//------------------------------// // "The Betrayer of Humanity... and Equestria" // Story: The Crystal Vizier // by Lich-Lord Krosis //------------------------------// Kel'Thuzad's form floated on the precipice of the cliff overlooking the vast tundra, his segmented robes fluttering in the glacial winds of the Frozen North. He gazed over the barren landscape, surprised by how much it reminded him of... home. Northrend. Icecrown. As much as he hated being a slave to Arthas, his favorite memories were of wandering the frozen wastes of Icecrown, before the scarring of war and slaughter brought an end to the peaceful surface of the glacier. He had spent the last few years of his life in that tundra, training under the spiteful and abusive Ner'Zhul before his departure for Lordaeron. Of the two, he always preferred Arthas. While he was stupid, brash, and arrogant at times, he was actually quite enjoyable to be around. Sylvanas was a bore, always secretly sulking about her forced resurrection, and most of the other necromancers or commanders were either too busy with their duties, or were too afraid of the lich to approach him for a chat. So he spent many sleepless nights around a fire with Arthas, talking about life before the Scourge, and told the young prince battle stories about the First War. Yes, Arthas was... a friend. Well, before he ascended to the Frozen Throne, and absorbed Ner'Zhul's soul, anyway... But, even after one of his only friends was seemingly gone, Arthas seemed to be more... lenient with him. He was the only person that could give the Lich King brutally honest advice on a plan or stratagem, without his soul being ripped from his body, anyway. Regardless, he attempted to the end to guide his king to the best of his ability... ......... He swore that he felt the last blow connect with Arthas' back, shattering his spine from the force, before knocking the Helm of Domination from his head as he toppled to the ground. He was marshaling the remainders of the Scourge forces in the lower regions of Northrend, to attack the crusade from behind. He knew not his relationship with the Helm, or whether he was tied to it somehow, but he felt Arthas take his last breath. In truth, he was... conflicted. By that time, he was all but driven by rage to avenge his master... But he also saw this as an opportunity to be... free. Finally. Utterly. ......... He still ordered the counterattack. The Scourge, while battered, were far from depleted. One thing that kept the undead above the living was stamina. They never tired. Never slept. He left the Four Horsemen with direct orders. Retake Icecrown, and recover the Helm of Domination. He was to travel to Karazhan to make use of the crypt's... resources... ......... Only now, after talking with his life-long friend, Baron Titus Rivendare, did he realize the scope of their attack, and just how successful it was. Icecrown Citadel WAS retaken. All inside were slain. Highlord Tirion Fordring was among the first to fall. He was mighty, according to Titus. But he fell like grass before a scythe, the old and tired paladin succumbing to the sheer magnitude of the Scourge forces attacking the comparatively pathetic and weathered force from behind, effectively trapping them within the Citadel. Muradin Bronzebeard was next, hopelessly trying to stem the swarm at the end of the hall to Lord Marrowgar's chamber with a handful of wounded and sickly soldiers. Garrosh, Son of Grommash Hellscream, was slain by Rivendare's own blade, the orc having been wounded beforehand in a skirmish while taking the citadel. Once they reached the Frozen Throne... they found... her... Jaina... Jaina was seen trying to ferry the few squires and soldiers she could through a hastily constructed portal to Dalaran. She took a blast of necrotic magic to the back as she entered the portal. ......... Only now did he know why a hastily structured and warded ice wall easily kept the Archmage at bay... She was wounded... ......... Kel'Thuzad snorted, looking up to the large full moon. "I... I'm sorry, Kel." "It... it wasn't your fault, Shining." Kel'Thuzad responded, looking slightly to the left, the huge stallion making little to no sound as he slowly trotted to his side, sitting down next to him. "The Helm is to blame for your actions, not you." he added. "I know..." Shining kicked the snow bank they stood upon lightly, disrupting the peaceful pile of frost. "It keeps telling me to... to..." "Kill?" Kel'Thuzad finished. Shining nodded, shifting lightly to take Frostmourne from it's enchanted leather ring, a gift from Kel'Thuzad to make it easier to keep on him at all times. With a grunt of exertion, the stallion telekinetically impaled the blade into the ground beside him, the sword obviously happy to his eyes. It seemed... weird. Normally Shining hated carrying weapons on his person, and before Frostmourne would more likely than not carry a small ceremonial dagger or shortsword instead of a full blade. But Frostmourne... Frostmourne was different. For once, he almost felt like the blade... understood him. It wasn't a malevolent and evil presence, constantly egging him on to commit violent and unspeakable acts like the Helm of Domination. It was a friend, a loyal companion that accompanied him everywhere nowadays. When he was dealing with the struggles of running a kingdom, or was just generally stressed during paperwork, it's heavy weight and cool touch on his side provided... comfort. "You've grown attached to the blade, I see." Kel'Thuzad chuckled. Shining turned quickly to Kel, an invisible blush gracing his white face. His face quickly turned to panicked, as if he was afraid of the lich intervening, taking his blade. Kel'Thuzad just chuckled. "It's all right. No harm can come to the Lich King when using the weapon." he smirked as the prince sighed in relief. "Besides, Frostmourne is more than content to be back in it's master's hands... er... hooves. Taking it away from you would cause much more harm than good." Shining nodded, thinking back to the stallion he had murdered barely three hours before. "Kel'Thuzad?" Shining asked, his ivory muzzle turning to his friend. "Yes?" "He... he wasn't... evil, was he?" Shining asked. Kel'Thuzad winced at the question, but recovered quickly not wanting to keep the prince waiting any more than necessary. ......... "No." Kel'Thuzad sighed, his mouth opening just barely to utter the word. "No he was not. He wasn't even a changeling, either..." Shining nodded. "How... how did you..." Shining began. Kel'Thuzad turned quickly to him. "His blood wasn't green." Kel confirmed. "When a changeling dies, it's illusion powers seem to... freeze. Thus, it will keep the form it's in post-mortem, but will still have the inner organs and flesh of a changeling." he sighed. "I... he told me that they told him... something." Shining began. Kel'Thuzad turned his body to the stallion, quite obviously asking for more information. "He said... they told him something." "I see..." Kel'Thuzad responded, already deep in thought. While many would probably benefit from having a monarch assassinated, the peculiar circumstances of both parties involved in the attempted murders of both his king AND queen alarmed the lich. Whoever was behind them, they obviously were a skilled magician or sorcerer, as they had been able to mask both the presence of a changeling... ......... "And a revenant..." "What?" Shining asked, his muzzle looking up from the valley of snow and ice. "The stallion you killed, he was already dead." Kel'Thuzad explained. Shining looked to the mage with obvious confusion, before the lich sighed in minor annoyance. "Shining, when you killed him, did he have a soul?" ......... "Yes. Frostmourne... stole it." he sheepishly explained. Kel'Thuzad nodded, theories and questions racing through his hollow skull. "Shining, did you notice if he breathed or not?" the necromancer asked. "Yes, he did. I choked him with powers I've never used before..." Kel'Thuzad nodded, his eyes lighting up with interest. ......... For once, he was stumped. He could never imagine not recognizing a simple necromantic creature. If it was necromantic in nature, he would have either seen it, or felt it. Whomever was behind this... creature, he applauded their brilliance. They had stumped possibly the most knowledgeable necromancer on both Equus AND Azeroth... ......... Unless... "His soul was artificial." Shining came to the conclusion on his own, which surprised the archlich. Kel'Thuzad turned to the stallion, a question on the tip of his metaphorical tongue as Shining continued. "When Frostmourne... stole it, it felt more... more..." Shining began, attempting to find the right word. "Hollow?" Kel'Thuzad sighed. "Yes. Fake, hollow. Synthetic, even..." Shining explained. Kel'Thuzad continued to crank his mind's gears, but that grinded to a halt when he realized the implications of Shining's previous words. "Shining... have you..." "Yes, Kel'Thuzad. I've killed with Frostmourne other than tonight and Nightmare, what of it?" he snapped, catching the lich off-guard at the hostility in his voice. Shining glared at his archmage, before sighing, a breath he didn't know he was holding blowing out of his dormant chest. ......... "I... I'm sorry Kel'Thuzad. For everything." Shining began, his eyes boring into the lich's. Kel'Thuzad shrugged. "It's not your fault, Shining." he breathed in and out shakily turning to look out over the valley once more. "I've been a murderer for a looong time, Shining." ......... "And a liar..." "Kel, I did it, not..." "Shining, for once, I have an order for you." Kel'Thuzad boldly claimed, his form turning to face the stallion. Shining looked surprised for a moment, before smirking, bowing to the lich. "Very well, your majesty." the stallion joked, much to the amusement of the lich. "Henceforth, I killed those foals, Shining. You have your entire life ahead of you. You have a beautiful wife, a loving family, and friend's that would sacrifice anything for you." Kel'Thuzad clasped his hands to his chest. "Me included. You've given me my life back, Shining." Kel'Thuzad reached forward, grabbing one of Shining's hooves, which he clasped in his hands. "Don't throw away your life for an old man." he smiled. Shining nodded, obviously deep in thought. Kel'Thuzad cracked his neck, turning to look to the horizon, where the sun was just peaking over the mountains, bathing the valley in it's serene glow. "Now... enough talk of murder and sorrow." Kel'Thuzad laughed, Bloodsurge already slicing a path to the throne room of the Crystal Palace. "Go home and sleep with your wife. We will talk of this... stallion, at a later time." Shining nodded, retrieving Frostmourne from it's icy position, before marching past his archmage. Kel'Thuzad sheathed Bloodsurge, preparing to follow. Of all the crimes I've committed, all the lives I've helped to end... this was by far the worst. He sighed, turning to float through the portal, his mind drifting to several hours ago, at the party. To the scene that would stay with him to the grave. ......... A sobbing, hysterical mother once again stood before him, two lifeless, horribly decayed pieces of blackened and brownish flesh cradled in her forelegs, wishing life back into them. For the first time in a long time, Kel'Thuzad hadn't known what to say.