A bone moved against the floor. Sapphire was against the wall, hugging Rot tightly in her sleep. Her chest rose up and down. Rot squirmed unhappily in the girl's hands. He whimpered, looking up. Unlike the human girl, the plaguehound could see in the darkness.
Hands reached down, and grabbed Sapphire. The girl woke up, and gasped. Her arms loosened, and Rot attacked the hands. He bit one, and there was a cry of pain.
Kill...Don't you despise your captivity? Kill him, and perhaps you can escape...
Sapphire pounced on the person, and blindly grabbed their throat with both of her hands. The girl sat on his chest, like his She squeezed. The cultist struggled, grasping her wrists. She was going to kill this person. She was terrified, and imprisoned in a dark cell. Cold, hungry, and weak, the girl was not going to submit meekly. She was filled with a great anger, and wanted to kill the cultist.
She heard the cultist gasping, and she tightened her grip. His flesh was warm in her hands. She could feel a heartbeat, and it was frantic. Rot snarled.
Sapphire squeezed harder, and she could feel the man's esophagus. It was dark, but Sapphire didn't care. The man writhed, and gasped. She dug her fingernails in his skin. She felt the flesh underneath. An unknown feeling welled up inside of her. An urge to rip his throat with her teeth came up too, but Sapphire refused to do such a thing. She growled, and fought off the desperate struggles of the writhing man.
Eventually the man started moving slower. He stop struggling.
Sapphire sat on his chest, breathing hard. She felt his neck. No heartbeat. She'd killed him.
She felt approval deep inside of her.
The girl sighed, and got off of him. She backed away from the body. Rot barked, and the girl heard the plaguehound sniff the body. Then, the tearing of flesh.
"No! Rot!" Sapphire covered her face, despite the fact she could not see anyway.
She sat there, trembling. Her father laughed in her head.
You prove yourself useful after all...
Sapphire's hand instantly went to her neck. A familiar, metal collar was around her neck.
"No..."
Impossible. She had given the collar to her mother. How did her father get it back? Unless...
I had another one made, Sapphire. Do you think it is that difficult?
Yes, Sapphire thought mentally. She cringed at the laughter.
No. It is not. Not that you would know. Tell me, how did it feel to kill? Was it not glorious?
Sapphire curled up. She did not need her father tormenting her now. She felt too weak for this. She was hungry and weak. When was the last time she ate?
Days ago, daughter. Ravenous, aren't you?
"Go away..."
"I will never go away..."
Sapphire opened her eyes, and screamed. Her father's glowed in the dark, and he grabbed her by the collar. She could hear Rot whine.
It did not bring her pain like she thought it would. He pulled her up to her feet. He took her to the door. It opened, and Sapphire winced at the light outside.
Her father took her down the halls of the dungeons. The girl bit her lip, shaking.
She was taking to another room. This one was lit. Two undead stood against the wall, waiting patiently. One has a whip in his rotten, twisted hands.
Sapphire jerked away, but her father held her by the collar tightly.
The girl started begging. "Please, Dad. No! I'll be good-"
Her father let her go and her hopes rose. But the undead without the whip grabbed her, and dragged her to the wall, where manacles dangled. There were also manacles on the floor. A dessicated hand was still in one. The undead ripped it out and tossed it away. He grabbed her wrists, but Sapphire struggled. She yelled, and the one with the whip had to come help restrain her. They manacled her, both wrists and ankles. The undead cut open her clothes, exposing her back.
Sapphire gasped at the cold. She struggled against her bonds. Her wrists hurt as she tugged them at the metal rings chaining her to the wall.
Please...
I only recognize strength. Weakness is useless to me.
"How many, Master?" The undead with the whip asked.
"Until I tell you to stop."
The girl looked up at the ceiling. It was smooth saronite, dark and cold.
Sapphire heard the whip through the air. Hot pain ran down her back in a straight line. Her back arched, and she cried out. Her muscles tensed. The pain increased, and the girl whimpered. She closed her eyes, gasping.
One, the Lich King said with a satisfied tone.
Again, the whip came down onto her. And once again, hot flaring pain went up as there was another line of agony hit her back. The girl screamed.
Two. Shed tears, and I'll make it fifty. Do you know how painful fifty lashes will be, my sweet little Sapphire?
A pathetic noise of pain escaped her, but she refused to cry.
The whip came down, and the girl screamed again, writhing in pain. Her vision whitened. She clenched her hands into fists. Her back was wet with blood. She felt it running down her skin.
Three...How does disobedience feel? Where is that boy Calwood now? He hasn't come to safe you, now has he? How does betrayal feel?
Where was Ethan? Surely he would have noticed her disappearance? He loved her...
Another lash of pain. Sapphire snarled defiantly.
Four. I bet he found another. One smarter, prettier...
"No!" Sapphire whispered.
Ethan. Another strike of the whip. And another. And another.
Her father continued to count, and tell her how Ethan was now cavorting in Dalaran, with all of the woman of the City of Mages. Sapphire soon wondered whether or not that was true. She had seen Ethan's face when she asked what a tree was. More lashes, and occasionally she cried out. The pain never stopped. Sapphire struggled not to cry. She didn't want fifty. She had already had so many...What had her father said last time? Twenty? Thirty? She could not hear.
How could she be stupid? Autum had expressed her attraction to the deathknight...
And Sapphire was as pale as death. Her hair had streaks of unhealthy white amongst the gold.
Sapphire hung her head. She winced at another strike, and another lash.
"Stop. She has had enough."
She felt the undead undo her ankle restraints, and then her wrists. She slumped down, only to be grabbed by her father's servant before she fell to the floor.
"Take her back to her cell."
Twenty-eight.
She was half-dragged, half-carried to the cell. Her eyes were closed. Tears came out now, flowing like the rivers of blood on her back. Stinging pain endured even after the whippings were done, but Sapphire did not feel them as much as the ache in her heart.
Ethan loved her. No matter what her father said. She tried to remember that. If nothing else, remember that.
Sapphire was tossed back into her cell. She hit the ground hard, and her back shrieked in protest.
Rot came up, yipping madly. He sniffed her, and then her back. He whined, and licked her face.
"Rot..." She rasped. The plaguehound gently curled up against her, whining piteously. He cuddled against her, and Sapphire closed her eyes, breathing hard. Sleep would not come. Not with this much pain. She lay there, listening to her own heartbeat.
Ethan threw his sword, and roared with anger. The glowing runeblade went flying. He watched it impale itself upon a tree. Almost immediately, the tree started groaning. Withering before his eyes. Leafs shriveled, falling one by one onto the ground.
The deathknight figured he might have upset some nature entity or something. He did not care. He wanted someone else to get angry.
Ethan stalked over to the tree, and ripped his sword out.
Ni'kua crouched down, tail tucked between his legs. He backed away slowly. The plaguehound knew that Ethan was not to be messed with in his fury. Lethumo stood nearby, frowning. Obviously, he knew it too. The night elf let the boy vent his anger on the trees. Despite the pain of watching the innocent plants die.
Ethan hit his blade on another hacking off a limb. Lethumo winced.
"You mother fucker, Arthas! Son of a motherless ogre. Light damn you to the deepest pit in Hell, you jackass!"
Lethumo's long ears perked up, and he allowed himself a tiny smile. Ethan was never this vulgar. He sometimes slipped, but his family was highborn. Not royalty, but high enough that the human had been raised up nicely and taught manners. When Ethan started cursing in Darnassion, the smile grew bigger. It was satisfying that Lethumo had left an impression.
Ni'kua sniffed the ground, and whined. He woofed at Lethumo.
"What? You wonder where she went? A Frostwyrm got her. It wouldn't be the first time He's tried that now, has he?" The night elf said. He reached over, and scratched the dog's ear. The dog whined again, but allowed the comfort.
Ethan stopped cursing in Darnassian, and went straight into Dwarfish.
Soon though, he was out of breath, panting with his sword lowered. He shook, and then walked off.
"Whoa!" Lethumo and Ni'kua followed.
"Calwood, Where are you going? Ethan!"
The boy did not look back, or stop.
"I'm going to get Sapphire back and shove my runeblade up her father's-"
Lethumo caught up, and grabbed the boy's wrist.
"You'll just get yourself killed! You know the only person who can kill the Lich King is going to be Highlord Fordring. Let's go to him, and...the Ebon Watcher, and get their help. Okay?"
"No! That's not okay, you prick. Sapphire is probably being tortured...Might even be dead," The boy choked, and Lethumo saw that he was on the verge of tears. If deathknights could shed tears that is.
"Then let's not have you die, either. Sapphire would haunt me forever if I let you die..."
Ethan thought about it slowly. Then nodded.
"Is...Was that the first time you said her name?"
"Whose name? Cultist girl? What was her name, Ruby or something?" The elf asked, confusion on his face.
Ethan tried to laugh, but it caught in his throat.
"Come on, Calwood. Let's go save her now. So she can introduce me to her female friends."