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at the hand of this monster die without even a fight. And so with sheer will, he drowned out the
mindless terror with another, better emotion. Hatred. Righteous fury. He thought of those who
had fallen beneath his hammer, the living and the dead, the ravening ghouls and the terrified
women and children who didn t understand that he was trying to save their souls. Their faces
bolstered him; they could not would not have died for nothing. Somehow Arthas found the
courage to meet the demon stare for stare, clutching his hammer.
 We re going to finish this right now, Mal Ganis, he shouted. His voice was strong and firm.
 Just you and me.
The dreadlord threw back his head and laughed.  Brave words, he rumbled.  Unfortunately for
you, it won t end here. Mal Ganis grinned, black lips pulling back from sharp, pointed teeth.
 Your journey has just begun, young prince.
He swept an arm out, indicating Arthas s men, long, sharp claws glittering in the light of the
flames that still burned and consumed the great city.  Gather your forces and meet me in the
arctic land of Northrend. It is there that your true destiny will unfold.
 My true destiny? Arthas s voice cracked with anger and confusion.  What do you  The
words died in his throat as the air around Mal Ganis began to shimmer and whirl in a familiar
pattern.
 No! Arthas shrieked. He surged forward, blindly, recklessly, and would have been cut down in
a heartbeat had not the teleportation spell been completed. Arthas cried out incoherently,
swinging his faintly glowing hammer at empty air.  I ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth if
I have to! Do you hear me? To the ends of the earth!
Manic, raging, screaming, he swung his hammer wildly at nothing until sheer exhaustion alone
forced him to lower it. He propped it up and leaned on it, sweating, shaking with raw sobs of
frustration and anger.
To the ends of the earth.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Three days later, Lady Jaina Proudmoore walked the streets of what had once been a proud city,
the glory of northern Lordaeron. Now, it was the stuff of nightmares.
The stench was almost unbearable. She lifted a handkerchief, liberally scented with peacebloom
essence, to her face in a partially successful attempt to filter out the worst of it. Fires that ought
to have consumed themselves, or have abated at least slightly from lack of fuel, continued to
rage at their full height, telling Jaina that some dark magic was afoot. Combined with the acrid
smell of smoke that stung her eyes and throat was the reek of putrefaction.
They lay as they had fallen, most of them unarmed. Tears welled in Jaina s eyes and slipped
down her cheeks as she moved as if in a trance, carefully stepping over the bloated bodies. A soft
whimper of pain escaped as she saw that Arthas and his men, in their misguided mercy, had not
even spared the children.
Would these bodies, lying still and stiff in death, have risen to attack her if Arthas had not slain
them? Perhaps. Many of them, certainly; the grain had indeed been distributed and consumed.
But every single one? She would never know, nor would he.
 Jaina I ask you again, come with me. His voice was intense, but it was clear his mind was a
thousand leagues away.  He escaped me. I saved the city s inhabitants from becoming his slaves,
but at the last minute he got away. He s in Northrend. Come with me.
Jaina closed her eyes. She did not want to remember that conversation of a day and a half ago.
She did not want to remember how he looked, cold and angry and distant, fixated on killing this
dreadlord Light, a demon at the expense of everything else.
She stumbled across a body and her eyes snapped open again to the horror that the man she had
loved still did love, despite everything, how she could still love him after this she did not
know, but Light save her, she did
 Arthas it s a trap. He s a demon lord. If he was powerful enough to elude you in St-
Stratholme, he will certainly defeat you in his own territory, where he is strongest. Don t
go& please& 
She had wanted to throw herself into his arms, physically keep him there beside her. He couldn t
go to Northrend. He would be going to his death. And although he had dealt out so much to
others, Jaina found she could not wish for his.
 So much death, she murmured.  I can t believe Arthas could ve done this. And yet she knew
he had. A whole city&
 Jaina? Jaina Proudmoore!
Jaina started violently, snapped out of her sickened trance by the sound of the familiar voice.
Uther. A strange feeling of relief swept over her as she turned in the direction of the hail. Uther
had always intimidated her slightly; he was so large and powerful and& well& so deeply
entrenched in the Light. She recalled with an incongruously guilty flush how, when she and
Arthas were younger, they used to make fun of Uther s piety, which to them verged on the
pompous and sanctimonious, behind the knight s back. He was a fairly easy target. But three
excruciating days ago, she and Uther had both stood against Arthas.
 You swore you would never deny me, Jaina, Arthas accused, his voice sharp as an icy knife
blade.  But when I most needed your support, your understanding, you turned against me.
 I you Arthas, we didn t know enough to 
 And now, you refuse to aid me. I m going to Northrend, Jaina. I would have you with me. To
help me stop this evil. Won t you come?
Jaina winced. Uther noticed, but said nothing. Clad in full plate armor despite the overwhelming
heat of the unnaturally blazing fires, he strode swiftly toward her. His stature and presence was
now a picture of strength and solidity rather than intimidation to her. He did not embrace her, but
did grasp her arms reassuringly.
 I thought I might find you here. Where has he gone, girl? Where has Arthas taken the fleet?
Jaina s eyes widened.  The fleet?
Uther grunted an affirmation.  He s commandeered the entire Lordaeron fleet and taken off with
them. Sent only the briefest message to his own father. We don t know why they obeyed without
direct orders from their commanders.
Jaina gave him a small, sad smile.  Because he s their prince. He s Arthas. They love him. They
didn t know about& this.
A flicker of pain crossed Uther s rugged features and he nodded.  Aye, he said softly.  He s
always been good to the men who serve him. They can tell that he genuinely cares about them,
and they ll serve him with their lives.
Regret laced the words. They were true, insofar as they went, and once Arthas had deserved such
undying devotion.
 And now you refuse to aid me& .
Uther shook her gently, bringing her back to the present.  Do you know where he might have
taken them, child?
Jaina took a deep breath.  He came to me before he left. I pleaded with him not to go. I told him
it sounded like a trap 
 Where? Uther was relentless.
 Northrend. He s gone to Northrend to hunt Mal Ganis the demon lord who is responsible for
the plague. He couldn t defeat him& here.
 A demon lord? Damn that boy! The outburst startled Jaina.  I ve got to inform Terenas.
 I tried to stop him, Jaina repeated.  Then& and when he&  She gestured helplessly at the
almost inconceivable number of dead that kept them silent company. She wondered for the
thousandth time if she could have stopped it if she had found the right words, touched Arthas
the right way, if he would have been swayed.  But I failed.
I failed you, Arthas. I failed these people I failed myself.
Uther s heavy, gauntleted hand dropped on her slim shoulder.  Don t be too hard on yourself,
girl.
She laughed humorlessly.  Is it that obvious? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]