Chapter 18

The attack on Darnassus had been a resounding failure, and I spent many weeks recuperating my wounds, trying to ignore how my chest flared in conflicting ways whenever I thought of her.

The mausoleum was nearly complete now, and the team had returned from Northrend to begin the filling of the memorial-dog tags here, limbs there, bodies-old, ghouled, or otherwise-and all were sealed into their new resting places, until a light Mist filled the undead hovel.

"The dead approve."

I looked up from my place, the scant light from the skylight throwing Jadearra into harsh light, and I set my chisel down, wiping my forehead with a rag.

"It's my penance, I thought if they could be brought to rest, then I may eventually be allowed the same gift."

I looked at the shelf I had been working on, and the small name engraved into the side.

Mine.

"You are going to rest here?" Jadearra sounded incredulous, and I ran my fingers over the simple plaque-in comparison to the other shelves, mine was plain and unbecoming.

"I'm technically dead, and nothing lives forever." I had found out what this shelf's function would be two nights previously, when working in the lantern light, and I had fallen asleep on the stone slab, waking up the following morning with the knowledge.

Suddenly, the Mist thickened, and I looked to see Jadearra's eyes flaring purple, and a smile gracing her features.

"I think your penance has been accepted by the dead," Wind ripped through the mausoleum, and I looked around in confusion as the Mist billowed.

I shrieked when it charged me.

The Mist collided with my chest, ripping away my bandages, and I gasped, eyes rolling back in my head.

A light seemed to fill the room, and I felt the pain, the ache, the burn-it all disappeared, and I was left without the mark of her attack.

I fell to the floor as the Mist receded, gasping for breath, and I realised that Jadearra was no longer standing there, but-

"Hello there, little lynx." A different woman, with much more gnarled features said, peering at me.

"You-I-I know you," I felt flabbergasted by the knowledge.

"That you do, and I offer a prophecy in return for your penance"

Bones popped, and an ominous air filled her voice as she incanted:

"The Waning of the Dark Year on an ancient shore.

You fall fighting an ancient foe,

You free the little wind, and tear a soul asunder.

As the Dark Titan roars, your life will end.

And two souls will be freed."

I was shaking, and the wind reached a cacophony, before the air went dead silent, the Mist disappearing so suddenly I jumped.

Jadearra was standing there, looking around, and she seemed to just notice my stress, "Are you okay?"

"I-," my throat closed up as my mind raced in frantic circles after the prophecy, and Jadearra didn't seem to know-.

"Teir?"

"I-I'm going to the common, to rest, my chest it...hurts some." I lied, my chest didn't hurt a bit, but I left the Mausoleum with haste, returning to the city through a sewer passage, and in no time was moving down the hall to the common, when I heard voices.

"She isn't ready!" Sylvanas?

I crept closer, pressing my eye to the crack in the wood, and strained my ears.

I saw the ranger who often took my watch, holding an ornate, almost moving box which seemed to glow, "She has the right to know, my lady!"

"They would only hurt her!" Sylvanas snarled back.

"Teir deserves her memories!"

I threw the door open without meaning too, and the women jumped, whipping around to face me.

"You have my memories." I said quietly, the prophecy chased from my mind as the screaming forced its way forward.

"Teir-."

"She's had them since the expedition returned from Northrend!" The ranger shouted, and Sylvanas looked murderous.

The news shook me violently, "Why would you keep them from me?" The one thing I needed to be whole, and she-she-

"You're not ready for them."

I made a dive for the box, but Sylvanas waved her hand, sending it back to its home in some storage.

I screamed, looking at Sylvanas in rage, the sting of betrayal flaying me.

"Teir! Control yourself!" Sylvanas snarled, and the ranger backed away, looking excitedly worried.

"You're keeping secrets!"

I saw red, and I fled.

Years Later, On the Broken Shore

I felt empty, and accepting, and the pain.

My arm glittered in the foul light, and I looked around, the old prophecy echoing in my head, as Jadearra and I scampered along the edges of the shore.

"The Waning of the Dark Year on an ancient shore.

You fall fighting an ancient foe,

You free the little wind, and tear a soul asunder.

As the Dark Titan roars, your life will end.

And two souls will be freed."

Then I saw her.

My little wind.

They had perverted her, horns sprouted out of her perfect scalp, her silky hair matted and gnarled, and her eyes-

I raced forward, hearing Jade curse to keep up with me, and I slid down the bank, slamming to a stop to stare in horror at my beloved.

"The death knight who screams my name like a prayer," oh god, her voice-it was the same, but it was wrong. I cried out, a guttural, pained noise, like the whimper of an animal.

"Kenlora," I felt Jadearra's eyes on me, and my chest felt like it would burst as oiled poured over my face, "This is not you, my dear. Please come home."

You free the little wind, and tear a soul asunder.

Kenlora threw her head back and laughed. I screamed in agony as the once beautiful sound of my starlight echoed, perverted and twisted, and I realised with a horrid clang in my chest that her legs-her legs were...she had hooves. She was so perverted and oh Ken.

"Oh, poor child. This is me, don't you see? Lord Archimonde freed me and allowed me to reach my full potential!" She grinned, and I felt the agony anew, the trembling increasing tenfold and spreading through my body.

"Ken, you're a priest," my beautiful light, "You helped people and healed! You aren't-you're not this...d-demon," I was struggling to stay upright.

You free the little wind. I save her.

Two souls will be freed...

"And you're an abomination who should've died decades ago," Kenlora spat, and I screamed, feeling Jadearra's outrage vaguely, but it paled in comparison to my pain, "And allowed yourself to believe that anyone could love such a hideous corpse." Kenlora stalked forward, grinning with malice as I sobbed. Jadearra moved behind me, and I put a hand out to stop her-I know what I must do.

You will free the little wind, and tear a soul asunder...Two souls will be freed...

"Ken...please. I'd do anything." I said, my voice breathy and weak, and I felt Jadearra's caution, and I gave myself over to the pain, riding the riptide, Kenlora please-.

"Anything?"

"Anything!" I begged, my face caked in oil.

"Well, little death knight, I suppose I could love you...if you joined me."

I stilled, hurting and heart thundering as I thought of the blades in my vest, and I felt my soul sag.

I stepped forward.

"Teir, no!"

I whirled around, face contorted horribly, "Can't you see?! I'm already dying!" My mind rocked, so unsteady, and oh Azeroth the screaming-."I am nothing without her!"

A fel barrier separate us, and I turned to face the grinning love of my life, and took another step forward, hating myself, "Please," I whispered.

Kenlora came in close, wrapping her wings around me, and I wrapped my trembling arms around her, scythe concealed, as Jadearra screamed.

Now.

I drove it in, through Kenlora, whose face morphed with terror and agony, and I felt the pierce enter the twice fold scar, like an ironic ending.

The agony unfolded in my chest as Kenlora's wings pulled back, green energy pouring out with her blood. I felt Jadearra's agony.

I felt her very soul contort. And tear a soul asunder...

The green left my love's eyes, "Teir...?" she croaked, her voice choked with tears and agony.

I hacked, contorting around the blade as we fell to our knees, and I coked out, "Only...way I could...free us..."

I lolled my head back, summoning the last of my strength as screams filled the air, "Mieshfe ri riieb!" I felt Jadearra's spirit separate from mine, and my infinitely weaker soul crumbled under the stress, shivering and contorting and the screaming...

Kenlora clung to me, "Teir no, Teir! I can fix this I..." I felt her call to the light, but it would not respond.

"No! Elune! Elune! E...lune..."

I felt my body crumbling, Jadearra screamed, I felt my arm fall away, and I felt the warm press of Kenlora's quivering lips, and then-

And then.