"Meow."
There was a deep chuckle.
"Meow."
Arthas rubbed his forehead. He closed the book he had been reading, and sighed. He looked over at the two sitting on the floor.
"Meow, meow!" Angelica said, holding up her new fluffy kitten. Marwyn took it, and pet it.
"Meow, meow back!" The deathknight growled, grinning like an idiot.
Angelica giggled, "Meow, meowy, meow meow!"
Arthas was frustrated, but he couldn't help smiling at his daughter's sweet innocence.
"Woof," He said. Angelica looked over to him, and scowled.
"No dogs allowed! No woof! Meow, meow only!"
"Fine then. Meow. Ethan would be upset."
"No like doggies," Angelica said. She folded her arms, and puffed up. She stuck her tongue out. Marwyn laughed, and poked the girl in the stomach. She squealed and smacked him harmlessly, but Marwyn acted like it was a mortal wound. He gasped, and clutched his arm where she had hit him. He fell backwards onto the rug of the floor, then pretended to be dead. Angelica poked him.
"Mar? Unca Mar? You okay? Did I hurt you?"
The man jumped up and lunged at her. She screamed as the man grabbed her.
"No! No, Daddy help!"
Arthas just leaned back. "No thanks. You're fine. Break her bones and skin her, Marwyn."
"Gladly," Marwyn hissed. He tickled the little girl, who squirmed and laughed.
"No! I need my skin!"
Marwyn held onto her tightly, not even struggling to keep his grip. The girl was nothing compared to him.
Finally, she collapsed in his arms, exhausted. The girl hit her fist onto Marwyn's arm.
"Let go!"
The man did so, and the girl ran over to her father. She clambered up his leg, into his lap. Arthas just grabbed a bottle, and took a drink.
"Momma told me to tell her if I saw you drinking alcohol."
Arthas narrowed his eyes. "Will you?"
"No...Can I have some?"
The man thought about it for a second. Then grabbed the goblet he had not used yet. Filling it, Arthas gulped down some first and then handed it to the little girl. She took a small sip. Her face screwed up.
"Ick!"
"Good. Now I don't have to worry about you in the future."
Terenas laid down onto the wooden dock, looking into the water. A few tiny fish swam around the wooden pilings. Out in the distance, Terry saw a few shark fins break the surface of the water. A huge icebreaker ship was docking in at the moment.
Ethan was talking to a goblin, but Terenas was more interested in the little fish. He put a finger into the water. They all scattered.
"Dad?" He looked up to look at his father. Ethan held up one finger, and finished the conversation with the goblin. He came over to his son.
"Yes?"
"How do fish breathe?"
"Is Serenity getting to you?" Ethan said teasingly.
"I just wanted to know."
"They breathe through their gills, though how I do not know. Maybe your mother knows. She knows everything."
"Not uh. She don't know how to cook."
"Well..." Ethan shrugged sheepishly.
The goblin that had been talking to him before came over to him and tapped on his shoulder.
"So, we all ready to go?"
"As soon as the rest of those crates are loaded. You can leave in about an hour. I will inform the harbormaster."
The goblin nodded, and looked at a clipboard in his hands. He muttered in Orcish and walked off.
A howl rang up from the cliffs above. Ethan lifted his head.
"You hear that?" He asked his son. Terenas nodded.
"Yeah..."
"Sounds like trouble. I will be back. Stay here."
Ethan walked off. If it had been Calia, Serenity, or Arty, Ethan would not have left them alone. But Terenas would not wander off. He would stay right there on the wooden dock and wait all day if he had to.
Terenas watched his father leave, and sighed. He looked around, and saw a barrel to sit on next to a pile of crates.
He climbed up it, but one of his hands slipped.
Terenas yelped as he fell into one of the crates, banging his head against the wood. He groaned, and looked around. He was in a crate full of fish. The smell was horrible. Terenas hated the smell of fish, and would refuse to eat them.
"All right! Close up those crates and let's get this going! Lord Prestor is an impatient man!"
The boy tried to get up, but the crate was closed shut. Terenas gasped. He hit his hand against the wood.
"Hey! Hey, open this up!" He cried out. The crate was lifted up.
"Uh oh..."
He looked around, and saw one small hole in the crate. He moved toward it, wincing at the feeling of the slimy dead fish. He peered into the hole. He saw that the crate was being taken to the zeppelin.
"Help! Let me out!" Terenas cried out, banging his fist on the crate. But the engines had been fired up on the zeppelin, and it drown out his yelling.
Terenas whimpered. Not good. Not good at all.
Serenity stared at her great-grandfather.
"Why do you like cats so much?" She asked.
Kel'thuzad looked murderous. Sapphire had heard the howling, and went to investigate. She had told Kel'thuzad to watch the children, and the lich was not happy about it.
The three children were all sitting on the floor of the throne room, staring at Kel'thuzad.
"Because I do," The lich said to Serenity. She frowned at the answer.
"Daddy doesn't like cats. Momma don't either. Arty likes his cat. I don't really like them. They look evil to me. And I heard they steal your soul! Is that true?" Serenity said really fast.
"That doesn't deserve an answer, child."
Calia raised a hand.
"Why are you so ugly?" Calia asked.
"Why are you so annoying?" Kel'thuzad retorted. He stared at all the children, and turned to Arty. The boy was clutching his cat.
"Well, boy. Do you have any questions?" The lich demanded.
"...No, sir," The boy whimpered.
"Good. You are my favorite so far."
Calia snorted. "Arty is everyone's favorite."
"Am not," The boy said.
"Well, obviously not Grandpa's favorite. Everyone knows that Serenity is Granpa's favorite! Cute, smart, and blonde!"
Serenity frowned. "You forgot nice. I don't hurt people and insult them."
"Shut your mouth!"
Arty sighed. "Calia, Don't be so mean!"
"Whatever," The little girl said. She stood up and left the room. Kel'thuzad watched her leave.
"I am supposed to be watching all of you...Oh well. I lost count."
Arty and Serenity looked to each other in concern.
"Hey, Stop shoving, Falric."
"Fuck you. These stairs aren't meant for your big head."
Marwyn grabbed Falric by his neck, but his friend forcefully pushed him against the wall.
"Always told Sapphire I was going to kill her and skin her. How about I do it to you?"
Arthas looked back toward them. "Stop, both of you!."
The deathknights grinned at the man. "Is that an order?"
"Yes...It is," He growled.
"Ooh, the Lich King gave us an order. Been a while. Suppose we better obey."
"What are the consequences for disobeying?"
"I will let Jaina figure that out," Arthas replied, descending down the stairs. He heard the two deathknights follow quickly.
They went down the stairs, to an empty hallway. It was dark, unlit except for a single torch. Arthas's boots thudded across the thick ice that had formed over the hallway. Gleaming icicles hung above them. No one was allowed down here. No one had been down here for years.
The far end of the hall was adorned with double doors. As Arthas approached it, he felt the tingle of the magic barriers around it, which only he could pass through. He looked back at Falric and Marwyn.
"Stay here."
"Wait...Have you found a shard?" Marwyn asked, suddenly realizing why they were there.
Arthas pulled out from underneath his cloak a small metal fragment. He held it out.
"Anduin found it a week ago, but I haven't thought about it until now. It was in the Royal Vault in Stormwind. Took him weeks to be allowed inside."
It had been an incredible risk for him, and Arthas had not approved of it. But the Prince of Stormwind trusted Arthas a bit too well.
Only two people could get inside this vault. Arthas and Bolvar.
The man touched the double doors, and pushed through them. They swung open.
There was nothing in the large room but a table. Arthas approached it. The remains of a sword, shattered and broken, lay on the table. Sparks of blue magic came from the shards of the sword. Arthas knew the sword intimately. Even felt a bit pained to see it in such a state. Taking the shard in his hand, he put it where it needed to go.
One shard glowed angrily, but Arthas quickly turned on his heel and left. He ignored it, which probably would anger the soul trapped inside even more. Arthas did not care. Let Ner'zhul fume.
"All right, Marwyn. Falric. Go back to your respective duties."
Marwyn grinned. "You mean that Falric goes back to having fun with his wife, and me to play Princess with Angelica?"
Arthas scowled, then smiled. "No. I will play with my daughter. You go deal with the young deathknights."
Both deathknights exchanged looks. Arthas suddenly did not like how they looked.
"Daddy wants to play Princess with his daughter?" Marwyn growled, walking away. Falric followed.
"He'll get more than what he bargained for. What does he think Princess entails? Oh, I will love this."
That did not sound comforting to Arthas.
Sapphire stroked the plaguehound's head soothingly. She whispered to him, and looked over to her husband.
Ethan was talking with the worgen known as Owen. Sapphire did not recognize him, but she knew Bernie. The dog was so sweet. Bernie licked Sapphire's hand.
They were at the entrance of New Alterac. A wall stretched around the city, the only thing made of saronite, scrapped from the ruins of the Shadow vault and other areas.
"Forsaken here?" Ethan spoke up. Sapphire looked up. She scowled.
"What! How could I have missed that!"
Ethan looked to her. He knew what she meant. Sapphire had spies everywhere.
"Well, We will just have to dispose of them. They might be tied to that dark ranger that killed my hunter."
"Good. We can get rid of the bastards. Northrend is ours," Sapphire said vehemently. She kissed Bernie on the head.
"Why don't we take Owen to the Keep? Get him something to eat and drink, and let him rest up in the guest quarters," Sapphire suggested.
The worgen looked up. "No, Your Highness. I will be-"
Sapphire stared hard at him. The worgen whimpered.
"I suppose I deserve a little rest."
The girl smiled, then ruffled Bernie's fur. The plaguehound woofed.
"Bernie...Who wants a bone?"
Bernie perked up his ears. His tail wagged. Sapphire smiled.
"Come on. Come on! I will race you! Go home!"
Bernie knew that command. It was the one used to make him go to the kennels in Howling Keep. The dog hopped up, and sprinted off. Sapphire was about to follow him, but Ethan grabbed her by the arm.
"Go get Terry, will you? I left him at the docks."
"Alone?"
"It's Terenas. If it had been any of the others, I wouldn't have done it."
Sapphire shook her head. Ethan was so amusing sometimes.
Turning into her snowy owl form, Sapphire flew up over the rooftops. Pigeons fled in terror. Sapphire glided toward the cliff side, and went into a dive down toward the harbor. Ethan had not told her which dock Terenas was on, but Sapphire felt it would be easy to find her son. She swooped over all of them, looking for Terenas. But she couldn't see him.
She flew over them a second time. Terenas was no where to be seen. After a while, Sapphire just landed, and transformed back. She found the harbor master, an old grizzled orc. He grumbled darkly as he got to his feet.
"How can I help you, Your Majesty?"
"Ethan came down here with our son. Have you seen Prince Terenas?"
"Aye. He was at Dock B, the one that the zeppelin from Dragon's Peak. Is he missing?"
Sapphire shook her head. "No, I must not have seen him."
She left the orc, and searched up and down the dock. Sapphire was confused. Terenas would not have disobeyed, would he? Maybe he had just went back to the Keep. He must be hungry. It was nearing lunch time.
Sapphire decided to fly off back to Howling Keep, slightly worried. It wasn't like he would be in any trouble. No one would harm him.
But thinking about the Forsaken, Sapphire flew a little faster than normal.
"What do you mean! Calia is missing!" Sapphire screamed.
Kel'thuzad looked up from the book he was reading.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. The child. She left. I have no idea where she went. But look. I have two of the children. That must count for something."
"No! My baby! I am going to grind your bones into dust for losing my baby!"
The lich sighed, and pointed to Ethan, who was livid.
"The puppy lost the other child. Why not get onto him?"
Sapphire turned to glare at Ethan. He lowered his head.
"I will get onto him later. As for you...I am tempted to tell my parents."
Kel'thuzad took that seriously. Arthas would kill him. Jaina might do worse. And Sapphire was looking at the lich murderously, so he had to worry about her too.
"Fine. Fine! I will do a spell to find both brats. All right? Honestly, you could it..." The lich muttered darkly.
"I wasn't the one that lost them! Now do it!" Sapphire snapped, pointing out the door. She watched Kel'thuzad leave, then turned on Ethan.
"Well...We can just hope they haven't gone far.
Terenas woke to the rough handling of the crate he was in. He yelped, and winced as the fish moved around. The smell was so horrible, Terenas was surprised that he had actually fell asleep.
He did not know when he had fallen asleep, nor how long he had been inside of the crate. A long time.
It was cold, that much Terry could tell. Wind was howling outside of the crate.
Whoever was carrying it dropped the crate unceremoniously onto the ground. Terenas was flung upwards and banged his head onto the lid.
There was a strange crunching sound. And the lid was ripped off. Terenas looked up, clunching his head.
A man looked down at him. He looked about the same age as Terry's father, with ragged black hair. Goggles were wrapped around his head, pushed up onto his forehead. Below them, bright yellow eyes narrowed at the sight of Terry. A thick fur cloak was wrapped tightly around the man. Standing next to the man, peering inside, was a small dragon, purple colored. He had gloves with makeshift talons on his front paws, which were on the side of the wooden crate.
The man sighed. "I specifically ordered for fish to feed the proto-drakes. Not a human child. Especially not my little brother. He would taste horrible!"
The small dragon waved. "Hey, Terry."
The young boy looked at the two of them. He took a deep breath.
"Tanomoan? Blight?"
Blight grinned wide, which was a bit unnerving on a reptilian face. Tanomoan waved nonchalantly.
"Yes, yes. That's our names. I suppose being stuck in a crate full of fish has made you smell horrendous? Blight, why don't you clean up the brat? Momma is not going to be happy."
"All right!"
Tanomoan pulled out bits of metal wire from his pocket, and walked off, tinkering with the wires. Terenas stood up, and climbed out of the crate. He looked around.
Mountain peaks rose up around him. He was in a small valley. The landscape was completely white. When Terry walked down the dock to the ground, his feet sank into at least a foot of snow.
Large buildings crowded around the area. Most of them looked weird, made of metal and with other weird things. Roars echoed through the wind. Terenas looked around. Blight hopped through the snow, leading Terenas to a large building. Some of the roars were coming from it.
"Does Mommy know you are here?" Blight asked.
"No."
The little dragon stopped, and sat on his haunches. He clutched his paws together.
"Uh oh...Mommy is going to be highly upset. Let's get you cleaned up and back home."