afraid of?" she asked soothingly, "I'm not here to judge you. I am here to help you."
"Nobody can help me! Get away from me!" he was almost frantic as the woman embraced him again. She channeled intense holy magic preventing either one of them from moving. They were chained together awkwardly in this hug with their faces merely a touch apart.
This prevented him from looking away as Ishanah stared into his eyes. "What do you want from me?" he finally asked unsure of what was going to happen.
As she stared into his eyes, Arthas soon found himself reliving flashbacks of his past. Several scenes in particular caused him great distress. The first one was a memory where Jaina turned against him at Stratholme.
Even after all these years, Arthas was still pained by Jaina's actions that day. Arthas heard Ishanah's voice in his head as he watched the mage walk away with Uther, "You loved her didn't you? She didn't believe that you did everything in your power to do the right thing."
Ishanah almost seemed saddened by this memory as well. Arthas continued to watch memories flooding through him until they reached another key moment. This time, it was a memory of Northrend where he betrayed the mercenaries he hired to burn his own ships.
"You believed you were delivering justice to Mal'Ganis by any means necessary…but what I see here is a man who sacrificed everything for his own pride. I wonder how those mercenaries felt knowing you set them up? Did you ever wonder what their final thoughts might have been?" she continued.
They soon fast forwarded to the memory where Arthas betrayed Muradin to claim Frostmourne. "You felt the weight of your kingdom's fate resting upon you, and willingly sacrificed everything for them. Yet in the end, you became the very monster you set out to destroy. Muradin probably blames himself for you becoming a death knight. I wonder how different your life would have been had he never mentioned Frostmourne."
Arthas could barely describe the sickening feeling in his stomach as he watched all of the atrocious acts he committed as a death knight. The memory of killing his father and Uther were especially hard to watch. When he got to his memories of Sylvanas, Ishanah sighed, "She thought herself great when she challenged your advance into Quel'thelas. You channeled all of your hatred and rage straight into her. She is your shadow…the Banshee Queen. She hates you; yet you are the only foe she has ever loved. The ultimate foe, the ultimate goal."
"What do you mean by that?" Arthas asked callously as he watched himself turn Sylvanas undead.
"You can see it in her eyes, right before you killed her. She couldn't believe she was bested by a human. You inflicted a heartless and cruel punishment upon her. Even in undeath she likely feels nothing but the lingering shadow you left within her. Her life likely revolves around you since she has nothing left. Though, I doubt even your death could bring her peace," Ishanah stated.
"I was so angry at her…I wanted to make her suffer," he said distantly. A small amount of guilt began to brew within him. Why was he so angry at her?
"I guess none of it really mattered in the end…my life is just one huge pointless tragedy," Arthas noted.
Ishanah kept the memories going all the way up to the point where Arthas was defeated. "Your soul returned to you when Frostmourne shattered. Have you felt any different since then? Perhaps your humanity is gradually returning. That means it's not too late for you to find redemption. The light has given you a second chance."
"Enough of this!" Arthas finally managed to pull away before kicking Ishanah back with his heavy boot. This caught her completely by surprise as she doubled over and dropped to her knees.
"The light hasn't given me anything! I fought tooth and nail for every breath in my body. It wasn't the light that saved me at Icecrown…it was my loyal Val'kyr!" Arthas roared.
Ishanah appeared to be in extreme pain as she rubbed the bruised area where Arthas just hit her.
He stood silent as he watched her try to regain composure. "I see you possess no qualms about striking a high priestess…normally that is punishable by death."
"Like you could kill me. Like anybody here could! I would sooner kiss Tirion's feet than let you kill me! How dare you invade my memories and then try to give me a sermon! Do it again and I will kill you!" he threatened bitterly.
Ishanah finally managed to stand up and smiled, "With what? You're not the Lich King anymore…and your sword is broken."
Arthas cracked his fists, "That doesn't mean I can't kill you. By now you should know I've always been really good at it."
"You are the architect of your own destruction. Your mentor, Uther, was correct Arthas. By giving in to your negative emotions such as rage, hatred, fear, and worst of all pride… you ended up destroying yourself from the inside out. I wonder how many innocents you killed in Stratholme just because you were afraid of the plague and furious at Mal'Ganis? Did you ever think to listen to Uther's wisdom instead of just plunging face first into things like a brute? No, because your pride was too great for you to admit you were wrong," Ishanah stated passively.
He sent her a furious glare, "Just because you saw my memories doesn't mean you understand me or the decisions I had to make! I was the only person who cared! Uther was wise, but he was wrong about a lot of things! I was the only one who had the stomach to do what needed to be done! Uther was a coward and a traitor! As a paladin, his job was to protect the innocent…but I wonder how many innocent lives were destroyed because of his inaction?! By refusing to help me, Mal'Ganis managed to escape, and Stratholme burned and died anyways! Stratholme was already lost! As a future king I had think about the rest of my kingdom's safety! The worst part of all is they blamed it on me. I wonder how different things would have been if Uther chose to help me…if Jaina chose to help me," Arthas said the last part distantly.
"I feel so sorry for you, Arthas. That day in Stratholme, you thought the light abandoned you. I do not hold you fully responsible for this because Uther and Jaina also chose to abandon you. People do terrible things in desperation…cruel and wicked things they never thought themselves capable of. You thought you had no choice to become ruthless and cruel. However, when you cross a certain line, you begin to embrace these evils…and that is what happened to you," Ishanah explained thoroughly.
She soon found herself in a death grip as Arthas held her off the ground. He quickly dragged her across the room and slammed her as hard as he could against the wall. This caused a low thud to echo throughout the grand hall. She choked and gasped for air as his grip tightened, "Shut up! You weren't there! This is why I hate priests…you think you can just stand there and preach as if you have all the answers! Of course Uther was right in theory, but he was also too idealistic and naïve like my father! They didn't love Lordaeron like I did! What would you know of true rage? Of true hatred and despair?! I was willing to do anything to save my kingdom! Why did my people suffer while a few dry old men sat behind our high walls doing nothing?!"
Ishanah looked as if she was about to pass out until Arthas finally released his death grip. She fell to the ground gasping for air.
"You're not angry at me…you're angry at yourself. I am sorry for invading your mind, but I wanted to better understand you so that I could help you," she explained between breaths.
"Why would you want to help me?! I am beyond the point where a few worthless prayers would mean anything," he stated callously.
Just then several guards ran into the room led by Adyen, "High Priestess, Ishanah, we heard yelling is everything okay?!"
The guards all instantly drew their weapons and surrounded Arthas. The prince simply turned around with a menacing death glare, "Put those down before you get hurt…"
They all slowly advanced, but Arthas could see the nervousness on their faces.
He turned his attention back towards Ishanah and leered, "For all your talk of help, you're no different than anybody else, Ishanah. I didn't want to become the bad guy…it was forced on me. Imagine the love you feel for your daughter or this city. Imagine it being taken from you piece by piece by a foe that mocks you at every turn. Watch as you try stop it, but along the way, your friends and the people you love the most turn against you. I see no reason why I must justify myself to the likes of you."
The guards finally decided to find their courage as they charged Arthas. He quickly turned and took the first one down with one sweep of his arm. The guard spiraled through the air and landed on his back. Two more came in from either side and made opposing thrusts in an attempt to stab him.
Much to their disbelief, Arthas spun in a swift motion catching both of their arms and ripping both swords from their grasps. Before they could even comprehend what just happened, the prince high kicked the first one and round house kicked the other sending him into the wall.
Adyen gulped as Arthas turned towards him menacingly, "Just stop right there! More guards are on the way! A'dal will not tolerate violence in this city!"
His threat didn't even faze Arthas as the prince casually walked past him towards the double doors to the plaza. "I said stop, human!" Adyen demanded as he swung his sword down full force.
Arthas easily parried it and quickly disarmed the draenei before kicking him as hard as possible. Adyen went flying out of the double doors into the plaza causing the influx of guards to gasp shocked. They all turned their attention towards the stairs as Arthas casually walked down with both stolen swords in hand.
"A-arthas?! W-what's going on?!" Ishka asked petrified as she ran in front of him.
He didn't even bother looking at her as he continued forward. She looked as if she was about to cry, "What did my mother say to you?! How do you know her?! What's happening?! She called you a death knight, is that true?"
The death knight wasted no time pushing her to the ground as he continued advancing. She began to cry in disbelief when she saw the fury in his eyes.
"Wait! Come back, death knight! Things don't have to come to this! Just please, relax, I mean you no harm!" Ishanah announced as she came out of the main building.
Ishka looked over towards her mother, "Mom, what's going on?!"
Arthas casually glanced behind at Ishanah, "It always comes to this…call these guards off before I start killing people!"
Ishka looked horrified by this statement, "A-a-arthas…you wouldn't."
He glanced over at her and saw a grief-stricken expression of disbelief. For a moment it almost reminded him of Jaina's face.
"Guards stand down!" Ishanah announced. This caused widespread confusion to erupt amongst the guards. Sha'nir was quick to voice her disapproval, "My lady are sure that's wise?! This man is dangerous! He just threatened everybody as well as you!"
"Do as I said," she commanded once more causing the guards to reluctantly back away.
The silver haired prince found it quite unusual that she actually backed down. He turned his gaze towards her questioningly, 'I didn't think she would actually do it.'
Ishanah quickly walked down the stairs and past several guards before reaching Arthas. Everybody in the plaza was staring at him awaiting some kind of response.
"I can understand why you're upset, but it was never my intention to provoke you. I want to help you, and the only way I can do that is if you give me a chance," she said sympathetically.
Arthas sent her an mean look before throwing both stolen swords full force at her feet. They struck with immense force and actually impaled the stone much to everybody's disbelief. Ishanah looked at him worried, "My people mean you no harm, Arthas. I apologize for being so forthright…please forgive me."
"Mother, who is he? You said he's a death knight?!" Ishka demanded again as she ran in between the two of them.
The high priestess sighed as she examined her daughter's pained face, "It's not my place to say. I've already overstepped myself."
The gathering crowd began to whisper amongst each other anxiously. They seemed eager to learn any shred of information they could about this mysterious human named Arthas.
He did not even bother responding as he turned and walked away. "No matter how dark the night becomes, the sun always rises the next morning. The light will find you again paladin…whether you want it to or not," Ishanah spoke as Arthas departed.
The guards scattered as he passed on his way towards the elevator. Many looked like they were still confused about what was going on.
Arthas didn't even bother looking back as he finally reached the end of the plaza and stepped on the elevator.
As it lowered he shook his head in disbelief, 'If something seems too good to be true then it most likely is. Though I wonder why she didn't tell anybody else who I was…'
"Who are you exactly?" he heard a voice from behind. He turned around surprised to see one of the draenei girls standing there. It was Maelina. She had a saddened face and looked like her feelings were hurt.
"None of your business kid…get lost," he said carelessly as he stepped off the elevator and walked away. She quickly trailed after him.
"Hey, listen, Arthas! I am not going to judge you. I heard them call you a death knight. What is a death knight exactly?" she asked.
He stopped in his tracks, "They are the opposite of paladins. We are dark warriors who wield powerful runic magic and inflict suffering upon everything we touch."
"So you really are dangerous…is that why those people want to kill you?" she began.
"I did all the wrong things for the right reason," he answered vaguely before continuing on his way.
She continued to follow him much to his annoyance. "Why are you still following me, kid?! Don't you get it? I'm a bad person…the kind your parents warned you about. The kind that kills stupid little children like you."
He could tell he hurt her feelings with that comment as she looked away sadly. She looked as if she was about to cry. "I'm sorry…I am just a dumb girl aren't I? I know we just met, but I really wanted us to be friends."
The man simply stared at her blankly, "I don't have friends anymore."
"Then I'll be your friend. I don't care about what you did in the past…you've been nice to me and that's all that matters now," she pleaded.
"You realize I'm probably the reason most of those orphans don't have parents right?" he said darkly.
She shook her head in disbelief, "No, I don't believe that."
"I guess your parents never warned you about trusting strangers huh? Go home, Maelina…I have nothing left to say to you or any of the Aldor," he replied.
She looked down shamefully, "How can you even say that? What did High Priestess Ishanah say in there?"
"It doesn't matter! Go away before I kill you!" he shouted angrily. This terrifying roar caused her to flinch as she cowered fearfully.
"I-I'm sorry…" was all she said before running away with tears flowing down her face.
'Well that's over now…what should I do now?' he wondered. Arthas hadn't really planned this far ahead and had no idea where to go in the city now that he burned his bridge with the Aldor.
"Excuse me, sir…did I just see you threaten to kill a draenei girl?" A voice sounded from behind.
'Oh who the hell is it now?!' he thought annoyed as he spun around with a fierce glare.
"What's it to you?!" he said venomously. Upon spotting the source, he noticed a rather amused looking blood elf woman who was smiling at him.
"You are the coolest refugee I've ever seen pass through this city. I love it when people put those stupid goats in their place," she laughed.
He simply stared at her unfazed, "Get lost lady…I'm not in the mood to talk."
Without even giving her a second glance he walked away back towards Lower City's Bazaar. The woman quickly cut him off and crossed her arms, "I know you don't think you can just walk away from me after getting me all excited."
"What the hell do you want?" he asked annoyed.
"I saw you up there…from my post. You really stuck it to those self-righteous draenei didn't you? I've never seen anybody manhandle Lightwarden Adyen like that. You did it in front of High Priestess Ishanah no less! Hell, you even made that girl cry! You're okay in my book. Please, let me buy you a drink," the blood elf woman laughed again.
He did not like that suggestion, "How's about you go drink by yourself and dive off that cliff?"
Arthas was not in a good mood, and this woman was clearly a Scryer from what he could surmise.
"Oh c'mon now…is it because I'm a blood elf? We don't mind you humans here in Shattrah. You guys are actually our biggest help in Outland. The stupid goats are the ones that we don't like. They're always trying to hold us down and treat us like second class citizens," she explained.
Arthas simply shrugged, "I don't care. Just because I don't like the Aldor doesn't mean that I'm automatically on board with you Scryers."
She seemed surprised that he knew she was a Scryer, "Oh, did those girls tell you about us?"
He eyed her suspiciously, "Have you been watching me?"
The woman nodded her head, "Yes…and I will continue to do so unless you let me buy you a drink."
Finally he sighed in defeat, "Alright fine…but no promises okay? I'll have one drink, you can say whatever you want to say, and then I'm gone. Is that understood?"
"Perfectly," she smiled before licking her lips, "follow me, Arthas…"
'Damn it, so this bitch knows my name too? Why did I even bother coming to this city?' he thought to himself in frustration.
The blood elf woman quickly snaked her arms around one of his. He gave her a questioning glance, "What are you doing?"
"Just so nobody gets the wrong idea about us…" she giggled.
"Umm…I'm pretty sure people are going to assume something else if you do that," Arthas noted.
She smiled suggestively, "Oh? What would that be?"
'Don't take her bait Arthas…this woman clearly has some kind of hidden agenda. Let's just get this bullshit over with,' he told himself.
The two walked for a few minutes until they found a nearby bar. As they passed inside, they received many strange looks from the inhabitants. Arthas couldn't tell if the reason was because of his appearance or because of the situation he was in.
The bartender instantly recognized the blood elf woman, "Vyara, good to see you again. What'll it be?"
"We'll have two of my special brew. In fact make them both doubles," she said coolly.
Arthas sent her a disapproving glance, "So you've obviously done this before. Let's cut to the chase…what do you want?"
She put her finger on his lips, "Now now don't be so hasty…let's go to the back where we can have some more privacy."
The two walked past several strangers before finding a quiet isolated corner in the back of the bar. Upon sitting down, their drinks were delivered straight to them. Two platters of food were also brought much to his surprise.
Arthas stared at it strangely. He couldn't remember the last time he ate. His stomach growled as he stared at it. He wasted no time taking advantage of the situation as he began to eat the delicious salted meats and bread in front of him.
It was nothing fancy, but it might have been the best meal he had ever eaten. The blood elf woman watched him with fascination as he silently wolfed down his meal. She quickly reached for her mug of booze and held it up to him, "Cheers."
For reasons he couldn't explain Arthas grabbed his mug and brought it up to hers, "Cheers." He then drank his entire pint in one gulp.
The woman laughed at his enthusiasm, "Hah, so you were just playing hard to get huh? I didn't know food was the secret into your pants."
This caught him off guard and caused him to start coughing, "W-what?!"
He was expecting her to try and brush it off as a joke, but she seemed completely serious as she eagerly stared at him.
"Alright, so Vyara, what do you want from me?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious…" she said as vaguely as possible. He had a feeling she was just trying to tease him now.
Arthas shook his head 'Those kids weren't kidding about the blood elves here…'
Several more drinks were brought to them much to his surprise. Vyara nodded at the waitress before turning her attention aback towards Arthas, "Okay, so first of all I want to know who you are exactly? I've heard the name Arthas before in Azeroth, but I can't quite seem to remember where."
"I used to be a paladin…maybe we met in Quel'Thelas when I was younger," Arthas answered vaguely. He was hoping to change the subject quickly.
The woman eyed him unconvinced, "No…I believe that's the name of that crazy human death knight who left a trail of destruction on his way towards Silvermoon City. The same human who killed King Anasterian and resurrected a powerful lich destroying the sunwell in the process. Of course that couldn't possibly be you…because that human is the Lich King now."
'If she already knew who I was, then what was the point of buttering me up?! Unless this is a trap…Damn it! That's it, I'm getting my map and getting out of this city…too many people know who I am now,' Arthas thought furiously.
He slowly inched his hand towards his broken rune blade, but remained calm as he stared blankly at the woman. She eyed him curiously, clearly not expecting his current reaction.
"You're the Lich King…" she stated the obvious with an odd grin on her face.
Arthas didn't say a word as he continued staring. He made sure to open his ears for any kind of imminent ambush.
Suddenly he began to feel extremely drowsy, 'Shit…the alcohol was drugged!?' he thought to himself in disbelief. How could he have fallen for such an easy trap.
'This bitch has another thing coming if she thinks I'm going down this easily!' he mentally fumed.
"You're mistaken if you think drugging and poisoning my food and drink will work," he spoke calmly with a death glare.
Vyara seemed bewildered by his comment, "What? No, relax King Arthas…If I wanted you dead, I would have approached you with a platoon of guards."
"Then why this deception? This ambush will not succeed while I draw breath!" Arthas shouted as he stood up quickly and slammed his fist into the table. The table immediately shattered into pieces and splinters launched everywhere.
Several other people in the bar ran over to their dark corner confused. The bartender spoke up urgently, "Is everything okay ma'am? What happened?"
Vyara quickly waved the crowd off, "Go away, we're having a conversation. Here this'll cover your table…" The woman threw a few gold coins at the bartender before motioning Arthas to follow her outside.
He reluctantly did so, but had a feeling that there would be a cluster of enemies waiting outside for him. Much to his disbelief, there wasn't.
"I put bloodthistle in your drink to calm you down…I wanted to avoid a scene like that. Now we have to find a dark alley to talk in," Vyara explained as she quickly led Arthas around a few buildings to a secluded looking alley.
"You put what in my drink?!" he demanded angrily.
"Bloodthistle…it's a drug that calms you down. I couldn't be certain if you would try to kill me. I hoped it would put you in a more talkative mood. Clearly it hasn't had much effect on you…" Vyara answered. He did not like the idea of some random elf woman drugging him.
She looked around nervously to make sure they were alone until finally she spoke, "I wanted to talk to you before everybody else figures out who you are. There is an interesting proposition I wanted to run by you."
"First of all, if you know who I am then why are you even bothering to talk to me? As you already stated…I killed your king and destroyed your precious sunwell," Arthas said coldly as he constantly scanned his surroundings.
"The scryers do not officially support the Alliance or Horde. In fact we don't even concern ourselves with the matters in Azeroth. You may have killed King Anasterion and destroyed the sunwell, but that is of no concern to us. We betrayed Prince Kael Thas after all, and from what I've heard about and seen from the survivors in Silvermoon, Lor'themar will lead them to ruin with the horde." Vyara explained.
He was surprised by this response but remained skeptical, "What do you really want from me?"
She smiled, "I would tell you, but A'dal sees almost everything in this city. It's too risky…however, meet me at the Black Temple in Shadowmoon Valley in three days time and I will explain everything. I promise you won't regret it."
'This seems to good to be true…but I suppose I need some direction here. I'll make sure to bring the Val'kyr with me in case she tries something stupid,' he concluded.
"Very well…" was all Arthas said as he turned to leave.
Vyara quickly grabbed his arm causing him to spin around defensively. She seemed to flinch for a moment but soon handed him something, "Here, take this map. Everything you would ever want to see in Outland is listed here."
The prince felt relieved to finally get his hands on a map. He sent the woman a genuine smile much to her surprise, "Thanks."
"No problem…by the way, the horde has six people in this city looking for you so watch your back," she warned.
Without another word, Arthas walked back onto the street. As he turned the corner he felt a soothing, warm, and serene voice speak in his mind, "Fallen One, Your timing in Shattrah is no coincidence. The legion has returned."
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Well that's it for this long chapter. Yeah I went into a lot of explicit subplots…so sorry about that. I hope this chapter wasn't boring or anything. I promise the fun action will kick up soon. If you made it this far, thanks a lot for reading.
