Authors Note: Sorry for the long delay! But before we begin, I suggest you write this small dictionary down!
(Demonic) Ante - Fire, Toralar - Shadows, Arakal - Weaken, Zenn - Pain, Rethule - Ensnare and Tichar - Flames
(Nature) Thoribas - Starfire
Enjoy (:
Chapter Four
The howling wind dissipated as the world formed around Coria, blank saronite walls erecting themselves, encasing what Coria knew was the Halls of Reflection; the supposed private chambers of the Lich King, where in which his sword would rest and he would let his guard down.. if ever. She glanced to her right, meeting gazes with Varian, his blue eyes shaded with a subtle tone at the moment, his gauntleted hand's already tightening around the hilts of his swords. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a mere moment, before opening them and stating: "Sorrow breeds here." his tone was quiet and reserved, yet a underlying note of anger pulsed within.
His sight traveled upwards, burning with hate as it settled upon the single object that revolved slowly in front of them:
Frostmourne.
The tainted blade that from which bled the destruction of a two Kingdoms, their rulers, their people.. and countless other souls, ripped away from everything to be wrapped around the wicked core that kept Frostmourne alive, their pitiful existence only feeding the wielder of the blade. Coria shivered at the sight of the sword, she had seen depictions of it, heard tales of it... yet she had never laid eyes upon the monstrosity in its true form. She now understood the chilling stories that men told of it, claiming to have barely escaped the wrath of it.
They slowly advanced into the inner room, but as their feet led them into the chamber, Coria instantly noticed a difference in the environment around the sword. The temperature plummeted to freezing, making her shiver from the chill, and also from the fear she had towards it. Icy talons seemed to wrap around ribcage, constricting her chest and forming a hard knot in her stomach and throat, making it hard to breath. In the confides of her mind she could feel slippery fingers tugging at the edges of her conscious, prodding at her memories and whispering incoherent words into her mind. Her trembling fingers numbly curled around her head, grabbing strands of her hair as she felt the very life in her veins being frozen over, Am I going insane... she thought to herself, her core shuddering at the thought.
Varian's hand suddenly slid up her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek and titling her face up towards his. "Erase the thoughts from your mind, think of the happiest moment of your life and forget all else." he whispered. She nodded jerkily and seized several childhood memories she was fond of, allowing the positive emotions to spread warmness through her, the morbid presence in her mind and around her chest dissipating slightly.. but never the less present, waiting to prey upon her, should her defenses falter.
She took a steadying, but still shaky, breath and closed her eyes for a few moments. At last, she glanced up. "The sword itself is alive." she murmured quietly, riddling the sword with her guarded gaze. Varian nodded but remained silent as he contemplated his next actions.
"The sword needs to be destroyed." Varian mused aloud, his hand twitching back towards his blade. "I doubt it's that easy.." the mage-soldier said, rubbing the pommel of his engraved sword with his thumb thoughtfully, his gaze flickering between Varian and Frostmourne
"Perhaps we could communicate with a few of the souls in the blade." Coria suggested, the thought suddenly coming to her. "Why would.." the mage began to whisper, but carried off as he weighed the possibilities. "Think of those trapped inside." Varian suddenly said out loud, transferring his gaze to the two. "Uther. Terenas! Others!" Varian he exclaimed, allowing his collective mask to slip slightly as his eagerness showed. The mage seemed to hesitate, however. He took a glance towards the blade, then back to Coria. "Shall we?" he finally asked. Coria nodded.
The two approached the revolving sword, Coria baring her arms by rolling up her sleeves in preparation. "Establish a spiritual link as if you would with the nether?" she suggested. The mage nodded, "Advance slowly though." he whispered, before raising his hand and allowing a violet tendril of magic to pop from his palm and attach itself to the blade. Coria instantly the same and clamped her eyes shut, allowing her mind to slowly reach across the link towards the sword.
As she came in contact with it she was instantly engulfed by a swarm of voices, memories and emotions. Help! Save me! Light! They all screamed out in pain, seeking mercy from the vortex they were ravaged by. Coria had difficulty sifting through them as they clawed at her as she moved past, but she weeded out the peasents, the soldiers and the countless others who did not emit an abnormal aura. A small golden light flickered by and she was drawn to it, reaching out towards it hurriedly. Mind stretched out, she seized a hold of the entity and instantly was ripped back to the present, her ether link snapping out of existence as she stumbled backwards, falling on her back.
A lone cry pealed out across the hall before a shadow drifted away from the blade and conformed into the shape of a single man:
Regal armor adorned his powerful features while an ancient face was afflicted by pain and other emotions. Uther the Lightbringer fell to his knee's before them, heaving heavily as he looked upwards. "Is it you, thy maker?.." he asked quietly, squinting. Coria felt a pang of guilt as she realized this meeting would only give Uther false hope and he was not quite home yet... But you will be soon Coria vowed silently.
"Lord Uther" Varian finally said, taking a step towards the legendary man. Uther recoiled at the words and dropped his gaze back down, crooning several words to himself in a reserved manner. He took a raspy breath, "Varian.. is that you?" he called out. Varian stuttered for a response, "Uther.. I-i am so sorry." he whispered, seeming otherwise lost for words. Uther mustered a faint reserve of strength and shook his head valiantly. "No! No Varian, you haven't much time, he sees what the sword sees! He will be here soon!" he warned them, rising to his feet.
Coria quickly razed the man with her gaze, knowing that this was but a shell of the former man, his glory fleeted under the years trapped in neverending darkness, belittled with a maelstrom of pain as the endless hours trickled by. She shuddered at such a thought.
"Arthas approach-" "No! Not Arthas, he is but a presence within the Lich King's mind... a dwindling presence." Uther cut across Varian, shaking his head. "You must destroy the Lich King Varian, nothing else must matter than that! You cannot reason with him. He will only kill you and your allies and raise you back as his servants!" his hands shook as he spoke, the urgency of his message was clear. "You must destroy him at the place where he merged with Ner'zhul- atop the spire- at the Frozen Throne... there is no other way." he said.
Varian nodded, regaining his solid stature. "We will drive for the heart of the Citadel and crush the Lich King and hope that the Scourge will dissolve without a master!" he said powerfully, slamming his fist into his open palm in emphasis. Uther shook his head in protest, however. "Control over the Scourge must never be lost, for even if you were to strike down the Lich King, another would have to take his place.. Without the control of its master, the Scourge would run rampant across the world - destroying all living things." he said, contrasting Varian's words. Varian gaped at the thought. "A sacrifice by a noble soul." he said. "But who could bare such a burden.." he murmured aloud, rhetorically, turning away and hanging his head silently.
"I do not know bu-"
Uther's words were suddenly silenced as he fell to his knees, crying out in agony. "SILENCE, PALADIN!" a iron voice suddenly roared.
Dread clutched at Coria's heart as she gazed past Uther and Frostmourne to find the Lich King standing at the end of the opposite hallway, his hand clenched in silent anger. He release his fist and sauntered towards them, his burning eyes boring into Coria. "You wish to commune with the dead, mage?" he challenged, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You will join them soon then!" he said.
Varian suddenly loosed a savage cry and ripped his blade from its scabbard, rushing the blade and cleaving at it, allowing his emotions to fuel his strength. As his blade met Frostmourne though, a sapphire flash blinded them before a shockwave shot Varian backwards and slammed him into the ground, his massive plates clanking loudly as he ricocheted across the icy floor.
The Lich King uttered a malicious laugh, "Foolish." he said coldly, his hand wrapping around the hilt of Frostmourne, pulling it from its resting place and down to his side. The runes glowed vibrantly as the sword relished in its masters grip, the intense feeling of death returning to Coria. She pushed them aside and broke the arcane and elemental barriers in her mind, allowing the magic sources to flow freely in her veins. The runes on her vambraces, shinguards and gloves all glowed with a powerful aura as she fixed her blazing gaze upon the Lich King, courage bubbling up inside her. The Lich King sensed this and swiveled his gaze towards her amusingly, "Feeling brave are we?" he asked.
Suddenly driven, she detached herself from the wall of soldiers and sauntered forward, placing herself a handslength away from him. The macabre skulls on his armor grinned at her wickedly, their lucid faces gauntly adorning his features. The Lich King seemed slightly taken aback by her move, but he erased any emotion from his face and slid a stony mask over in its place. Frostmourne suddenly drifted up as he laid it gently down on the altar beside them, rubbing his fingers across the runes alone the face of the sword. He let his hand glide way from it, leaving it to rest as he began to circle her, eying her with interest. The soldiers remained impassive as they watched the interaction with interest, however Varian allowed some concern to seep into his eyes, but he too remained silent.
"What is bravery?" he finally said aloud, whispering the question to her, pausing with his head hanging over his shoulder slightly. His cool breath washed across the nape of her neck as she tilted her head towards him slightly. "An emotion." she said finally, deciding to tell what form of entity bravery was, rather than telling the specific description of it. Her answer amused The Lich King further, as he allowed himself to smirk slightly, his pale lips curling upwards. "And.. what are emotions?" he asked, beginning to circle her again.
This time, she considered her answer with deeper meaning, glancing away from him and into the distance. "Things that drive us." she finally whispered. He nodded, "and who is "us"?" Her eyes flickered towards him, "The living." she said, allowing herself to smile slightly as she realized the implications he had placed within his words, and how her answer was exactly what he had hoped for.
"And what does every living thing crave..." he asked. "Love... Wealth... Power- "Power!" he exclaimed, his smirk deepening. "The living have limits, my dear.. however with death, you have no limits and nothing to loose." his eyes glimmered with madness as he spoke. He was now behind her, his head positioned carefully over her shoulder, his soft words making her tilt her head ever so slightly towards him. His tone had transformed into the likeness of fine silk, his words became rich and smooth and deceptively friendly. He now murmured so low that only the two could hear his words. "The living have their limitations." he reiterated to her, "Imagine a world; one under a single banner, where no war exists, only peace, serenity and hope." he whispered, emphasizing the last word. "Luscious landscapes, splendorous fiefdoms and a glorified kingdom.." her eyes involuntarily fluttered shut as his speech painted a picturesque painting across her imagination, invigorating her senses as the fantasy pleased her."..this is the dream I risk of loosing." he murmured, bringing her focus back to him. "And what of the slaughter?" she asked instantly, dropping her tone to a low note as well. "The lives lost? What of your father's kingdom?"
The Lich King only chuckled quietly at this, "Lordaeron was corrupt and too powerful for its own good... it needed to be brought to its knees; a rebirth." he answered. "And the Horde? The Alliance?" she whispered, this time quieter. "Whilst they pit themselves against each other mindlessly? Wasting the resources of this land for a better sense of accomplishment, while their leaders sit fat upon their gilded thrones and throw mens lives away into the fray? Are their actions truly just in equal eyes, and not just their own?" he said, turning the question upon her now. A pause now marked Coria as she licked her arid lips, lost for words as his reasoning left her silent. Was his unholy crusade truly righteous in a sense for a better world? Then yet again.. what about the atrocities? The unspeakable horrors? They all stood against his reasoning... and her own. Morality screamed "Unrighteous!" to her... but logic and common sense deep in her core elicited approval within her; all he spoke was earnestly true... but was it right?
She laughed inside, what was "right" anymore?
At the same moment her heart quickened as she realized the foolishness of her thoughts, "This is wrong!" she wanted to scream... but the words never seemed to reach her lips, always stopped by her indecisive emotions.
Varian painfully watched the transaction between the two, his mind screaming with fury but his lips and limbs paralyzed, restricting him from doing anything. He wanted to shout out to Coria and dash for her, pulling her away from the madness that now stood a hairsbreadth away from her.. but invisible chains sealed his fate. However, it wasn't trickery of the Lich King, nor of some entity, but the bonds holding Varian were of his own mind. Indecision wracked his emotions despite the urge to pull Coria to safety. His icy eyes fixed themselves upon the elf, watching her lips move softly as she replied to the Lich King's words.
"What would one be had of, if they wished this vision to come reality?.." Coria finally asked, feeling a resonating sense of satisfaction emitting from fringes of her core... but deep down a twinge of regret wavered, although she paid no heed to it. Behind her, the Lich King's eyes widened with approval and his smirk deepened. Quickly hiding them behind the same implecible mask, he leaned closer. "Realease yourself unto me." he said, the four words the forming the line that would seal her fate, if she only would sign.
Her eyes instantly flickered to the thrumming runes of Frostmourne, her eyes traveling down the edge of the blade which glinted in the soft light. She seemed drawn to it, the souls within signing a song to her, captivating her with their keen words of mourning. Consideration entered her mind as the stillwaters of indecision kept her frozen... but with a shiver, she glanced over her shoulder, perhaps for the last time;
Varian's shrewd eyes bore into her, his concern evident in the icy depths. As her eyes locked with his, a haze lifted from her mind and she realized the precarious position she had placed herself in. Her own words rushed back to her mind alongside the sneering face of the Lich King. Disgusted, her gaze tore away from Varian and met the Lich King's own blazing eyes. Fear clenched her heart and adrenaline roared through her veins as a sphere of arcane magic appeared in her hands. She expanded the bubble with a line of words and a sharp wave of energy separated the two. The Lich King stumbled back, slightly dazed by the sudden move, while Coria slid across the chilled floor, scrambling to her feet in an alarmed haste. Her breathing came in heavy pants as she found it hard to believe how close she had been to making.. "a decision."
A scream tore from her lips as she flung several fireballs at the Lich King, her fury rising at him. He growled and flicked Frostmourne around, battering the futile spells aside, the magic disappearing as the blade seemed to suck them in. Unphased, The Lich King raised his palm and flicked his wrist, a vortex of sapphire magic formed in his hand and launched itself at her. The orb of unholy magic moved with such speed that Coria had no time to utter a counter spell, and the angry sphere of magic shattered across her left thigh. Pain exploded throughout her lower body as white tinged gashes ripped apart her robe and underarmor, the vicious magic lacerating her leg with a series of tears and cuts, the sinew and muscle torn up as easily as parchement.
Unable to support the entire weight of her body, her leg collapsed beneath her. Coria's blood splattered across the frozen floor as she fell to it, pain and numbness wracking her body as she cried out in dismay. His ashen pale face displayed no mercy as he glanced down upon her, slowly sauntering towards her with his blade held high. "Def-"NO!" Varian finally roared, launching himself at the Lich King in defiance. His heavy plates collided with the wicked armor of Arthas, resounding loudly across the sonorous halls. The two fell to the ground in a sprawl of limbs, Frostmourne pinned beneath Varian's heavy knee. Varian raised his fist to strike, but Arthas' hand snapped up and a sphere of blue energy slammed into Varian's chest, launching him backwards away from Arthas. The magic winded Varian, but only succeeded in denting the front of his armor, no doubt still leaving a bruise behind.
Varian quickly recovered and slid his twin swords from their sheaths. "Fight, men!" he ordered quickly. A wall of plate converged on the Lich King, their blades twinkling brightly as they sought after blood, their honed edges whistling for the one who would sate their need. An insane laugh rose in the Lich King's throat as he battered aside blade after blade, parrying attacks and standing his ground, despite the near impossible odds. Frostmourne became a silver and sapphire whirlwind around his frame, both beautiful and deadly. "Rise minions!" he yelled, "Protect he who gave you life!"
On command, spirits spouted from the tip of Frostmourne, materializing into shimmering images of the former souls, ethereal armor encasing their frames while translucent weapons were pitted in their hands. "Form a ring around Coria!" Varian shouted, disengaging from the Lich King and rushing to protect Coria who remained on the ground, her leg useless and bleeding. The soldiers fell back as well, their weapons raised as walls of spirits assailed them. Despite her fading strength, Coria summoned writhing inferno's down on sections of the souls, vaporizing them to nothing and slowly, but surely, withering their resolve down.
Steel grated as pale blades met glinting ones, Varian's the most prominent as he sidestepped, stabbed and swayed through attacks, motes of glowing essences surrounding him as spirits returned to nothing under his frenzy. Sweat poured from his brow and numerous cuts littered his upper arms and thighs, but he pressed on.
The spirits being summoned took a toll on the Lich King; he was forced to fall back to the pedestal again, his arm outstretched as he poured his magic into the wall of trapped souls, Frostmourne humming loudly and glowing brightly in his hands as a barely visible link attached itself to every spirit, practically forming a blanket around them.
Minutes passed and the soldier's, including Varian, were drenched in sweat and their own blood, while two had fallen, the other still fought endlessly. Their breaths came in heavy pants and their weapons grew leaden in their hands but they showed no sign of giving up, less death take them.
A minute passed... an ashen vein in the Lich King's neck began to throb.
Two minutes passed... Varian slipped and dropped one of his swords, allowing a spirit to cut him along his ribs.
Five minutes passed... The Lich King's muscles and frame tremored violently and Frostmourne sagged in his hands.
Seven minutes passed... Coria's vision was fringed with white as she slowly was falling into unconsciousness.
Finally after ten minutes, The Lich King's hand dropped and Frostmourne fell from his grip as he no longer could sustain the spell. The spirits quickly faded from view without a medium to remain in the carnal realm and several soldiers collapsed to their knees, the bodies of six of their brothers fallen around them. Varian, however, seized the vital moment and surged towards the Lich King, a fierce roar on his lips as he brought his remaining blade down in a vicious arc towards the Lich King's exposed neck. Arthas quickly raised an upturned arm, the blade colliding with his forearm with a grating screech as Varian's sword glanced down and away from him, but not without leaving a gash from his wrist to elbow.
Thick blood ran down The Lich King's arm as he snarled fiercely, grabbing Frostmourne and returning to his feet, the blade held in front of him, splattered with his own blood now. "You fools persist!" he shouted, swinging violently at Varian, whom riposted the attack and jumped back, returning to the remaining soldiers and Coria. "We..we cannot defeat him now." Varian wheezed out through gritted teeth. "He is too strong, even at his weakest state.." His words were heavy and biting, but they were truthful. They needed to retreat and lick their wounds, while ruminating on the knowledge of the Lich King's strength... they could tire him, but no defeat him. Yet.
Varian's eyes flickered towards the hallway to their left, which lead to what looked like a cave , that from which came a soft light. Hoping it was an escape route to somewhere else, Varian quickly glanced back at Coria, mouthing the silent words of Diversion. She instantly understood and surged to her feet, placing her weight on her uninjured leg and raised a glowing palm at the Lich King, mouthing an incantation. Bright light exploded from outstretched hand and hurled towards The Lich King, bursting around his face in dazzling brilliance and blinding him for the moment.
Varian swung around and picked Coria up, placing her around her shoulders. "Move!" he shouted, sprinting off down the hallway, the remaining men close behind. Coria gritted her teeth as each pounding step shook her violently and sent a spike of pain through her system, but she ignored it and tried to bide her strength.
Frigid wind scoured them as they stumbled into a low hanging cave, adorned with only a crude altar at the far end and numerous cast iron braziers which emitted a subtle crimson glow from their enchanted flames. Crude, yet wicked, runes painted the walls and glittered along the altar, of which contained a tapestry of crimson, ebony and violet along with a ivory tome painted with numerous red insignias. The room emitted a sense of things left forbidden and forgotten, lest they cause pain for all... Coria had no doubt the passages of spells written within the tome were spells of pain, suffering and deceit.
"Tichar!" Arthas' icy voice suddenly barked behind them, closer than they all expected. The witch flames in the brazier suddenly swarmed outwards, exploding into brilliant halo's of violet-red flames that engulfed sections of the room. One soldier screamed as the unholy fire scorched his left flank, searing his face with unbearable agony. He collapsed to the floor and writhed for a moment before growing still. Varian and the others instinctively ducked to the ground, Coria skittering from Varian's grip despite his best attempt. She gritted her teeth again and raised both palms towards the braziers, "Thoribas!" she yelled, swirling blue darts springing from her outstretched hands and extinguished each flickering witch flame with a loud hiss.
The arcane magic ebbed more of her strength, but it was necessary. Varian grabbed her again and the remaining began to sprint for the mouth of the cave, which led to a winding path, but a halting command stopped them. "Toralar!" Arthas roared, black writhing shadows suddenly forming a wall between them and the outside, barring their path. They wheeled around, facing the monstrosity, his hand glowing a shade of violet with magic, residue dancing around his hand. He was heaving slightly, still recovering from the brief, but intense, fight. Still, he managed to push his words: "Foolish... you believed you could enter my domain undetected.. and expect to escape, unscathed?" he asked, laughing cruelly at them. He stood straight and planted Frostmourne in the ground. "You will perish beneath me." he said heavily, his words sealing their fate.
Coria disagreed.
"Arakal!" she snarled, her bonds broken and the fel magic seeping back into her veins. Her eyes disappeared beneath the blazing green shields that suddenly encased them, her strength returning tenfold as the momentary rush of magic restored her. Her skin knitted itself back together with the use of the demonic magic, leaving behind fresh muscle and skin, but it was ashen and pale, seeming lifeless. Still, she stood straight as her fel spell hit Arthas, dropping him to his knee's with surprise.
"Ante!" she barked, a jet of flames shooting from her palm towards him. He growled and sprung to his feet, battering aside the novice spell with a flick of his wrist, returning with "Zenn!" She grimaced as her nerves ripped with pain, making her seize back. "Arakal!" she yelped, "Ante! Ante! Ante!" Flame after flame shot from her hand, blasting the Lich King and knocking him back, forcing him to loose his control over the wall of shadows that barred them. Seeing this, she murmured a final spell, "Rethule!" Black chains appeared around the Lich King's feet, ensnaring him momentarily, allowing them to retreat again.
"Go!" she screamed, sprinting off out of the cave, knowing her spell would only last so long until the Lich King broke free of it. Snow and ice crunched and shattered under their feet as they sped around the winding path, knowing not were it lead but hoping it would lead to their freedom; it was better than the given alternative of staying.. and fighting. Coria forced herself to sever the bonds of fel magic, knowing it would take several minutes for the demonic energy to disappear from her blood. Her strength faded slightly, but she still had enough to keep herself pressing on.
"AARRGGH!" an enraged cry rang out behind them, telling Coria and the others that Arthas had freed himself. "Faster!" she said between pants, "We cannot be much farther!"
At last, a tunnel appeared ahead of them, a narrow pass lined with saronite that possibly meant a rampart or something they could use to escape from the Lich King. They dashed through the tunnel, hopeful to look out over Icecrown and find a new route;
Only to find a dead end.
Coria fell to her knees, the fel magic gone from her veins and her strength fading once again. She heaved heavily as tears streamed down her face. Will we die cornered and defenseless...
Varian cursed loudly and turned around quickly, glancing at the remaining soldiers, "Flare!" he ordered hastily, hoping the last resort would draw some attention. One of the men dipped his hand into his breastplate and pulled out a long blue and gold instrument. He aimed it high into the sky and yanked on the bottom, producing a small hiss before the head of the device shot skyward, only to explode overhead into a lingering blue light.
The terrace now bathed in azure light, Varian glanced back quickly into the tunnel, perhaps to seek and alternate route... but it was no avail as their eyes were greeted by the Lich King's looming form filling the passageway. His armor glinted in the faded sunlight, the skulls adorning his armor mocked them with their evil grins, no doubt they would be the last thing they would see, before the end. Frostmourne glowed balefully in his hand as he ambled forward languidly, a pale smirk curling on his lips. "It seems you have no where to run." he commented, planting Frostmourne in the ground again, deciding the savor the moment.
Varian's lip curled back in a snarl, "Fight us with honor and forgo your trickery, prince." Varian challenged, spitting out the title sparingly. Arthas only laughed and ran a hand through his lifeless hair, as if to stroke an imaginary crown. "No, not prince" he said, smiling wickedly, "But King." he used the word with favor, rolling it off his tongue and watching Varian's disgusted response. "King's have honor, you traitor!" he shouted, banging a fist against his dented chestplate, dictating the rightful King amongst them. "I watched you become King, Varian! When your father was betrayed by those demons..-" he began to elaborate, perhaps trying to invoke Varian's temper by mentioning his father and orc's within the same sentence, but Varian quickly dismissed this and cut across him:
"At least my father wasn't betrayed by the one he loved most!...At least my father loved me." he hissed between his teeth, venom set in his words. The Lich King finally took offense to his words, "Liar!" he roared, a glimpse of Arthas returning in his features and voice. Spheres of sapphire magic ripped from his palm towards Varian, only to be met by Coria's swirling infernos, quickly diminishing them beneath her wrath.
Varian roared and charged him, their blades meeting with a sonorous clang that echoed across the mountains, the grating of steel filling the air. They struggled for control for moments, each pushing against each other with immense force, before Varian disengaged and riposted, performing a complex maneuver trying to slash at his ribs, but with no avail as his quick reflexes allowed him to dance backwards and away from a heaving Varian.
Varian growled and rushed him again, this time with the remaining six soldiers at his side. Although he was
worn down, he managed to parry every blow perfectly, his blade becoming a web of glowing steel around him again. "You cannot fight forever!" Varian shouted between swings. His words of defiance quickly bit back on themself as Arthas ducked and swung several times in perfect synchronization, swiftly killing four of Varian's men. Their blood stained the snow bright crimson which seemed violet in the lingering light of the blue flare. How can he be so strong… he thought blankly. Still, he pressed, resorting to several stances and maneuvers, quickly depleting his knowledge of swordsmanship in order to shake Arthas from his resolve.
It did little, however, as the unadulterated strength and speed he contained defeated the complexity of Varian's attacks.
Varian feinted towards his left flank, seeking to dive right at the last moment and slice upwards at Arthas, but he only anticipated this and sidestepped the maneuver easily before raking his blade along Varian's forearm. Blood spurted along the snow as his arm was gashed open. Varian's blade clattered to the ground as he fell to one knee clutching his arm in pain and hanging his head in silence as he knew he was defeated.
A strange spark ignited in Coria's eye as she screamed, "ANTE!" Violet flames ripped from her open hand, opening their blazing maw to engulf the Lich King. They collided with his side, searing any exposed part of his body while burning the plate armor black from the immense heat. He roared in anguish and stomped the ground in pain, raising up a shard of imbued ice that was shielded by his death magic and encasing the soldiers and Varian's limbs in caskets of ice, consequently. The flames separated around the makeshift shield and continued to blaze angrily. Coria's eyes glowed pure white while the tattoos along her skin and on her back burned patterns through her robe and underamor, bathing her body with ivory light.
Finally, Arthas dove to the side towards Coria, dropping the ice shard, and springing to his feet adjacent to her. Quickly, he wove around and brought Frostmourne down across the back of her legs. The blade sliced easily through her calfs, yet again snatching away any support she had to stay upright. She collapsed to the ground and lost control of the spell, crying out in pain as white hot pain seared across the back of her legs. The powerful magic quickly disappeared from her veins and left her weak. She tried to crawl away from the Lich King, her muscles barely able to move, but it was no avail as he planted his foot down on one of her calfs, sending a new wave of agony ripped through her.
The Lich King growled angrily, his side pulsing with fresh pain from the numerous burns that scaled his side and his armor plates were blackened beyond repair from the flames, leaving him with a memento from the attack; he would surely sate his need for vengeance and make her pay.
Frostmourne speared into her upper leg, slicing through the muscle and sinew with ease and ultimately mutilating her leg with a long jagged wound. The Lich King yanked the sword out, dripping her own blood along her skin, before moving the blade to hover over the opposite leg.
Varian roared loudly and broke his limbs free, rushing towards Arthas and wrapping his heavy arms around his burnt torso proceeding to pick him up and dash towards the cave wall with him, slamming Arthas into the stone. His heavy armor clanked nosily against the rock while the two quickly resorted to trading blows with one another, each's plates cutting small gashes in each others face. Varian succeeded in scoring a deep gash under Arthas' eye, but it was quickly returned as The Lich King swung and clipped Varian in the chin, knocking him back. Before Varian could recover, Arthas raised a glowing palm, preparing to end his life with a final spell;
But suddenly the terrace began to shake.
A roaring noise reached their ears as the wind swirled angrily around the cliff, distracting everyone momentarily. And finally, from the depths below rose blue and gold standards mounted on the immense ribs of the floating monstrosity named the Skybreaker.
Several cannon shot's rang out, their deafening booms echoing across the peaks as the rounds slammed into the wall and ground around Arthas', collapsing the mouth of the cave down with a thunderous crash, burying the Lich King behind or below the rubble.
A azure flash occurred in the center of the terrace as a fellow mage appeared, a look of concern evident on his face. "King Varian! Hurry! There isn't much time, the cliff will collapse at any moment!" Varian struggled to his feet, kicking open the ice shackles that encased his two remaining men, before swerving towards Coria, dropping to his knee's by her collapsed form. White dots fringed her vision as she neared unconsciousness again, her strength gone and waves of pain wracking her body. Varian gently gathered her into his arms and limped towards the mage whom had a portal ready for them; the two soldier's rushed into it, followed by Varian, a growing sense of relief seeping through his chest.
The last sight before his vision went blank was of Coria cradled in his arms.
Authors Note: Sorry it took so long, but extra long chapter to push out! Reviews? Thoughts?