I was reading "An Acolyte of Zero" again because it was so fun and this just came to me. Though I've put no focus on the game mechanics of Warcraft 3. Don't know if I'll write this as a serious project, but the concept of Louise being corrupted by the Scourge is interesting enough that I think I might come back to it.

We need more of this kind of crossover anyway.

The Scourge of Zero

Prologue

The air inside the large stone and bone-decorated chamber was a deep and biting cold, no living person able to live here because if the cold didn't kill them then the clear lack of any food would have done them in eventually. On one side of the room, across from the only physical entrance into it, sat a boney throne. The heads and spines of some great serpent-like entities rose out from behind to look out from each side, both with a ring of metal held in their mouths and a chain stretching out from it to the floor below on either side of the throne's feet. Several blue drapes hung from the walls by a skull, framing alcoves that held portals to several locations.

Sitting on the throne, or in actuality was gently floating above it, is a large skeletal lich. Frosty air blew out of the boney jaws as a large tome floated in front of its head. The silence stretched on as the skeletal monstrosity continued to read, not bothered by the cold of the chamber or the stench of rot that permeated the air from the shambling bodies that made up the population of the floating necropolis of Naxxramas.

Kel'Thuzad is the right hand of the Lich King and the leader of the cult of the damned, a large connected group of still-living necromancers that exists to serve the Lich King as the useful living branch of the Scourge. The Lich paused in his reading, a strange surge of magical energy was emitting from the center of his chambers, right above the small green and blue magic circle he often used for rituals.

The tome he was reading from gently floated down, a boney hand grasping the spine and snapping it closed with a soft thud.

"How interesting," Kel'Thuzad said, laughing as a green portal appeared in the center of the room. As a master of magic, he could easily divine what this spell was meant for, a search for a familiar to bind to this mage's will. How foolish it was in his mind, to not include any measure of security. For all the power this summoning had, the mage could just as easily bring forth a great beast or demon or something as insignificant as a quill and inkpot, there looks to not be any form of proper magical searching. As if the one who cast this spell did not fully comprehend it. This mage must be either as arrogant as so many of Dalaran's citizens are or is woefully inexperienced. A simple apprentice. Yet, one with great potential if he or she was able to casually make a direct line to his very tightly magically warded chambers. Perhaps this would be a good way to give the Scourge greater power when his master gets up from his throne. It is not long now, soon the Scourge will lay waste to Azeroth at the Lich King's command.

Kel'Thuzad's laugh grew louder as he flicked his hand and another tome flew from a shelf and into his empty hand. Familiars come in all shapes and sizes, some are even bound to objects. And such is what this foolish mage is seemingly going to get. He set the one he was reading down on the seat of his throne and floated over to the portal, a mere six feet away to give him some space. As powerful as he was, caution is always the most important part when dealing with the unknown.

With some simple spell work the tome that held the very basics of the void and all of its encompassing magical paths, but with a distinct focus on necromancy in its later pages and a book given to every prospective member of the Cult of the Damned, was enchanted to bind to the soul of the one who first picked it up and to in turn bind the soul of the mage to the Scourge. Influencing this prospective student of his and eventually trap the soul for the use of the Scourge will be a quick matter, Kel'Thuzad would give it half a day before the sweet calling of undeath and power brings this mage over. The tome glowed as magical runes etched themselves onto the spine and coverings.

With another chilling laugh, the tome was simply tossed into the green portal without care, disappearing into the rippling portal. It was already resistant to damage as most tomes used by mages were, no need to lose valuable research and information because of a single fireball gone wrong. The green portal winked away and Kel'Thuzad's chambers were back to its cold and empty self. It will take time for his enchantments to take full effect, perhaps an hour or so once it is bound to the mage, so all he needs to do is wait.

Kel'Thuzad retook his seat on his throne and went back to reading.

Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière coughed and waved her hand in front of her face as the smoke of the explosion lingered in the air as the result of her summoning ritual. A gentle gust of wind rolled by and took the rest of the smoke with it, clearing her lungs. Louise turned her head and saw her Professor with his staff held up and with a small nod of thanks Louise turned to look at the familiar she had summoned, eager to prove to the classmates that mocked her that she was a mage. That she deserved the title of her nobility.

For a moment she saw nothing, fear slowly creeping in as the snickering of her classmates began to come when it was not immediately apparent that something other than an explosion happened. Then she looked a bit further down and saw a large book of some sort laying in the middle of the summoning circle, completely unharmed. It was magical, that much was obvious, as no mundane book would have glowing runes etched onto it. Despite the runes, it looked almost normal, with no decoration beyond the blackish-brown leather of the covering and the odd skull clasp that kept the book shut.

"Oh my, Louise. I thought you said you would summon a familiar even better than mine, not buy any old book off the shelves and have some noble enchant it for you," came the voice of the voluptuous constant pain in Louise's side, Kirche von Zerbst. The damnable slutty woman that came from Germania's Zerbst family, rivals of her own.

"Shut it, Zerbst! I did no such thing!" Louise shouted at her rival as she picked up the tome from the ground and held it close to her chest, a slight chill ran to her spin at the touch but it was gone so fast Louise concluded it must have been a trick of the mind.

Fools… no understanding… of power...

Professor Colbert cleared his throat and went to stop this argument before it began, "Miss Vallière, congratulations on summoning your familiar. You even added the familiar runes at the same time as the summoning, few nobles have managed that I can assure you."

Louise stood up straighter at that and gave a smug look over to Kirche, who merely narrowed her eyes at her and pouted as she scratched the head of Flame, her salamander. To Louise, this was the first time she had shown up the annoying Zerbst when it came to magic. The sweet taste of superiority was nearly enough to get her drunk on it.

"Remember students, not every familiar is a beast yet it is exceedingly rare for it not to be. The glowing runes on this tome signify great magic and these magical items even have a form of sentience or sapience that might not be so apparent. Much like one of the intelligent swords that are out in the world. Take good care of these familiars and they will take good care of you," Colbert said, giving an impromptu lecture. He then clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Now, everyone may take the rest of today and tomorrow off to get to know their familiars. I hope to see you all again in class!"

With the class dismissed the rest of the students flew away with their magic to go and relax as nobles should. Louise gave a small look of jealousy at the casual display but quickly buried it down, it would not do to show weakness. Louise noticed Kirche staring at her but turned her head away with a huff and stormed off with all the dignity a noble should have.

She never noticed Kirche's friend Tabitha looking at her new tome with curiosity.

Later that day Louise sat in her room, her supposed familiar laying on top of the table and glowing softly. Louise waited for the tome to speak to her and she had been waiting for a while now, taking what her professor said about treating it well and reigning in the temper she was starting to feel. She couldn't help feeling annoyed, it was only expected when she had been doing nothing for over an hour. She had even tried praying over the book for the Founder and his Void magic to help awaken her familiar from its supposed sleep.

"Maybe it's not intelligent like the professor said it was," Louise muttered, propping her face on her hand as she stared down at the tome on the table.

"Well, that's quite rude young mistress. I'd like to think I was rather smart."

Louise jumped in surprise and fell out of her chair, shaking her head from side to side to try and find who spoke. She shot up from the ground and waved her wand around, "Who's there?! In the name of the Vallière family, you will show yourself!"

"Look down, young mistress. On the table where you put me."

Louise glanced down and stared at the tome, "Familiar?" Her face twisted into anger and she stomped over to the table to glare down at the tome, "Why did you keep me waiting if you could speak?!"

"My apologies, young mistress, I was 'waking up' so to say. I am an old tome, I did not expect to ever be summoned."

Louise lowered her wand and stuffed it away with a huff, it was an acceptable explanation and it also made her excited. If this book was as old as it claimed then it had to have some long-forgotten spell or knowledge. "I find your explanation acceptable."

"Wonderful! Then how might I serve you?"

Louise took her seat and fiddled with the skull clasp, "How about you unlock this clasp, I wish to study what's in your pages." Louis could feel that the book might have smiled if it was able to.

"Ah, a studious pupil. This is good, taking time to learn, and study will make you stronger. However, I must make sure you can handle what is written on my pages. If you are not ready, if you do not desire power, you may lose your life."

Life is fleeting, take the offer. Power is all that you need, all that I offer.

Louise swallowed and was tempted to give up when she heard that she could die, but she steeled herself. A proper noble would not back down from such a risk, they have a duty to risk their life if it would benefit their country. And if what is written on this book's pages would help her country then she will do it. She glared down at her familiar, "I'll pass whatever test you throw at me. I am Louise de la Vallière, and I will be the greatest mage in all of Halkeginia! Those fools that mocked me will learn their place at my feet!"

The voice in her head, the one that supposedly came from the tome in the table, laughed and said, "Well said, young Mistress. Then tell me, what do you really know of Death and the Void?"

Louise blinked, not expecting such a question. But she was a devout follower of Brimir and was willing to speak about Him and the holy magic of the void, how all devout members of the faith eventually find themselves in His arms upon death. So, with glee, she explained at great length what she knew of Void magic and how their god Brimir was able to use it to establish the nobility of the continent and do great magic feats. Her familiar kept quiet during her explanation, only speaking up to clarify. At the end of the long-winded explanation, as she wrapped up the speech with the Founder ascending as a god, Louise crossed her arms and stared down at the book, radiating smugness.

"Religious teachings of those who can not comprehend what the Void truly is. How Death is not necessarily the end. Teachings covered in layers of dogma designed to entrap the people into an unbending and simplistic state of mind. One of the most popular ways of keeping power amongst those who desire its dynamics to remain unchanged. I would applaud the success this Church of Brimir has had if it did not disgust me so. No, the Void is not a holy force but, there is a powerful magic that I can teach you freely."

Louise sputtered and looked outraged at the dismissal of the religion she has been a devout follower of her entire life. "How can the Void not be holy when it elevated Brimir to godhood because of the power behind it?! He founded the entire magical system and nobility! How can you possibly deny that or even teach me how to use it when I'm not even a Void mage?!"

"The Void is neither Holy nor Unholy. It is simply a force of the natural order that is the opposite of the Light. As Void can not exist without the Light, the same can be said for the opposite no matter what people may say. There is no intrinsic good in any type of magic or conceptual force, as pure fundamental parts of the universe, they have no concept of right or wrong, good or evil. These concepts are the results of the sapient races, placed upon these forces to fit their ideology."

Forget the pathetic dogma of the living, in the end, all that matters is death.

"As for teaching you how to harness your latent potential in magic, it is simpler than you'd think. Perhaps the art has just been lost here, or it has been intentionally buried. No matter, I am fully capable of giving you lessons on the subject. Unless, of course, you don't desire the power to put those against you in their place?"

Louise looked like she wanted to argue further, but some part of her paused and thought everything her familiar said over. The parts that told her to deny everything that was told to her as heretical fought against these thoughts. She was told all her life that Void magic, while lost, was the holiest of all the magical types as it was the school of magic the Founder himself used. But, what if what her familiar said was true? What if Void magic wasn't holy, but just incredibly powerful and rare? Can she obtain that, even for a moment? To feel like she deserved her noble title? To put those that were supposed to be beneath her, that mocked and humiliated her, in their place?

The power to rend your enemies apart can be given but at a cost.

"I-," Louise started, feeling drained, "I need to lie down."

"Of course, young mistress. Rest and straighten your mind out, it is becoming late and you've had a long day I have no doubt."

Louise said nothing as she shakily placed her familiar on her nightstand and slowly changed into her nightgown, her hands nearly unable to unbutton her clothes. Sleep did not come to her, the endless echoing whispers making promises to her and assaulting her mind. Louise cried and shivered as she curled up into a ball, hands grasping at her head in a futile attempt to block out the whispers that have only grown louder.

The cost is your eternal servitude to me, your soul. Your very being, all that you were before, all means nothing before the Scourge. Throw these petty matters of the living away, throw the notion of mercy aside. Kill, destroy, and raise your enemies to fight at your behest. You belong to me now…

You are my Champion of the Scourge upon this wretched world and my only order is Death. To. All.