Into the Frozen Halls

[Ryanica]

The doors to the Halls of Reflection swung open, small bits of snow and dirt falling all around the troop. It had been a long time since this santuary had been disturbed. Ryanica stepped inside, and sniffed the air around her. Oddly enough, there was no scent of blood or death. The Dark Lady was ahead of her. She nodded in greeting to Ryanica and the others. She stood at the end of the hallway, and ahead was a large circular room. Frostmourne, the King's powerful sword, stood by itself on an alter crowned with skulls.

"Let me know when you are ready, Ryanica. Arthas may not be here, but it would be naive to think that he would leave Frostmourne unguarded entirely." Sylvannas said to the huntress. Ryanica felt a tinge of evil crawl up her spine, and she shivered. Titan growled, and the soldiers readied their weapons.

"My lady... can the sword be removed?" asked a warrior.

Sylvannas walked over to the sword. Before she could pick it up, she gasped and clutched her neck. "Standing this close to the blade that ended my life... The pain... It is renewed. I dare not touch it. Stand back! Stand back as I attempt to commune with the blade! Perhaps our salvation lies within..."

A light appeared before the queen, and a ghostly figure stepped out. It was a human, wearing armor of forgotten kingdoms and a sword at his side. Was this... Arthas, in a past life?

"Careful, girl. I've heard talk of that cursed blade saving us before. Look around you and see what has been born of Frostmourne." the ghost spoke in a soothing, calm voice.

"Uther...Uther the Lightbringer. How..." Sylvannas answered.

While the ghost and the queen spoke, Ryanica turned to look at the hall. Would they ever escape this place? Was this going to be her final resting place?

Do not fear, daughter. You have much more to complete in your life. It will not be here...

Mother! Ryanica turned around rapidly. Nothing. The others looked at her with a strange look.

"You cannot defeat the Lich King. Not here. You would be a fool to try," the ghost, Uther, spoke to Sylvannas. "He will kill those who follow you and raise them as powerful servants of the Scourge. But for you, Sylvanas, his reward for you would be worse than the last."

Ryanica tried to shake her mother's voice out of her head and listen to the conversation. How in the world could they kill this great evil?  
   
"Know this: there must always be a Lich King. Even if you were to strike down Arthas, another would have to take his place, for without the control of the Lich King, the Scourge would wash over this world like locusts, destroying all that they touched."
   
There must always be... a Lich King?

Ryanica... be on your guard.

Uther spoke again, breaking Ryanica's concentration. "Alas, the only way to defeat the Lich King is to destroy him at the place he was created."

The banshee queen spoke. "The Frozen Throne..."

The doors from the other side of the halls flew open then, and a harsh cold wind blew into the room. Uther kneeled down. "ARRRRRRGHHHH... He... He is coming. You... You must..."

"SILENCE, PALADIN!" The deep, menacing voice of the Lich King rang out, and the ghost of Uther disappeared. Arthas came out of the north entrance and stomped toward the group. He withdrew Frostmourne from the alter of skulls. He looked at Ryanica and her friends, his ice-blue eyes glaring at them with cruelty.

"So you wish to commune with the dead? You shall have your wish."

Two giant commanders appeared on the sides of the Hall, larged horned helms covering their heads. "Falric. Marwyn. Bring their corpses to my chamber when you are through." The Lich King commanded, and headed out of the hall from where he came. That didn't stop Sylvannas. She sprinted as fast as she could towards the departing King. "You will not escape me that easily, Arthas! I will have my vengeance!" The doors slammed shut after her, leaving Ryanica and the soldiers with the undead commanders.

Ryanica noticed a powerful feeling in the room. She tried to sense it... it was the souls of the living. She looked up at the ceiling. The souls were moving in a circular motion above them. A few of them slowly dropped to the ground, beside the commanders. Falric shouted "Soldiers of Lordaeron, rise to meet your master's call!" and then the spirits charged towards Ryanica, ready to kill. Ryanica already had her bow ready, and Titan howled, ready to aid his master. The vengeful spirits fell easily, but Falric was a different matter. He swung his sword with great force, and a few of the brave warriors died to the poison blade. Right before his last energy was taken from him, Marwyn jumped in. But they both eventually fell to the group, and the rest of the vengeful spirits faded away, calling out in vain. Ryanica barely had time to recover from the attack when the doors came open again.

Ryanica. Leave. You are in danger here.

Mother's face smiled, at the long end of the hallway.

"We must get out of here. We will die if we do not flee quickly."

They ran down the hall, the sense of danger and death even stronger on them. The priest cried out then, attacked by a spirit. A bone giant lept out as well, and they quickly destroyed it. Ryanica and the others kept going, and soon they could hear the clashing of swords and shouts from the Banshee Queen. They were close. Just as they reached the dueling pair, Sylvannas was knocked back by the Lich King, and he charged for her. Using her dark bow, Arthas was held back in a binding shadow. The Dark Lady gasped for breath as her troops met her.

"Yet again, vengeance slips through my grasp. It's hard to believe how much stronger he's gotten," she grumbled, getting back on her feet. She turned to look at her brave soldiers.

"It was foolish of you to come for me, but it's good to know that there are still some champions of the Horde who aren't useless cowards. The information Uther gave us may well be key to finally killing Arthas, though it is becoming more and more clear that the Horde will not be able to accomplish this on their own."

"Quick! He is breaking through! We must get out while we still can!" The warrior called out. Sylvannas nodded, and they ran out of the opening near Arthas, onto an icy ledge. Bones and ice-covered chains lay everywhere. They ran up the ledge, having nowhere else to go. Ryanica's heart beat loudly in her, and she could hear mother's voice.

Run... do not let them catch you...

Ryanica cried out then, and fell to the ground. Her ankle was gripped by a ghoul, and its claws were slowly digging into her skin. From the corner of her eye, she saw the King come out and, with a turn of his evil sword, summoned more minions. Titan bit off the ghoul's head with one powerful snap of his jaws and Ryanica was able to get herself up. The Lich King was coming after them faster now. She jumped onto Titan's back, and the worg dashed up the ledge to aid the others.

"I will not make the same mistake again, Sylvanas. This time there will be no escape. You will all serve me in death!" The Lich King's command sent a chill down her spine. As Ryanica and Titan reached the others, Sylvannas had successfully broken down the ice wall, and the troop continued to ran. They did not get far when another ice barrier came up again, blocking their way. From the reflection on the ice, the King and his army were not far behind.

"I grow tired of these games, Arthas! Your walls can't stop me!" The Banshee Queen shouted, and she began slicing through the ice with her blades. "Keep them back, heroes!"

The scourge that attacked them were easy enough to put down. The King began to hasten his step, and the soldiers felt their morale drop. Perhaps this was the end...

Don't give up, daughter...

One of the warriors was thrown off the edge by a witch doctor. The priest knocked him back into his master, but she fell to the poison that covered her body from the undead. The end...

The ice wall fell to shambles. "We're almost there, don't give up!" Sylvannas called out. She shot another shadow arrow into the approaching Lich King, and they kept running to the top.

A dead end.

"Nowhere to run! You're mine now..." It was real now. There was no escape.

Ryanica looked all around her. Just a cliff, with a deadly drop below them. It was really here...

"We're not giving up that easily! Stand and fight!" The soldiers took their stances and readied themselves. The Lich King pointed Frostmourne at them, and they all fell back to their knees. Sylvannas dangled up in the air by her throat, struggling to free herself.

Rya...

She felt her spirit fade... was this life ending now? Cruel world... she would live again... but not as a living being...

The deathgrip tightened on her heart.

Fire.

She heard the shout, faintly.

Fire!

It was louder now.

FIRE!

The cannons had reached their loudest now, and the powerful blasts knocked the rocks of the mountain loose. They collasped all around the King, burying him and blocking him from the soldiers. Sylvannas fell the ground, no longer in the dead's grip. Ryanica gasped for the air she had lost, and she looked around at the few survivors. Titan lay beside her, bleeding heavily but alive. She softly stroked his fur, and her eyes wandered to a flickering light that shone on the ground. She looked up.

A fire totem. Jo'zel? Mother?

"Ryanica. Come. This mountain will fall any moment."

She stood up and walked toward the airship Orgrim's Hammer, Titan at her side. Salvation. A chance now to live again. The airship, the Horde, the Loa, had saved them this time.

She lay down in the sleeping quarters, but her mind was far from the dream state. Her loyal worg, now bandaged, lay beside her bed. All was good. For now.

Her eyes shut, her soul at ease, she began to dream of a warm fire, and the life she had so long ago.

[Greebo]

(( worgen eh?  *makes note to look more closely next time* ))

[Ryanica]

(( worgen eh?  *makes note to look more closely next time* ))

(( Woops. Meant to write down worg. Corrected! ))