Chapter 6

The Realm of the Scourge

*** 1 Month Later ***

Erthos looked out of the window of the room he was in, the sun glowing down on Lights Hope Chapel. He smiled slightly, feeling the warmth of the sun on his bare skin, coupled with the gentle breeze that occasionally wafted through the open window. Turning around, he looked at the room that had become his home over the last month.

It was nothing extravagant. All that was in the room was a simple bed on which his robes for the day were placed. Opposite the bed was a small set of drawers standing next to a large wardrobe which housed other items of clothing for Erthos. Leaning against the wardrobe was his trusty staff.

Next to the window, placed underneath a mirror, was a wash basin for Erthos' private use. Glancing at the basin, Erthos' eyes moved to the two items that were hanging on the wall beside it: Zyathri's sword and shield. Erthos had made the decision in the end to keep the sword and shield in his room, to serve as a reminder of what he had lost, and of what he had cherished.

Turning away from the sword and shield with a slight sigh, Erthos moved over to the bed and picked up the robes that were laying there for him. Unlike his previous robes, these ones were made of a much thinner material, and easier for him to move around in. They were also black in colour, done so at Erthos' personal request.

After putting on his robe, enjoying the gentle feel of its fabric against his skin, Erthos picked up his staff and its holder, putting the holder over his shoulder and making sure it was in place before sliding the staff in place so that it was hanging from his back. Picking up his belt with the knife attached, Erthos put that around his waist before heading out of the door after taking one last quick look about the room.

Much had happened in the month that Erthos had been with the Argent. The first week he had spent trying to overcome his upset and anguish. It was due to the intervention of Magnill and another Argent Crusader called Darius that he managed to get out of it. The two of them helped Erthos with his grief, comforting him, as well as setting up quite a respectable funeral service for Zyathri. Their help hadn't stopped there.

Magnill, a highly trained paladin, helped Erthos hone his fighting style with his staff and dagger. In the beginning, Erthos had been hopeless at the task. The dwarf had been able to deal with anything Erthos did with ease. As their lessons went on, though, Erthos improved, learning to dodge and weave the attacks that Magnill sent his way. Erthos didn't have the physical strength that Magnill or Zyathri had, but he had the agility to move out the way and make quick attacks, something that Magnill helped Erthos improve upon.

It wasn't long before Magnill declared Erthos fit to fight against a trained opponent. Although he wouldn't be able to ever beat them straight up, he had the necessary skill to outlast them in a drawn out fight. That was assuming, of course, Erthos didn't get hit first.

Darius, on the other hand, helped train Erthos with his magic powers. Like Erthos, Darius was a warlock, but unlike Erthos, Darius was extremely well versed in his chosen school of magic. After spending the morning doing physically exhausting training with Magnill, Erthos enjoyed the relaxing start to the sessions with Darius.

He taught Erthos how to reach his limits without causing harm to himself. He taught him how to summon demons to fight by his side, or how to draw energy from things he was fighting to strengthen himself. Along side his shadow bolt, Erthos now knew how to conjure fire that he could use against enemies to burn them where they stood. The thing that Erthos liked most, however, was when Darius had taught him how to summon a Dreadsteed.

Having been surprised and happy with how quickly Erthos had been learning what Darius was teaching him, Darius had decided to take Erthos on an excursion to the ruins of Corin's Crossing. It was there that Darius summoned an untamed Dreadsteed from the remains of various horses that had resided there before. It had taken Erthos almost an hour to tame the horse and merge its mind with his own, forming an unbreakable bond between the two. He had been quite happy to ride back into the Chapel that day.

Moving past some Crusader's, who nodded politely to Erthos as he walked by, Erthos turned his attention to the other task he would do each day. Reaching out, he placed his hand on a metal gate and pulled it open, walking into a well kept graveyard. All around him, tombstones rested, some with flowers standing next to them, others lying bare. Erthos came to a stop in front of one and looked down at it, smiling faintly.

"Heya Zyathri…" he said quietly, looking at the grave marker, emblazoned with Zyathri's name and the mark of the Blood Knights. "How are you doing? I'm coming along with my training. Darius has been teaching me how to cause fire to rain down from the sky…"

Erthos went quiet for a moment as he looked at the gravestone before he sat down in front of it. He remained there for a short while, just talking to the gravestone, telling Zyathri how his training was going, what the weather was like, anything that he could think of. As he spoke, a bell rang gently near by, signalling that it was time for Erthos to go and eat.

"Time for me to be off" Erthos said as he stood up, stretching his legs slightly. He started to head back before stopping and looking back to the gravestone. He stared at the gravestone for what seemed like an age, no movement happening around him, save for his hair being pushed around slightly by a gentle breeze. "I miss you…" he finally whispered quietly before turning on his heel and heading away.

Erthos entered the hall where the food was being served, and his nose was instantly hit by the smell of a fresh roast. His stomach growled in approval as he sat down next to Magnill and Darius who were already tucking into their food.

"So, Erthos!" Magnill said as Erthos took a bite out of the roast beef that was sitting on his plate. "Have yeh given any more thought to what I suggested earlier? You know, joining up with the Argent?" Erthos looked at the small dwarf as he spoke, his thick, long orange hair and beard obscuring most of his face.

"I'm still not sure" Erthos said after swallowing his food. He opened his mouth to continue but was stopped by Darius who had just finished taking a sip from his drink.

"You know, you would be more than welcome" he said in his usual deep, yet charismatic voice. Erthos looked to his human teacher who was pushing a piece of his black, mid length, slicked back hair back into its proper place. Although Erthos had had a decent understanding of the Common language, it had taken some getting used to on his part to constantly use it. It was one of the rules of staying around the Argent, that Common be used by everyone. It meant that everyone could understand each other at all times.

"You certainly have the skill, lad" piped up Magnill as he quite happily downed his tankard of beer. "We have all seen yer skill in both combat and magic. You'd do us proud!" With a beaming smile, Magnill took a huge bite out of his meat and chewed on it rather happily.

Joining the Argent Dawn had been something that Magnill had suggested to Erthos a few days ago. Erthos had been unsure and simply said he would think about it. When he had told Darius, he had been all for it as well. Erthos was tempted to accept the offer, to see if he would be able to join. Although he still had a mission to do with regards to the amulet, no one had come looking for either him or Zyathri in the month he had been with the Argent. He also didn't want to leave the place where Zyathri was now buried.

Both Magnill and Darius could see the glazed over look that was now forming on Erthos' face and left him to his thoughts. It was one they had both seen before when the young warlock was trying to work something out in his head. This time, however, his thoughts were broken anyway. The three men turned their heads to the entrance of the dining area as one of the wooden doors burst open.

A Crusader came sprinting up to the table they were sat at and stopped next to them, his face as white as a sheet. He gasped for breath as he stood there with Darius and Magnill looking at him with raised eyebrows. Erthos looked at the man with a large dose of confusion, as did a lot of the others in the dining area.

"Erthos…" the Crusader finally managed to get out. "You need to come quick, to the graveyard." Erthos looked at the Crusader, more confusion swelling in his mind, along with twinges of panic. Why would I need to get to the graveyard? He thought to himself as the Crusader looked to his to companions. "Magnill, Darius, it would be best if you came too."

With a nod the three of them got up from the table, Magnill grabbing one last bite from his food, and followed the Crusader out of the hall to the graveyard. When they reached the graveyard, Erthos understood the Crusaders urgency. The colour rapidly faded from Erthos' already pale face as he looked at the site before him. Where Zyathri's grave had once been, there was now only a large hole present, the tombstone in pieces scattered around. Spinning around, Erthos looked at the Crusader.

"What happened?" he demanded, advancing on the Crusader as anger swelled up inside him, quickly replacing the confusion that had occupied the space only moments before. How dare someone defile her grave! Erthos thought to himself, his body fuelled with rage. Magnill and Darius quickly grabbed hold of Erthos as the Crusader backed away, looking at him in fear. They had seen Erthos lash out once before already, whilst he was grieving. In a moment of anger against the world, he had conjured a chaos bolt fuelled by his negative emotions which promptly destroyed a large chunk of his room.

"I…I came over here to simply tend to the plants!" the Crusader said, stammering slightly as his face now turned a ghostly pale. "When I got here I saw…I saw a man lifting your friends remains out of the ground… he….he took her with him…on the back of his mount. He took her and went off into the distance." The Crusader raised his arm and pointed in the direction that the man had gone, his hand shaking as he did so.

As Erthos listened, his rage lessened, as did the grip of Magnill and Darius on his arms. When the Crusader had finished, Erthos let out a slight cry and fell to his knees, looking back to where Zyathri had been buried. Beside him Magnill was talking with Darius, arranging for members of the Argent to start scouring the area. As they spoke, everything surrounding Erthos seemed to fade out, no noise made its way to his ears, and everything just seemed to be dark.

Deep inside of himself, though, Erthos felt something new growing, replacing the despair that had tried to envelope his heart. This new found feeling, a mixture of rage and courage boiled to the surface and Erthos jumped to his feet, running out of the graveyard, leaving both Magnill and Darius behind, both with very confused expressions on their faces. Erthos ran into his room, quickly reaching into one of his drawers. Erthos pulled out two small bags that he attached to his belt in a hurry, only taking a couple of seconds to make sure they were firmly in place. Once they were secure he ran back outside before heading to the Chapel.

Moving through the large doorway, Erthos made his way to where a priest stood near by, talking to a fellow Argent member. Upon seeing Erthos, the priest smiled and nodded politely.

"Greetings Erthos" she said, smiling at the other Argent member as he walked away to give Erthos and the priest some privacy. "What can I do for you today?"

"The amulet, is it ready?" Erthos asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he did. Cleansing the amulet had been proving quite a difficult task for the priests to do. The strength of the corruption had been much more than previously thought, and had taken the combined effort of three of the priests to try and cleanse it so far.

"Yes, it has been purified and is now wearable" the priest said as she reached into her robe and held out the amulet. Erthos looked at the amulet for a moment, watching slowly rotate as it hung from its chain. The amulet was the item responsible for Erthos first meeting Zyathri, something he was eternally thankful for, but at the same time, if it wasn't for the amulet, she would still be alive. With a slight sigh, Erthos took it and promptly placed it around his neck, feeling the familiar surge of magical energy run through him.

"I heard about what happened in the graveyard" the priest suddenly said, reaching out and placing a hand on Erthos' arm. Before Erthos could ask how she already knew, she let out a faint chuckle. "Word travels fast here. But it would not be safe for you to go out there, not if there are Scourge present."

"I have to go" Erthos said, shaking his head slightly. "They have taken Zyathri's body, and I need to find it. I have already wasted too much time..." Before the priest could offer any more words of argument, Erthos had sped out of the Chapel doors and was heading towards the graveyard again. Looking around, Erthos watched as various members of the Argent ran around as the news made it from person to person. The odds were on, Erthos thought to himself as he approached the graveyard,that the Argent were more worried about the security breach than who had been taken.

Walking into the graveyard, Erthos walked past a couple of Argent members who seemed to be standing guard, both of whom gave him a polite nod. Magnill and Darius had already gone off to do something else. Good.. Erthos thought to himself as he approached the hole that was Zyathri's grave. He looked at the hole for a moment, looking at the hoof prints left in the dirt, the slight trail of decaying ground that now ran from the disturbed grave out into the Plaguelands.

"Im coming, Zyathri…" Erthos whispered to himself as reached down and placed his hand flat on the ground. With his eyes closed, Erthos began chanting under his breath, a large, glowing, purple circle forming underneath him. Behind him, the two Argent members turned to look at what was happening, neither of them sure what to expect. After a few seconds, Erthos stepped back, allowing the summoning ritual to finish. Seeming to burst out of the ground with a spit of fire, Erthos' Dreadsteed appeared, shaking its head slightly, both the Argent guards jumping back with a surprised yelp.

Erthos looked at his mount for a moment, studying it. It was no where near as regal as Nightmare was, and couldn't run as fast, but it was still a good one, none the less. Its skin was a dark brown, its tail and mane seeming to be made from fire. With one swift motion, Erthos climbed onto the saddle that rested upon his mounts back and gave the reigns a slight tug, urging his mount onwards towards Zyathri, leaving the two confused guards behind.

As Erthos made his way along the rotten path, a set of eyes started watched him with interest. From the shadows, a woman atop a horse slowly stepped out, watching the young warlock ride down the path. Patting her mount on the side, she charged after him, feeling herself drawn to the light energy that seemed to emanate from him. Erthos quickly became aware that he was being followed and pulled his mount to a stop. With a frown, he jumped down from his horse, taking his staff out of its holder, as well as reaching into one of his bags and pulling out a small pink gem that he held in his fist.

"Show yourself!" he called out, preparing himself for the arrival of what he expected to be members of the Scourge undead. Whilst he waited, Erthos chanted under his breath, the gem enclosed in his fist starting to glow as he channelled his magical energies. From down the road, the female rider came sprinting, her mount looking ferocious as it bore down on Erthos. As it and its rider came closer, Erthos could feel a sense of dread wash over the area, sending a deep chill down his spine and through his body. The woman and her horse ran straight past Erthos before circling him twice, as if studying him.

"A young warlock…How amusing" she said, her voice sounding icy cold. Erthos looked up at her as she brought her horse to a stop. Her hair was almost pure white and about mid length. She also seemed to be of blood elf descent, except her skin was almost as pale as her hair. And her eyes, her eyes were glowing a deep blue.

"You will give me the information I require" the rider continued, her voice filled with malice. "…Or I shall cut you in half with my sword!" Erthos could tell she was being serious with her threat as he felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. "I seek an amulet. It belongs to my master…is it within the hands of the Dawn?"

"What amulet?" Erthos asked, feigning ignorance as he kept his eyes on the rider. He was not about to give up the item that Zyathri and he had been charged with delivering, the item that had resulted in Zyathri's death. Trying to act natural, Erthos moved his free hand behind his back, letting the now glowing gem drop behind him to the ground before quickly taking a step back to cover it up. Unfortunately, as convincing as Erthos thought he had been, the rider didn't seem to believe him. She glared at the warlock for a moment before closing her eyes.

"You know of the amulet I speak of" she said quietly, her eyes still closed, a feeling of death seeming to linger on her words. Jumping down from the back of her mount, she pulled her large two handed weapon from its holder on her back and brandished it at Erthos "Tell me what you know, mortal, or I will kill you."

Erthos gulped slightly as he looked down the length of the blade, noticing the runes that were running down it pulsing in a blue, green and red light. Steadying his nerves, Erthos gripped his staff and used it to slowly push the large blade to one side.

"I don't know what it is that you're on about" he said sternly, trying to take control of the situation. Throwing Erthos a glare, the woman let her sword lower slightly before reaching out and grabbing him by the collar of his robe. As soon as she took hold of Erthos' robe, however, she let out a cry of pain and let him go, pulling her hand back and looking at it as the Scourge energy inside her healed her injured hand.

"What are you wearing?!" she said quietly, anger easily noticeable in her voice, looking at Erthos. Even though her voice was quiet, Erthos could see the hatred and anger in her eyes, could feel it burrow into him. "Light energy…it burned me…" She continued, studying the warlock, not catching the slightly surprised look on his own face as she tried to see anything that could have cause such a reaction.

"I have nothing out of the ordinary" Erthos said quietly as he adjusted his robes, frowning slightly at the act of being grabbed, but finding his hands starting to shake as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He looked at the rider again as his mind went to the gem that he had hidden, wondering how much longer it would be before it kicked in.

"What's your name?" Erthos suddenly asked, trying to stall for more time. The rider looked at Erthos for a moment, one of her eyebrows raised, before slowly turning around, still holding onto her large sword tightly.

"My name…" she began to say before pausing. She looked down and let out a slight sigh as she thought back.

"Welcome, Death knight" A voice had said to her, its chilling presence causing her to shiver slightly. "I see you have found your way here…" She had looked up at the origin of the voice, but only saw a large shadow, illuminated from behind.

"Tell me, what is your name?" the dark, cold voice had whispered. Before she had had a chance to respond, the voice had cut her off again. "Actually, never mind. Your former name means nothing. Your new name…is Rastuazi."

She had bowed slightly, as if on instinct, as she was told her name.

"Yes, my lord…" she responded, her voice sounding hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in a long time. The shadow continued to talk to her as it towered over here, giving her instructions.

"Rastuazi, one of our artefacts has fallen into the wrong hands…" it said, almost hissing slightly. "An amulet. I want you to find it and kill its bearer…" the dark voiced whispered. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord" she had said again, bowing once more before she left her masters presence. As soon as she had been outside, she had summoned her faithful Deathcharger and was soon on the path to finding the amulet.

Opening her eyes again, the rider gripped her sword even tighter, feeling her anger boil up inside her.

"My name, is Rastuazi…" she said slowly, her back still to Erthos, although he could almost feel the anger aching to be let out of her. "…and I will be the death of you, warlock!" The sudden shout surprised Erthos, who was not prepared as Rastuazi span around, swinging her sword so as to cleave him in two.

Just before the blade got close to Erthos, however, there was a flash of light that surrounded the warlock and stopped the blade in its place before sending the attacking Death Knight stumbling backwards. Both Erthos and Rastuazi looked at each other with a confused and puzzled look, neither knowing what had just happened.

"I should have cut you in half…" Rastuazi spat, venom in her voice. "Who…what are you?!" Erthos looked at the death knight for a moment, struggling to find the words to say anything. Inside his chest, he felt a new sense of confidence brewing up, urging him to take actions of his own.

"Guess that means you won't be killing me any time soon then, hmm?" he finally said, smirking slightly. He knew that now was not the time to start acting reckless, but he found himself unable to stop as he took a step closer to Rastuazi, still smirking. "Tell me…" he said slowly, pausing for a moment as he studied the female's face. "Have we met before?"

The question seemed to offend the Death Knight as she took a step away from Erthos, sheathing her sword again. She tilted her head to the side slightly, contemplating the warlock. She knew that it would be pointless to try and attack him again, a waste of her energy. If she was to kill the warlock, it would have to be via other methods.

"I can assure you…" she said in a rather cold tone. "…that had we met before, you would already be dead. Either by my hand, or that of my master." Looking at Erthos, Rastuazi quickly noticed the chain around his neck, causing her to scowl slightly as she looked him in the eye.

"You are wearing an amulet of some kind…" she said quietly, closing her eyes for a moment as she recalled the memory of her hand being burnt when she held the warlock by his collar. Erthos covered up the chain as he watched Rastuazi work things out in her mind. He knew that it wouldn't take her long to work out what had happened.

"The amulet…has holy energy…how…?" She paused for a moment and looked away. Erthos quickly worked out that she knew he had the amulet she was looking for. "The Argent Dawn…" she muttered to herself before shaking her head slightly. She knew that if it had been cleansed, then her mission was in vain, for she would not be able to hold such an amulet. With a sigh and shrug, she mounted onto the back of her Deathcharger before giving Erthos one last look.

Erthos, however, was quick to action as the Death Knight made her move to leave. He quickly moved up beside her, ready to take hold of her and stop her as behind him there was a purple flash. Chucking a quick glance behind him, Erthos saw the form of his Voidwalker appear from the gem he had hidden.

"I can't let you go just yet" Erthos said as he turned to look at Rastuazi again who was looking cautiously at the Voidwalker that now made its way to stand in front of the Deathcharger. "Someone has taken the body of my friend" Erthos continued, focusing his attention on the Death Knight, trying to keep control of his nerves. "A member of the Scourge was seen riding away from Lights Hope Chapel, and I think you have something to do with it."

Rastuazi turned her gaze to Erthos, seeming to look at him with a sorrowful gaze. From what Erthos could tell, her entire demeanour seemed to have shifted when she realised he had the amulet. He found it rather unsettling. All of the anger that had been present before hand now seemed to have vanished, replaced instead with something else.

"I have nothing to do with what you speak of" she said quietly, shaking her head slightly. "I have only just left the stronghold of my master. I cannot help you. I must return to my master, empty handed…" Rastuazi let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes. Erthos looked at her for a moment, getting the distinct impression that she did not want to return. He slowly lowered his staff to his side, his own expression softening slightly. Letting out a slight sigh, Erthos rubbed the bridge of his nose before talking to Rastuazi.

"Why do you have to go back to your master?" he asked slowly, sliding his staff back into its holder. He knew he would have to choose his words wisely. Casting a quick look to the Voidwalker, Erthos nodded slightly, causing the summoned demon to back away slowly.

"I am, unfortunately, a part of the Scourge" Rastuazi said, her voice almost sound soft, but the coldness of it made it hard for Erthos to be sure. "But, I still have a mind of my own…for now." Rastuazi let out another, sorrowful sigh, as if she was upset about being part of the Scourge. Her hand moved to her head as she felt familiar thoughts and memories flow into her mind.

Erthos felt his arm raise itself to try and reach out and comfort her, but stopped himself short. He didn't know how far the effect of the amulet would spread. The last thing he wanted to do was to touch her and unleash pain on her.

"Are you ok?" Erthos suddenly found himself saying. Rastuazi looked at Erthos with a raised eyebrow, seeming just as surprised by Erthos' question as he was himself. Why should he care? She thought to herself, shaking her head slightly.

"I am technically dead; do I look ok to you?" Rastuazi finally said, shrugging slightly. "If I do not return to my master, I will be hunted down and killed…again" she muttered to herself, only just loud enough that Erthos could hear. Erthos wondered what she meant as he watched her talk more to herself than anyone else. "But I'll be damned if I serve the Scourge once again…" she carried on, frowning as she did so. "I feel I should…protect…not kill. I do not want to be part of the Scourge…"

Rastuazi closed her eyes for a moment and fell silent. When she opened them again she looked at Erthos who was still stood there watching the Death Knight with extreme caution. He wasn't sure what to make of what he was seeing. He could almost feel the turmoil and confusion that the other blood elf was going through. It could be a trap…he thought to himself suddenly, his hand faltering slightly, trying to grab his staff.. She could be luring me into a false sense of security…

"That amulet…" Rastuazi said, seeming to finally be addressing Erthos fully whilst motioning to the chain around Erthos' neck. "They want it…so I'll make sure they don't get it…After what they did to me…" Rastuazi's voice was filled with hatred as she looked at Erthos, her eyes seeming to glow brighter.

"And…how do you plan on making sure they don't get it?" Erthos asked as he took a step back, placing a hand on his staff. He glanced over to the Voidwalker again before looking back to Rastuazi. What if she plans on killing me and hiding the amulet away? He thought to himself as his heart started to beat wildly in his chest. His heart only beat faster when Rastuazi grinned at him.

"Well, I cannot touch it…" she said slowly, her voice sounding as cold as ever. "You, however, can. I will protect you from the Scourge." Rastuazi paused for a moment as she looked around quickly. "But I suggest you get moving from here. I don't think I could protect you from the whole lot of the Scourge in their own domain." The Death Knight went quiet again as a breeze blew through her silvery white hair, blowing it about her face slightly and obscuring it from Erthos' vision. She kept her gaze on the young warlock for a moment, as if she was in deep thought about something.

"You still need to recover your friends body, though, do you not? The Scourge more than likely took the body to their stronghold. I could lead you there…but it's your funeral, boy" Rastuazi's voice almost sounded like it was taunting Erthos as she let out a laugh, a rather large and demented grin forming on her lips.

Erthos was unsure of what to make of the situation. It had been hard enough for his brain to process that she wanted to watch over him, and now she wanted to help him get Zyathri's body back. His mind raced with ideas and solutions, of how he would find Zyathri's body, but each time, he found himself with the same conclusion: it would be quicker with Rastuazi's help.

"Very well then" Erthos said slowly as he walked over to his Dreadsteed, climbing up onto its back. "I don't care if it is my funeral. Zyathri protected me, and I cared deeply for her. I will find who took her body, and I will make them pay." Erthos looked at Rastuazi as he took hold of the reigns of his Dreadsteed. "Lead on."

Rastuazi found herself slightly surprised by how quickly Erthos had decided to go with her. But that wasn't what bothered her. At the mention of the name Zyathri, she had barely suppressed a shiver.

Zyathri? She thought to herself, looking at Erthos as she shook the reigns of her own mount, spurning it on. How did he know Zyathri..? Shrugging the thought off as best she could, she focused on leading the warlock to the Scourge base.

Erthos followed close behind the Death Knight as they made their way through the Plaguelands. Behind him, his Voidwalker managed to keep up, letting out the occasional groan as it did so. Erthos still wasn't sure what to make of the Death Knight, of Rastuazi. He was sure she was hiding something from him, but he couldn't work out what. For the time being, he decided, he would just have to keep an eye on her. For all he knew, this was all an act on her part and he was heading straight into a trap.

Neither of them spoke as they rode along the path, and no Scourge tried to attack them. Erthos could tell that the Scourge presence was getting stronger, the further they went. All along the pathway and hiding in the roten trees and bushes he could see Scourge zombies, watching him. None made a move to attack him, or the Death Knight, though. This strange behaviour only worsened his doubts about Rastuazi.

It wasn't long before the two of them were turning a corner and running up to a Scourge Ziggurat. Erthos looked at the structure and couldn't help but shiver slightly. He had seen drawings of them in some of the books he had read when he was training with his master. The Ziggurat looked even more imposing in person, now that he was approaching it, a Scourge stronghold that was not mistaken for any other structure.

Rastuazi looked back to Erthos as they came to a slow walk before stopping next to a ruined fence, all that was left of what used to be a nice farmhouse. She climbed off of her mount and motioned for Erthos to do the same. He climbed down next to her, looking around as he did. His Voidwalker was still with him, but he still had a feeling of dread inside him. Any moment now, Rastuazi could turn around and try attacking him again. He had no idea how long the amulet could protect him.

"You are looking worried" Rastuazi said with a slight smirk as she watched Erthos glance around. "You were the one who decided to do this, not I." Erthos threw Rastuazi a look of slight anger before sighing slightly. She was right. He had agreed to go on this little trek deep into the Scourge controlled area.

"Let's just get this over and done with, shall we?" he said, looking at the entrance to the Ziggurat. "I don't want to stay in this place any longer than I have to…" Rastuazi looked at Erthos with a sly grin as she pulled her sword out of its sheath.

Taking his staff out, Erthos followed Rastuazi as she made her way to the main entrance of the Ziggurat. As they approached, a group of Scourge started to move closer, but not yet attacking either of them. All of a sudden, the sound of a horn being blown echoed out from the Ziggurat, causing Erthos to place his hands to his ears and shut his eyes tight. Rastuazi, on the other hand, quickly brandished her weapon.

"You best know how to fight, boy" she called out as the Scourge suddenly charged forwards. Erthos opened his eyes in time to watch the Death Knight swing her sword round, cleaving one of the Scourge in two with ease. Regaining control of his fear, Erthos sent in his Voidwalker, who grabbed hold of the closest Scourge undead and threw them against a near by tree with a sickening thud, various bones in their body breaking.

"A little warning would have been nice…" Erthos mumbled to himself as he jumped out of the way of one of the Scourge soldiers, narrowly avoiding being slashed across the arm. Without pause, Erthos raised his hand and let lose a streak of fire that travelled across the ground and ignited the attacking soldier.

The undead started to pour in at them from all areas, lunging from trees, from bushes and from the Ziggurat itself. Rastuazi was slicing through them at a surprisingly fast rate, whilst Erthos did his best to blast them back with a mixture of the magic he had learnt.

"I can't keep this up forever" Erthos called out as he ducked under another sword swing, silently thanking Magnill for all the training he had given him. He was already starting to feel the draining effect of using his magic, however, and he didn't know how long it would be before it would affect his performance.

Rastuazi looked over to Erthos as she blocked a sword swing form a soldier before pushing them back with her plated boot. Something inside her was telling her to protect the young warlock at all costs and her mind agreed. With a yell, she easily cleared her way through the undead until she was standing back to back with Erthos.

"Cant do this alone, hmm?" she said in a condescending tone, taking down another undead. Erthos threw her a look from over his shoulder, but didn't say anything. Letting out a slight humph, Rastuazi turned her attention back to the Scourge. This has gone on long enough… she thought to herself before sheathing her weapon.

Erthos stared at Rastuazi with an astonished look as she put her weapon away. He was about to ask her what she was playing at when she crouched down, placing her hands flat on the ground. Spiralling outwards from her hands at a rapid pace were a set of blood red runes that covered a large area around them. The Scourge that were caught in the area cried out in agony, before rapidly decomposing. Erthos watched with a mixture of horror and amazement as the Scourge tried in vain to get to them, all suffering the same fate. Soon, the attacking forces were either all dead, or running away.

"What was that?" Erthos asked, looking over to Rastuazi as his Voidwalker returned to his side, the remains of an undead enemy in its large hands. Rastuazi stood up and flicked some of her hair from her face, looking over to Erthos with a smirk.

"It is known as Death and Decay" she explained to Erthos, checking the area around them quickly, making sure they weren't about to be attacked. "It is similar to a paladin's Consecration, only with unholy energy." Erthos nodded slightly, to show he knew what she meant. He had seen Zyathri charge the floor with holy energy a few times, and he knew its devastating effects on those it was intended to harm.

"Come on" Rastuazi said, walking towards the Ziggurat. "My…former master might know where to find your friends body." She pulled out her sword and looked to Erthos with a smirk. "I say we go and persuade him to tell us."

"By we, I assume you mean you?" Erthos gulped as he looked at the Ziggurat, then Rastuazi. Although he had had a lot of training in the last month, the skirmish they were just in had been the first time he had been in real combat since then. Taking on a Scourge master would be a huge leap for him.

"Do you always let other people do your work for you?" Rastuazi asked in a slightly sarcastic tone, raising one of her eyebrows slightly. Erthos tried not to flinch at the comment, his mind thinking back to how Zyathri fought for and protected him.

"No, not always…" he mumbled, looking to Rastuazi with a slight glare as she walked into the Ziggurat. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped as a chilling voice rang through the air around them, sending a shiver down to Erthos' core...