Chapter IX

With one arm raised in the air, the half crouching ghoul looked rather silly, Ammet thought. But that said the fact that she had managed to get it animated this much so far was good. Her current supervisor, Malicia, was also extremely impressed with her progress so far, telling Ammet as much. 'Thank you ma'am' she had replied, drawing a surprisingly sincere smile from Malicia.

"Now, remember, you only have to raise it and when that is done, the Lich King's will shall take care of the rest. The hardest part of being a necromancer is the strain raising the dead brings. But, as they say, practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the easier it will get and you will be able to raise more at a time." As if to prove her point she turned to face a mound of dead bodies piled up in the corner. Gesturing with both hands whilst they emanated dark, necromantic energies, she thrust them up into the air without a single sound and almost instantly the heaped bodies started to twitch and scrambled to get themselves up.

Satisfied, Malicia turned back to Ammet and gave another eerie smile. "Give it a few years, and you will be able to do the same."

Ammet simply nodded in agreement.

The example now over, Malicia made a horizontal chopping motion and the freshly raised undead fell back down to the ground in a pile as if they were marionettes whose strings had just been cut.

"Now," Malicia began, "I want you to practice as much as you can between now and noon tomorrow. That is when my next class will be and you, my dear Ammet, shall be its star pupil."

Ammet bowed and thanked Malicia for her graciousness.

"Just be careful not to burn yourself out – I need you in perfect form."

"Do not worry, I will be fine." Ammet replied.

With that, Malicia left her alone and Ammet headed back to her quarters, deep in her thoughts.

I have come so far this past week and still they suspect nothing. So far so good, everything is working and soon I will have my Ana back. All this necromantic energy though, it cannot be good for me long term. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before I find some kind of sign to my Ana's whereabouts. But still, I never thought something like raising the dead would be so...so easy! I always pictured it involving some type of long lost ritual with candles and –

Her thoughts were disrupted by a cultist passing her and shouldering his way past.

"Hey..." Ammet started before being cut off.

"Watch where you're going, student." He said with a sneer and putting emphasis on her lower rank and highlighting the scar running down his entire right cheek.

"I am sorry. I'll be more careful in the future."

"See that you are." The cultist snapped as he stalked off.

Ammet shook her head at his rudeness and continued on towards her quarters. Along the way, she peered through the open doors in the hallway as she strolled past. There was a storeroom for abomination parts, another held shelf upon shelf of huge jars filled with an unidentifiable liquid. There was even one with several skeletons milling about, doing nothing in particular. It was the last room however, that really caught her attention.

It was a simple room with a miscellaneous smattering of furniture, but in the middle of the room, atop an ornamented pedestal, was one of the largest scrying orbs she had ever seen. Stopping and outright staring into the room, she could see that this orb could easily pinpoint the whereabouts of her beloved down to a millimetre. As much as she wished to just race over and use it now, she held herself in check and started walking back to the student quarters again.

Using that orb would certainly cut down on the time she had to spend in this tainted and malevolent place, but catch was, if someone trained in the arts of the orb caught her in the act or checked to see what the last thing scryed was, her charade would be up and if that happened, not a disguise in the world would save her.

Getting back her communal quarters and dragging her lethargic body into the rough bed she started to think up ways to use the powerful scrying orb without the dark masters of this place catching her. It wasn't long before sleep took over her tired mind and she surrendered to its seductive trance.


The next day - or at least Ammet assumed it was day as there were no windows in the student quarters - Ammet mentally prepared herself for the coming class in which she was to be the star. What that meant, she herself had no idea but she would not ask another student, for that would seem like a weakness and she would have none of that. Whatever it was, she would just have to do her best and hope that it was enough.

When she had finally made it to the room where Malicia normally taught, it was empty, not a single soul in sight. As she wondered where everyone was or even if she was too early, a noise behind her made Ammet whip around.

"Hello?" she asked cautiously.

No one answered. Frowning, she spun back around and let out a startled yelp as an incorporeal black skull materialised mere centimetres in front of her.

"Boo". It stated, expressionless.

Ammet frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Very funny. I bet you get a kick out of doing that."

The shade slowly wafted backwards as the rest of his form materialised in a billow of magical black smoke. "Scaring initiates is how I make the day go faster. It never fails to amuse me..." the shades voiced echoed slightly and trailed off.

"Where is Malicia's class?"

"Ahhh, so you are the star pupil. Hmmm." The shade appraised her with its empty eye sockets. "Yes, indeed. They have moved."

Ammet frowned at the shade's lack of helpfulness. "But where?"

The shade started to fade away, the black smoke that shrouded its body dissipating.

"To the viewing room..." it said before fading away completely.

Sighing with exasperation at the shade's behaviour, Ammet left the classroom and headed to the viewing room.

When she reached it she found, Malicia standing in the doorway, waiting for her.

"Ammet, I'm glad you found your way here, I was beginning to think you might have lost your way." The strange playfulness of her tone suggested that she might have known about the shade, or even sent him herself.

"Just getting in some more practice while I could." Ammet replied neutrally.

"Hmm, good, good. I have something that should help with your performance today." From a hidden pocket in her robe, she produced a small sliver of a purple tinted crystal and pushed it into Ammet open hand. "Keep it close, keep it hidden and tell no one of it."

As Ammet stared down at the tiny crystal, she could feel her consciousness expand considerably and her unholy powers being bolstered by the almost insignificant purple crystal in her hand. As she hid it in the fold of her own robe, Malicia explained to her that is was a shard from an Ash'tari crystal and it would help her immensely.

Ammet thanked Malicia, but the Instructor waved her praise away.

"It serves both our purposes for you to do well here today. Just go in there and do what they ask of you."

"I will." Ammet replied obediently.

Malicia gave Ammet a once over with her steel hard eyes. "I have plans for you, my star pupil and you and I will go far working together. Now go, do me proud."

With a nod, Ammet took a deep breath and proceeded into the viewing room to face whatever challenges the masters of the dark school had prepared for her.


After several hours of tests and challenges, Ammet was utterly exhausted. Her focus and abilities had been pushed to the brink but she had persevered and made it through. Fatigue was now starting to set in, slowing her movements and dulling her senses.

Before she could escape to her dorm and embrace the bed like a long lost friend and enter a blissful deep sleep, Malicia appeared next to her.

"I just wanted you to know that you have done extremely well. I have not seen another student do so well in the trials before."

Tired as she was, Ammet still remembered the proper etiquette; bowing shallowly and thanking her Instructor.

"It's really taken a lot out of me - even with the Ash'tari crystal helping me."

Malicia's long elven ears bobbed up and down as she nodded in agreement. "Yes, the trials are one of a student's hardest feats. But should they manage to pass they are assured a place in the Cult."

Ammet could only smile at Malicia's words, too fatigued to respond.

"And should they do particularly well, as you have done," Malicia said with a smile creeping on to her face, "they are often assigned to a large Scourge stronghold as place to learn quickly and put their new powers to good use. In this case, the closest one to here would be Stratholme."

That caught Ammet's attention. Her fatigue, which plagued her only a second ago, was now forgotten, replaced by a keen sense of alertness upon hearing the words she could only dream of.

"I would be transferred to Stratholme?"

"Oh, indeed – especially with a student of your calibre." Malicia responded.

Thoughts darted around in Ammet's mind like wildfire in a dust devil.

Is it really possible? Am I dreaming? Are they really planning to send me to where I need to go? Amazing, this is actually turning out better than expected. Hah, it looks like Ammet was the right path to take. Poor weak Elencia could never have gotten this far.

"Get a good night's rest and then see me in the morning. We shall start the paperwork to fully induct you as a member of the Cult and transfer you to Stratholme." Malicia ordered.

"Yes, right away mistress." Ammet quickly answered, big smile beaming on her face.


"What do you mean, dead?!"

"Killed m'lady, at least two days ago." The courier had answered.

Ammet had been on her way to the Vault to meet Malicia who in turn was meeting with the lich, Ras Frostwhisper. Just before she had entered the Vault however, the screams of Malicia's rage had stayed her feet. As she listened from just around the doorway, she could hear the anger in the Instructor's voice.

"Who would dare strike against the might of the Scourge in our own stronghold? Who would dare such a brazen act without fear of our wrath?"

"A paladin m'lady. He had been captured but escaped."

"And managed to kill Baron Rivendare in the process too, no less." Came the deep, grating voice of the lich, Ras. Ammet recognised voice as the same one from the lich that had been present the day she was chosen to enter Scholomance.

"Do the fools have a name? Surely they know that much." Malicia asked, referring to the Stratholme guards.

"Yes, m'lady. They say that a man named Anadelias was responsible."

Ammet nearly fell over at the mention of her husband's name. My beloved! He lives – I knew it! They did capture him, but he escaped and killed his captors. I knew he wasn't dead; he would not leave me like that.

"Anadelias? He sounds familiar. I believe Rivendare had plans for him...but if the message this courier bears is true, then it seems that the Baron's arrogance finally got the better of him, underestimating a paladin." Ras thought out aloud.

"You!" Malicia's sharp voice made Ammet jump, thinking she had been discovered. "What is your name?" She asked.

"Velieros, m'lady." The courier answered.

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Ammet regained her composure and continued to listen in.

"Listen closely Velieros, when you leave this room, you are to tell no one of what has happened. Go straight back to Stratholme and tell the highest ranking person you find that we will be sending an envoy soon and to expect their arrival. Now go."

"Right away m'lady." Ammet could hear the courier turn and head for the door.

Straightening up and taking a few steps back, she waited until Velieros' footsteps sounded like they were right at the door and then she started walking forward.

Velieros rounded the corner and stopped short just before he collided with Ammet.

"You again!" He said, eyes widening.

Ammet saw the scar on the right of his face and instantly recognised Velieros from her previous encounter with him.

"We really should stop meeting like this." She said coyly.

"No doubt." Velieros commented as he pushed past Ammet.

"Wait." Ammet turned with him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is it true what you said, that a paladin named Anadelias killed the Baron?"

Velieros was about to tell he to mind her own business, but when he looked into her eyes, there was something there that told him she needed to know.

"Yes, it was. Look, I'd stay and talk, but I really have to go."

"I understand. You don't want to be on Malicia's bad side." Ammet managed a smile.

With nothing further to say, Velieros nodded and hurried off to carry out the Instructor's orders.

Ammet took a deep breath, exhaled and then entered the Vault to meet with her mistress.

As she entered, Malicia was already striding towards Ammet purposefully with a devious smile on her face.

"Good news Ammet, you are now an official member of the Cult of the Damned." Malicia clasped her hands in front of her. "We can begin preparations immediately."

As Ammet looked around the Vault, she noticed that the lich had disappeared, telling Malicia as much.

"He's gone to take care of some other Scourge business for the time being. What happens here between us stays between us."

Malicia motioned for Ammet to take a seat at a nearby table and they both sat down, on opposite sides.

"Now, as I'm sure you overheard," Malicia started, "Baron Rivendare is dead. That means there will be a power vacuum until someone rises to take his place, whether through violence or political manoeuvring, it doesn't matter. The fact of the matter is we, as in Scholomance, need to send an emissary to oversee our interests and declare whoever takes the Baron's place to be acknowledged by Scholomance. This is where you come in. As the school's newest and most promising Cultist, and the only one whom I trust as well, I will be sending you to Stratholme in my stead."

Ammet put on her best smile for Malicia. "I am honoured to be given such an esteemed role, Instructor." Ammet replied diplomatically, even using Malicia's correct honorific.

"This also brings me to my other reasons for choosing you. As I said before, you are the only one I trust and because of that you will be my eyes and ears within Stratholme, reporting to me directly and telling me all that transpires. To stay in power and ascend the ranks of the Cult, one must have knowledge. Together, we will go far, I know it." Malicia's eyes sparkled with visions of grandeur.

Suddenly, an amazingly crazy idea formed in Ammet's mind. It was very daring and risky, but if it worked, there would be everything to gain. Leaning back in her chair, Ammet folded her arms and allowed a genuine smile to cross her face.

"Tell me, have they caught the paladin who murdered the Baron?"

"Not as of yet, no. Somehow he has eluded capture." Malicia answered.

"Then I have the perfect 'tribute' of sorts from Scholomance for whoever ends up as the new leader of Stratholme."

Malicia's eyes narrowed, almost imperceptibly, meaning she was clearly interested. "Please, continue."

"Just think, what better tribute from the renowned Scholomance than to present the new leader of Stratholme with than none other than the location of the paladin who murdered their predecessor? That way," Ammet explained, "we present one of the most valuable tributes under the circumstances, the new leader saves face and gains his political powerbase by hunting down Rivendare's killer and I stay in Stratholme as an esteemed emissary all the while providing you with the knowledge you need."

For a long while, Malicia said nothing. Before the silence grew awkward however, a devious smile formed on her lips. "Amazing. Simply amazing. I knew I choose you for a good reason. But," Malicia hesitated, "there is only one problem."

"The location of the paladin?" Ammet suggested.

"Exactly. He escaped and no one has any leads on his whereabouts."

Now it was Ammet's turn to smile deviously. "Let's just say that if I were to be left unattended in a certain room with a certain scrying orb, that problem would be rendered moot."

One of Malicia's long ears twitched gently. "Not only can she raise the dead, but she can scry as well! I have chosen well."

"I will have the location of the...paladin within the hour." Ammet could not bring herself to say her beloved's name for she was not sure if she could control her emotions if she did.

"Excellent. Come to me straight away when you do and I'll prepare you for your journey to Stratholme. I will be waiting in my quarters."

"Very well Instructor." Ammet bowed slightly as she got up from the table and left Malicia in the Vault to her own thoughts.


The massive scrying orb sat atop its ornate pedestal, an inky dark cloud roiling around within, indicating its inactive state. As Ammet approached the orb, her hands slowly crept forward, eager to the magical surface, yet hesitant at the same time. With great care, she gently placed the tips of her fingers upon the crystalline orb and almost instantly, she felt the tingle of arcane magic as it ran up her arms and through the rest of her body. It coursed through Ammet and made her feel like she could see the length and breadth of Azeroth all though this orb in front of her. Quickly, she shook her head and dissuaded such notions. To do so was weak and folly. The orb only provided to those with the power to use it. The weak would be lost forever in the false feeling of omniscience it provided. But she would have none of that, finding her beloved was more important.

Right. I only have to find my Ana and then I can finally leave this place. The only problem is I don't have Ana's candle to help scry for him. Or anything of his on me actually. Hmmmm. Ah ha!

Quickly, Ammet withdrew a hand from the orb and slipped into the folds of her robe, and brought out her small sliver of Ash'tari crystal Malicia had let her keep.

Her mistake is my gain. Ammet thought with great satisfaction.

Pressing her other hand fully against the orb's surface and tightly clutching the crystal in the other, she concentrated hard on the image of her husband, her mind going back to the day he surprised her with the carved tree. The way the light shone down through the trees and the twinkle in his deep blue eyes.

All of these thoughts she poured into the Ash'tari crystals, using it as a focus for the scrying orb to find her husband. The orb itself reacted with the odd combination and use of magics with surprisingly little resistance. The gray, cloudy interior continually expanded then collapsed in on itself, almost like it was a beating heart, it such a thing were possible. Then, when it expanded next, colour suddenly burst from within, revealing a scene to Ammet's eyes.

It was a building, two stories, but low set with sparse windows. There was a sign on the front, hanging down above the door that read'The High Brow.' And underneath that in smaller letters: 'Last cherry grog for 100 miles'. There was a cloaked figure near the entrance, roughly the same height and build of her Ana.

It's him! It's really him! I've found him!

Diving deeper past the image the orb had conjured, she mentally recorded the location the orb had shown her and then withdrew from the orb entirely, and removed her hand, crudely cutting the connection. The image within disappeared, swallowed by the roiling gray cloud, thereby wiping clean any record she was here and ensuring the orb kept its secrets undisclosed.


As the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountains from the sunrise, Ammet was on her way to Stratholme, mounted upon a skeletal horse with an escort of four ghouls and two banshees, graciously provided by Malicia.

It's now or never, I have to make my move or by the time I reach the tavern I will have lost my Ana's trail – and I won't be able to use the Cult scrying orb to find him again.

She pulled on the reins of the undead horse, letting it know to stop. When it did, she dismounted and curtly told her escorts she needed to answer the call of nature and to wait there before disappearing into woods. After about a minute, she suddenly called out for the help of the two banshees.

When they reached Ammet however, whatever they were expecting was not the sight they saw. Before them, an intricately drawn circle with interwoven runes was on the ground with Ammet right in the middle. The magic circle was already thrumming with power and the runes glowed dark green.

Ammet lifted her head, which was covered by her cloak, and looked at the two bewildered banshees.

"I'm sorry, but your magical bodies are necessary to fuel the ritual to get me out of here."

With that, she lifted her arm and outstretched her hand towards the banshees and revealed that she was holding the Ash'tari crystal. One blink of an eye later, the foremost banshee was being siphoned into the crystal; its entire body being compressed into a thin strand of magical essence before the crystal consumed it whole like a human would suck up a strand of spaghetti. The second banshee managed to start wailing before being silenced and also consumed by the ravenous crystal – which was now swollen with arcane energy.

Now that the two banshees were consumed and empowering the Ash'tari crystal, Ammet held it above her head and uttered a string of dark, vulgar Scourge-speak words and then threw the crystal to the ground with all her might. It shattered instantly and a dark green flash of energy lit up the entire area for a second before subsiding entirely.

As the dust settled, the runes that had been drawn up were now gone, the shards of the shattered crystal had disappeared and Ammet herself was nowhere to be seen.