Chapter VIII

Dark Rebirth

1-I don't own any of Blizzard's content, characters, locations, etc. I only own Braxx, Azaraiah, Elunaa, and Railynn.

2-Special thanks to YOU, my eager and receptive audience. Please read and review, if you don't, Azaraiah comes and beats me D':

3-Many of you will note that I changed the numbering around a bit. Fanfiction does not believe in Prologues apparently so the prologue was listed as Ch1. Well, the OCD Minecraft Player in me couldn't handle that lol. I have reposted this with new numbering, removing a "prologue" Sorry about the confusion. Enjoy :D

Azaraiah walked down the Royal Exchange, making his way toward the bank. He was lost in thought when a distant voice called out to him. He turned to see Matron Aoibeahnn strolling towards him.

"Greetings, Lord Azaraiah," she said to him.

"Hello Lady Aoibeahn," Azaraiah replied. "How are you today, my dear?"

"I am well, Lord Az," she said. "I wanted to ask if you have heard any news of Braxx."

Azaraiah hung his head and shook it. "No, not one word. He was last seen near the town of New Avalon, but that was a week ago."

"Have you not gone and seen for yourself?" She asked him, feeling slightly chagrined.

"My lady, I'd be all over Azeroth chasing humans of Braxx's description. I don't know if you have realized it or not, but we Quel'dorei aren't exactly welcome in their towns anymore."

Aoibeahn nodded, she was well aware that they were now Horde, the few Troll and Orc children in the orphanage were a testament to that. Aoibeahn adored all the children, be they human, Dreanei, or even Orc. The general population of Azeroth forgets the toll of the constant war as it affects the children.

"How is Lady Mandra doing?" Azaraiah's question drew her thoughts back into the present.

"Oh, sister is doing quite well, now that Prince Kael purified the Sunwell, she is back to her old quirky self again."

"I'm glad to hear it. Wish her well for me?"

"I certainly will, Az," She Replied.

Azaraiah was going to reply when someone racing down the lane crashed into him. He bent down and picked up a small boy.

"What's the hurry, son?" Azaraiah asked him.

The boy recovered himself then gasped as he regarded all of Azaraiah's medals and badges.

"My-my Lord," he stammered.

Azaraiah smiled to him. "Relax son, what's the matter?"

The boy gulped, inhaled deeply and exhaled. "My Lord, there are reports that the Lich King himself has invaded the Upper Kingdom. There is a massive necropolis with thousands of undead warriors destroying everything in their path!" He panted out.

Azaraiah grabbed the boy by the shoulders and asked him, "Where was it last seen?"

"New Avalon," he replied.

Aoibeahn gasped loudly. Azaraiah looked to her.

"Go," she said.

In a flash of light, Azaraiah was gone.

The stench of decay filled the air all around the prisoners. The sounds of tortured screams and sobbing were everywhere. Braxx awoke to the sensation of spinning around. He opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. The cage he was in was suspended five feet in the air, its only other occupant was a dead and rotting Troll. The smell of the decaying body filled Braxx's nostrils and he began to retch from the odor. He turned and vomited out of his cage bars, the projectus hitting a passing ghoul who reached up and smacked Braxx on the head. The ghoul mumbled something unintelligible before moving on.
The sound of footfalls approaching heralded the arrival of a huge man in bright blue armor.

"Ah, awake at last, little one?" My name is Razuvious, you were captured in our first assault of New Avalon. Our master is curious as to why you do not wear the armor of the Scarlet Crusade?"

Braxx worked up a little saliva in his mouth and spit directly in Razuvious's eye.

"Go to hell, bastard."

"You will pay for that," Razuvious said. "Meanwhile, our Lord wants to question you himself."

Razuvious unlocked the cage which fell downward, spilling Braxx to the floor. Razuvious picked him up by the neck and marched him to the Balcony of Command. He hurled Braxx unceremoniously to the ground at the Lich King's feet. Braxx picked himself up and faced his conqueror.

"Although we have never before met, Braxx Merkess, your name and deeds are not unknown to me." The Lich King's voice echoed through the room.

"You are a fool and a monster, Prince of Lordaeron," Braxx reported. "Your entire life is a lie. You betrayed our people, killed your own father, and destroyed everything I ever loved. If I had my blade, monster, I would end you right here!"

The Lich King's booming laughter reverberated off of the walls.

"You?" He said, bemused. "You can barely stand, let alone hold a weapon. You are pathetic and hardly worth the effort of rising into my army. Still, you can be of some use as fodder for more worthy warriors."

Braxx blinked in confusion then felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down to see Frostmourne sticking out of his stomach. He coughed, spraying his hot blood onto the cursed blade which had ended him.

"You-" he began but stopped as his lifeless body slumped down to the floor.

The Lich King pulled his blade from Braxx's stomach and looked at the dead corpse in disgust.
Braxx however, felt himself rising out of his body. He floated over the balcony and regarded the scene below. He watched the Lich King hold Frostmourne over his dead body and felt a tug as the blade pulled his soul into it. Inside Frostmourne, he was not alone. A thousand souls wailed and cried to be freed. Suddenly, Braxx felt a wave of peaceful calm settle about him.

"Worry not, my son. You mother and I are with you now, we are proud of you." The soul of his slain father spoke to him.

"What-"

His father's spirit drifted away, replaced by that of his mother.

"We love you, son."

"They are waiting for the destruction of this vile sword," a voice explained. King Teranas Menethil materialized next to Braxx.

"I remember well, your loving family. Although I have very little power here, I have done my best to keep their spirits sane so they may witness the destruction of the creature that was once my son." He explained.

Suddenly, Braxx's soul was torn violently from the blade and rejoined to his body.

"Meddling old fool," Arthas grumbled.

Braxx felt a, seating pain in his mind as the Lich King stole all of his past memories. His body became whole but completely numb. His joints, mussels, flesh became colder than the worse cold. He knew then that he was among the undead.

The Lich King chuckled. "An interesting sensation, is it not? Despite the efforts of my meddling father, you belong to me! Your thoughts and memories are now my property as is your entire existence. Razuvious, take this prisoner to the arena. Perhaps a more worthy champion will benefit from his defeat. If he dies, have Agatha bring him back as a lowly ghoul."

Razuvious bowed to his King then hauled Braxx down to the pit. He shackled Braxx with the rest of the unworthy prisoners. In no time, a new aspirant was resurrected and he freed Braxx with the intention of killing him.

Braxx gathered rusted, dented armor and a cheap sword. He turned and faced an enormous Tauren.

"Your death will bring me much honor." The Tauren said in Scourge, which Braxx was amazed he could understand. The huge Death Knight lumbered over and swung his huge axe at Braxx's head. Braxx ducked the blow and rolled away. Although he had no memories of his previous life, he retained all the knowledge of fighting and combat he was taught. He knew that he'd never overpower the mighty Tauren, he had to wear the lummox down and hope for a lucky shot.
The Tauren again swung his great axe at Braxx, this time at his feet. Braxx jumped over the strike and dodged behind. He turned and cast Hammer of Justice, or at least he tried to. What happened next shocked Braxx as well as the TauA coil of iciness leapt from Braxx's sword and struck the Tauren in the face. The Tauren tried to curse at Braxx but was unable to move his mouth. Braxx turned in a tight circle and stabbed the knight full in the chest. When the Tauren dropped to his knees, Braxx again turned and sliced the Tauren's head clean off.
Braxx regarded his kill with cold indifference. He picked up the fallen head and chucked it up at Razuvious.

"A trophy for your master." Braxx said.

Razuvious rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting, wait here." Razuvious walked off, leaving Braxx behind. He returned a few moments later and ushered Braxx up to the armory.

The armorers removed Braxx's rusted armor and cheap sword. They fit him with gleaming new Saronite training gear.
Meanwhile, Razuvious was instructing him.

"The Lich King is not "my master", he is our master," he told Braxx. He waved his hand around the room. "This armory is full of scavenged weapons. Choose a weapon and bring it to me."

Braxx went to the weapon racks and looked them over. Some, like the big axes and two- handers were too ungainly. He looked at another rack and saw a pair of identical short-hander swords. He hefted both up, inspecting them. The left one, he reversed grip on, pointing the blade down. The right one went to guard position. Nodding to himself, he returned to Razuvious.

"Took you long enough, runt." He grumbled. He handed two scrolls to Braxx.

"These are runes, they will be engraved on your weapons, empowering them. Follow me to the forge and I well teach you how to engrave them."
Braxx followed Razuvious's instructions carefully, applying the runes to his scimitars. When he was finished, he had two Runic Swords. For the left one, he chose Cindergrazer, for the right, he had Razorice. Razuvious explained that with experience and training, he would learn new runes.

"Now, get your sorry shanks up to the Balcony of Command, the Lich King wants a word with you."
Braxx approached his King and dropped to his knees. The Lich King turned and regarded him coldly.

"All that I am; anger, cruelty, vengeance, I bestow upon you, my chosen Knight. I have granted you immortality so that you may herald in a new dark age for the Scourge. Gaze now upon the lands below us. The Scarlet Crusade scurries to undo my work. While Light's Hope Chapel stands defiantly against us, a blemish upon these Plagued Lands. They must all be shown the price of their defiance. You will become my force of retribution, where you tread, doom will follow. Go now and claim your destiny, Death Knight.

A/N
-.- I wanted to continue on through the DK storyline in one chapter, but it would have been way too long. So look forward to chapter 9. :D
Read and review please.

Also, Fanfiction also edits the subchapter breakes out of their stories, I guess as a function of their anti-spam software, this makes it hard to differentiate between subchapters. I break down my chapters into subsections especially when a setting changes or when time goes by.

Also Also, you wll take note of the time frame here. Az and Aoibeahnn found out about the Acherus a week after it appeared, Braxx was turned undead mere hours after the Acherus settled in the plaguelands. I'm explaining this now and again in a later chapter to elliminate any confusion, sorry folks lol.

Enjoy :D