"This has got to be a joke! What happens to us now?"
Arthas sounded indignant, but he was not alone. Jaina looked around. Sylvanas' stoic face did not betray her emotions, but she looked tense, and ready for action. Jaina found herself agreeing with Arthas. She was new to the Lich King, certainly, but she suffered in his name, same as any other of his servants. If the Lich King was discarded by his masters, then what becomes of them? Were we to serve the Burning Legion now instead? Her eyes caught sight of Kel'Thuzad. That damned Lich looked completely at ease. She scoffed. Of course, the traitor would be at ease. He was probably thinking on how best to suck up to the Legion.
"Be patient, young death knight. The Lich King foresaw this as well. You may yet have a part to play in his grand design."
Foresaw? Was this his attempt to lure them into some sort of trap? Or was Kel'Thuzad clinging onto any faint hope?
"May yet have a part to play?" Arthas' voice was a mixture of barely restrained rage, and deathly calm. Jaina glanced at Sylvanas and noticed she was unnerved. She hesitated and placed one of her hands atop of her shoulder –waiting for it to solidify before her- in attempt to give her friend some comfort. There was no calming Arthas down when he was furious, and this clearly went leagues beyond that.
Jaina's head turned, as did of all of her compatriots. Arthas' steed –who he had remounted after the fight- shifted uneasily as the ground rumbled. She could sense the spell, but she could not believe it. Soon she could see it, and yet she struggled to comprehend it. How could one being possess so much power?
The towers of Dalaran cracked as if crushed by a giant invisible hand. It fell and crashed impossibly loud at the ground below. And then...it was if some God had decided to have a temper tantrum. The buildings shattered and crumbled, all bearing the same impact of the hand. The destruction was quick, but majestic. Deafening, and then gravely silent. There was naught left of Dalaran, but them. Even the Undead were requisitioned away by the Burning Legion.
How? How could Azeroth possibly survive this invasion?
The fury left Arthas as quick as it arrived. He had destroyed Quel'Thalas, but that was a hard-fought battle. This? There was frightening casualness about it. Archimonde had destroyed the greatest of human cities without even being present at the area of destruction.
He surveyed his subjects. He scowled. Mere three. It would have to do. It was time to figure out their next course of action.
"Kel'Thuzad. Sylvanas. Jaina." he addressed them one at the time. They all turned to him. Kel'Thuzad seemed at ease. No surprise. He always looked like he was fully in control of any given situation. He suspected that it was because it incited questions, and one thing was certain. Kel'Thuzad adored the sound of his voice. Sylvanas looked wary. She did not seem afraid, nor awash by fury. Perfect. Jaina tried to portray an aura of confidence, but the illusion did not seem to stem from fear.
"We stand on crossroads now. Our Master, the Lich King, was tossed aside. We are now to be mere tools of the Legion. Where is our reward? In Death and servitude, the Lich King gave us our rewards; a second chance, and power. Kel'Thuzad is a good example. He was rewarded in life, and he was rewarded in death. The Legion rewards us with nothing. We received not even an acknowledgement of our deeds. Therefore, there comes a question of loyalty. Who among you will serve me, and the Lich King? And who among you will scurry to the Legion?"
The question was apt, for Arthas had no assurance that the Legion would not seize the Lich King's powers. After all, if the Lich King 'was of no further use', it would make sense to dispose of him. It was time to find out who will serve willingly, or who will falter when given the chance.
"My loyalty has long rested with Ner'zhul, Prince Arthas." said Kel'Thuzad. "I am yours to command."
"Perfect. We will have need of your services, Lich." He turned to regard the others. "Jaina?"
She hesitated. Finally she spoke. "This looks to be a very bad bet. But I was always against summoning the Burning Legion to this world. They clearly can't be reasoned with. Perhaps a grateful King would be a different matter."
Not nearly as enthusiastic as Kel'Thuzad, but it will have to do. "I'm always glad to have you on my side, Jaina." There was a final member remaining. "What about you, Sylvanas? Whom will you serve?"
There was no hesitation. "I hold no love for the Legion. And they hold no love for me or you. I can hardly get my revenge should you die at the hands of the Legion. And there's the matter of self preservation of myself and my people. The Lich King needs me. The Burning Legion does not."
That…was a surprise. He had counted her among his subjects, but he was hardly certain that she would follow. He should have known. Vengeance is a powerful motivator. He almost scowled. And a treasonous one. Vengeance is why he was here, after all. He wasn't sure whether he should be ablaze in fury, or laughing; Uther was right in the end. Vengeance turns you into the very beast you hunt.
"If you wish to save your people, Banshee, then first we must steal them back from the Legion." He waved them away. "I must commune with the Lich King and receive further instructions. Be prepared to set out at any time."
He stood and connected his mind to Frostmourne. 'You hear the voice of the Dark Lord. He whispers to you through the blade you wield' the voice of his once-archenemy Mal'Ganis echoed in his memories. He bid the memory away. He knew he could communicate with his Master through Frostmourne.
"Arthas…" spoke a voice he recognized as easily as he would have his mother's, "my beloved Death Knight. I was wise to place my trust in you."
"Master." He acknowledged. "What is your will? What must be done?"
"You must follow the Burning Legion to Kalimdor. It is there they will attempt their final victory over Azeroth. Do all you can to disturb the Legion. Azeroth belongs to the Scourge, Arthas. Do this, and you and your champions will be rewarded. The Lich King keeps his word."
"It shall be done, Master, it shall be done. Have you foreseen anything that would aid us?"
"The skull of my wayward once-apprentice Gul'dan was stolen by Tichondrius and will be carried to northern Ashenvale, a forest west of Mount Hyjal. He hopes to use its corruption to drive the creatures of the forest into the mindless ranks of the Burning Legion. Be warned, my champion, Tichondrius will alert his brothers if you attack. Give him either not a moment of breath, or seize the skull by stealth. Alternatively, I have foreseen that you will come across a demon hunter named Illidan. He has sought power his whole life. Use it against him, and he may be of some aid."
"Tichondrius will not survive, My Lord. This much I can guarantee."
The connection ended abruptly. It was clear then; they had work to do. And he best do it fast while they all remained certain in their loyalties. He did not wish to fight the Legion and Sylvanas at the same time.
He found the others with haste, them having left to not disturb him, and revealed to them what must be done. "The Lich King wishes us to go to Kalimdor. It is there we must foil the Legion."
"Nordrassil." Sylvanas said confidently. "If the Legion marches West, then their goals are twofold. Revenge against the Kaldorei for the War of the Ancients, and to seek after Nordrassil, the World Tree."
"I know of Quel'dorei, your people, but who are these Kaldorei? Are they another race of elves?"
"The original race." Kel'thuzad interrupted before Sylvanas could respond. "But those details are of no consequence. What matters is that we stop the Legion from achieving its goal."
"The goal," Jaina said, "what is the purpose? Is it destruction of Nordrassil? Or something else? What is the worth of this so-called world tree?"
"It is the single most powerful and pure source of magic on Azeroth, drawing forth power from the Well of Eternity, and the blessings of the Dragon Aspects." Sylvanas explained. "The only thing of similar power was the Sunwell that Prince Arthas used to create Kel'Thuzad."
"They'll want that power, then." Jaina concluded. "We must stop them."
Kel'thuzad's teleportation spell deposited them in the forests of Ashenvale. Jaina was impressed. Intercontinental teleportation was strenuous enough, but one that carried three people? That was indeed impressive. It seemed she had some catching up to do. The Lich himself had stayed back to recover, and to scour places of the Legion's destruction in hopes of raising the dead to bolster their own ranks for when their group would inevitably need reinforcements.
"The Lich King told me that we should find a powerful artifact in the northern part of the forest, and a possible ally." Arthas said as he looked around. "But we appear to have made it here ahead of the Legion. That artifact will appear there only when Tichondrius does."
"Are we to wait and prepare traps here then?" Sylvanas asked. "That seems counterproductive if we seek the Legion to claim the northern part of this forest."
"And we can't move outside the forest." Jaina commented. "We don't know where Legion will start their invasion. But if they are after the World Tree, they'll have to come through here."
"There's also the issue of these Kaldorei." Arthas said. "They do not expect us, certainly, but we can hardly walk in their lands without ever coming into contact."
"Well, then we'll just have to kill them." Sylvanas said a bit too quickly. Jaina remembered that there was bad blood between her and someone called 'Stormrage'. But, surely, it did not extend to the entirety of his race?
An ugly smile grew on Arthas' face. It reeked of malice. "You are certainly eager for slaughter, Sylvanas. Are you finally embracing your nature?"
"Unfortunately, Prince Arthas, you will be disappointed. It's merely a slightly less than 10 thousand year old animosity between us Quel'dorei, and the Kaldorei. Besides, there is a bigger purpose behind this action."
Jaina couldn't figure out what Sylvanas had in mind, and from the looks of it, neither could Arthas. What Jaina could figure out, however, was that Sylvanas felt very smug right now. She was practically radiating her satisfaction at getting one over Arthas. Petty, but in her situation, Jaina could probably sympathize.
"Don't make me ask." Arthas warned, as he lifted his hand in a familiar gesture. Sylvanas grew a tiny self-satisfied smile. She had won this battle, it seemed. "We are concealing ourselves as agents of the Burning Legion, correct?"
"We are. What's your point?"
"What better way to 'serve' our 'demon masters' than to prepare the way for their coming? If they see us among the bodies of their enemies, they'll be reassured of our loyalties if they harbored any doubts."
"Our job is to destroy the Legion, Sylvanas, not to aid their march to the World Tree." Jaina interjected. Neither of her friends would be persuaded by pleas to morality, and in time maybe that would be her thoughts as well, so she appealed to reason.
"No... Sylvanas is right." Arthas commented. "True, we do not wish to help the Legion, but the number of dead would be something we can control. There's no reason to make the Legion's job too easy. That's if it even aids them at all. We could raise the dead for our eventual betrayal. We're the ones that stand to benefit here most of all."
"And that's not all." Sylvanas added. "If the Legion is too overconfident in their success, the protections they'll leave here will be minimal. And our eventual treason that more unexpected."
Arthas' expedition stayed in Ashenvale for almost two weeks. They were uneventful. Any elves that would come across them would be killed. Sylvanas spent her days hunting; sometimes animals, other times Kaldorei. Whether she specifically sought them out, or if it were just the ones she encountered in her hunts, Jaina wasn't sure. As for herself, she spent her time with Arthas. They sat in front of campfire reminiscing over old times and conversing. Their task was morbid, but by the Light, she was grateful for these moments.
Sylvanas' ears perked. Her head turned south. Arthas pierced the campfire with his Frostmourne, killing the flame, and stood up. He walked besides Sylvanas, so that she was to his left. Jaina approached Arthas' right.
"Greetings, Lord Archimonde, Tichondrius." Arthas said.
"You...You are the Lich King's Death Knight, are you not?"
It seemed that the Demon Lord remembered him after all. Such an honor. As much as it pained him, now was the time for theatrics. Archimonde could not be allowed to suspect them.
"Yes, great one. I am Arthas, first of the Lich King's Death Knights. My party has gone ahead and cleared the way for your arrival."
"You! What are you doing here, Human?" Tichondrius interrupted instead. "The Scourge was to advance with the invasion force, not independently."
Archimonde eyed him warily, and Arthas smiled internally. At last, Tichondrius will be of some use to his plans. He bowed his head just a bit in a show of respect that he did not feel. "Apologies, but I received no orders from you. As you very well know, you left Dalaran with Lord Archimonde with haste. Neither you, nor any of your kind saw fit to give us any instructions."
The gaze of Archimonde was now on Tichondrius. Arthas rather suspected that their new 'master' did not appreciate failure irrespective of who caused it. But, as much as he itched to try and have Tichondrius killed, his death could wait. "Considering the circumstances, the Lich King bid us to come here, ahead of the Legion's advance, to ensure an easier passage for you, Lord Archimonde."
He waved his hand further to the right, drawing Archimonde and his guard's attention towards the pile of Night Elf bodies laying some way from their camp.
"You have done...well, Death Knight. You will accompany us further. One of the Legion's old enemies was recently slain, but two more live still. Once they are in our possession, their pitiful race will fail to defend this land."
"Then they will die, Lord Archimonde, as all the enemies of the Legion have. We are yours to command, great one."
Archimonde looked him in the eye, and Arthas felt a link established. It felt different than the way he communed directly with his Master, but he quickly realized it all the same. In a moment he felt more power than ever before, then weaker than he had ever been. He saw the death of countless words, and the new beginnings under the brutal occupation of the Burning Legion. He saw- "Fool!" the voice of his Master, the Lich King, rung in his head as a sharp, terrible pain seized his mind. "Do not fall for his distractions! I will shield your mind from his probe, but you must redirect him. NOW!"
Clarity beset him. He could feel that his Master was truthful. Archimonde was attempting to read his mind, to confirm that there was no treachery, that they could be trusted. He summoned furry to meet the attack. It did not stop it, nor was it meant to. The rage he was feeling will help sell the 'honesty' he hoped. He thought back to a memory, and his Master drew it out for Archimonde's gaze.
He was back in Dalaran, in deep conversation with the Lich King. He heard his words clear as day.
"You must follow the Burning Legion to Kalimdor. It is there they will attempt their final victory over Azeroth." Yes, he remembered that. But he need not remember everything. The Lich King, it seemed agreed. Imperceivably, the words of his Master flew into a next sentence. "Do this, and you and your champions will be rewarded. The Lich King keeps his word."
He heard his own voice now. "It shall be done, Master, it shall be done. Have you foreseen anything that would aid us?" His Master spoke again in the memory.
"The skull of my wayward once-apprentice Gul'dan was stolen by Tichondrius and will be carried to northern Ashenvale, a forest west of Mount Hyjal. He hopes to use its corruption to drive the creatures of the forest into the mindless ranks of the Burning Legion."
He pulled back sharp, and bowed his head. The connection broke. If he had failed there...the next words would have earned death for him and his company. There were only two questions that remained. Had Archimonde noticed the jump? Had he found the end suspicious?
"We are wasting time here." Archimonde suddenly declared.
He departed, and Tichondrius and the two Doom Guards followed. Arthas did not dare breathe a sigh of relief. He motioned for Jaina and Sylvanas to follow.
For three hours, Lord Archimonde had them chasing after these elusive enemies of the Legion. They kept catching glimpses of the enemy. Thankfully, all living make a fatal mistake. They chased the enemy into the foothills of Mount Hyjal with no escape. Arthas finally beheld their enemy. These 'night elves' were certainly different. Their pale lavender skin looked as unnatural as their Undead blue did. Unbidden he glanced back at Sylvanas. He could see the similarities. The Doom Guards advanced and killed two of the three Elves. Proudly, though he had done nothing at all, Tichondrius marched ahead waving his clawed hand at the clearing.
"You see, Lord Archimonde? We need not fear the night elves. The Scourge can-"
The remaining living woman gasped. "Archimonde... After ten thousand years, how is it possible?"
The demon lord chuckled. It was full of malice and foreboding. "The Legion has returned to consume this world, woman. And this time, your troublesome race will not stop us."
The woman simply disappeared. Arthas blinked. He had not sensed any magic. He glanced at Jaina and she was just as confused as him. It seemed, that the undead weren't the only ones taken aback. Archimonde roared in fury and in one attack killed one of his guards.
"Fools! You let her slip away! Find her, damn you! Find her and kill her!"
A sound of an arrow hitting wood echoed in the forest. When they turned to look at it, they saw Sylvanas had managed to cross the distance already. Soon whatever invisibility had befallen their Kaldorei opponent shattered.
"Prince Arthas," Sylvanas said with a fake deference, "I have caught the intruder." a dagger was pressed to the throat of the living woman. "What are your orders?"
They were all taken aback, but none more so than the captive. "How? No mortal can see us when we meld with the shadows!"
"I am no mortal, Whisperwind." Sylvanas said calmly. "Kaldorei are not the only people who have a claim to the shadows. We, Quel'dorei, have a claim to these ancient shadows. We can see through your shadowmeld almost as readily as any of your Kaldorei sisters."
"Have you learned nothing from the War of the Ancients!? Countless of our people died to prevent Sargeras from entering this world! And now...you Highborne return to serve the Legion?"
"Your orders, Prince Arthas?" Sylvanas repeated through clenched teeth. He recognized the rage in her eyes. This was not a great place for that.
"Bring her with us." he turned to regard Tichondrius and Archimonde. "By your leave, Lord Archimonde, we shall follow Tichondrius. With one such as he, and the artifact in his possession, surely this woman will be well protected to witness the fall of her people."
Tichondrius seemed to agree with his plan. "It would be an honor, Lord Archimonde. Allow me to secure your prisoner."
Archimonde considered it, and waved them away. "Proceed with your plan, Tichondrius. When you are done corrupting the forest, bring the prisoner to me. It should be in time for her to witness the fall of the World Tree."
Arthas almost laughed. Foolish Tichondrius. This eagerness would be his downfall. He did not even have to kill him now. If this 'Whisperwind' was set free, Archimonde would do the bloody work himself. Still, that may not be reason enough to not indulge.
Tichondrius led his party, and the prisoner, back down the hill, and then to northernmost parts of Ashenvale, to the area he named as Felwood. It is there that he deposited the Skull of Gul'dan, and departed to find a more comfortable position, bringing the prisoner with him, leaving behind only a handful of Undead. Fool. He reached for the Skull, before a familiar hand stopped him.
"What do we know of this item?" Jaina asked.
He quashed the irritation. He had always time for Jaina. "It is the Skull of Gul'dan."
"The orc warlock who opened the Dark Portal?"
"The very same. He was the apprentice of our Master, and in death his powers will aid our goals. Tichondrius stole it from the same vault we stole the Book of Medivh from."
"What else did the Lich King tell you?"
"Only that Tichondrius would alert his kind if he is attacked. If you can keep him from contacting the Legion, I can kill him, with the skull or without." he paused. "Actually, I may need him for one more thing. Prepare the spell and come meet me."
The spell was soon prepared. It would prevent Tichondrius from connecting to anyone with his mental powers, and block any teleportation he might wish to cast. If she'll have to fight, the spell would not last long, but that was perfectly alright. The three of them will hopefully make short work of the dreadlord, and with Skull of Gul'dan boosting their powers, Tichondrius' chances fell further still.
Sylvanas and her quickly found Arthas who was in conversation with Tichondrius. After seeing her quick nod, he lunged at him. The demon was not fast enough to dodge the attack, but managed to move his body so Frostmourne pierced his clawed hand instead. He roared in pain, and exploded into a mass of bats that retreated some distance before reforming into his grotesque form.
"The Lich King sends his regards, Tichondrius." Arthas said mockingly. "You have no idea how much I'll enjoy this."
Jaina connected them all to the Skull's power. She gasped. This power...it was exhilarating. She had never felt so alive, so powerful, so capable. The power whispered to her in unintelligible tongue. She- She shook her head clear of distractions. The Skull would not cloud her goal. She had dealt with great powers before.
"Pathetic mortal filth! We should have never trusted you, or your pitiful failure of a master! You'll rue the day you dared to betray the Legion!"
He waved his left hand and a green wave of Fel magic shot out at Arthas. She saw within it creatures of some kind. She called up a wall of ice to shield Arthas, as Sylvanas flew past her at Tichondrius. Arthas slashed with Frostmourne, and the wall of ice slid along the ground to the dreadlord. As he jumped left to avoid it, Jaina sent a powerful beam of ice at him. Mighty green fel flames burst from the ground and absorbed her attack. He cried out again, and staggered as an elven arrow pierced his eye from the back. Sylvanas wasn't done yet, as the arrow exploded, leaving a massive gory hole where the left side of his face once was.
They relaxed. It was over then. Now all they-
Tichondrius leapt at Arthas, and slashed at him, catching him unaware. The blow was weak, as if the body was acting out like a headless chicken on its last pair of legs. To their horror, before their very eyes, Tichondrius' face reformed.
"That..." he gasped out. "Was close. You almost had me, you damned wrenches. But us Nathrezim are above you mortals! When we strike, we steal the life of our enemies!"
He transformed into a swarm of bats again to make distance. Arthas cast his large effect Death Coil spell; she cast a Blizzard; and Sylvanas unleashed a barrage of her magical arrows. Suffice to say, Tichondrius' health was stolen back, he was battered by ice, and was pierced more than a pin cushion.
He collapsed on the ground gasping. He waved his hands, and the area was suddenly bathed in darkness.
"Why!?" his voice sounded desperate after a moment. "Why won't the infernals respond? Why does the Legion ignore me?"
She felt his teleportation crash against her teleportation-blocking barriers. They held. For now.
"WHY!?"
There was one final gasp of pain, as they heard two arrows pierce him. As the darkness began to disappear, she saw one arrow piercing the dreadlord's head, and one pinning him in place through the stomach.
"Look at that, Jaina." Arthas said in a voice that was far too happy to be genuinely offended. "If we don't keep up, we might end up playing second fiddle to Sylvanas." He again looked at the now deadlord, and smiled again. "Serves that bastard right."
They all turned to look at the Undead guarding the female elven prisoner. The Undead knew better than to interfere, and the woman was both bound and gagged.
"And here lies the last witness of our little rebellion." Arthas said in a faux musing tone. "Whatever shall we do with you?"