Wow! About half as many reviews as Frozen Sapphire, at only chapter 9. Thanks very much!
"Sapphire! Sapphire, where are you!" Ethan whipped his head around, searching for the tiniest glimpse of Sapphire. It was night, and the land was even more intimidating than it was during the day. Creepy sounds were all around him.
"Fuck me," He cursed. Sapphire had lied to him, and not even went to Light's Hope Chapel. No one had seen her there. Light, He was an idiot to trust her so.
The boy ran to where the ghoul and Rot had been hidden. Both of them had found some bones, and were chewing on a couple. Tryg the ghoul waved happily at Ethan, and stood up. He ran at the deathknight as if to hug him.
"You touch me and you will be set on fire, ghoul."
Tryg frowned, and whimpered sadly. His arms dropped to his side limply. Rot barked at the deathknight, offended. He had obviously made a new friend.
"Shut up, Rot. Where's Sapphire?"
The puppy stared at him, and Ethan sighed. The puppy did not know how to track. Where was Ni'kua when the boy needed him?
Ethan sighed, and collapsed onto a rock. Where had she gone? She was just starting to act normal again.
A growl interrupted his thoughts. The boy started, yanking his sword out.
A ragged mutt of a plaguehound snarled, baring her teeth at Ethan. She was a flea-bitten mongrel, with scabby skin and spiky, dirt-caked fur. Her teeth dripped with saliva, and she glared at Ethan murderously. The boy bared his teeth at her, crouching down. He growled ferally. Her hackles rose.
Ethan slowly lowered down, never breaking eye contact. He grabbed Rot's bone, who protested.
"Want a bone? Come here, bitch. Come on."
She was looking at the bone hungrily. She licked her lips, and crawled forward. The plaguehound tried to snatch it away, but Ethan snarled, and pounced on her. She yelped, and fought the boy. She bit and scratched at him. He had her held tightly, and refused to let go. He got a hold of her head, and pressed her against the ground. He bared his teeth, and promptly bit her throat. She yelped, and lay still. Ethan let her go. The dog stayed there, crouched down submissively.
He pulled out a bit of white and gold hair. He had taken it from Sapphire when she had been sleeping. Not because he thought she would run away, but because he had wanted to examine her hair closely. It had started to turn back to its original color.
The female mutt looked at the hair. Ethan held it out.
"Find," He commanded. She lifted her head, and sniffed it. She balked, and whined. Ethan snarled, and the animal reluctantly ran off. Ethan followed, Tryg and Rot behind him.
Again, He felt a presence. She was asleep, and not in control of her actions. He discovered that. He also knew who she is. Sapphire Menethil. She could not say anything in this state, but a trickle of her emotions flowed into him.
A resounding crack made both of them mentally flinch. Worry came from the girl.
Something is trying to kill me. You wouldn't be responsible for that, child?
Alarm came to him from her. No, she wasn't doing it. And the couple of spies he had sent into the rebellious Scourge would have informed him that they were doing something.
Well, you have most of my power. If this creature succeeds in breaking through, I won't have any power to stop it from killing me. If you do not want another Lich King like your father, come to me and destroy it.
Confusion came from the girl, but then her mind started to fade away from him. She was waking up.
"Your Majesty, Would care for breakfast?"
Sapphire groaned. She pulled a pillow over her head. She tried to reach for her blanket, but it was flung halfway off the bed. Then, she smelled something. Her eyes snapped open.
"Is that bacon I smell?"
The cultist smiled, and nodded. "Nothing but the best for our Master. We have to buy it, and magically take it all the way up here for you."
Sapphire blinked. That sounded like a lot of work just for bacon for her. She remembered the dream, and she got really worried. Why her? Why had all this happened to her, and why did she have to fix it?
Sapphire sighed, and got up. She went downstairs, to where Arthas was already awake. He looked a lot better now, the bruises fading. He was healing slower than a deathknight should, but maybe he just needed more blood. He had spat out most that Lethumo had forced into him.
"Where's the elf? She asked him.
"He said he had to leave. Someone is coming here to talk to you, a lich?"
Sapphire shrugged. "Probably Kel'thuzad. You might need to lay low when he's here. It might get awkward."
"Why? Do we hate each other?"
"Uh, no...Just trust me," Sapphire said. She was a bit worried meeting the lich, but the smell of bacon distracted her. A cultist brought her food, and she ate it with more control. Arthas glared at the cultists.
"I don't like being around these undead. I might be one, but I hate myself at the moment too. Tell me we can leave soon?"
Her father was asking her? She shook her head, confused by the whole arrangement. This wasn't her old father, this was the real Arthas Menethil. He would not tell her what to do, for he did not know a lot.
"We can go as soon as I talk to the lich. I have a couple of questions. You, or the old you, did something to me. And you cannot remember, so I must ask the only other person who would know."
Arthas frowned. "What did I do?"
Sapphire winced. She did not like that question. "Uh...Dad, you don't want to know. It will only make you feel worse. Trust me. I would concentrate on what good you did. You did not kill me, you saved my life several times, and sometimes you were nice. You gave me Ethan-"
Oh, she should not have said that. He straightened up, and looked hard at Sapphire.
"Who is Ethan?"
"Uh..." Sapphire picked up a piece of bacon, and put it in her mouth, chewing so she could not talk.
"Sapphire..." Her father growled, acting more like his old self now.
"Nobody," She said, standing up and backing away to the door, "No one, just...uh, my...undead boyfriend."
She slammed the door behind her. She sighed in relief, and quickly walked into the smoky, undead filled streets.
Sapphire cursed herself at such stupidity. Mentioning Ethan was really bad. Whether the Lich King or just himself, Arthas did not like Ethan. Which was completely confusing. Who would not like Ethan? He was kind, smart, brave, and...sexy. Oh, he was, despite anything Sapphire could try to feebly argue. That messy black hair, and that soft smile. That Alteracan accent. He gave her a puppy for her birthday. What other deathknight would have done that?
And she treated him so badly, just because she was afraid of him too.
She sighed sadly, but stiffened. The undead around her grew agitated, and they growled angrily.
Sapphire scowled as a cultist came walking up. He was a night elf, and that make Sapphire reminded of Lethumo. Her mood grew darker. The undead leered at the cultist. But he did not notice.
"You're the parasite, the one taking power from Fordragon, aren't you?"
Sapphire growled. "Maybe. What's it to you?"
The elf narrowed his eyes. "Everything. We need a proper leader. Not this 'Jailor of the Damned'!"
Shrugging, Sapphire walked off. "I would gladly do it...if there was something in it for me."
The elven cultist recoiled. "What? You get to be the most powerful being on Azeroth? That isn't enough?"
"No. I'd rather have a nice home, and a family than Icecrown Citadel and a bunch of rotting corpses. Tell me when Kel'thuzad comes by. I need to talk to him."
Sapphire pushed past the lowly cultist, and went back to the remains of the inn. She stopped. Arthas had discovered Invincible. The man had his head pressed against the animal's skull.
Oh. Now she felt even worse. She sighed, and went over to her father. He looked up, and Sapphire hugged him. He made a sound of surprise. Invincible nuzzled both of them.