Chapter Twenty-Five –Lillia

Western Plaguelands: Caer Darrow (Sholomance)

Lillia arrived at the shores of the Island for the second time in so many days. She had already told the Highlord that the entrance wasn't here, but Mograine was insistent. The Forsaken had already sent some soldiers there, but with a little distraction, Lillia was able to ensure she got here first.

"Goodness, there's nothing here but rotting buildings" Lynnia Abbendis sighed in defeat.

"Well this would be one assignment I might have enjoyed in the Onslaught" Ebon Commander Marjhan said "At least it's peaceful"

"Your job is to keep this as a base for the Ebon Blade" Lillia told them "I'll provide the troops-unless the both of you are inept at controlling the undead"

"I think we should do fine with a few bone heads" Abbendis replied, kicking rocks off the dock.

"What did the Highlord ask you to do?" Marjhan asked.

"I have to fix Tael's mistake" Lillia replied coldly, and walked to the town.

"I thought you two were lovers?" Abbendis asked, curious.

"I think lovers implied they had done the deed" Marjhan walked behind both of them.

"And I don't think it's either of your business" Lillia huffed, inciting raised eyebrows.

"That means they're not lovers" Abbendis smiled at Marjhan.

"Took the words right out of my mouth" Marjhan grinned back.

"Aggggh" Lillia thrust her blade in the ground, her anger evident. A small amount of undead were raised from the ground, and became Armored skeletons…led by a Ghoul.

"What the hell is the Ghoul for?" Abbendis asked.

"Maybe she made a mistake" Marjhan snickered.

"Me like women" it said, and touched Marjhan.

"Uggh, Slimy" she recoiled.

"I didn't make a mistake" Lillia's glare was icy "I just thought you needed some release; being bitches and all"

"We're not in heat" Abbendis said at the same time as Marjhan said "We're not bitches"

"Call me bony" Bony the Ghoul chased them to the fortress as the Armored Skeletons took up positions in the city, and put up Ebon Banners.

Lillia laughed hard, almost rolling.

"That was almost enough to keep my mind off him" she sighed.

"We'll get you for this, Lillia!" a voice in the distance yelled as the Ghoul laughed evilly. Lillia thought it was Marjhan's.

Now it was time to find that entrance.

Lillia thought about Taelus as she searched. Actually she thought a lot about Taelus since he walked in that Chapel dejected and half dead from lack of sleep. She had wanted so badly to reveal who she was, and to be in his embrace it hurt. But she knew he needed to be focused for Stratholme, and if she had done as she liked…he would have been dead.

As it was, Stratholme was a hard and evil place, full of memory and pain. And the revelation that he had impregnated another woman hurt her worse than those three years she had spent searching for him; before becoming a Death Knight.

That was supposed to be her…they were supposed to live that long and happy life she had always wanted.

Fate it seemed had other plans. Lillia supposed it was for the better; as she thought about it, Mavare gave him what she believed she could never give…a child.

And that was an ache she could never forgive the Hated Lich King for. He was alive, and that brought her a measure of peace greater than when she had overcome the mourning for his missing body. It still hurt too much…

"But there's Mav and Amyntastrazsa-I can't abandon them" Tael had said.

'What about me' she had wanted to cry.

She felt abandoned, even though she saw the anguish on his face.

And then there was the conversation she had with the pregnant Night Elf:

She walked off the teleporter to the top, and went for the Hall of Command, where she would have requisitioned an Ebon Griffin for the site at Andorhal, just below the fortress.

"There you are, I was looking for you" an Argent Medic said.

"I am busy" she replied, walking away.

"Mavare requested that she spoke with you. She's in the Arena that we're using as a Medical Center" the Medic looked apologetic.

"Fine, I'll speak to her" she waved him away, and made for the Heart of Acherus.

Lillia walked to the Arena with trepidation, but nevertheless, humored the Night Elf.

"You came" Mavare sat up, using a makeshift pillow as a prop up.

"You look pretty far along" Lillia noted.

"I was pretty flat a few weeks ago" Mavare laughed embarrassingly "He never knew. I had to speed her along to keep her safe…the Scourge wanted her dead and replaced by something more sinister"

"So get to the point, then" Lillia said.

Mavare swallowed.

"I know he loves you; I see it in his eyes" she smiled sadly "Just please don't get hard with him…he suffered a lot over those years you were apart. And I think he saved me from my fate because he couldn't save you"

Lillia said nothing to that, but she felt it in her heart.

"What did he save you from?" she asked, detached.

"I was a slave to a Tauren from Twilight's Hammer-they're a nasty bunch of corrupted people that serve the old gods" Mavare shook from the memory "He…used me a lot for sex; beat me…he tortured me to appease his evil masters. They were going to sacrifice me to Ragnaros; the Old God liked my appeal to the other members. He happened to be in Shadowforge City at the time…he was a treasure hunter of sorts for Baron Revilgaz. The amulet was in the other direction; but he saw what they were doing to me-the pain on my face…"

Tael…

"I didn't know what he wanted from me, but I had assumed it was sex like everyone else-it wasn't until we were in Lakeshire, that he told me I was free. I wasn't going to be a slave any longer" Mavare cupped her swollen belly with her hands.

"And so you stayed with him" Lillia surmised.

"Where else was I going to go…everywhere I went I saw the hunger in their eyes" she shook her head "He was different…I had to convince him the first time, that it was okay…" her face grew red "There was a sadness, and I was able to see his dreams…they were all about you"

"Now why are you telling me this?" Lillia asked.

"It wasn't until I slept in the same room as him that I was able to ease his nightmares. And when we shared a bed, his dreams were memories of you two as children; as he held me tight. I saw it then, as I see it now…my druid abilities allow me to see" She looked sad.

"What were you seeing?" Lillia demanded.

"Your souls were mated; despite the lack of physical intercourse…I was his first and only. You were his soul's mate" her tears hit the floor.

They were soul mates…

"Well that happens all the time" Lillia waved her hand "That doesn't mean it happens all the time"

"The human concept of Soul Mates and what I am saying are different Lillia" Mavare stated "Remember I can see things others can't; I am a Druid after all"

"Well I don't have time for such things" she said.

"You're lying" Mavare's tears were numerous "I saw your soul leap for joy at my words"

"If it makes you feel any better" Lillia had heard quite enough "He chose you and that Dragon, over me. He couldn't abandon you, was what he said"

"So I travel with you" Mavare said.

"I can't drag a pregnant woman all over the world-that's idiotic" Lillia turned at that incredulous statement.

"You're forgetting I'm a Druid; I can shapeshift" Mavare said "And that frees you of competition and allows me to fight without hurting my unborn daughter"

"And how will that affect the girl?" Lillia asked.

"You act as if you care about her" Mavare looked at Lillia.

"You and she are his family. You saw to that when you allowed him to impregnate you" Lillia had contempt on her face "That makes you a priority in my book to keep safe"

"My magic will force me to shapeshift into my elf form to give birth, but otherwise the girl will grow inside me until it's time" Mavare said "I will make sure we're in a safe environment when that happens"

Before Lillia could respond a voice boomed.

"Greetings attackers of Acherus" a voice said in the wind, and Lillia thought she knew who it was.

"I'm coming with you, Death Knight" Mavare said "When you and Tael go…so will I"

"I am Darkmaster Gandling, the leader of the good citizens of Andorhal. I just wanted to say hello before we get down to business" the Darkmaster's voice echoed strongly throughout the Plaguelands "I want you all to pick up your toys and leave-like good children. Can you do that for me?"

"Good Children?" Lillia thought.

"That's a door here" Lillia said, shaking her reminiscence "I didn't see it before when I was here" Granted that was to kill the bitch Janice Barov.

"Why did you make me chase you here, bitch?" Lillia screamed "There's nothing here!"

"Because I thought it was funny, and you took the bait, like a good elf does" Janice appeared in front of Lillia, and looked up at the sky; there wasn't a ceiling to the great hall.

"All this memory is giving me a headache" she broke open the door, and walked down the stairs.

Lillia

Western Plaguelands: Sholomance

The Place was flooded. Lillia saw some of the water dripping from the ceiling as she slew some skeletons. The Reliquary was dry, and so was the Chamber of Summoning, but beyond that was full and filling of water from Darrowmere Lake.

Someone rose from the water.

"You ended my daughter, Death Knight" Lord Alexei Barov said, unsheathing his sword "For that you will pay"

"I plan to pay for many things" Lillia took her Runeblade and attacked Barov.

Blow after blow, they were matched.

"This is entertaining" Barov punched her in the gut, and she clutched her side "I didn't even hit you there"

"Ahhhgh" She attacked with vigor, though her side hurt badly. She pushed him in the water and used her ice power to freeze it.

She gathered strength as he broke the ice.

"That was cunning of you, elf" Barov laughed "I haven't had this much fun in what felt like an age"

"I'm glad you like it" she kicked and he dodged, pushing her in the water.

The ice encased her in the water, and she panicked because she found that she needed to breathe. She pounded on the Ice, and even used her blade…but it was no use.

She could see through the ice, Barov's malicious smile, and she pounded and pounded on the ice for naught.

If she needed to breathe, then she could actually die…and that didn't make any sense to her.

Tael…

A shockwave of sorts shook the whole complex, and a rock broke the ice. Lillia coughed out the water.

"I don't know why you didn't hold your breath, elf" Barov grinned and grabbed her neck-choking her "You could have done that for all eternity and your body would have endured. Shame I'm going to crush your neck…your frame looks so frail"

"Ahkg" Lillia clawed for air…but he was a Death Knight…and matched her strength…no…

A Runeblade suddenly protruded from his chest.

"What the" Barov stared at it, and fell…letting go of Lillia's neck in the process.

A very angry Abbendis kicked his corpse, and withdrew her blade.

"I'm going to kill you elf" she said "That damn Ghoul's got us running all over Caer Darrow; you don't even want to know what he's doing to Marjhan right now.

Lillia cradled her neck, coughing for air. Once she was okay, she grabbed her blade and sheathed it on her back.

"What's he doing to Marjhan?" she asked, suddenly curious.

Another boom hit their ears, and Lillia cocked her head slightly in irritation.

"I hope that's not Bony" Lillia said.

"That would be some ride if it was" Abbendis replied "That's Acherus firing"

Lillia grew tense.

"Why the hell's it firing?" she asked.

"Because of Garrentarr" Abbendis said "You've missed a lot, since you've been down here"

"And what's Garrentarr?" Lillia walked out of what's left of Sholomance and ran up the ruined fortress.

"That's Garrentarr" Abbendis exclaimed, and Lillia saw a Necropolis, half the size of Acherus over Gahrron's Withering.

"Why's it not fallen yet?" Lillia asked. She could faintly hear a woman's moans.

"Is that Marjhan?" she asked. Abbendis shook her head weirdly

"That's her, but you don't want to know" she said.