Chapter 10 : Reflections of the Inner Mind

Time seems to bestill the reflections, the reflections in the throes of our mind
Gripped are we by its power, our choice, and its will, are but intertwined

Where am I...?

Darkness surrounded her from all corners. Her basic instinct was that of fear, but she seemed more dazed and confused than terrified. She attempted to lift herself, but felt far too exhausted. She ran her hand across the wall on her right, trying to find a way out. Suddenly, she felt her wrist being jerked back. She ran her fingers across her left hand and came across a cold, metallic cuff clasped tightly in place. She was utterly dumbstruck, and was having trouble trying to absorb this all in. Where this place was, was a bizarre mystery. Just as she began to ponder over her last memories, a dim light suddenly began to faintly glow from across the room. Her vision slowly began to adjust, to the subtle black darkness.

A cold, yet eerie voice whispered "Alexiaaa..."

Alexia opened her mouth to speak, but not a word came out.

The voice echoed after what seemed like an eternity, "Alexiaaa..."

Alexia stammered, "Who...Who are you?"

The reverberating immediately ceased. The silence was deafening. Alexia was beginning to feel un-easy, perhaps even scared. She had stared into the face of death several times before yet fear was a feeling she rarely ever experienced. Suddenly, the floor beneath her began to faintly luminate. The dim light across the room began to radiate a deep crimson hue. Alexia's surroundings were starting to become more visible. The walls around her were smeared with dried blood. Parts of the wall were left un-touched, and had strange runic markings engraved into them. The size of the room was visibly small, and the cryptic writing appeared to be demonic in nature. It was still too dark to see what was written, but Alexia was more than familiar with what was written. She focused on each word, and tried to read them out one by one.

The blazing flame shall never cease, its fury shall leave you in wonder
Learn to control the flame you must, or your soul shall be torn asunder

As soon as the last word left her tongue, the ground beneath began to rumble and shake. Her cuffs shattered like pieces of glass. The rhythmic pulses of crimson, turned into rapid flashes of an intense orange. The runic markings began to shine, and they appeared to start jutting out from the wall. An oozy black viscous liquid began to flow from cracks in the wall in-between the runes. Instantaneously, the pulsating ceased and the dim light darted rapidly across the room. It dropped into the center of the room to reveal a large circle, with the symbol of "Dara'ghuman", which is "Destruction" in Demonic tongue. The light dissipated, and its place appeared a small ember. The blackish liquid now began to envelop the ember. It ignited, and lit the room in an array of bright purple and blue.

The flames spread like wildfire across the stone floor. The flames began to surround the circle and erupted out a spiral, columnar pillar of fire from the center. The markings began to emit a bright white light. The sheer intensity of the light began to burn into her eyes. It was then she felt a searing pain into her legs. The flames had made their way dangerously close. She pressed herself at the wall and began to frantically claw at it. She shrieked in agony as the flame licked at her delicate skin. She clawed desperately, but to no avail. Her skin began to crack and peel away. She felt excruciating pain as the flame began to consume her. She began to cough out blood in torrents. She screamed in agony, and squeezed her eyes shut to somehow relieve herself of this intense torture. She clawed at the wall one last time, and prayed that she would be saved from this torment.

As if granting her wish, the pain stopped almost immediately. She opened her eyes and peered at her surroundings. Slowly, it dawned on her where she was and what had happened. There was no fire, no runic markings, nor any bright lights. She was lying next to a bail of hay on the floor of a Brackwell farmhouse. On the other side, the only companion she had left. She looked at her arm only to see the same circular insignia of "Dara'ghuman" marked onto it. The skin around the mark seemed to be singed, almost as if it was burnt into her skin. Bizarrely, she could still taste the lukewarm blood in her mouth. Her vision was still a bit fazed, but her surroundings were slowly beginning clearer.

It had been two days since she had fled the place she once called home. She had slaughtered the guards that once protected her, and nearly killed one she called friend. Her master stayed behind, while she dashed into the secluded forest with the sole friend she had made inside. She had tended to his wounds for weeks preceding the departure. He had nearly died in battle in an ambush by the Sentinel. The Drow Ranger had horribly butchered his body, and pelted her arrows deep inside several patches of his skin. Even though he was a more "modified" abomination as compared to several others and even created by one of the High Necromancers, he could not survive the assault. He was brought back, and taken under the care of Kel'thuzad himself. Alexia was appointed to tend to his wounds while Kel'thuzad tried resurrecting its soul. Kel'thuzad envisioned the un-tapped power that the "abomination" possessed so secretly, he engaged in a project to transfer demonic energies in order to resurrect the abomination, stronger, faster, and much more powerful. Using Alexia's knowledge of the demon magi, the abomination was taught to control a very poisonous toxin in the air around it. It also gained the ability to gain knowledge of all the memories, spells, and abilities that a creature he assimilated into his body possessed.

However, as he was brutally injured from the battle the restoration process had taken weeks. Finally, 2 days ago, she ran off with him. She escaped for their lives, for freedom. She had desired it for so long, but still could not help but feel compelled to her master. A part of her wished to run away and live in peace, but the other desired to re-pay the debt she owed to the Lich. They eventually reached the harbor at Ratchet, and slipped into one of the freight carriers. It led them across them distant shores, not knowing where. Menethil Harbor turned out to be the final destination, where they were discovered. Pudge and Alexia slaughtered every single person that stood in their way, for that was the price of freedom. The lives of the harbor's residents seemed miniscule as compared to their freedom. Like fugitives they fled into the dense marshes beyond the walls of the city, and desperately refuge. They ran as far as their legs could carry them, even until the sun rose and set once more. At the dawn of the next day, they reached a lonely farm deep within the heart of Elywynn forest.

They needed a place to hide, and could not take the risk of being found. If discovered, the Scourge would surely find out in a matter of time where they hid, and would put them to death for treason. They did the unthinkable, and slew every civilian they could find. Every man, woman, and child was butchered. Their freedom was far too important, and its price was far too valuable. The skies thundered overhead, and the pools of blood began to wash away by the rain.

She crept past her sleeping "mate" she had forced to bring along. A victim of a sick experiment "Pudge" was. He was a normal man, just like her. But, they injected his body with vaccines and toxins of the like. The poorly stitched gaping hole in his stomach clearly indicated how little they cared for his well-being, Alas; he was just their toy to do their bidding. His body went through mutation, his frame and size was blast completely out of proportion. He was changed forever, and cursed with a hunger to constantly feed. They named him Pudge, symbolizing his break from the mortal world and metamorphosis into an abomination. He was the first abomination created from a single corpse, unlike others which required several stitched together.

Alexia elegantly stepped past the partially chewed pile of bones that lay next to Pudge. She slowly walked up to the barn doors, unbolted the lock and thrust the massive doors open. They had been here only a few hours, yet they had begun to feel so comfortable. She stepped into the rain, and just gazed at a place afar. Lost in her thoughts, she just stood there silent. Pudge stirred in his sleep, all the while tossing and turning. Alexia stood un-moving, and just thought deeply.

This is it; this is how my life is going to end. Living in fear and running from death itself. Is this how it is always going to be?

Pudge suddenly woke with a start. He saw Alexia in the rain, and took slow yet long steps towards her. Almost as if reading her mind, Pudge put a thick arm around her and spoke in a slow slurry speech, "You, no worry pretty lady. Never happen, it never happen."

A smile formed onto her lips, and just silently acknowledged. Both just quietly stared at the fast-paced rain falling down from the dark sky. Just then, a silhouette of a figure appeared to be coming towards them. He appeared to be carrying a long oak staff, neatly carved at the ends. A large pack was visible on his back, with a small keg fixated at the ends. The rain absorbed into its soft coat of fur. Its coat shone in a lustrous color of white. It stood on its hind legs, in a deadly pose with its weapon aimed directly at the two of them. Dressed in black, the Pandaren stood before them, standing menacingly.

While glaring at them angrily, it spoke, "So much innocent bloodshed you have caused. I won't let such savagery go unpunished. Prepare yourself, you wretched beasts. You will not walk away alive from this massacre."