Chapter 2: The Merciless Kel'thuzad's Apprentice

How can this be, that the mighty Scourge have been defied?
My Lord, thy will shall be done, for ye shall not be denied!

"Unacceptable!" thundered the mighty Lich, Kel'thuzad. "I gave you orders to take out a mere outpost, and you could not even accomplish that!"

The hooded wizard looked uneasy. His hands were trembling, and his masked face was turning a ghostly pale. He kneeled onto the floor, concealing his features underneath the thick layers of leather cloth. He bowed before the Lich, not so much that it would shatter his pride, but just enough to be respectful.

To the Lich's right stood Acolyte Alexia. The protege of the Lich, as she was called, quivered in fear regardless of having the honor of being Kel'thuzad's favorite student. .

The master seems more infuriated and terrifying than usual. He normally isn't like this, yet people fear him because of it. This peculiar nature seems to be a trait of all Lich for some reason. The Lich themselves will forever remain a mystery to me and a mystery to the world. Hatred and anger seem to rule over their emotions at the surface, but deep under that cruel and merciless exterior lays a beating heart of compassion. I've seen that compassionate side of my master, even though it appears at only the rarest of moments. Perhaps it is because he favors me over the rest. Lie as he might, even I know that my "potential" alone does not grant me such special treatment. I may be his loyal servant, but I know that I am more than just a tool for his purpose. Unlike the rest, Master Kel'thuzad blessed me with freedom of thought to help cultivate my gift, but I know better. He may be kind, but he shows kindness to but a few. A mystery it seems they shall remain, a mystery I shall soon unravel.

Their true features lay hidden underneath that ritualistic mask of ice, intricately carved for initiation into the cult of the Lich. Even to this day, not a soul has seen their unmasked face. Yet it appears that the very thought of them casts terror into their hearts. They are lead under the notion their hearts are made of ice, but not I... no ... I don't believe a word they say. However, my master like them is not one to tolerate failure...

The Undead Mage pleaded, "But, my Lord, she was a formidable opponent. Surely our army was not strong enough to thwart their--"

"Silence!" boomed the Lich, "You dare to insult the mighty Scourge, High Necromancer Baralov! Insolence! I should have you left at the mercy of the blood thirsty ghouls for uttering such foul words from your wretched throat!"

"My lord," High Necromancer Baralov stammered in a desperate tone, "I... did not mean to insult you. I beg of you to give me a second chance, to prove my worth to the Undead. I shall not fail you, Master."

"Failure is something I do not tolerate, Necromancer Baralov. You are not worthy of being amongst the ranks of the Scourge."

"My Lord, I beg of you! Please reconsider!" implored Necromancer Baralov.

"Then a test shall be conducted to prove what little worth you have to me." said the Lich.

The Necromancer was puzzled beyond belief. "A test, my Lord?" questioned Baralov.

The Lich turned to Acolyte Alexia, "Kill him, and you attain his rank by right. If you fail, then he receives his second chance."

The Necromancer spoke defiantly, "But my Lord--"

The Lich spoke angrily now, "Do it now, or I shall kill you both."

Alexia acknowledged his command with a nod and raised her hands skywards. She brought them closer together and began to slowly chant, "Ashfarah'leh Firizahka." The temperature of the room was drastically lowering. She glared menacingly towards the necromancer. Mist started to collect around in a mysterious fashion around her arms. The hazy mist began to slowly spread across the entire room. Her hands began to shake violently, and flashed a sparkling blue.

"Failure is unacceptable, Alexia. You would do well to keep that in mind." said Kel'thuzad matter-of-factly.

High Necromancer Baralov was no fool, he knew he would have to fight for his life and prove himself. He raised his staff and absorbed the cosmic energy of the room with his left hand. Pulses of dark energy flowed into his body as he prepared to launch this collected demonic energy. "Sar Fera'atil" he spoke as he fired a bolt imbuing shadowy energy at Alexia.

Alexia brought her mind's eye into focus, and tapped into the magic hidden deep within her inner spirit and forced it out. The world was becoming blurrier and her surroundings were becoming dizzy. She was rapidly losing consciousness, but somehow was managing to hold out. She sensed the shadow energy propelling towards at her, and raised her hand directly at it. A portal burst open directly in front of her hand, and engulfed the Shadow Bolt entirely.

Baralov stood baffled, but soon like clockwork, began absorbing more energy to fire another bolt. Alexia sensed the disturbance in the room's ectoplasmic energies, and began to manipulate it according to her will. She outstretched her arm in Baralov's direction, seemingly "gripping" him. The air around her hand began to swirl, and pulsate a deep luscious green, almost alive. She began to drain the life force out of the Necromancer, siphoning the very soul out of it. With each passing second, she increased her hold on Baralov, and strengthened the bond feeding her lust for magic.

Yes... feed me... the magic that I have sought for so long...the hunger that I have desired to quell ever since my exile from the Blood Elves... feed me from within the depths of your soul… feed me to my heart's content…

The Necromancer was becoming tense now. He uneasily tried to channel a spell, but could not find the strength to. Baralov felt the shadow energy continually draining from his arm, and leaving a void within. He was beginning to lose his sense of consciousness. The haze began circling and darting quickly around the High Necromancer. The icy particles began to form shape, and the Necromancer began to lose his very sanity. He could not speak anymore, and he felt his life on the very edge of reality. He began panting rapidly, and his eyes burst a wide open. He couldn't breathe anymore; his vision was forcibly fixated on the icy particles. They had begun to dance around to form different silhouettes, which seemed to form an unmistakeable shape. The silhouettes began to take shape of "shards" of ice that slowly formed into crude yet rigid daggers of ice. These several daggers began to "dance" around the necromancer, slowly picking up speed. The revolutions increased in velocity with each passing second, as more and more daggers filled the chasm of the Lich's private chambers.

The Lich formed a smile, and admired how much his apprentice had learnt in such a short time. He silently approved with a nod of his head and spoke in a whisper, "Finish it now."

Acolyte Alexia tore into his soul further, and closed her eyes. She tapped deep into his inner being, and slowly began to gain vision, through his eyes. Through his vision, she looked at the dancing daggers of ice; daggers that orbited in all directions in the air around him, razor-sharp daggers that spun faster and faster with each passing second. Slowly they came closer and closer, until the first one struck into his upper right torso. It ripped apart his flesh, and tore through his muscle and bone. The next dagger seeped deep into his throat, and another one sagged into his arm. All the daggers started cutting into different parts of his flesh and skin, and snagged pieces of it off with sheer precision. Then all the daggers stopped in mid-air and rushed towards him in the center gouging him at every possible angle. She formed a very sharp spear using the remaining ice particles in the air. With that, she thrust it towards Baralov. It gashed through his skull like a razor sharp knife. The necromancer collapsed on the floor. Dark red blood trickled from his body, and oozed on the icy floor. The ice began to melt, and the body began to dissipate.

Pathetic wretch, the Scourge army was no place for the likes of yourself.

The Lich spoke, "Most impressive! You've learnt to manipulate the Dark Arts quite well Alexia, or shall I say, High Necromancer Alexia. How goes the preparations for our secret project?"

Alexia scanned with her eyes the still corpse of the Necromancer. As she gazed at the rapidly dissipating body Alexia nervously spoke, "All goes well, Master. We are proceeding with the preparations well. I assure you, my Master, that he will be a fine addition to the army."

"Excellent, High Necromancer Alexia" said the Lich with admiration.

She beamed with pride, but hid her satisfaction to the best of her ability. She gave a quick bow, and rose to leave. Pleased with her Master's decision, she strode out of the chambers, merrily humming a serenade she was taught as a child.

Ashora Aalakena Feras, Jharrakal Ishnu Dela, Luminas Katalana Ishnu Materia

(And the call of destiny beckons, take it child, for it may never call for you again)

All is going as planned my master, and soon the Sentinels and the rest of our enemies shall be eradicated.