Arthas fell to the floor, banging his head on the hard metal. Stars exploded, and laughter rang all around him. He groaned, and sat up. Then, a boot came into his view, and hit him in the chest. Pain spread, and his head again hit the floor.
"Pathetic."
The man looked up at Ner'zhul, and growled. The hooded undead just returned the look. He then turned to a bloated undead, its skin and purple and covered in green pustules. Arthas did not want to be touched by that creature, and held out a hand.
"I will walk on my own."
"Fine then. You can walk, and witness your daughter become my slave, body and soul."
Arthas clenched his fists, and could feel rage emerging from him.
While he could still stand easily, Darion had to be pulled to his feet, but Arthas helped him. The man growled at Arthas.
"I don't need your help."
Arthas winced, and frowned. A memory... "Your father."
The other man's head snapped up, and they looked each other in the eyes. Arthas's face softened.
"Ner'zhul wants a body...I am going to give him mine in exchange for Sapphire. Could you do something for me?"
Darion narrowed his eyes. "What?"
The memory grew, and he was surprised, and horrified with himself. He lowered his head.
"Take care of my daughter...And do whatever is necessary to not have a repeat of...what happened."
Darion looked at him in confusion, and Arthas backed away, looking at Ner'zhul.
"And I am sorry for your father...And you of course."
The Highlord jerked back in surprise, and the oddest look crossed his face.
They were taken back to the altar room, and to Arthas's anger, Jaina and Ethan were both there. A young woman, looking like that mage girl in Theramore, held Jaina with a dagger pressed against her. The mage looked up at the sight of Arthas, and suddenly looked at him fearfully. He tried to silently tell her that he loved her, but he doubted she could tell.
Sapphire woke up with a splitting headache.
She was in a large room, and she saw people around. Ethan was crouched down in front of her. He was unaware of her conscious state. An altar was in the middle of the room, and she could see Jaina near it. Lily had a knife to Sapphire's mother. The small weapon was pressed against Jaina's side, and Sapphire saw that it was tinged green. Some kind of poison.
Sapphire's father stood face to face with a hooded figure. Two deathknights held Arthas's arms behind him. The other...she remembered. It was her father too.
Oh, her head felt like the time Marwyn had hit her with his sword hilt one time she had gotten too close to Frostmourne. She always wanted to touch it. The glow had been mesmerizing to her, and the blade looked so smooth. The horned skull and sharp edges never dissuaded her.
Now, she saw a similar glow to her left, and she looked over to it.
The broken hilt of Frostmourne lay on the ground, sparking dangerously. Sapphire winced, and shifted her leg to make herself more comfortable.
Ethan noticed, and looked over to her. He sighed in relief.
"Thank the Light...Are you okay?"
The girl nodded, then looked at the group. "What's going on?"
"Arthas is trying to convince Ner'zhul to take his body instead of yours."
It came flooding back to her, and she gasped. She remembered, and was instantly sickened. Ner'zhul, if that was his name had almost...
"No!"
Sapphire tried to get up, by a hand grabbed her, and she saw Darion Mograine scowl at her.
"Stay here, cultist. You make more trouble when you move."
"Hello, Darion...How are you?" She moaned.
He smirked, eyes glowing. "Fine. I hear you are some kind of little abomination of nature? Something about blood and necromancy?"
The girl nodded, and laid her head on Ethan's shoulder.
"Stop him...Dad doesn't know what he's doing."
"I think he does. Look at him," Ethan said quietly.
Sapphire looked back to Arthas, and saw the look of his face. He looked desperate, and forlorn. The girl felt a cold pit in her stomach at the sight of her father's look.
She looked over at the discarded Frostmourne. Ethan followed her gaze, then frowned.
"Ner'zhul said it was too damaged to be of any use anymore. Why are you looking at it?"
The girl looked back to the hooded figure. Ner'zhul. She only remembered the name dimly. She hated paying attention to her teachers, but one cultist had mentioned that name.
Sapphire frowned, and growled. "It's still sharp, isn't it? Will that not hurt him?"
Both Ethan and Darion looked at each other. The Highlord glared at Sapphire.
"Don't do anything stupid, girl. That's not going to help."
The girl scowled, and folded her arms, trying not to wince at the movement.
"Have a better idea?"
"Kill Arthas when Ner'zhul takes over his body. And let that the evil spirit die with him."
Sapphire looked at him in disgust. "Kill my father? No!"
The Highlord shook his head. "He told me to what is necessary. I'm going to kill him before he kills anyone else."
Sapphire looked to Ethan. The boy did not meet her eyes.
"Would you rather Ner'zhul cause more destruction, Sapphire?" Ethan whispered.
The girl bit her lip, and pushed Ethan away. She went to Frostmourne. Darion made as if to use Death grip, but the boy stopped him.
"It won't work on her! Just leave her alone."
Sapphire went over to Frostmourne, and reached to it. A spark arched over to her, and pain flashed. She yipped, and looked up to see that no one had noticed her. She looked back at the blade. One jagged edge looked cracked, and would easily break off of the main blade. Sapphire took a deep breath, and grabbed it.
Her skin split open instantly at the touch of the sharp edge. Blood welled up, and flowed out.
But the sword did not shock her again. It almost...purred. Sapphire felt a familiarity with the inanimate object, and wondered if it had to do with the shard she had cut herself on, two years ago. Frostmourne...
Sapphire giggled, and reached up to the sword. It glowed, and was pretty. She had seen her father kill people with it, but that did not matter to her. It was so pretty.
"Brat," A voice growled behind her. The girl looked behind her, and Captain Falric glared down at her. He was stern, and his eyes glowed murderously.
"I want to touch the sword. Why can I never touch it?"
Marwyn came up, and looked at her and at the runeblade. That deathknight was always nice to Sapphire. The girl looked up at him hopefully.
"Uncle Mar! Can I touch Frostmourne?"
The man frowned, and picked her up. She was too old for that though, and she cried out in protest.
"No. I have a better idea though. You want to see the...Forge of Souls?" He chuckled.
Sapphire tilted her head, then smiled. "Sure! Can Ethan come?'
"Why, of course the Dog can! Let's stay away from Bronjahm though. Okay, little mortal?"
Sapphire looked at the shard in her hand, and tightened her grip around it, ignoring the pain.
She walked over to Arthas and Ner'zhul, hiding the shard in her hand. She walked forward.
Lily tightened her grip on Jaina. The woman had her eyes closed, and seemed to be concentrating. Sapphire looked over at Ner'zhul.
"Dad!"
Both Arthas and the disgusting undead turned to look at her. She smiled.
"Still drugged, girl?" Ner'zhul asked. Arthas struggled a bit, restrained by the two deathknights.
"Sapphire..." Arthas said, worry in his eyes.
Sapphire remembered dimly a feeling of happiness, and a lot of giggling. So, she did that too, and went over to him. She wrapped her arms around him.
"Father!" She said with affection. Oh, the smell of embalming fluid was overpowering. She was revolted, but kept herself from gagging.
Arthas was taken aback. "Sapphire!"
"Clearly, you have no reason to offer yourself to me. The girl wants to be my host, now don't you, sweetheart?"
"Yes..." She cuddled up against him, grateful for the cloak so as to not have to touch his disgusting skin. The undead grabbed her by the wrist, and Sapphire stiffened when he almost touched the shard in her hand.
"Stop this nonsense, girl. Get on the altar, and lie down. Let your father see that you are totally mine."
Sapphire wondered what to do, but Ner'zhul pushed her off toward it. Arthas snarled, and tried to get away from his captors, but one of the deathknights hit him in the head with her sword hilt. He went down to one knee.
Out of the corner of Sapphire's eye, Ethan jumped up, and tried to run to her, but another undead tackled him, knocking the boy to the ground. Sapphire went over to the dark altar, and Jaina opened her eyes. The woman was next to the obscene thing, and she was alarmed at the sight of the girl. She looked back to Ner'zhul, but he was speaking with some cultists.
Making sure Lily can't see, Sapphire slipped the shard into Jaina's free hand.
"Give it to Dad," Sapphire whispered, nearly silent. The mage looked at the girl, and nodded.
Sapphire looked at the altar, and wondered if Arthas will get the shard in time.