Chapter 8
As King Magni Bronzebeard of the Dwarves fell to his death, the remaining struggling dwarves looked in horror upon the Lich and the Crypt Lord. Instantaneously they scattered, knowing that they could not win without their king. However, the Undead showed no mercy. The gargoyles picked up a few running mortar duos and slammed them into walls; crypt fiend locusts bit and chewed the runners' legs; abominations cleaved off the dwarves' bottom halves, leaving a gruesome and bloody death.
Kel'Thuzad and Anub'Arak observed their slaughtering army in silence together. After they finished off all living things in sight, they began tearing down the houses and buildings of Ironforge villagers. Anub'Arak then spoke in his same deep voice, breaking the silence. "You have trained our army even better during my absence. Well done, Kel'Thuzad."
The master lich bowed his head down in response, still not comprehending his reactions of his old friend being alive once again. Then he turned his head and stared at Anub'Arak. The Crypt Lord had seriously been through many hardships; his wings were tattered, his head bore many scars, and he was missing one leg along the side of his body. The lich turned his head away then asked in a light tone, "Care to fill me in of how you escaped the wrath of the sea?"
Anub'Arak's head sunk a bit as he thought out his answer. "I'd rather not as of the moment; after the destruction of Ironforge is complete, I shall tell you all."
Kel'Thuzad thought this a bit strange of a deal, but he decided to ignore it for the time being. A red-robed necromancer then hurried up to Kel'Thuzad and bowed on one knee. "Master Kel'Thuzad, we have killed all surviving dwarves in Ironforge. We are proceeding to storm the castle," he reported.
The lich acknowledged this with a wave of his skeletal hand, then asked the Crypt Lord, "Shall we accompany them?"
Anub'Arak, giving no answer, started heading toward the fortress. Taking his silence a bit aggravating, Kel'Thuzad followed. The stone castle loomed nearer and nearer; the frost covered towers seemed to reach endlessly into the sky, and the whole foundation seemed formidable and threatening. When they reached the front gates, they found their troops attempting to hack the iron door down. Anub'Arak, shoving the abominations out of the way, slammed his claws horizontally upon the metal; the door split as easily as though it was made out of flimsy wood. The beetle gave another vertical slice and the door fell open. The Undead rushed through the open door, reminiscent to ants through a tiny space.
Kel'Thuzad and Anub'Arak brought up the rear of the pack. The room seemed deserted, although the decorations weren't; royal tapestries still hung, bearing a coat of arms of a crossing warhammer and battleaxe. A few ancient pottery and vases still stood on gleaming white pedestals, similar to marble. Sadly, the historical and royalty items were destroyed as abominations and ghouls rampaged through, annihilating the place. Crypt fiends and necromancers explored the rooms, making sure no dwarf was left alive.
After they had explored, the previous necromancer reported to the lich, "Master Kel'Thuzad, it seems that the surviving dwarves housed within this castle have evacuated. Do not worry, for our gargoyles are attempting to pick them off, as they could not have gone. We also could not gain entrance to the throne room; another metallic door has barred our war, this time magic imbued. Readings of strong magics have also been discovered near the throne room."
The two, upon hearing this, headed toward the throne room. As the time with the metal entrance of the castle, the Undead assembled around the throne room door. Anub'Arak, without hesitating, thrusted his claws horizontally once again; however, his claw merely landed a crushing blow to the door that did not even dent it. He slammed both of his front claws down vertically, but bore the same results.
"What trickery is this? I have been able to crush anything in my path, and this door should be no exception!" He angrily exclaimed. Kel'Thuzad, however, examined the door.
"Upon closer investigation, the door seemed to be emitting a purple glow. It seems that a spell was placed on this, a rather ancient spell I might add. I will need to break its enchantments if this door would ever be destroyed," he murmured. Taking out his famed Book of the Dead, he opened the skull-decorated book and examined it. Placing his palm upon the door, he uttered an enchantment. Ice exploded from his palm, and the aura faded away.
"Try again, Anub'Arak." The crypt lord slammed his claws down, and the door ripped to shreds. The undead hurried in, the ghouls and abominations eager to do some damage, but Kel'Thuzad halted them when they were all in.
"I sense some strong magical energies emitting somewhere in this throne room…energies that I have not felt since I was resurrected at the Sunwell of the Quel'Thalan. This room houses something dangerous, possibly a magical being. Do you feel it too?" He muttered.
"Yes…the energy is quite strong. We have to be on guard." Anub'Arak responded. The necromancers went about searching through the room while the rest of the troops were dispatched outside. One necromancer then called, "Master! I have found an incantation! This seems to be written in ancient dwarf hieroglyphics."
"Translate," Kel'Thuzad ordered coldly.
"Beware of what lies within this room…should this being be unlocked, Azeroth shall fall, and the elementals shall rise again."
From the moment he finished his words, a pillar of fire erupted underneath where he was standing. The mage never even felt pain as the flames licked everything. The rest of the necromancers, Kel'Thuzad, and Anub'Arak quickly evacuated as the inferno grew larger and larger; once the group managed to get out, the fire had quickly surrounded the castle. Orange and red light shone everywhere as everything nearby caught on fire.
Suddenly, a figure drew out from the fiery inferno. The figure was clasped in a breastplate that extended to covering his shoulders with metal and spikes; few metal plates bore around the top of his hand as metal formed around a crown with horns.
"Hail, foolish mortals! I, the king of the fire elementals, Ragnaros have risen! This world shall bow down to my flames, and death to all who oppose the fire!"
The fire elemental disappeared within the flames, which evaporated into the air, leaving a smoking rubble where the castle stood.