Chapter 05: The Fall of Naxxramas

"STAND FAST BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" shouted Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, leader of the Argent Dawn forces in the Plaguelands, as he struck down another Death Knight. "THE LIGHT WILL PREVAIL!"

The Scourge had been attacking them for about 15 minutes now, yet the attack was so fierce it might as well have been going on for hours. It was quite unexpected. Earlier that day, two Death Knights bearing a white flag of parley had approached them. Fearing a deception from Kel'Thuzad, they had attacked and driven them back. Now, they were being overrun by an army of Death Knights, ghouls, abominations, banshees, and other assortments of undead monstrosities. The battle had started in their favor due to their entrenched position, but that advantage quickly disappeared when the sheer number of undead forces became apparent. They would need to come up with a plan soon, or else the undead will overwhelm them all.

Already over one hundred of their forces had fallen, and from the looks of things more would fall soon without support.

"Spare no one! Show them no mercy! Show them no pity. Show them nothing but the cold, cruel reality of DEATH!" cried out Baron Rivendare, the current leader of the Scourge forces attacking the chapel, as he struck down another defender.

"Light help us..." murmured Maxwell as the Scourge advanced.

*BOOM!*

All forces, Scourge and living alike, paused for a moment as an explosion of green wrecked the rear forces of the Scourge. Looking at the origin of the attack left the standing forces of the Scourge and the living confused.

An army of Death Knights and various undead creatures stood at the entrance of the chapel, with even more of their forces surrounding the battlegrounds. "What is the meaning of this?!" cried out Rivendare.

Suddenly, one of the Death Knights stepped forward and drew his sword. Those who saw it froze up with eyes wide in shock. Even in it's corrupted form, the Ashbringer was a weapon that few could ever forget.

"Fallen enemies of the Scourge! Lost warriors of the light! Hear the call of the Highlord!" shouted Highlord Mograine.

As soon as he finished his call, an eerie glow of green overtook the battlefield. Much to the horror of the defender's of Light's Hope, the bodies of their fallen were pulsing with necrotic energy.

"RISE!" shouted Mograine.

And rise they did. The fallen defenders, heeding the call, picked up their fallen weapons and rose, their eyes glowing the unnatural blue that all Death Knights seemed to possess. The new Death Knights quickly formed ranks and stood at the ready, their weapons pointing in the direction of the Scourge forces.

"Baron Rivendare!" cried out Mograine. "By the power vested in me as Highlord of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, I hereby find you guilty of wielding necromancy against the living, crimes against humanity, and treason against the Kingdom's of Northrend and Lordaeron. In the name of the Lich King, you are hereby ordered to lower your weapons and surrender yourself and your forces to the Ebon Blade, or be destroyed."

There was a pause before they heard it. Laughter. Rivendare was chuckling in disbelief. "Foolish, Mograine. It was unwise for you to show yourself here. You have played right into the master's hand!"

Suddenly, a wave of cold overtook the battlefield as the forces of the Argent Dawn and the Ebon Blade, Mograine included, were frozen in solid ice! The looks of shock were etched on the faces of those trapped as a maniacal laugh echoed across the battlefield. Then, in a wave of frost and necrotic light, a horrific visage appeared.

A Lich, whose power and intellect were considered second to none, was floating before them. Kel'Thuzad had descended from mighty Naxxramas.

"Foolish Death Knight!" cried out Kel'Thuzad as he approached the frozen Mograine. "Did you really think that would allow the loss of the Ashbringer to your pathetic rebellion? I allowed you your freedom. I knew that if I allowed you to gather your forces, that eventually you would return with an army of powerful agents of darkness... and you did not disappoint..." chuckled Kel'Thuzad in amusement. He then started gathering necrotic power, allowing it to build up. "Now watch, boy, as I rip your free will apart from both you and your little friends... watch helplessly as I bind you all to my will!"

Mograine heard all of this. He knew what was coming. He knew not to struggle. 'The bait has been taken, my king...'

Once enough necrotic power was built up, Kel'Thuzad began to cackle again. "Now, witness the rise of the Scourge's greatest champions!" he cried out, holding the gathered energy above him to be unleashed.

"APOCALYPSE! "

*BOOM!*

0-0-0-0

'The bait has been taken, my king...'

The Highlord's signal. All was ready. I quickly made the Death Gate and went through, Frostmourne already brimming with runic power.

"APOCALYPSE!" I cried out as I unleashed the pent up energy within my runeblade.

Necrotic power tore through the battlefield as the Scourge forces were blown away. The abominations and ghouls all fell apart and crumbled to dust. The enemy Death Knights and Kel'Thuzad were all blown away by the might of my attack. Thinking on a whim, I quickly drew in the power that Kel'Thuzad had gathered to recharge my runeblade and used the new power to channel new strength into the attack to hold down all of my enemies in place.

The excess power I used to free the trapped knights and defenders. "You would dare to call my second-in-command a fool for falling for your pathetic trap?! Bah! They were merely the bait to draw you out Kel'Thuzad... and now, we can finally end this pathetic rebellion."

Kel'Thuzad looked up at me for a moment before murmuring. "You... I know you... you're the little prince-ling that ended my mortal life... The irony in this moment is not lost to me... that such a stalwart defender of your pathetic Light is now the self-proclaimed King of the Undead..."

My eyes narrowed. "My predecessor, the last Lich King, was your former master. He fell to my blade, and left his legacy to be claimed by me. You are under my jurisdiction Kel'Thuzad, and when you refused to heed my orders to withdraw Naxxramas from the Eastern Kingdoms and to return to Northrend you deliberately defied me. You are a corrupt being who cares for nothing but the destruction for this world."

Drawing into my own Death Knight abilities, I shot out a single bolt of power from Frostmourne and summoned Kel'Thuzad towards me in a death grip. His momentum flung him at a high velocity. My arm jerked slightly as he became impaled on my sword. Using my power to immobilize him, I continued.

"Do not think that your phylactery will save you this time, Arch Lich, Frostmourne will see to that. You are too dangerous to be left alive. Kel'Thuzad, you have been found guilty of using necromancy in it's highest form against the living, crimes against humanity, and treason against the Kingdoms of Northrend and Lordaeron. By the power vested in me by my station, I hereby decree your punishment, Death by my hand, and your soul consumed by Frostmourne. Let justice be done!" upon my decree, Frostmourne flared. Kel'Thuzad began to scream and writhe as a tendril of runic energy shot from his back upward towards the necropolis above. The connection was maintained for mere moments before it pulsed in a flash of blue light. The ray of runic power receded from Naxxramas, a ball of light attached to the end of it. As the runic ray and the ball of light that was Kel'Thuzad's soul made contact with his body, his screams intensified.

"No..." he murmured as I steeled myself for the task before me. "No! You can't!" he cried as I started the extraction of his soul with distaste. He was struggling, trying to hold onto his soul in desperation, like a man hanging from the edge of a ledge, his grip slipping. The wind started to pick up as the excess energies of the effort started leaking out into the air around us. "STOP IT!" he hollered at me as his soul crept out along my runeblade. "DAMN YOU ARTHAS!" he shrieked as his grip on his soul finally slipped from his grasp. A blinding flash shot out as Frostmourne feasted on his soul.

The backlash of absorbing such a powerful essence was staggering, causing a small shockwave to emanate from the epicenter of the event. As the wind died down, the mortal men and women that had stumbled and fallen from the shockwave stood up and looked on at the scene. What was left of Kel'Thuzad was nothing more than ash and melting ice. I stood before them, surely a visage of horror and power. I turned to the remaining forces of the Scourge. Baron Rivendare, it seemed, had escaped during the aftermath of the blast like the slippery bastard that he is, while the rest of the Scourges' Death Knights were looking around with a dazed and confused look upon their faces. Immediately, I knew that I would have to address these men. Rivendare will have to wait.

"Death Knights of the Scourge!" I cried out. "You have been freed from Kel'Thuzad's control! No more will your mind be enslaved against your will!"

A cheer rang out from the former Scourge Death Knight, many of them going so far as to break out into a celebratory dance. I smirked at the amusing sight and allowed them their brief moment of celebration before continuing.

"However..." I said, the crowd calming down. "That does not change the fact that your lives have been irrevocably changed. You now stand before me and your former compatriots of the Light, not as bringers of divine justice, but as the very thing you have been fighting all these years - as undead."

I looked on as the realization of what happened finally dawned on them. Many of these new Death Knights were once Warriors, Mages, and Paladins of the Scarlet Crusade. They were renowned for their zeal and fanatical hatred for the undead. To come to the realization that you were now the very thing you once hated with every fiber of your being is a most painful experience. I should know...

"...I give you all two choices," I said. "No matter what you choose, know that this choice is yours, and that no one will ever take that from you again."

I saw the majority of these new Knights nod their heads in understanding.

"The first choice, is eternal rest. Your bodies would be burned, and your ashes scattered to the four winds so that none may use your remains to summon you forth ever again. The second choice, is a term of service. As a Knight of the Ebon Blade, you would find purpose again - to aid my cause in containing the threat of undeath from ever afflicting the lives of the living. You would receive instruction in how to harness your new curse and turn it into a weapon. We are the last line of defense against supernatural threats against the living world."

The men look back and forth between one another, my words clearly having an impact on them.

While they were considering their options, I noticed one Death Knight break off from the group and walk towards me. Using my connection with all things undead, I sent a feeler of telepathic energy towards the man. What I found surprised.

'Taelan Fordring...' I thought to myself. The son of Tirion Fordring, one of the founding members of the Knights of the Silver Hand, this young man was a devout Paladin in life. Coming into his own after the Scourge destroyed Lordaeron, he eventually grew in power until he was killed in an act of treachery after attempting to defect when he learned about the corruption within the organization. 'Kel'Thuzad's work no doubt. He must have been brought back after the destruction of the Scarlet Enclave.'

"Is it true, what the Lich said upon his destruction?" he asked, loud enough that the rest of both the former Scourge knights and the Argent Dawn warriors looked on. "Are you really the lost Prince returned to us?"

I looked at this man with some slight hesitation, before I acted. As much as I wanted to keep myself anonymous amongst the living, this situation called for a different direction in which I had planned. Coming to a decision, I stabbed Frostmourne into the ground. Then, reaching up, I removed my helmet and placed it upon my runeblades handle.

I could see the shock on everyone's face as they confirmed my identity. Turning to Taelan, I addressed him first. "I know your pain and suffering, Taelan. I know, for I too bear a similar burden. For the salvation of our people, I took up a cursed runeblade that scarred my soul. In doing so, I sacrificed my connection to the Holy Light. For the salvation of this world, I donned the Helm of Domination after I struck down Ner'zhul, my predecessor, and took control of the undead as the new Lich King. In doing so, I sacrificed my humanity."

I turned to the surrounding men, who had gathered closer upon my revelation to them. Both Death Knights and Argent Dawn now paying rapt attention to my words. "This is our lot in life. With these acts of sacrifice we take on the ugly burden of keeping the undead in check, and making sure that no one can use them against the living. We take on this heavy burden, so that our families, our friends, and our people don't have to. So that when they face a supernatural threat, we can be there to weather them through it. This is our purpose, our reason to exist. For the well-being of all mankind, we are their shadow, fighting fire with fire, darkness with darkness. Through our curse, we ensure their salvation."

The silence after my proclamation was almost deafening. I looked upon the men as they took in what I had said, considering their options. Then... movement.

Taelan, drawing his weapon, knelt down before me. "I am yours to command... my King."

One by one, the former Scourge agents knelt in an act of fealty, pledging their support and their service. For the first time in a very long time, I smiled a genuine smile. Though our burden is great, with the support of my people, we will bear it proudly.

"I thank you, my knights, for your loyalty. Upon my honor, I swear to you now - that so long as you act for the good of all, that you will always have my support." I reached out and donned my helm again, feeling the power held within seeping through me once more. "Now, my knights," I said, drawing Frostmourne from the ground and holding it up towards the sky. "The time has come to end this conflict once and for all!" I charged Frostmourne with runic power, building it up momentarily. I watched out of the corner of my eye as the men of the Argent Dawn stepped back, their nervousness and fear palpable in the air. "I now give you my power and my blessing! Let it protect you going forward!" I cried, unleashing the pent up energy in the form of necrotic bolts, directing them at all of the Death Knights and our remaining undead forces. The new Death Knights felt shock as the unfamiliar power coursed through them, enhancing their strength to new heights. "The time has finally come! Kel'Thuzad is dead! Naxxramas is vulnerable! It is time to take back what is ours! Today... NAXXRAMAS FALLS!"

The cheers were loud enough that the night elves of Kalimdor probably heard them. I quickly turned to Darion, who was watching on. "Command your men, Highlord," I said.

He nodded at my command and stepped forward as I stepped back to observe.

"Alright men, listen up!" he said, taking command of the situation. "I want all of you to form up into four groups. Each group will be designated one of the four quarters of the necropolis. Take great care while within its treacherous halls, though you might be undead now, the Plague is still in its raw form in there. Use caution not to come into contact with it lest you find yourself mutating into something you'd rather not be, or worse... Group Alpha will take care of the Arachnid Quarter. Beware of the Nerubians in there, their poisons are extremely potent. Group Beta will take the Abomination Quarter. This will be the most physically demanding quarter as you'll be facing some of the most powerful abominations you'll ever have the misfortune of meeting, so use your abilities wisely. Group Charlie will take on the Plague Quarter. Do not let Heigan's dance studio fool you, though silly it may be, he wields the Plague in its most potent form in there. He also likes to experiment on fungal creatures, so beware his little pets. Finally, Group Delta will take on the Military Quarter. I know not who has taken the reigns as leader of the Four Horsemen, however, do not underestimate them. They are some of the deadliest knights to ever wield a runeblade. Engage them with extreme cautions. You have your orders men. Form ranks!"

Everyone started moving. I gave them guidance through our link to organize them quickly. As soon as the four groups were formed, I walked to the head of the group. Holding up my hand, I formed a massive Death Gate to the entrance of the necropolis. "The way is open. Go forth, my Knights. Death to the Scourge!"

"Move out!" commanded Darion. He led the first group in as I stayed behind, deciding to go through last.

As the third group came in, a voice spoke up behind me. "That was quite the speech you gave back there." I turned to look at the speaker. It was not who I expected. "...Tirion Fordring..."

"I came as soon as I heard of the attack, wanting to give aid to the Argent Dawn," said Tirion, decked in his old Paladin armor. "Imagine then, my surprise when just as I arrived, as I witnessed one of the greatest sites I'd ever beheld - Kel'Thuzad, impaled onto your sword, and you meting out justice. Though I must question the... extent of your punishment."

"Kel'Thuzad was not an ordinary undead being. He was a powerful Arch Lich," I explained. "Through the removal of their soul, Liches achieve a form of immortality. The only way to truly destroy a Lich, is to destroy their soul. Despite how... distasteful I find my runeblades unique hunger, it was still the most efficient way to end his threat."

"That blade seems to have a mind and stomach of its own..." he mentioned.

"When I first picked it up, it very well came close to driving me insane," I said. "Frostmourne is a devourer of souls, and the first soul it always devours is the soul of its wielder. I was lucky, my will of iron and self-discipline allowed me to hold onto my soul, but not before the sword twisted it into something darker..."

"...and this is how you lost your connection to the Light."

I nodded in agreement, before changing the subject. "Your son was brought back to life," I mentioned. A grim scowl came upon Tyrion's face. "Yes, I saw. I still don't know how I should feel about that. Though he is no longer under the control of the Scourge, to see him standing in undeath... I do not know how to feel..."

"The creature that did this to him has been destroyed, his soul consumed by my blade," I said. "He had and still has the option of eternal rest. Yet he chose to something noble with his curse. Ours is a life of sacrifice and suffering... but in the end, it matters not that we do sacrifice and suffer, but rather, it is how we choose to bear the burden of suffering through our sacrifices."

By the time I finished saying this, the last group had stepped through the Death Gate. The assault on Naxxramas had begun.

"My people need me, Tirion," I said, stepping up to the Gate. "Suffer well..."

We nod to each other, and in a surprising move to me, he salutes me, before turning around and heading towards the chapel.

I shake the stray thoughts loose. I don't have time for ponderings. I steel myself and step forth into the citadel.

0-0-0-0

"Did you learn anything, Lord Tirion?" asked Maxwell.

"His intentions are noble, but I worry for his soul," said Tirion. "That sword of his is dangerous to the highest degree. Above all, that sword is sentient. We must keep an eye on him..."

Lord Maxwell nodded. "What are your orders?"

Tirion thought for a moment before replying. "Send word to Stormwind. King Terenas, King Wrynn and Lord Uther must be informed of today's happenings. Have a runner inform them that I will be making my way there myself to explain what has happened today."

"Yes M'Lord," said Maxwell.

As soon as he left to execute his order, Tirion turned and looked up at the floating necropolis. 'Take care, Arthas... I sense something sinister is on the horizon...'

0-0-0-0

The taking of Naxxramas was, in the end, mostly pest control. The abominations put up a fight at first, but once I stepped onto the floating necropolis and took control of the minds of the lower intelligent creatures, they ceased to be a problem. Though it seemed that Kel'Thuzad had chosen to replace Patchwerk with two even bigger and more... grotesque abominations, that being the monstrosities now known as Rotface and Festergut. They, along with Grobbulus, Gluth, and Thaddius have all been transported back to Icecrown. They were being attended to and studied by Professor Putricide to see exactly how they were formed.

The Plague quarter and Arachnid quarter were lost to us. Heigan the Unclean and Grand Widow Faerlina had joined forces and fought until their last breath. They, along with the rest of their assortment of filth and creatures, were being gathered for the fire pits as we speak.

Our greatest victory, however, was in the Military quarter and in the chambers above. Being led by the Highlord himself, we found absolutely no resistance from that quarter. The three remaining members of the Four Horsemen, finally freed for the control of Kel'Thuzad, had taken control of the forces in the Military quarter and barricaded themselves off from the rest of the necropolis, fighting off the remaining forces of the other two quarters. The moment that Mograine and his forces assaulted the enemy forces from behind and decimated the remaining Scourge, a resounding cheer rang out from the newly freed Death Knights.

The floor above was the place that Kel'Thuzad had once called home. The antechamber ominously empty save for the no-longer animated bones of what used to be a once-mighty blue dragon-turned-frostwyrm. Kel'Thuzad's private chamber, however, was a treasure trove of trophies. One such trophy was a mace called the Might of Menethil. I remember seeing it once in the heirloom vault below Lordaeron, just above the royal crypts. As a child, I always felt a bit unnerved by the aura it seemed to radiate. My father said that it once belonged to our forefather, Cyrus Menethil, who used it to great effect prior to the founding of our once great kingdom. It was a mighty weapon, and if imbued correctly with the right enchants or runeforges, it would be a worthy ally to have in any battle.

Another great trophy found in his chambers was the Staff Head of Atiesh. This was an incredible find, according to Noth, as legend has it that the staff to which this headpiece belonged to was the very same one that was wielded by Medivh, the last Guardian of Tirisfal. From what Noth had told me, the pieces of the staff's framework were right here in Naxxramas, with the base of the staff lying elsewhere.

What was most disconcerting however, was the gigantic portal to Northrend in the chamber. This showed that somehow, the Arch Lich has a contact somewhere within my kingdom that was feeding him information, at the very least. I would have to commune with Kel'Thuzad's spirit later and rip the information from his mind.

"M'Lord," said Highlord Mograine. "The premises has been secured. The necropolis is ours."

"Very well done, Darion. You have exceeded all of my expectations thus far. It is now, in our victory over the Scourge that I know I made the right choice in turning over the Ebon Blade to your capable hands," I commented with pride in my voice.

"Thank you, M'Lord. I will not let you down."

I nodded in acknowledgement before I continued. "Naxxramas, while a mighty necropolis, is home to the plague in its raw form, along with what seems to be newer, experimental variants. I want this necropolis prepped for departure as soon as possible. We need to get this place to Icecrown and the plague to Professor Putricide for immediate analysis. I want to know exactly what experiments were being run, and why. Also, gather a task force, we must track down the renegade death knight Rivendare before he has a chance to recoup his strength or gather additional forces."

"It shall be done M'Lord. I'll see to it at once," he claimed. He saluted me and went off to see my order executed. That's another thing I liked about that man, his initiative to get things done.

Walking out of Kel'Thuzad's chambers, I went down to the Plague Quarter. Once there, I sought out Noth in his old laboratory. I found him hunched over a rather old looking tome, muttering to himself while doing so. At that moment, he was the classic scholar personified.

"I have need of your services Noth," I said.

He looked up before making where he was in his tome before closing it and replying. "How may I be of service, M'Lord?"

"As of right now, you are currently or resident expert on the Plague that poisons this land. I want you to lead a team based out of the former Scholomance with the purpose being the neutralization off the Plague. Only by taking this step will we be able to begin restoring this land to its former glory."

"It shall be done at once. I'll begin gathering my team immediately and depart as soon as possible," he said, picking up his tome.

"Very good, keep me informed as to your progress," I said before turning around and exiting the chamber.

As I walked on, inspecting the progress being made as the necropolis prepared for departure, I couldn't help but smile to myself. We had won the day. The Scourge had been crippled, its most powerful champions either destroyed or brought into my service.

Things were finally starting to look up again.

0-0-0-0

"Good! Excellent work, champion," claimed Uther Lightbringer as he listened to the latest reports from the Isle of Quel'Danas. "With the Sunwell now a fount of Holy power rather than Arcane magic, the blood elves will at last be able to begin their recovery from their magic addiction."

"One less problem to worry about, to be sure. What do you think, Lord Terenas?" commented the recently returned King Varian Wrynn.

Terenas opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off as the doors to the audience chamber they were occupying within Stormwind Castle opened and a guard stepped through.

"My Lords," said the guard, bowing before them. A runner from Light's Hope Chapel within the Plaguelands has arrived. He claims to Nelly intel of dire importance."

The men glanced at each other briefly before Terenas nodded to the guard. "Very well," he said in a weary voice. "Bring him in."

To Be Continued…

End Notes: A quick note on the Might of Menethil – for a weapon that bares the name of one of the most iconic families of the Warcraft universe, the lore behind it is surprisingly non-existent. So after searching multiple sources with no results, I bit the bullet and made something up.

So yeah… this chapter took a while. The sad part was that it was lying in a mostly complete state in my OneDrive account and could have been out much sooner save for a couple of reasons. For one, I was stuck for a good while at how to end the chapter in a good way to introduce the epilogue to this story, which will be the next chapter to come (from there we move onto the next story in the series). For two, I've need recovering from surgery in my right leg and the complications that came from pinched nerves and zombifying pain pills and all that goodness. I'm better now though, so I was finally able to sit down and take some time to finish this off.

Next chapter, as mentioned, will be an epilogue and a lead up to the next installment in the Acts series, titled Acts of Valor. Again, sorry for the delay, but I promise that the mix will go on.