Ethan licked his sleeve, trying to get rid of Sapphire's blood. His shirt did not taste any better, but it was much better. He was disgusted, and confused at her odd behavior. But he was starting to get used to it.
Right now, Sapphire was gone to Naxxramas with Lethumo to go get something. Ethan was alone with Arthas, who was staring at him darkly.
The boy sat meekly in a chair, in front of the inn's fireplace. It was cold, the rest of the city having enough flames to settle with. Rot and Tryg were enjoying themselves. The plaguehound puppy was curled up on the rug, chewing on its fibers. Tryg had found a nice table to sleep onto. His arm hung limply over the edge, and drool dripped onto the floor.
Ethan looked around the room, appreciating the fancy environment. Arthas continued to watch him.
"So...How was death?" The boy asked, smiling awkwardly.
"I have amnesia," Sapphire's father said blandly.
Rot looked up, and barked. He wagged his tail, and left a ripped and saliva-dampened rug. He walked over to Arthas, and put on his charm. The man looked down in horror at the rotting dog. Rot bent his front legs, butt up and bone tail whipping back and forth quickly. He woofed, and then went up onto his hind legs, planting his front paws on Arthas's knee. Rot tilted his head.
Arthas pushed the animal away, repulsed. Ethan scowled.
"He wants you to pet him. He's just a puppy."
"It's revolting. It is half skeleton."
Rot's one ear drooped, and he lowered his head. He whimpered, and walked away. He crawled underneath Ethan's chair, and the boy scowled.
"You did not have to be such a jerk. And you criticize me!"
Arthas looked at him oddly.
"Why does Sapphire like you? She says your name like you are an angel."
Ethan smiled, and batted his eyes. "Sapphire likes my body, and my voice. What I whisper in her ear as I-"
The man curled his lip up, baring his teeth in a look of disgust. He stood up, and left the room. Ethan leaned back, and grinned. He folded his arms, and looked down to Rot. The puppy tilted his head, as if confused as to Arthas's disgust.
"I want my blood back!" Sapphire roared.
"Lethumo held up a finger. "Hair and skin-"
"My hair and skin too," The girl added in her demanding voice.
"I am sorry..." A cultist said helplessy, holding her hands out. They were in some kind of laboratory, with glowing green fluid in large glass tanks. Body parts hung from chains, the fresher ones still dripping blood onto the smooth dark floor. Black robed mortals walked around the lab, and were occupied with different tasks. One was cutting up a body of a tauren.
The girl grabbed the woman by the front of her robes.
"I want my stuff back. Now."
Lethumo took a knife out, and used the tip to clean his fingernails. "Better do what she says. She will probably be your queen once the false king is killed. Your kind can survive weeks of torture, sometimes months."
The cultist blanched, but still she apologized for not being able to do anything about the hair, skin and blood samples.
"They were destroyed in the process of experi-"
Sapphire pushed the cultist against a table of syringes, which broke with a crash. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and looked over to them. The girl lowered her hood, and glared at all of the cultists with her piercing blue eyes.
"Go back to what you were doing, servants," She commanded.
All of them scrambled to do her bidding. Lethumo raised an eyebrow.
"You are very good at telling people what to do. You can be a great leader of the Scourge once you get the Helm, and maybe sleep on the Throne for a little while."
Sapphire sighed, and looked away. She did not want to be Lich Queen.
The girl turned away, and strode out of the room. Her breath started getting ragged, and she leaned against the wall.
Tears formed in her eyes, and Lethumo came over to her.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.
"Panic...attack," Sapphire gasped.
She lowered herself down to the floor, and started crying. She started hyperventilating, and pulled her knees up to her chest. Sapphire looked terribly fragile to the night elf.
Lethumo bent down. "You need something?"
"I...don't know! Don't know..."
The elf tried to hugged her, but she let out a short shriek, and recoiled. Lethumo blinked in surprise.
"What did I do?"
"Don't touch me, elf!" She snapped, eyes wide.
The night elf tilted his head, looking at her with a perplexed look. Then, he let out a breath.
"Sapphire. Kid, have you been raped?"
The girl sucked a sharp breath. "...Almost."
"Almost?"
She sniffed, and rubbed her eyes with her hand. "Dad killed that San'layn. Remember him?"
Lethumo nodded, and gently put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but let him.
"And a couple of soldiers in Northrend. Scavengers or something. Three of them...I don't want to talk about it!" She snapped.
"All right. That's okay. Your blood is gone now, and we should leave here now. Come on, Let's go back to Stratholme. Ethan is there." He talked gently, and held out a hand. The girl sniffed again, and stared at his hand.
"I don't want to go back. I...I don't want to see Ethan right now."
He frowned. "You love him don't you?"
"But...What if...he-"
"Rapes you? How long have you been worrying about that?" Lethumo laughed hard, and Sapphire grimaced. "That boy is the last person in the world you have to be afraid of rape! You might have to rape him to get anything from him, the self righteous, chaste bastard."
Sapphire looked at the elf with horror. "What! Why would I do that!"
Lethumo sighed, and rubbed the ridge of his nose with two fingers. He looked very frustrated. "Ask me later. It's more fun than you think."
"How could anything so horrid be fun?"
"Just...Ugh. Why me? Fuck me, why is my future master so..Just take my hand and let's go back to Holy Arthas and Dog boy. Before I kill myself."
Sapphire frowned at the elf's suicidal mood, but did as asked.
"Not leaving so soon?"
The two looked behind them. Sapphire gasped. Several deathknights approached them, runeblades glowing menacingly in their hands. Three were huge tauren, two were orcs, and two were human. A female San'layn was with them.
Lethumo stepped forward, "My beautiful-"
"Be quiet, kaldorei. You are not well-respected at the moment. Leave now."
He smiled weakly, and backed away. Sapphire's eyes widened, but the elf shot her a reassuring look.
Lethumo would go get her father and Ethan, and save her. She almost visibly relaxed, but she put on her cold demeanor, and looked at the Darkfallen woman. The night elf left, and the San'layn came forward to Sapphire. The girl looked at her coldly.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"Greetings, your Majesty," The female blood elf purred. She had long white hair like Sapphire, but the human girl's hair shone, while the elf's was a dull white. The San'layn's eyes glowed red, and she had red lips, her fangs small but deadly.
"Hello, servant," Sapphire said with emphasis, smiling. The elf's smile twitched.
"We need your assistance, Master. I trust you know about our civil war?" She took Sapphire by the arm, and took her away. Sapphire remembered the horrors of Naxxramas when she came as a child. Her father had carried her back home crying, and she had nightmares for a very long time.
Sapphire just looked ahead, and the deathknights walked behind and around her and the San'layn.
"Down below us, virtually all of the undead of Northrend are fighting. We are steadily winning, but your exceptional control over the power of the Lich King will help us. You can order all of them to kill the false king, and take back Icecrown for yourself."
"What, just tell them what to do?"
"Yes...Exactly, Master. Using your power that you take from the false king."
The San'layn took her to an observation platform outside. Cold, wintry wind buffeted her in the face. It was a welcome feeling. The air tasted like Northrend, her home. She looked down, and instantly felt nauseous.
Naxxramas was floating above a war zone. The ground boiled over as what looked like insects moved around. She knew they were attacking each other, but there was no real clear line that separated the two armies. It looked just like one huge mass.
Kel'thuzad came floating to be next to her. "Isn't it glorious?"
Sapphire just nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Tell them. Cease the fighting, and unite against the usurper sitting on the Frozen Throne."
Sapphire felt Bolvar's presence. She did not really want to kill him, but what could she do? The girl could not take on a lich, a San'layn, and several deathknights.
I...I have a plan, Fordragon. Do you trust me?
Do I have much of a choice? He asked wearily.
No. Give me as much power as you can. Trust me...
She felt the doubt, and the mistrust, and waited. Eventually, he did so, sending a ton of power. Icy dark magic flowed into her, and her heart started thudding violently. Her blood sizzled with the necromantic magic.
The girl glared down at the fighting undead.
"Members of the Scourge! Hear your Master, and cease your fighting." Her voice rang high, and coldly. It reminded her of her father's voice when he was still Lich King. Every sign of movement below stopped, and she felt all of their attention onto her.
"Forget the petty conflicts of this war!"
"What do you mean by that?" Kel'thuzad asked.
Sapphire ignored him, and felt a prickle in the air as a deathgate formed behind her. Hopefully, Lethumo with help. The girl was about to land in serious trouble.
"I am commanding all of you, to turn away from each other. And kill yourselves!"
There was an outcry from the group around her, and she turned around. Summoning up the magic, she raised her arm. Large sheets of ice exploded from the floor of the platform, seperating herself from the angry Kel'thuzad. The deathknights and the San'layn was too close.
Sapphire snarled, and pounced onto the female elf. She had no power over intelligent undead like the San'ayn, but killing her would suffice.
Arthas, Lethumo and Ethan leaped out of the deathgate, followed by Rot and Invincible. They attacked the deathknights that accompanied the San'layn. Tryg had been left behind, and Sapphire felt a bit upset about it. She did not waste anytime though, and tumbled with the San'layn. The elf hissed, and Sapphire winced as a shock of magic wracked her, but Sapphire burned her back. Magic sparked, but Sapphire was stronger. She drew more from Bolvar with an apology, and hit it straight into the San'layn.
The blood elf screamed in pain, but would not die. Sapphire unwilling clawed at the female elf, and grasped her neck. She dug her nails into the skin, and ripped her throat out. It was bloody, and her hands were soon black blood.
She had to be dragged off the dead elf by Lethumo. She clearly still did not have complete control over herself. Arthas and Ethan were staring at her...in fear.
"We need to leave. Now!"
They all flinched, and Sapphire realized her voice was still in that cold, commanding voice. She pushed off the borrowed power back to Bolvar. He weakly accepted it. It had taken a lot out of him to give it too her, and now it did the same to her. Her heart grew frantic, and her blood burned.
"No! We need to leave! Now!" Sapphire said, terrified. She was vulnerable. If she stayed, she might die!
The ice broke, and Ethan grabbed her.
"Home! Go home!" She screamed. More deathknights, and a very angry Kel'thuzad.
Ethan made a move for a deathgate, and Sapphire cried out again. "Home, Ethan."
She then shoved him into the gate, and followed. She felt the rest follow as well.
They all tumbled into a hill of snow. Sapphire landed on Ethan, Lethumo fell next to them. Rot landed into snow and disappeared into it. Arthas cried out, and fell face first into the snow. Invincible trotted through, and looked down at them from the hill the deathgate had formed on, where they had fallen backwards from.
Sapphire sighed, and laid her head on Ethan's chest. She looked up at the familiar mountains, the icy snow, the clear sky and the snowladen trees...
Wait. Clear sky and trees?
The girl sat up. She looked around. They were in some kind of valley, with hardy trees dotting the landscape. The sky was a pale blue, not a single storm cloud. Even the mountains, now that she looked closely, were odd looking. Less intimidating and a bit taller, but more triangular.
"Where are we?" She said, her face full of confusion. Arthas and Lethumo both groaned, and were slowly getting their wits. Rot was struggling in the snow, and Invincible was watching amusingly. Tryg had not been brought, but Sapphire would be sad later.
Ethan sat up next to her, and groaned. He looked around, recognition in his eyes, and then he bit his lip.
"Oops..."
She furrowed her eyebrows, but he quickly stammered. "I'm so sorry! I...You were yelling, and I was confused. You said home...And I thought of home."
Ethan had thought of home. Not his home in Stormwind, obviously. Oh, no. He had to think of his birth home, Alterac. Sapphire sighed at the boy's apologetic face. She should not treat him so badly. Ethan would never hurt her. Lethumo had said...
Sapphire had no time to finish that thought, as she felt the true, delayed drain from the power transfer. She moaned, and passed out, collapsing back into the snow.