Am I my brother's Keeper? [Magina and Terrorblade]

[kennotlah]

Act 4 Scene 6

They went to the underground steppes, both not even betraying a word to each other.

Terrorblade was deep in thought. The harrowing sound of ghostly premonitions hung about him.

"All hail the Captain of the Sentinels. I am he. What did they mean by mighty General? And general of what? Hordes of undead, or legions of warriors?"

He felt the graveyard chill buffet his face.

"Are these visions of the future or mad hallucinations?"

There was no answer, he decided instead to store them away. There was a more important task at hand.

When they reached the top of the hill, half a day had gone by.
The underground hill was barren and desolate. There was no view of the sky. Only domed rock with jagged spires hung over their heads. There was something on the top of the hill that gave Terrorblade pause.

“Who is this?” he scowled, speaking at long last. There was the skeletal remains of a long deceased elf laid out on a wicked altar engraved with evil runes.

A mixing bowl of ground bone and vials of marrow were drenched in blood and brain.

“One of our warriors, a spy and an archer. In life he was known as the Fletcher, betrayer of his kind. But in undeath, all are brethren under the sway of the Scourge. He will rise to serve us again.”

“So? Is this the help you are offering me? Necromancy? I cannot use magic."

Kel'thuzad shot him a quick knowing look. Terrorblade felt exposed.

"Very well, It is elementary actually, Terrorblade. You can do it even if you are not like your brother, Magina." Kel'thuzad emphasised the names.

Inwardly, Terrorblade gulped. He was caught. He lied that he was "Magina the Terrorblade" to pretend that he was insane.

"Fine, what do you propose, Lich?"

“You can use your powers to bring him back. Actually your talent for drudic life force control is applicable here. Except that you need to go further. The dead do not just need life, they need a driver in the vehicle called their body. You need to either install a spirit in your thrall or you could just take a shortcut and bind their will to yours. Very practical. Some even view it as an alternative form of healing.”

Something inside him argued that it was reprehensible. But Terrorblade pushed it down. Kel'thuzad was a sly snake. Shrewdest of all wild creatures.

"Did your Father really teach you not to learn from any branch of magic?"

"Of course I can learn from any branch of magic! He allows Magina to use the arcane artes," Terrorblade replied, "It is only the forbidden artes like necromancy. For my Father has told me not to practice or even go near such artes for they will destroy me."

"You won't be destroyed. Your father knows your eyes will be opened once you learn of this arte. You will be like him, wielding great power. You can have the power to raise an army. This power is right in front of you! Yours for the taking!"

Terrorblade was hesitant.

“This...reprehensible act... For her safety, it means nothing. But...”

The lich's gaze turned expectant.

“I don't know how to reanimate the dead...” Terrorblade ended, his face inscrutable.

The Lich exhaled a freezing sigh of relief.

“No matter. I will guide your powers,” Kel'thuzad waved his skeletal hand dismissively.

Bile rising up to his throat, Terrorblade stood over the mangled body and tried raising his hands.

“This is disgusting,” he shivered.

“That is just mere misunderstanding between the living and the undying. We are not agents of death. Rather, we encourage life after death,” so spake the undead lich, his fraudulent temptation thus began.

“No sorrow from loss. No suffering from pain. No fear of unfulfilled desires. This is power of necromancy. It is the bridge between the mortal and immortal,”
Kel'thuzad whispered with honeyed words.

“I do not care for it. I just have to save her,” the night elf said, turning his back.

Inside, he was trembling with excitement. This was fascinating stuff. It was too creepy, but he was still curious. What was this magic?

“So you shall have her back. After this little task. Quid pro quo my young friend. The exchange one thing for the another,” Kel'thuzad persuaded.


"How do I start?"

"Simple, search inside yourself. There is a well of power inside you. Waiting to be drawn."

The elf scowled and began searching inside himself for power. He found it and began to draw upon it.

Steadily, power began flowing out from him. Magical energies of a very potent form.

However there was not enough power in himself only.

"I don't have enough." He breathed deeply.

"Then use the skills you demonstrated when you tried to heal your brother. On that battle that day."

"Are you a fool Lich? If you saw that, then you know that it didn't work!"

Poor poor Terrorblade, you do not know the truth after all. The Lich thought.

"Then use your much vaunted druidic teachings. It will give you power need."

Terrorblade tried to use his druidic skills. He communicated with the earth, asking the old things to lend him their strength. They were stubborn. In frustration, he tried to persuade the great winds, but the winds would not heed him. He spoke out to the little beings that crawled the underground. They were too busy living to care.

Terrorblade snapped.

"Let me have the strength to save her!"

He reached out and stripped the living things of their life. For miles around, worms, beetles, fungi and all manner of blind underground creatures slumped over and died. Their lives stripped away by Terrorblade in his need. The power of their tiny lives gathered all about him.

"Ho ho, excellent. You have grasped the ability to manipulate souls."

Raw primal forces of life built up inside his body. His breath quickened. Driven by curiousity and desire, Terrorblade brushed his hand over the stream of energy pooling about him. It electrified his every senses.

Then he sucked deeply of the energies.

The very core of his body rocked with the sheer volume of power he was taking in. He gritted his teeth to control it. He was inflamed with a bestial delight. There is so much power, he can do anything.

Everything was for his to take with such might he possesses. He would have no lack food or women to sate his appetite. He would have entire kingdoms bow before his armies. He would be honoured among his peers when he and his armies destroy this broken world.

"Yes! Yes! Absolute power!" Terrorblade exulted in bestial esctasy. His neck veins popped from the exertion. sweat broke out from his forehead.

He shuddered violently as stolen energies violently erupted from him. Leaving him feeling terribly spent and desperately craving for more. The ejected energies entwined themselves about Terrorblade himself, like a harlot's embrace.

The shape of the young elf was shrouded in shadowy magicks.

“Good, I will start to create a web of spellwork about the subject. Each would-”

Without his direction, Terrorblade grasped necromancy even better than he expected. Like a conductor of an orchestra, he swirled and turned around the
complex energies with great ease.

All obeyed him docilely and they formed a complex matrix of power aimed at reanimating the corpse.

The skeletal lich watched in amazement.

Terrorblade was no longer animating the dead corpse of the Fletcher. he was wrenching the foul soul of the criminal spy back from the maws of Death and plunging it back into its corpse.

Instead of creating a mindless puppet, the elf had brought back a thinking and living being in the corpse and made it a thrall to his purposes.

Only the Lich King had the power to do that.

Then Terrorblade cried out. A wave of power came out from his body. All about the altar, the dead clawed their way out from their rest. Evil dark powers had animated them. Five thousand dead bodies were brought out from their graves under the dark will of Terrorblade.

The Fletcher got up, cricking and cracking, like it was a thousand years since it stretched those bones. Its eyes burned with evil fires of necromantic
thrall.

The dead archer got up, strung an arrow into a bow, aimed it at Kel'thuzad and let it go with a loud twang!

Kel'Thuzad gave a yelp as the arrow went through his midnight-blue armour. He plucked it out and cast it aside.

“What is the meaning of this?” Kel'thuzad demanded icily. Even though he could not be harmed by such an arrow, but the impertinence of the young elf was wearing him thin.

“If you even dare cross me once – Bone Clinkz here would put you out of your misery,” Terrorblade narrowed his eyes.

“Very well,” the Lich bowed regally.

"What now?" Terrorblade demanded.

"What else could it be? You upheld the end of your bargain, now my turn. Quid Pro Quo. Quid Pro Quo."

Kel'thuzad led the way into the deep maze of passages. When his young charge was distracted, Kel'thuzad stealthily drew out a small orb and activated it.

"Is he the one?"

“He is the one we have always hoped for,” Kel'thuzad reported to his master.

[kennotlah]

@strangekid: TH was not intended. typed too fast.
@crisiscore: its not imaginary. the fights at the very least.
@mortality: thanks for reading

[Strange_Kid]

You present the event nicely, but (maybe its just me) i have trouble imagining the environment. He is in an underground hill with an altar on its top. Then later five thousand dead guy rises around the hill? where is this maze?

[Jonmcdonald]

I love this story so much. I can't wait for you to write more.

MOAR

[Cr1s1sCore]

+1

[Dyrffej]

Wow this story just keeps getting better and better..

[Mortality11]

@Ken:Looks like you got more followers besides me and the Kiddo we always see on the FFnL section

[Strange_Kid]

well there are at least twice more readers beside the one posting (include the lurkers and the guest. its just matter of time until they decide to post something (i lurk for a year or so before register here)

[Yuri Bakura]

Originally Posted by Strange_Kid

well there are at least twice more readers beside the one posting (include the lurkers and the guest. its just matter of time until they decide to post something (i lurk for a year or so before register here)

I guess I will post something as a sign of respect or gratitude for the author.


MOAAAAAR

[kennotlah]

Act 4 Scene 7

Kel'thuzad observed Terrorblade's naked thirst at refining his skills like a lion that stalks its prey. The young elf already tried to get his minions to form up in most predictably a military formation.

The degenerate being chuckled. "What an ape-like fool, Terrorblade is."

Kel'thuzad took great pleasure with such fools, for they are so easy to manipulate. He had an apprentice who deserted him and the entire Enclave of Necromancers. Armed with the dark magicks, the treacherous apprentice took over a town and proclaiming himself as its leader. Like most cult leaders or dictators, Kel'thuzad's disgraceful apprentice went on to hoard wealth and collect women in great quantities.

Then the foolish apprentice had ambitions. One town was not enough. The dark mage Kel'thuzad groomed had insatiable lust and he rushed to conquer entire cities.

One law of life remained constant, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Heroes came to save the day.

Kel'thuzad pointed well-meaning adventurers and Dalaran mages in his treasonous apprentice's direction. In the chaos of fighting, Kel'thuzad rid himself of a disgrace and managed to advance his other long-term plans.

Terrorblade can only serve his plans, willingly or unwillingly.

All of a sudden, Terrorblade shot him a quick look. The undead slowly crept around him, trying to form a trap while Clinkz, the Bone Fletcher readied itself. Kel'thuzad almost laughed. Terrorblade's intent was so transparent. The young elf actually intended to threaten the Lich.

The dread lich took a haughty glance at the undead forces arrayed against him. Though the tunnel was wide, there was simply no room for escape. The dread lich channeled frost magicks into his fingertips. A dread aura encompassed his horrid frame as the lich turned around to face his young protege.

"What are you doing?" Kel'thuzad rebuked Terrorblade with a hint of derision in his voice. Amateurish weakling, they exulted in possessing such a great power as they wield. But even they would recognise greater power when they saw one.

Terrorblade hid his guilty hands, tainted with stench of foul magicks. His face was flushed, like a young boy caught doing something naughty.

"Nothing, just testing out something. Except for the company, the dead are poor in conversation." Terrorblade tried to sound as indifferently as he could. He looked away once, and shot the lich a suspicious glance when the lich turned.

They moved on, following the trail of Abaddon with great haste. Terrorblade and his undead army went with Kel'thuzad. They chased down the tracks through long serpertine tunnels. Abaddon's retinue was sloppy. Evidence of their encampment were plentiful. Marks of demonic hooves were found as well as abandoned food.

Terrorblade examined the traces. "Curses. They are travelling as if the hounds of hell are upon them."

"Abaddon's cruel will eggs them on. He must know we are hot on his heels. They break for the surface of the Plaguelands far earlier than expected."

"Why?"

"They must be headed for the coast to Northrend by. There they will take the ships. If Akasha gets to Northrend, there is no hope of rescuing her quietly."

"Then we must not tarry." Terrorblade said with gritted teeth. Terrorblade trudged on. His strength was drained after unceasing hours of running. Even with his elvish physique, Terrorblade could not keep running without rest. His violet visage had gone pale and his lips were chaffed. Though he was a soldier, his feet were bloodshod from walking so much.

"It is impossible to catch up to them."

"I must still go, she may die!" Terrorblade gritted his teeth and took a wobbly step forward. The young elf tripped over.

"You must rest." Kel'thuzad insisted.

Terrorblade sat down and accepted food and drink from the Lich. Yet he could not enjoy them for he was still worried.

"Do not be worried, even though they are far ahead, their speed will not avail them. I know a shortcut. Under the Sawtooth peaks. The mighty mountain range that looks like a saw to anyone who saw it. Though the arm of the Scourge may be long, it still remains a green mountain to this day. Full of shrubs and young goats. The mountain had such vitality from deep roots in the vast forgotten earth. In that vast forgotten earth, an untapped nexus of mana sits on it. I had a portal built over it for my own use. we will have gained a day and a half to ambush them."

Terrorblade sunk back to the ground and reclined against the cave wall. The young elf was too glad to have some respite from the arduous journey he made.

Once the Lich was sure that his young charge was asleep, the fell being worked his dark sorceries to summon an ancient being. His skeletal fingers pranced about the air in illegible movements and from his mouth, a low sound of ticks and snapping jaws came forth. Evil powers slowly twined the dread lich as it slowly cast the spell of summoning.

"Come...Atrophos, nightmare incarnate. Let Terrorblade dream, of terrible dreams."

A large fiend cloaked in midnight purple came forth with great horrible eyes and devilish claws. It stood over the sleeping figure of Terrorblade and cast its foul magic over him.

Bone Clinkz, archer raised by Terrorblade from the dead stepped up to defend its master. Kel'thuzad was swifter. The horned lich overrode the archer's loyalty and bound it to the Lich. The horned Lich never dared to do that while Terrorblade was awake.

And so, Terrorblade dreamed.

Akasha was with him, happily. Then The image dissolved as she was taken by unseen things. Terrorblade cried out in anger.

Then the dream changed. Akasha was in pain. she was on the Artic Northrend. On her dying lips, they sang his name.

She screamed again.

Terrorblade watched numbly in shock as she was ran through by a huge wicked blade.

The young elf woke up screaming.

"Eh? what's wrong?" Kel'thuzad was quick to give his false comfort.

"She's in danger. I cannot let her die. I saw it in a dream."

"Then, let us hurry. Sawtooth Mountains with great haste. Undead, carry your master."

Most incredibly, the dead, only beholden to their master, heeded Kel'thuzad.

[kennotlah]

Sry, i'm late again. I was finding my files.

@Yuri Bakura: thanks for the reply
@Strange_Kid: thanks for your continued support.Yeah, i noted that setting issue.
@Mortality11: yeah and you too.
@Dyrffej: thanks
@Jonmcdonald: Thanks. Moar soon and for a long time.
@Cr1s1sCore: +1 to you too.

[Strange_Kid]

hmmm.... why clinkz dont do a thing to atropos? didnt he watch terrorblade?

[Mortality11]

@Ken:I love how you reply to everyone individually instead of,shall we say "mass media" style

[Dyrffej]

"Love" the easiest way to bring even the strongest of men to their knees and the purest of souls into darkness.. Excellent work.. Keep going..

[kennotlah]

Act Four Scene 8

O divine Muse, aid me as I describe wonders of the sight young Terrorblade saw that day he clasped his eyes on Sawtooth Mountains.

O woe-struck mountain. You saw the death of a hero. For none slays a hero more so than a hero who slayeth himself.

Dark were those stony spires of Sawtooth Mountains.

Flecked with green and the dotted with goats.

How bitter is such Irony, that in the midst of life, the calls of the murdered rise up to testify bitter betrayal.

The Day before Light Set.

Poem of S.Meyer, Bard of the Elvish (Who incidentally is NOT elvish, but a human lady who tried hard to make it big through scandalous romances and pitieous imitations of good solid literature)

The young elf reclined on a luxurious bed conjured up Kel'thuzad. It was very comfortable. The Lich was not unmindful of the needs of mortals.

To aid his recovery, rich foods were served to his litter. Five times a day he was fed with large loaves of hot bread. Tall cool glasses of nectar wine was by his side. He also accepted flesh forbidden to his people. Already he could feel his body mending.

As long as Terrorblade was willing to overlook the fact that those who hoisted up his litter were the dead.

Kel'thuzad persuaded him that raising more of the dead was to his advantage. It was hard to argue. Steadily, Terrorblade added onto his numbers until the Undead were one thousand five hundred.

Except that it is vile, it is surprisingly useful.

It was comfortable to be waited upon hand and foot. As long as he did not mind the fact that he raised the dead to do his bidding.

Still wrong, but he might as well as use such privileges.

For a day and a half, Terrorblade's train of undead escorted him through the quiet, blight touched tunnels of Johor' Merah. They broke for the surface to see Sawtooth Mountains in the north. The sun setting on the mountain.

"We are here." Kel'thuzad exclaimed.

Terrorblade pulled back the curtains about his litter. The smell of the dead bothered him no more.

A mountain range with jagged top loomed in front of them. At the foot of the mountain was a big village. A human village. A place of wooden fences, a small watchtower and many thatched houses. There was a deathly peace about that place.

Terrorblade realized why. No animals. There was no sight of a village fire or any smoke rising from the chimneys.

"Wait. Why are there people here?" Terrorblade said sharply.

"Oh, some villagers. We never saw the real need to slaughter them. Their dead are a source of soldiers for us." Kel'thuzad said airily.

Panic rose up Terrorblade's chest, "The Portal is in the village square. You told me so yourself! Wouldn't the village attack us? We are their enemies!"

The Lich waved him aside, "Trust me. I actually know what I am doing."

Terrorblade smarted from such an affront. Inwardly he swore to recover his dignity from that arrogant Lich.

Irately, Terrorblade closed the curtains about him. He was still too sore to fight back.

They had barely moved a few more steps before the horned lich threw up his hand in warning. The litter came to a halt.

Terrorblade watched beadily, a human, a commoner in a dirty tunic and mud-crusted leggings made his way before the horned lich. The worm of a man sank to his knees and began jabbering and pointing and drawing on a map. The horned lich towered over the kneeling figure and began nodding in great pleasure.

Without warning, the horned lich took out a heavy bag of coins and tossed it to the commoner. It spilled out and Terrorblade saw a glint of silver before the man's crabby hands clawed them back into his pouch and fled.

Kel'thuzad came up to Terrorblade. His creepy eyes blazing a fervent blue.

"I have information of an ambush waiting for us in the village. Three thousand Alliance soldiers wait there to attack me. No doubt Abaddon tipped them off. It is a good thing I kept a spy in that village."

"Bribery?" Terrorblade frowned upon disapprovingly. "How blood-chilling to know that our own allies sell out their own people so easily."

A dark look passed by the Lich, it was gone too soon.

Very quickly, did Kel'thuzad's pandering words words came out, "The wise Strategist instructed these: Raising a legion of a hundred thousand and marching them over great distances entails heavy drain on the resources of the State and the people. The daily upkeep would amount to a thousand ounces of silver. There will be commotion at home and abroad. As many as seven thousand will be impeded in their labour."

"Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain ignorant of enemy's conditions just because one grudges a hundred ounces of silver. That is the height of inhumanity," Terrorblade ended sourly.

"I see, wisdom still exists among your people. You do read that human's books."

Terrorblade gave him a dark face before moving off.

***

"Are you really sure? Is that one woman really worth it?"

"Absolutely. I don't want to kill them. But I will grant them this mercy. They will all die quickly."

"Nothing personal of course."

"Nothing personal. Just for Akasha."

"Sorry."

***

The fight was over in the matter of hours. The ambush against Terrorblade crumbled before it could even begin.

It was too easy. Nothing much to glorify Terrorblade. The spy told them everything. Locations and names. Methodically and swiftly, one by one, the soldiers hiding in ambush were fell to Terrorblade's sword. Blood ran through the village. The entire ambuscade fell into chaos. Then the dead swarmed them.

Who are they and what are their names?

The first footman slain was Marshall Cormick. He was a huge man who was soldiering to pay for his schooling as a scholar. There was a girl by the name of Lily betrothed to him. Their love was short-lived. His eyes lost their sight when Terrorblade's blade ran through his chest.

Jean Schuman was the youngest and last son of his elderly father, sending the poor man grieving to his deathbed. He would never go back to those green meadows of Theramore Isle. For far was he from his home where sheep would surround him in their gentle meekness.

He found only the undead all around him before they tore him into pieces.

Mortarmen, Wedge and Biggs were twin dwarves. Where they used to mine for metals under deep Ironforge, they found themselves blowing up the undead with their mortars.

They were unfortunate, for their mortar exploded from poorly made gunpowder. As they lay on the sandy ground, covered in their own blood and wailing, the dead ate them alive.

Swift. Brutal. Deadly.

Terrorblade smiled in a cruel twisted sense.

He was winning so easily. It was all because of his strength.

When the dust of the battle settled, Terrorblade called for survivors to interrogate them.

"Bring them before me."

The undead marched in five men, bound from hand to feet. They were knights.

"You are just a night elf! One of these uppity pointy-ears!" one of the bearded knights yelled.

Terrorblade smarted from the comment. Angrily, the night elf speared the offending knight with his own lance.

"Not just any night elf. I was known as the Terrorblade!"

The remaining four of them erupted in argument.

"Terrorblade is dead!"

"What! The son of Stormrage! You cursed cur! What did your father do that his son turns to the dark side?"

"You traitor!"

"Cut them down." Kel'thuzad interrupted.

Blades ran the knights through quickly. They fell over. Their blood poured out on the ground into pools. The undead lapped them up like beasts by a river.

Terrorblade gazed the bloodbath about him. Suddenly he was sickened to his stomach.

"By Elune. What have I done? I am not a mass murderer!" He gripped his blades tightly. Then he saw them, slick in blood and froze. Terrorblade dropped his blades in shock.

"I was not supposed to be a murdering traitor... Oh Elune, what have I done?" he mumbled.

"Well, we cannot waste any time. Akasha? Remember?" Kel'thuzad said sharply. Weakness cannot be permitted. Not in a Scourge's general.

There was a pounding of horse's hooves.

They spun around and saw a human rider riding off as fast as he could.

"Oh dear, one of them slipped our nets." Kel'thuzad said blandly.

The night elf jerked forward. The horned lich stopped him.

"We can't let him bring back news to his people." Terrorblade blurted out suddenly.

"We have no time for this. Open the portal."

[kennotlah]

Its here. thanks for reading.

@Strange_Kid: my bad. fixed. Now you see Clinkz rewired.
@Mortality11: thanks for your support xD Wait for it. it's going to be legen-
@Dyrffej: Thank you for posting.

[Cr1s1sCore]

another nice act, waiting for more news on the good guys

[Jonmcdonald]

Originally Posted by Cr1s1sCore

another nice act, waiting for more news on the good guys

Agreed. A lot of focus on Terrorblade isn't necessarily a bad thing though. The story is going brilliantly.

But still: MOAR

[Cr1s1sCore]

yeah really liking it how lich is making tb evil without him noticing much like saying that the scourge arent evil but that they encourage life after death , and for this act the moment he cuts off the paladin from making terrorblade remember his past.That would have been fatal to lich ;o

[Strange_Kid]

i got a feeling that kel'thuzad is letting that one rider escape ._.

anyway are there no archers in the legion?