Chapter Twenty-One

Aydeline struck the ground, the smell of charred wood and stone stinging her nostrils as she instantly recognized her surroundings;

Stratholme.

Another bright flash occurred behind her, and a loud thump sounded, telling her he was here. She frantically took off, not even hesitating or looking back as she dashed through the darkened and soot covered streets. She scrabbled over burnt rubble, charred remains and blackened stone, her mind reminiscent of the battle she had fought here. From the corner of a building, a torn and singed scarlet banner fluttered slightly in the wind, but it claimed nothing in the depraved area.

Soft moonlight filtered over the ash covered streets, casting an eerie glow over the once glorified lanes. Aydeline made to move over a section of the rubble, when her boot suddenly slipped and the decaying stone toppled on her, trapping her from the shin down. She cursed aloud, pushing frantically against the rubble, but with no avail as it didn't budge. She froze suddenly as the faint sound of heavy boots reached her cried in frustration, trying to squirm around and release her trapped feet. Aydeline's hands snapped to the straps holding her boots on, and she hastily undid them. With a final tug, she slipped from her boots, freeing herself from the, and she took off again.

The cobblestone stung her feet as she dashed off, her memory going blank as to where she was currently in Stratholme. She skidded around a corner, a familiar sight entering her vision, telling her where she was; The gates leading in and out of Stratholme lay open, her final means of escape, she could slip away into Plaguewood, and possibly back to the Chapel.

Determined she took off again, making her way up the gate-line and then out the left exit, finding herself now on the bridge that lead out of she was greeted with an unfamiliar sight.

At the end of the bridge stood Arthas, Frostmourne in his hand, as he waited patiently for her, his mouth twisting into a cruel smirk and she saw the shock cross her face... he had been one step ahead of her the whole time.

She heard shuffling behind her, and she twisted to find several Scourge behind her, but they didn't attack, but their presence left her trapped. Tears of disappointment streaked down her face as the weight of defeat pressed down on her. "No where to run now..." he taunted at her. At this.. She picked her head up, and stepped onto the bridge itself, if she would die, it would be with pride. Her hand slipped up to the straps of her hauberk, and she undid them slowly, her eyes never leaving armor fell to the ground with a resounding clatter, and she kicked it to the side, knowing it would only hinder her speed, if she were to have any chance against him.

He looked slightly surprised."You cannot honestly believe you stand a chance..." he mused, raising a snow white eyebrow at her."I won't lay my life at your feet, traitor." she whispered spitefully, but standing her ground. He considered her for a moment, before looking down, finding a discarded sword lying under a crevice in the bridge. He kicked it towards her, of which she took it and raised it in front of her. Circled around her, his blade held loftily in his hand, as he watched her.

Her eyes never left him, but when he reached her flank, she suddenly twisted around, and flew at him with amazing speed, the point of her sword whistling for his with even greater speed, he deftly deflected the blow, just as he had done with Tavin, and his other hand shot forward, grabbing her by the throat.

Aydeline slammed into the cobblestone, a shockwave of pain ripping through her, and he stepped over her, "And now... the prophecy di-"

"ARTHAS!" A sudden voice ran out behind them, golden light flooding across the bridge, as a figure raise a humming sword at him.

Tavin.

Golden runes burned vividly across his skin, thrumming with holy energy his eyes both discs of molten gold, a deep scar ran down the center of his chest.

"Impossible…"

"No more Arthas!" Tavin's voice challenged, "No more will lives be consumed by your hatred!" Arthas laughed, "You cannot hope to win... Look around you…" he shouted. And suddenly from the shadows many Scourge came. "The entire army and might of the Scourge…" he said. "Ready to consume the world."

Tavin seemed un-phased though, "You forget where you stand." He gestured about. "Upon these lands once lived priests, paladins, good honest men and women, and they are all thirsty for justice, on the one who destroyed their homes and lives." As his words rang out, the Light around Tavin conformed, and from everywhere, golden spirits came, their burning eyes glowing bright. As Arthas saw this, he began to step backwards slightly, taken aback, but Tavin only swung the Ashbringer forward, and the army of souls surged forward, swarming towards the Scourge, as good clashed against evil… but they left Arthas for Tavin alone, as they formed a circle around him.

"You cannot hope to defeat me." Arthas whispered, raising Frostmourne, pointing it at Tavin. "I will defeat you." Tavin said, "For the living... And for the souls you've imprisoned in that dreaded blade…" He swung his sword in a powerful arc towards Arthas suddenly, but he parried the attack and with a shower of sparks, the locked two together, the pure essences of both good and evil clashing against each other.

"You will fall." Tavin said, pressing the Ashbringer down with immense strength, and suddenly… the unimaginable happened.

Frostmourne began to corrode under the Ashbringer.

"This cannot be!" he hissed. "Your blade no longer has power, it is but a prison for the souls it has taken!" Tavin shouted. Spirits began to break away from the sword, escaping from it, flying away from them as Frostmourne decayed under the might of the Ashbringer, until finally, with a shattering flash of light, Frostmourne snapped in half, and the Ashbringer pressed on, finding its mark and rending Arthas' chest open.

He fell backwards, his breath agonizing him furthermore, the evidence across his face as he could not fight the mortal blow he had just sustained. Tavin stood over him, raising the Ashbringer in front of his face. "As I have said before, Arthas… It is over." He took a choking breath, "It is over… after all…" he whispered painfully. "I stand now, the lion before the lambs, and they do not fear…" he carried off, his life slipping. "They cannot fear…"

He now lay supine in his own blood, his sword lying in burned shards, fragments of souls and kingdoms visible through the reflections cast by them. His helmet lay forgotten and discarded, no longer communicating with his minions that were being decimated around him… He gasped shallowly, his breath coming in ragged shreds, as darkness began to seep into his vision. But suddenly, the spirits began to abate, but one sifted in, and his father looked down upon his son, a gaze of sorrow, longing, and forgiveness crossing his face. He knelt down, pulling his son's broken body up into his arms. Arthas' eyes glazed over, the malicious blue disappearing, the vivid old green returning, but rapidly fading beneath the grey veil of approaching death.

"Father!" he cried out, gripping Terenas' shoulder in pain, tears of pain dripping down the sides of his eyes, running into his snow white hair. "Is it… over…" he asked, in obvious pain. His father gazed down at him, his face deepening as he placed a comforting hand on his son's gauntlet. "At long last…" he whispered over his son. "No king rules forever… my son." He said. He looked crestfallen and more pain entered his features as he struggled. "I see…" he whispered. "Only darkness... before… me…" he finished, his dying breath escaping him, his hand falling from his father's shoulder, dropping to the ground beside him, as finally, Arthas slipped away from life.

Terenas sighed deeply, and he placed a pale hand over his son's eyes, closing them softly. He stood up, beginning to fade out, as he no longer had purpose within the carnal realm, and he glanced quickly to Tavin. Around Tavin were the thousands of sprits of the Light, beneath them lay the decimated Scourge.

Terenas nodded, "At last… the Scourge are no more… Peace can now ensue." He glanced up at Tavin, and then down to Aydeine, who was slowly dying. He knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her chest, whispering a few words. Suddenly his hand glowed bright, "So that she may live…" he whispered, and as he finally faded away, Aydeline shuddered and slowly awoke.

Tavin knelt down next to her himself, pulling her up into his arms, and she glanced around, seeing the thousands around them. From amidst them, one appeared, a simple peasant, he said nothing, but looked at Tavin expectantly.

Tavin stood up, and he glanced at the man. "Go now…" he finally said. "You are free." The man only smiled in return, and a wind sifted past them all, and the spirits faded away, going now, to be at rest.

Tavin knelt down again, pulling Aydeline back into his arms, the runes having disappeared from his body, and his eyes fading back to his boyish blue."We did it." Aydeline whispered, wrapping her arms around Tavin's neck. He smiled at her and nodded, "We did... together."She looked out onto the city, finding that they were on the same hill he had once stood on, declaring that the city must be purged, but she pushed the thought from her mind, "What now?" she instead asked. Tavin thought a moment, "Rebuild… put the pieces back together." He said. Aydeline nodded in agreement, and she looked down, suddenly , among the brown ruined soil of the Plaguelands, were a few blades of bright green grass, evident life was now returning. Tavin only smiled and kissed Aydeline on the top of the head… and for once, he felt peace.