Chapter 5

A bolt of lightning…a flash of thunder…the floor designed with the splatter of crimson fluids…a crack in the earth…death cries surrounding from every angle…a giant whoosh of air from flight…

A skull appears, cackling, bringing death…but this is not the work of the Undead…no, it is the work of…

Kel'Thuzad sat bolt upright into a sitting position, panting heavily despite his unnecessary breathing. Extraordinarily, beads of ice dripped from his skull-like head, even though Undead do not sweat.

The two death knight lords, Lords Darkscythe and Darkhallow, quickly rushed into the altar of darkness where the master lich was housed. "Master lich, finally you have awoken. What had happened in the forest? Are you well?"

Kel'Thuzad placed his skeletal hand upon his face, burying it in his palm. He closed his eyes as he reeled from the vision…it was so powerful and real, it almost penetrated his mind. He shook his head, recovering, and asked, "Lord Darkscythe, Lord Darkhallow. Where am I? What has happened in the last few days?"

The death knights were taken aback at his mention of 'the last few days'. Darkhallow stepped forward uneasily and responded in a hesitant tone, "Well, master…you were unconscious at the edge of the woods when Darkscythe was leading a caravan toward the next base. He found you slumped against a tree, and immediately brought you back to the main base. You are in the altar of darkness currently."

Kel'Thuzad nodded, and at the pause, asked, "Did you find anything in the forest? Did you see the Dreadlord?"

Darkscythe then responded instead, "Yes; we traveled deep into the forest where you and the demon fought. A sign of struggle was there, and the trees were burned, but otherwise there is no sign of the Dreadlord."

The lich then went into deep though, putting his chin on his index finger and thumb. If I survived it, then there is still the probability of the Dreadlord alive as well…But what occurred to bring me back here?

Breaking out of his stupor, he asked the death knights in a curious and light tone, "Did you observe anything peculiar around the area where I was found unconscious?"

Darkscythe thought for a moment, then hastily spoke, "I do not recall anything, although there were numerous deep holes around the area as though made by some gigantic figure's foot."

Kel'Thuzad nodded, and asked his final question, "How long was I in the coma?"

Darkhallow answered, "For a month. The citadel has long been completed, and we are awaiting your orders."

Kel'Thuzad got up, flapping his robes clean of dust. He turned to the knights and issued an order, "Very well. Gather up an army. Set up spirit towers under construction. We are going to storm Ironforge and end the puny dwarves' presence upon this land once and for all. Once all human life has ended and the dwarves lay dead, we can then spread our reign to Azeroth in the name of the Scourge."

Darkhallow interrupted, "Are you sure, my master? Perhaps we should wait a while before we set out; you have just recovered, after all. And the Dreadlord still might be out among the shadows."

He looked coldly at the outburst, and responded in an icy tone, "I am fine. And the Dreadlord is of no great concern currently to me. Set out and complete your orders now; I want our forces amassed by sunset.

The death knights bowed deeply, and with a swish of their capes, headed out of the altar.

Kel'Thuzad himself left and returned back to his throne, overlooking the sea once again, buried in deep thought.

The yellow golden sun soon sank into a deep blood-red as the star started sinking beneath the waves. The snarling ghouls were restless at the thought of fresh blood now, shown from the way they dug the ground impatiently, as were the hulking abominations that were shoving each other to get up to the front of the ranks for first blood. The grey, arachnid crypt fiends sat monotonously at the rear of the group, always being single minded ever since the disappearance of their king Anub'Arak, eyes never taken off their focus. The monstrous gargoyles stood perched upon the treetops, staring toward Ironforge and awaiting orders, but occasionally opening and stretching their crystalline wings. The robed necromancers stood huddled out of their ranks, deep in discussion. Black obsidian statues that shone in the waning sun hovered mysteriously in the center, emanating a mysterious, unseen aura around everyone. The huge, dragonish frost wyrms flew above them all, blowing gentle breezes around the vicinity; shards of frost fell from their mouth as they exhaled.

The two Death Knights rode toward the front of the ranks, ready to lead. The skeletal steeds were enveloped with war tapestries that bore the mark of skulls and bones. Their runeblades glinted as rays of light struck it, and their thick shields' skull seemed to stare into the eyes of the watcher.

The master lich, Kel'Thuzad, at long last appeared just as the sun dipped below the dark ocean. A wandering cloud hovered past above the undead, revealing the full moon. The rays of moonlight lit up the whole scene eerily. As Kel'Thuzad's face lighted upon, a flicker of a smirk crept past his face as he assumed position behind his Death Knights. Unsheathing his sword with a sound that would send chills down spines, he pointed his weapon toward Ironforge, and Lords Darkhallow and Darkscythe began to advance.