The Story so Far: Arthas has culled the city of Stratholme, gone to Northrend, as well as finding Muradin Bronzebeard and the runeblade Frostmourne. Unknown to the Prince, Jaina Proudmoore followed him and arrived just in time to stop Arthas from taking up Frostmourne. Later, and with Jaina's help, Arthas succeeded in getting his entire expeditionary force set sail for Lordaeron. Unknown to Arthas and Muradin, Lieutenant Marwyn followed them to Frostmourne's cavern and took up the blade before going MIA. Later, Captain Falric makes the discovery that Luc Valonforth, two squads of footmen, a squad of riflemen and a squad of spellcasters also went missing. Arthas reports to his father, King Terenas Menethil II, and warns him of an impending Scourge invasion before secretly purchasing an engagement ring for Jaina. Afterwards, Arthas invites Jaina for a stroll around the palace gardens before proposing. To his relief, Jaina accepts, and they go before Terenas, who grants them his blessing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Warcraft, or any other games published by Blizzard.
Song for the Chapter: "Never Again" by Disturbed
"All that I have left inside is a soul that's filled with pride.
"I tell you 'never again!'
Their depraved society didn't end up killing me.
Scream with me 'never again!'
Not again"
Chapter VII: Fall of Lordaeron
Arthas awoke to the sound of Jaina getting dressed. His memory slowly came back to him as he remembered exactly what he had done the night before. He and Jaina had made love that night after announcing their engagement to Terenas, who had gladly given his blessing.
Still slightly groggy, Arthas sat up slowly to get his bearings. Twenty minutes later, the Crown Prince of Lordaeron was cleaned up and ready for the day ahead of him. The warning that he had given yesterday had spread like a wildfire in the middle of summer.
People were afraid of not surviving the coming Scourge invasion, despite Arthas and Terenas' best efforts to allay their fears.
Currently, Arthas was sparring with Muradin, who had made a full recovery from the wounds he received in Northrend. About an hour into their sparring, Arthas called for a stop when he heard people arriving.
Arthas recognized one of the guests immediately: Varian Wrynn, King of Stormwind and a childhood friend of Arthas'. When Varian first arrived in Lordaeron at the age of twelve, it had been after the Orcish Horde had destroyed Stormwind in the First War. At the end of the Second War, Stormwind was back in Alliance hands and rebuilt. The Stonemasons' Guild, the ones responsible for Stormwind's reconstruction, then demanded payment for their work. Unfortunately, the newly crowned Varian could not convince the nobles in the House of Lords to pay the fees, and the Stonemasons rioted in outrage. The riot led to the accidental death of Varian's young wife, Tiffin.
Now known as the Defias Brotherhood, the Stonemasons are now hell-bent on making Stormwind suffer by strangling the kingdom for resources.
The other man that accompanied Varian Arthas did not recognize right away, but by the look of his armor, the young prince could tell he was a fellow paladin. When the man got closer, Arthas placed the name with the face: Kraeden Lightwood, Highlord of the Lordaeron Twenty-Seventh Legion. Lightwood first saw combat during the Second War serving in the same army as his good friend Leonais Frostwind, but Kraeden commanded a different unit.
When Kraeden spied Arthas, he immediately gave a crisp military salute, which Arthas returned before speaking to both him and Varian.
"Hello, Varian. It's good to see you again, my old friend."
"It's good to see you too, Arthas. It's been too long since our last meeting." Varian replied.
"Highlord Kraeden Lightwood at your service, my lord."
"No need for formalities, Highlord. Please, call me Arthas."
"As you wish, Arthas." Kraeden said after a moment's pause.
"So, you must know why I'm here, Arthas." Varian stated as a test.
"I do. As you must have heard, Lordaeron is in danger of a Scourge invasion. Yesterday, I proposed a plan to save and evacuate as many citizens as possible to my father. It was decided that he would take half of the refugees to Stormwind to be under your protection, Varian; while Jaina and I take the other half west to Kalimdor." Arthas said, taking a breath to steady him.
"Is there no way to stop the undead?" Varian asked.
"I'm afraid not. You see, Lieutenant Marwyn went missing in action after he managed to follow Muradin and me to a runeblade named Frostmourne. After I had foolishly released the blade, Muradin here fell unconscious."
Arthas pointed to the dwarf standing beside him before continuing,
"However, Jaina was able to arrive in time to stop me from falling into a trap by taking up the aforementioned blade. After we three had left, I suspect Marwyn entered the cavern and took the blade for himself before disappearing. When we set sail for home, Captain Falric reported that Captain Valonforth and a regiment of troops were unaccounted for as well."
"Hmm, that sounds suspicious. How close to Lordaeron were you when Captain Falric reported his findings?" Kraeden asked.
"We were two days from landing in Lordaeron when he reported it." Arthas replied.
Kraeden nodded before Muradin spoke.
"Aye, that does sound strange. How were a Lordaeron Captain and a regiment of soldiers able to suddenly vanish into thin air like they were nothin'?"
"If were to venture a guess, I would say that Marwyn was able to kill and raise the four missing squads with Frostmourne." Kraeden said thoughtfully.
"How do you know about Frostmourne, Kraeden?" Arthas asked, curious as to why the older Paladin came to his conclusion.
"My mentor, Gavinrad the Dire, made sure that I knew of any and all cursed items. Frostmourne happened to be on that list. All that I know of the blade is that is steals the soul of anyone it is exposed to, the first soul being the soul of its wielder. Whoever wields Frostmourne is then granted the power to raise fallen corpses into undeath, as well as being telepathically connected to the original owner of the blade, the Lich King Ner'zhul." Kraeden recited from memory.
"That is about what I know of the blade as well. It's good to know that there wasn't additional information that I missed." Arthas agreed in a thankful tone.
"Don't thank me. Thank Gavinrad, he was the best mentor I ever had and was able to drill that into my skull." Kraeden said with a chuckle.
"I'll make sure to tell him that when I see him." Arthas said with an incline of his head to the older Paladin.
Arthas, Varian, and Kraeden then spent the next twenty minutes in idle conversation before a royal guard came to summon them to the meeting that was to occur in fifteen minutes. Here, Kraeden bid the two royals farewell, saying he needed to prepare his men.
After Kraeden left, Arthas and Varian followed the guard to the imperial chamber, where several important faces were amassed. Present with his father, Jaina, and Leonais were Uther, Gavinrad the Dire, Saidan Dathrohan, Daelin Proudmoore (Jaina's father), King Anasterian Sunstrider, Kael'Thas Sunstrider, Sylvanas Windrunner, Archbishop Benedictus, and Bolvar Fordragon. Since the Gilneans were still barricaded behind the Greymane Wall, no one was there to represent them.
Arthas took his seat at his father's right hand, while Varian sat with Bolvar at his right. Terenas then called for silence before speaking.
"We are gathered here today because of the threat that looms over us all. Whether or not you know of this undead Scourge, you all surely have heard of the plague that has struck gripped the northlands." Terenas said with a regal tone befitting his station.
"I've heard rumors of this plague, but is it as bad as you say, Terenas?" Anasterian asked.
"Indeed so, High King Sunstrider. Did you hear of Stratholme?" Arthas replied for his father.
Anasterian nodded before speaking again,
"Ah yes. To which I must ask you, young prince, why did you destroy the city? Surely you harbor some measure of guilt for killing the civilians there."
"I do harbor regrets for having to kill the citizens of Stratholme, but they were infected by the plague. If I had done nothing, because of Stratholme's proximity to your southern border, there was the possibility of the plague spreading into Quel'Thalas… and I know you and the other High Elves would not have taken kindly to that, High King Sunstrider." Arthas said after a slight flinch at the mention of his actions at Stratholme.
"Your point has been made, Prince Arthas. However, should Lordaeron fall from the impending invasion, what precautions should my people take to protect themselves?"
Anasterian said pensively.
"Screen any and all food shipments and destroy any that are confirmed to be plagued. If all else fails, you may want to consider evacuating as many citizens as possible, leaving enough to have a sizable defense force, High King." Arthas said after a moment of thought.
Anasterian nodded while Kael'Thas scoffed.
"How can we trust you, young Menethil? You know nothing of High Elven magic. If this plague is in any way magical in nature, then our wards will detect it. This plague would never enter Quel'Thalas proper." Kael said pompously.
"I have no doubt that if the wards protecting your fair homeland detect the plague that you and your people would be able to avoid our sufferings. However, we are not here to start disputes over trust, but to discuss the coming invasion by the Scourge. Varian, would Stormwind be prepared to accept Lordaeron refugees after the Scourge invade?" Terenas said conciliatorily before turning to Varian.
"Of course Stormwind will be prepared, Terenas. If we can do anything to help the people of Lordaeron, my people will not hesitate to return the favor after your sheltering of my people from the Orcs." Varian replied in an uncompromising tone, as if daring someone to challenge him.
"Excellent. Now, King Anasterian, if you need to evacuate your people, where will they go?" Terenas asked the aging elf.
"While my son would disagree with me, I feel that Quel'Thalas will not last much longer should Lordaeron fall. So, as a precaution, I am sending Ranger-General Windrunner with half of my people to accompany your son and Lady Proudmoore to Kalimdor. My son and I will certainly stay and fight, along with any and all volunteers that choose such." Anasterian replied.
Sylvanas nodded her assent before speaking, "What High King Sunstrider says is true. Along with the refugees, I will also assist Prince Menethil and Lady Proudmoore in building a new home for our peoples once we reach Kalimdor."
"Thank you, Sylvanas. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated." Jaina said with a slight bow of her head to the ranger.
"If it is at all possible, couldn't we take the fight to the Scourge and strike Northrend while they invade here? There is even the possibility that we could secure territory in Northrend." Bolvar said. Daelin was quick to agree.
"I agree with Lord Fordragon. We should take the fight to the enemy instead of waiting to be slaughtered here."
That idea, however, was shot down by Uther.
"We do not know when the Scourge will come. If we attack Northrend now, we may just be sending those men on a suicide mission. Remember, every soldier we lose is one the Scourge gains. Not to mention the Scourge can always turn their ships around if we attack before they arrive."
"Uther's right. If we send men to Northrend and they get slaughtered, we will only be helping the Scourge instead of damaging them." Arthas said, agreeing with his mentor.
"Well said lad. I also have a feeling that the Scourge is not the only enemy we'll have to contend with." Gavinrad said.
"You're correct, Gavinrad. There does seem to be something out of place with the presence of demons working with the Scourge." Arthas said, nodding to Gavinrad.
Two hours passed as the leaders hammered out the details of their plans. Should Lordaeron fall, Quel'Thalas, Stromgarde, and Dalaran would accompany the Lordaeron refugees to either Kalimdor with Arthas and Jaina or accompany Terenas and Varian to Stormwind.
With the meeting concluded, Arthas and Varian went to do some sparring as well as catch up. With Jaina and Sylvanas watching, Arthas and Varian eventually fought themselves to a draw. They were about to prepare for another bout when Falric suddenly burst through the door. Stopping their match, Arthas strode to the panting Marshal.
"Falric, what is it? And why are you out of breath?" Arthas asked.
Struggling to catch his breath, the winded Falric managed to gasp out, "My lord… Marwyn… he's here."
"What?! Quickly, lead the way, Marshal. Where was Marwyn heading?" Arthas demanded.
"He's headed for the imperial chamber. Your father's still inside!" Falric said after catching his breath.
Then, with Falric leading, Arthas, Varian, Jaina, and Sylvanas rushed to the throne room. They got there just as Marwyn was about to impale Terenas on Frostmourne. Arthas quickly pulled Marwyn off his father before engaging the man.
The others managed to clear the throne room out just as a vicious melee between Arthas and Marwyn started up.
Marwyn, despite initiating brutal attacks, was not very skilled with a blade. Arthas, on the other hand, was quite adept in close quarter combat, and soon had Marwyn on the ropes. However, Arthas was so focused on battling Marwyn that he failed to notice Luc Valonforth emerge from the shadows and shield bash him from behind. Quickly recovering, Arthas turned his attention to Valonforth and after a brief but intense struggle, subdued the former Captain.
Turning back to Marwyn, Arthas engaged in another vicious melee before he inadvertently left an opening in his defenses. Marwyn, spotting the crack in his former lord's defenses, jumped forward and stabbed Arthas in the chest, although he missed any vital organs, he nicked one of the important arteries. Nevertheless, Arthas went down like a stone as Frostmourne's dark power lanced through his body, his legs refusing to support him and causing Arthas to fall unconscious.
There was a pause in the combat as everyone in the throne room watched Arthas fall. The emotions (or lack thereof) that ran through the room varied. For Falric, Jaina, Varian, and Sylvanas, emotions ranged from shock to absolute fear.
Falric and Varian, upon seeing Arthas fall, went berserk. Their attacks were so fast and ferocious that any orc watching would have blushed in embarrassment.
When Jaina saw Arthas go down, it was as if time slowed down for her. She watched in frozen shock as her fiancé collapsed before she shook herself from her trance and unleashed the mother of all magical onslaughts on the Scourge, burning most to a crisp in seconds.
Sylvanas watched in stunned silence as Arthas collapsed from Marwyn's attempt to kill him. While she did not feel any romantic attachment to the young prince currently bleeding on his home's floor, she did consider him a friend. Remembering that she was in a combat zone, Sylvanas drew her blades and began slicing up any Scourge unfortunate to get too close.
Falric was able to hack and slash his way to his fallen prince, and with a strength that belied his size and build, hefted the unconscious Arthas over his shoulder. Then, the Captain hacked and slashed his way through the undead that were blocking the exit. Varian, Sylvanas and Jaina followed closely behind, with Jaina relentlessly throwing her deadliest spells at the Scourge that were pursuing them. The group then fought their way out of Lordaeron's throne room before rendezvousing with the evacuating citizens. Leonais rode up on his horse and began shouting questions.
"What the hell happened in there?" Leo shouted when he saw Falric carrying the unconscious Arthas.
"Marwyn happened, the bastard nearly killed Arthas!" Jaina growled in anger, surprising many of her companions with her tone.
Leo, however, was unfazed by the show of temper. He merely nodded before striding to his horse Perseverance. Mounting the horse, Leo then rode towards the sound of clattering bone and steel. He almost did not hear the shouts intended to be for his ears.
"Leo, wait! What are you doing!?"
It was Jaina, who rode up on Arthas' horse Trueheart.
"I'm buying you and Terenas more time by holding off Marwyn's forces." Leo explained when Jaina caught up.
"What about your wife and sons? How will they be able to cope if you die?" Jaina said emotionally as her adrenaline subsided and her grief began to surface.
Leo sighed before saying, "If I do die, then it will be for their survival. Even if I cannot be with them physically, I'll always be there for them in spirit. This is farewell, Jaina. It was an honor to have fought beside you and Arthas. Now hurry. Remember that Arthas needs you now more than ever. As for me, I intend to bring down as many of Marwyn's minions as possible."
With that, Leo dismounted Perseverance and drew his dragon hilted claymore. The runes along the blade activated at his muttered Thalassian phrase, which promptly set the entire blade ablaze. Shouting a war cry, Leonais charged and began slicing through all of his undead opponents.
Sparing one final glance at the High General, Jaina rode back to the boats and boarded the Wavecutter. Arthas had been taken to the captain's cabin since it was the largest one. When Jaina arrived, she wordlessly moved to Arthas' side and grabbed his unresponsive hand. She gave the bandages on his chest a hard glare before she turned her gaze to the healer.
"I'm sorry milady, but there is nothing more I can do for him right now. I was able to stop the bleeding and close the wound, but whatever magic was employed against the Prince has left him comatose. It is merely a matter of waiting for him to awaken now." The healer said in a placating tone.
Jaina nodded at the man's words before returning her gaze to her fiancé. No one spoke and left the young couple alone for some peace. The young mage would have a long road ahead of her as the fleet set a course west.