The Final Spark
"I am ready to hunt," she declared.
"Oh no, little one, that isn't quite in the cards," Mal'Ganis responded.
The newly formed dreadlord could feel her pulse rise and her blood boil at his denial. There had only been one thing on her mind as a human and the feeling had only intensified once she had transcended. The Horde and the Alliance had to pay for the atrocities they had committed upon her. Only then would she be satiated in her escapade for revenge. It was so close Jaina could almost feel herself ripping out the throat of an unsuspecting orc or gnome.
"What do you mean 'not in the cards'," Jaina asked. "I thought the whole idea of giving me this form, this...power was to destroy the Alliance and Horde so that you could take over."
"My dear that's not how dreadlords work. You may have all the power you've ever wanted, but we use our cunning and guile to guide us," Mal'Ganis explained.
A look of shock plastered itself on her face. Almost instantly it formed back into an evil grin. She laughed, "You think with all of this power I'm just going to simply sit back and pull strings? I accepted this gift so that I could destroy the Horde and the Alliance from taking everything from me. I want my revenge."
Mal'Ganis retorted, "And you will have it, but you're going to do it my way."
An icy mist began to creep up from the ground towards her hand and her staff. Untold amounts of power coursed through her every vain as her anger began to overtake her. "Do you think now that I'm a dreadlord you can simply order me around," Jaina threatened.
Emerald flames burst from Mal'Ganis's claws. He waved them around, leaving traces of flame and smoke in the air. "Foolish girl, you are still less powerful than I. Plus being the leader of the Nathrezim gives me a slight sway on other dreadlords," he informed.
The mist began to intensify, and it coalesced into immense barbed icicles that started twirling above the new dreadlord's horns. "No one orders me around," Jaina threatened.
As the icicles almost spun out of control, the Nathrezim leader's hands arch over his head, the fel flame burning wildly, and then brought them down to his side. The moment he did, the fire extinguished, and the ice above Jaina's head shattered into pieces that rained down upon around her and a strong gravitational force shoved her to her knees. The magic in the room had dissipated, and Jaina was left bowing to Mal'Ganis.
"I will order you now, girl. I am the leader of the Nathrezim, and we are going to bring the Alliance and the Horde to their knees the way I want. We're going to do it from the shadows. We'll turn them against one another until not only with their war destroy them, but they'll crumble from the inside out," he asserted.
We shouldn't try and fight him.
Do not tell me what to do. You're not in charge anymore. I won't be held down by someone else now that I've finally pushed you aside.
Do you realize how insane you sound? We're the same person.
No. I'm the evil inside of you, finally free to roam. I was the one who accepted this gift of being the dreadlord, and I will be the one that is going to get our revenge for us. No thanks to you.
I never wanted any of this. All I ever wanted to do was study.
Not at all. You're the reason I was brought about anyway. Your hate for losing Arthas gave life to me, and once Garrosh destroyed your home you were even angrier. The need you had for revenge gave me new life. Now this body is mine, and I'm going to eradicate all life.
Jaina growled under her breath as she knelt before the dreadlord. Her wings twitched as she argued with the still sliver of humanity left within her body. None of this made sense to her, all she wanted was to annihilate her enemies, but she wasn't going to take orders from someone else.
We use our cunning and guile to guide us, Mal'Ganis's own words rang through her head. Perhaps that's exactly what needed to be done. He never needed to know. She would do what she needed to do to get her wants met.
"My lord, I was wrong. What is our next move?" Jaina questioned as she hung her head low still unable to stand.
Suddenly a weight was lifted off of her, and she was able to stand up. She saw Mal'Ganis move his hand in front of him and then a look of confusion appeared on his face. Little by little, he crept forward towards Jaina, his hooves clicking with each stop. A claw outreached and slipped under her chin, forcing her to look him right in the eyes. They seemed to bare deep into her and a sudden panic rushed over her. "She's still in there isn't she?" he asked.
"Of course she is," she confirmed. "It's like an incessant nagging in the far recess of my mind."
"It's lucky for you I prepared for this. Humanity is a tricky thing to crush. It's a thing that we dreadlords as we're created from the barrens of the Twisting Nether, never have to deal with. Completing the process of making you one of us requires snuffing out that last piece of sound reason within you," Mal'Ganis informed her.
Jaina's eyebrow raised as she stared ahead. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
Mal'Ganis moved past her, their wings colliding, and looked out over the cultists surrounding them. He motioned his arms out over them all. "I have information that one of my faithful servants isn't so faithful after all. They must be purged." In an instant he swiped his claw through the air, and in a flash of green light an acolyte appeared before him still bowed. Jaina could tell the person was trembling by the shaking of the robes the person was wearing. "I need you to kill this heretic."
A laugh escaped her lips as he demanded her to kill a simple servant to the Nathrezim. Doing this would rid her of the voice in her head and decisively put her in control. From there she could plot how to manipulate Mal'Ganis and eradicate the entirety of the living. It was all so simple that she wanted to ask the dreadlord if he was serious. Thoughts of hilarity and simplicity ran through her head as she watched the leader of the Nathrezim step forward and tugged the hood back allowing the acolytes shoulder-length blonde hair to fall in front of her face.
An internal gasp caused Jaina to step back. The thoughts of hilarity and simplicity were dashed and replaced with feelings of dread and terror. She knew they weren't her feelings, but those of the last human remnants of herself. The person before her meant more to her than she ever could have thought possible, and seeing her again was like a bomb being dropped on top of her.
"Jaina, I'm so happy to see you," the girl said.
Calia.
"Ah! Let me see it again," Calia squealed at the top of her lungs as she jumped up and down.
Jaina couldn't stop beaming and the excitement in the room was absolutely too much for her. Calia's enthusiasm was hard to keep down so again she held out her hand and showcased the enormous diamond that had been placed upon her finger by the prince of Lordaeron, Arthas Menethil.
"I can't believe it. We're actually going to be sisters soon. I didn't think my brother would actually ever pop the question, but he did, and I'm so glad," Calia cheered.
Months and months had passed while the prince had courted Jaina Proudmoore, the young sorceress from Kul'Tiras. Through all the bumps and curves that their relationship had taken she never though she'd see the day that he would propose to her, but it had finally come. Like a fairy tale, the day sped by and when she had finally been able to tell her fiance's sister it had gotten even more exciting.
Ever since Arthas had begun courting Jaina she had found solace and a best friend in Calia Menethil. They had been inseparable. Constantly they had dinner dates, shopping days, slumber nights, all while Calia was so embracing of how busy Jaina was with her studies in Dalaran. Never before had she had a friend, let alone one that would have moved mountains just to please her and hang out with her. If Jaina ever had thoughts about what a sister would be like, she knew Calia would be it.
Now she was marrying the man of her dreams, and gaining a sister. There wasn't anything else she could have possibly thought of that she wanted. "Calia, I'm so happy. I love your brother so much. I love you so much. It seriously feels like I'm dreaming," Jaina stated.
Calia laughed, "You'll be pleasantly surprised when you wake up to see us all still here just as excited as this moment. My goodness you have so much planning to do. Where are you even going to start?"
As they had been talking, the pair had wandered away from the engagement festivities and into the overly large courtyard. They continued to saunter over until they came to marble fountain that sat in the middle. Fresh water poured in spout in the air and came crashing back into the pool below it creating an umbrella of water.
Jaina sat on the edge and ran her hand through the water, allowing the water to course between her hands. A sigh escaped her lips, and she turned and smiled at her friend. "I think the first place to start would be with who I want to stand with me at the altar," she eluded. The moment the words left her mouth, Calia fell to sit next to her, tears welling up in her eyes. Jaina grinned and leaned forward gripping Calia's hand in hers. She swore to herself she wouldn't start crying. "For the past few months you've made me feel so welcome in this family. I had no idea how to react around royals and without you," her voice squeaked and the first sign an entire breakdown streaked down her cheek. "Without you, I have no idea where I would be. Arthas would have a complete mess as a fiance. You've become," instantly she broke down and both women were a fumbling mess, "a-a sister to me, and there's no one-no one that I would rather have stand by my side as my maid of honor."
Her future sister-in-law lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Jaina. "Yes! Jaina, I can't believe you even had to ask! I was gonna do it no matter what happened," Calia informed, and they both went from intense sobbing to uncontrollable laughter in an instant.
The first step in planning her wedding had started, and now she had her best friend to help make it a day she would never forget.
Days had passed since she had left her room. The moment her life had crumbled around her and Arthas had broken off their engagement the sorceress had ran back to her room in the Violet Citadel in Dalaran and hadn't come out. Periods of crying and sitting in silence had filled up the time. Each day the void inside of her continued to grow. She could feel it, and even her mentor, Antonidas, had knocked several times asking if she was okay. The same somber "yes" had been said so many times it was like a reflex to her now.
How could this happen? One day I had everything. I was going to be a mother and a wife, and today I'm a stupid mage in a city filled with other mages just as good or better than me. I've lost everything, and it's not fair. It doesn't make sense.
She launched back into another sobbing fit. Her body curled into the fetal position, and she grasped her sheets with a vice grip, all while shoving her face into her pillow. The cries were muffled, but to her they seemed to pierce her soul. Each teardrop was filled with more emotion than she thought even her whole body could have held.
"How can I help?" a voice asked.
The noise snapped Jaina out of the mourning and caused her heart to jump beats. In the midst of all the noise for her sobs, she hadn't heard her door open and someone walk through. When she sat up and turned around to face the intruder, she came face to face with her best friend. The girl's face was contorted into something that seemed like both agony and sorrow. Her eyes were red from what Jaina could only assume was crying, and her normally glorious hair was pulled up into a messed up bun.
Frantically Jaina scurried about her sheets until she could drag herself off the bed. When she did, she dashed into the outstretched arms of her friend. Together they stood there for what seemed like hours just crying. Tears soaked both of their shirts and their voices grew hoarse from screaming. Despair was the only thing that filled the entirety of the room.
After a time, the women made their way to the end of the bed and sat down still holding hands. Their sobs became controlled and then they spoke to each other. "Jaina, I'm so sorry for what he did. He's an idiot, and eventually he'll come to his senses and realize that," Calia apologized.
Jaina shook her head. "You don't have to apologize for your brother. He got cold feet. It happens. I just wish I had seen it coming before-," she cut herself off.
"Before what?" Calia asked.
"It's nothing," Jaina dismissed. "I wish I had seen it before. That's all. I don't like being blindsided by these things. I can't believe I almost gave up Dalaran for him."
Silence encompassed the room and Jaina squeezed Calia's hand tighter. Burning tears began to form in her eyes again, threatening to douse her. Calia could tell there was more bothering her than the fact that she wasn't getting married. The two were too close for her not to know how Jaina was reacting.
"Jaina, I know you. Something else happened. You can talk to me. I'm not my brother. I still love you and just because you two aren't getting married doesn't mean we're going to lose the friendship between us," Calia informed her.
More silence filled the void between them. The mage struggled with the thought of telling her best friend more. She knew she needed someone to know, to talk to someone, but it was too painful. "I lost more than just your brother, Calia."
"What do you mean?"
A waterfall poured from Jaina again as she prepared to tell her of what was just as bad as losing your future. "I lost a child. I was attacked by a wandering Horde mage and lost the baby," she cried.
Calia's eyes shot wide open, a gasp escaping her lips. "Jaina. I-I don't know what to say. Nothing I can say could make that better. I had no idea." A realization dawned upon her in the midst of the information, "Arthas doesn't know does he?"
Terror replaced the sadness on Jaina's face. "No!" the mage shouted. "No, he doesn't, and he can't, Calia. I can't risk letting him know I failed like that. I failed him more than him calling off our marriage could have failed me."
Disappointment flooded Calia at the thought of Jaina beating herself up. She knew the burden must have been terrible to deal with herself, but that was no reason to be down on herself. "Don't ever let me hear you talking like that again. You couldn't have helped that monster attacking you!" she scolded.
"I could have done more. I'm so talented, or I thought I was, that I should have been able to stop her. I should have been able to protect our child," Jaina sobbed.
Calia shouted, "Stop! None of this is true. You're so amazing! Arthas even knows this he's just being an idiot about it right now. I'm telling you, Jaina, what you did was fine. You did everything you could and in time that will make sense to you. Just know that I love you still, I'm here for you, and this secret is safe with me."
Jaina knew she couldn't argue anymore and instead just laid her head down in her friend's lap. Calia ran her fingers through her hair, and soon slumber began to descend upon her. After days of no sleep, she was finally going to get some rest and just like Calia said, maybe change would come.
More and more of her heart fell to the ground with each step she took down the stairs. Nothing made sense to her anymore, and the only thing she wanted to do was get out of the inn as fast as possible. Never again did she want to see the blue dragon, or let anyone get close to her again for that matter.
The staircase seemed to take hours to descend and when Jaina reached the bottom she stormed right into the woman she had caught sleeping with her boyfriend. Calia stumbled forward, but maintained her balance and stood back up straight. She turned around and faced Jaina. As she did her face turned an extreme shade of red and shame filled her face.
They seemed to just stare at each other for awhile. Unspoken words and insults seemed to fly between the two women, but above that they were surprised to see each other after so many years. Tension threatened to rip the two of them apart until finally Calia spoke, "Jaina I-"
As the words fluttered out of her mouth, Jaina's hand lashed out and collided with the side of her face. Calia stumbled to the side and grasped her face. When she removed her hand, Jaina could make out each finger and the shape of her palm on the woman's face. A sneer crossed her face, and she shook her head. "Who the hell do you think you are?" the leader of the Kirin Tor questioned.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea you two were a thing. He never said anything. I swear," she apologized.
Anger rushed through Jaina. Blood pumped faster than it should have seemingly expanding her veins. Fire seemed to be spreading through each capillary and ventricle she had threatening to burn her from the inside out. Never before had she felt betrayal like she did now, and she had no idea how to react. After a few moments of just glaring she responded, "The saddest part is that wasn't for sleeping with Kalec it's for being alive and not every bothering to tell me."
Calia knew she was referring to after the Scourging of Lordaeron. Reports had been given out that she had been lost with her husband and child and never been seen again. Shortly after the whole kingdom fell and no one was left alive. "I didn't want to be alive, Jaina. He took my husband and my child and killed them right in front of me. For whatever reason, though, if there was form of humanity left in him, he spared me. I stayed in hiding after that. Coming out people would have looked at me with same disgust as they would have with Arthas. I'm a Menethil and that couldn't have been helped," the ex-princess explained.
Jaina retorted, "You could have told me somehow at least. You're not gonna tell me you didn't know where I was. Leader of the Kirin Tor doesn't exactly stay hidden. Telling me after everything we've been through, after what we mean to each other, should have been one of the first things you did. I'm so sorry for what you've been through, but I simply cannot fathom this."
"Not everything is about you, Jaina," Calia screamed. Rage seemed to creep through every ounce of her body. The desire to reach our and strike Jaina grew with every passing minute. "I lost my husband and child to my brother. You have no idea what that-." Her words caught in her throat as the look of pain crossed Jaina's face, and she realized she was in the wrong.
"You can go to Hell. You know exactly what I've been through. Instead you went into hiding when we both could have used each other for comfort. Then when you finally decided to come out of hiding the first thing you decide to do is sleep with my boyfriend? Calia, I don't even want to look at you," Jaina retorted.
"I didn't know who-" Calia started.
The mage interjected, "I don't care if you knew or not. I-I honestly don't know if we can make it past this. Past everything." She quickly shoved past Calia and started to leave the inn.
As her hand reached for the handle on the door Calia whispered towards the staircase, "Arthas would be so disappointed in us." Jaina hesitated, but finally without looking back she ripped open the door and stormed out into the bustling city.
"Jaina, I'm so happy to see you again," Calia said.
Calia. No! We can't hurt her. The voice of reason burst through the dreadlord's head like a sonic boom. She looked down at the girl and simply stared. Emotions flared through her, but she had no idea which were hers or the humanity left inside of her. She thought she wanted to lunge at the girl and destroy her, but something stopped her. It seemed harder to do than moving Heaven or Azeroth.
"Calia, what are you doing here?" Jaina asked.
"I was trying to hunt the demon responsible for taking my brother from us," she responded.
Mal'Ganis laughed at the top of his lungs, "What did you hope to do, girl? Did you think you could kill a dreadlord in his own home? You're as foolish as your brother was!"
Jaina could sense that Calia attempted to lunge at Mal'Ganis but was firmly rooted to the ground. She shook her head. No part of her could fathom why or how a mortal had gotten to Xoroth and thought to take on the leader of the Nathrezim. She watched as tears began to fall down the girl's cheeks and create puddles beneath her knees.
"You're incredibly foolish to have come here," the newly created dreadlord spoke.
"I thought if I could destroy Mal'Ganis that somehow you and I could reconnect. The bastard who took Arthas from us and started us down this path would have answered for his crimes. I'm so sorry, Jaina," Calia cried.
A pang in her heart stopped her in her tracks. A tear dripped down from her eye, and it caught the attention of Mal'Ganis. He gasped aloud, "You must be rid of her! Quickly! It seems the spell is waning!"
For some reason hesitation strapped her in place. Part of her wanted to rip out the young girl's throat, but another wanted to hug her where she kneeled. She knew exactly what was happening, and it angered her more than anything else could. The human side of her was giving back more resistance than it had since she set out on her quest for revenge.
What the hell are you doing? We have to kill her. We must become whole to get our vengeance!
No. Not like this. We can't hurt her. I've already hurt her enough!
Don't you think maybe she deserves it? After all, she slept with Kalecgos, and you said yourself that it was unforgivable.
Oh what the hell did I know?
"Jaina, please. I'm sorry about everything. Please don't hurt me," Calia pleaded.
Jaina answered, "I must. I have to get revenge on the Horde for destroying Theramore. They must pay. If you're what it takes, then I'll gladly pay that price."
No we won't! Please, we can't!
In the blink of an eye, Jaina managed to lunge forward and placed her palm on Calia's heart an icy swirl beginning to form around it. As the spell manifested in her mind, images of their times together raced through her head. The choosing of her wedding dress, the numerous dinner dates after the wedding being called off, the search for Calia after Arthas razed Lordaeron all flashed before her like a slideshow. So much had happened between the two of them, so much that they were family. Being rid of her, however, would enable her to enact her revenge and avenge Arthas and her people which in turn would avenge Calia.
Calia could see that Jaina was hesitating and new instantly what was happening inside the poor girl's head. She also knew she had to get through to her. "Jaina, I know you're in there somewhere. Listen to me. You have to fight this. We have to fight this together. You're the only family I have left. I need you and you need me. Fight this. Fight the demons in your head."
Leave her alone!
Get the hell out of here! We're so close to what we want!
No! I don't want this anymore if this is the cost!
You were willing to give up everything else to get your revenge! What makes this girl so much different?
You know what makes her different! She's family. She's also the last reminder I have of Arthas. I won't let you kill her.
To be fair, you don't have much of a choice. I'm doing this for us. I'll do what you can't just like I have been for years.
The ice around Jaina's hand began to coalesce into a point. It shoved into Calia's chest, ever so slowly piercing the skin, a trickle of blood dripping down the point of the ice. Calia winced and cried even more. "Jaina, please!"
Gradually the ice continued to grow and pierce her even more.
"No!" Jaina screamed at the top of her lungs. As she did, she flew backwards across the room, sliding until she landed into Mal'Ganis's hooves. He peered down at her, anger flaring through his eyes.
"Get up. Do what you must do to get what you want," he growled.
I won't let you do this!
If you don't, we won't get what we want, and Mal'Ganis will kill us and Calia regardless.
We can fight him.
We tried that already. We saw where it got us.
Jaina pushed herself back up off the ground and planted her eyes firmly on Calia. Her friend peered back at her, longing in her eyes. Sadness plastered her face. Fear wafted off her like the scent of bad body odor. "Fight it! I know you can! You have to!"
"Kill her!" Mal'Ganis shouted.
Don't!
It's too late.
Instantly she flew back and placed her palm back where it was and started to cast the spell faster. Her face was directly next to Calia's, their cheeks touching. Around the two of them time seemed to almost stop.
Please! I have to tell her I forgive her! Please don't do this!
Why do you even care? She slept with your boyfriend and then even forgot the struggle you went through with losing your child and your husband, like she was the only one that mattered.
In a brief instant, the humanity left inside of her stood taken aback, and it was the only window that was needed. The ice in her palm coalesced fully and pierced through the left side Calia's chest. A scream echoed from the girl as blood began to gush from her, down the icicle onto Jaina's arm. "I forgive you," Jaina whispered in the girl's ear.
"I lied. Arthas would be so proud of you," Calia whispered menacingly, her voice fading. With a twitch, Jaina ripped the ice from Calia's chest and stood back surveying what she had done. Crimson blood pooled around her as Mal'Ganis ordered two other acolytes to carry the body away. Ever so slowly the remainder of humanity in Jaina began to grow faint. She wanted them carry the body down the stairs of the throne and back out the door she came through. Just before they passed through, the dreadlord noticed a twitch in Calia's hand. Ever so slowly, darkness enveloped her, and she turned around to face her new master.
"Well done, Jaina, now we have much to do. You must go back to your normal life. In time you will be able to reveal yourself, but until then keep up the rouse of being angry with the Horde. Do everything in your power to bring them down without actually doing so. Sow the seeds between Alliance members about the Horde and about others of their kind. I know you're more than able to do that and once you do, the real work can begin. Once an all out war happens, once the battle for Azeroth ensues is when we can strike," Mal'Ganis explained. Together they stood cackling at the empty ceiling of the citadel already ready for what lied ahead.
Author's Note: That's it! That's all I could really write about Jaina becoming a dreadlord. More could be written about her time as one, but it doesn't really fit with the theme of this story itself. Therefore I'm going to write a "sequel" (if you can really call that as this wasn't all that long of a story) and kind of continue her story. It'll be based in a post-apocalyptic Azeroth, after Battle for Azeroth, where the two factions have destroyed everything, and it'll be very drama based. Look for the prologue from As Azeroth Turns soon! Be sure to review this story as well, I'll take any criticism you want to give!