Rot and Terra both scratched at the door. They barked angrily, desperate. Terra hurt her paw on the wooden door, getting a splinter in one foot. Rot hopped up and down, trying to bite the doorknob.

Hoofbeats forced the two plaguehounds to stop, and look back. They barely were able to get out of the way before Invincible ran forward, slamming into the door. The two puppies cried out in alarm, tumbling away.

"What the fuck! I was coming!" Lethumo came to the now open doorframe, pulling his pants on. Invincible sniffed in disdain and him, and snorted. He made a huffing sound and stomped a hoof onto the sandstone street. The undead horse ignored the looks the tol'vir gave him. He looked at Lethumo angrily.

Rot and Terra took their turn to start barking at the night elf.

The elf clutched his long ears, and groaned. "Stop that infernal barking. What's wrong? Has Ethan fallen down a well? Because I ain't hauling him out. He can climb out himself."

Rot jumped at him, and grabbed a mouthful of the Lethumo's pants. He started pulling, growling angrily. He twisted and turned his head. The elf sighed.

"Fine...Why do I always have to save the day? What would happen to everyone without me?"

Invincible neighed.


Ethan stumbled as he stood up, groaning. The tumble down the rocks had knocked the wind from his lungs. His head had hit the rocks, and he had been knocked out momentarily. His head ached worse than it had the morning after his bachelor party.

He had recovered just in time to see Deathwing grab Sapphire by the arm and to hear her scream in pain from it. Ethan glared at the metal-jawed man with magma running underneath the metal plates welded onto his very body. Ethan growled.

"You are going to regret that."

"Ethan..." Sapphire murmured, her voice strained. Deathwing just looked at Ethan with indifference.

"Do not worry, mortal. If her blood is as special as my useless son Nefarion told me, she will be fine."

Sapphire lay at Deathwing's feet, clutching her arm. Ethan could see blackened skin. He could not see Sapphire's face because of her hair. But if the skin was that burnt, it would be extremely painful. Ethan felt rage grow inside of him. He bared his teeth.

Deathwing did not look at all impressed. Ethan had no weapon. He could only turn into his worgen form. Ethan hoped the dragon was arrogant enough to stay in his human form.

"What do you want with her?" Ethan asked.

"None of your concern. You mortals are numerous. You can find another female if you feel the need to reproduce."

Ethan saw Tanomoan crawl out from a pile of rocks. The dragon chirped happily, and hopped over to his father.

"Daddy!"

Sapphire moaned, and tried to get up. Ethan quickly went to her and glowered at Deathwing.

"You hurt her again and I will rip that jaw right off of you."

The dragon started laughing. "Oh, you mortals are so amusing! A misfortune that you are going to die, but at least your body will be useful in feeding my children. You have the same blood in you as her, though not as potent."

Ethan would have snapped a retort, but he was hit in the back of the head hard. He collapsed over Sapphire, who he had been trying to protect.


The room was dimly lit, a fire dying in the fireplace. The fire did not give of any heat, but Arthas warm enough. He sat in a chair, cloak wrapped around himself. He looked over to Jaina.

She was sleeping peacefully, a stark contrast to a couple of hours ago. Her breathing was even, her chest slowly rising and sinking. Arthas brushed some her hair out of her face. All these years, and Jaina had not become any less beautiful.

Crying broke the silence. Arthas jerked in surprise, but a cultist came over to the makeshift baby bed.

Arthas stood up. "No, Let me."

The woman frowned, but did not protest. Arthas looked down at the baby. It was moving in its blanket, and crying. With as much gentleness as he could muster, Arthas lifted up the bundle. The baby stopped crying, and looked up at him with blue eyes. She gurgled happily, and raised a miniscule hand. Arthas smiled.

"Hey, sweetheart. Why are you crying? Did you wake up?"

Arthas slowly walked over to his chair, and sat down. The baby looked around, and yawned. Based on his experience with Sapphire, Arthas had expected the baby to have teeth. But Sapphire had been significantly older when Arthas got her. This little baby did not have any teeth yet.

"Are you tired, Angelica? Why don't you go to sleep?"

The girl looked up at her father, not understanding a word he said. She grabbed at the fur of the blanket, and tried to eat it. The man chuckled.

"No, no. Don't eat that."

Arthas did not know why he talked to her, but it made him feel more comfortable.

She stared at him with those innocent eyes. Her skin was a nice, healthy peach color, which was more than he had hoped. Once, he had woken with a nightmare of the baby being undead, hungry for blood. She did not even had the slightest deformity though.

The cultists had cleaned her up after she was born, but Arthas had nearly passed out at the sight of all the blood. He was okay with blood and death, but birth was horrifying. It was worse than war to him. He hoped he never had to go through that again. Bolvar might try to make him witness Sapphire's birthing, but Arthas would not do that. That was Ethan's job. Traumatize him instead. Having to be there at the birth seemed like a great deterrent to have children. Arthas did not want any more children after that. Two is enough. Two beautiful girls. One married and soon to have her own child. The other...Arthas did not even want to think about who Angelica would marry.

There was a knock on the door. The female cultist opened it.

A deathknight came striding in. He bowed to his master.

"Your Majesty, Sir Lethumo has returned with your horse and the plaguehounds...Sir Rot and Lady Terra."

"What about Sapphire?"

"Lady Sapphire is not with them."

Arthas nodded, unhappy. "Bring them here."

The deathknight bowed again, and hesitated for a moment. Arthas raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"All of us here in the Citadel were wondering...If I may say so, we were wondering if you would show the young princess to us."

Angelica made a little gurgle at the sound of that, and yawned. Her eyes slowly closed. Her breathing soon slowed, and she looked small in her blanket. Well, she was easier to put to sleep then Sapphire. Sapphire had required a lot of patience and effort when he had none to give. Now, he had plenty to spare for Angelica, and she did not need that much. Typical.

"Yes. I will take her to the Cathedral of Darkness soon."

The deathknight nodded, then left to retrieve Lethumo and the plaguehounds. Arthas looked to Angelica, sleeping soundly. Glacier had told him she had seen some of those disturbing purple dragons in Dragonblight, and groups of the Twilight's Hammer in the Borean Tundra.

Arthas had ordered all frostwyrms to patrol the borders of Icecrown, and all Scourge members to retreat back to the glacier. Arthas was nervous about why the dragons were here, but he was smart enough to put up his defenses before they attack. He had even been considering reopening the Fleshwerks temporarily.

He was hesitant to do so, for to do that would mean going backward, not forward. He was afraid that if they made one abomination, he would have a relapse. Sometimes, when he had to listen to the lower intelligent undead, Arthas had been tempted to go back to how it used to be. But he had help now, with his family, and the Light. He prayed to it everyday.

Which reminded him just now. He should ask Bolvar to bless Angelica. Bolvar was no longer a paladin, but he was more of one than Arthas, and it would carry more weight. Or so Arthas hoped. He sighed, and watched Angelica sleep.