Warcraft 1. Ella Lightstorm

Author's Note: Hope you enjoy my newest WoW love story. I'm writing this at the same time as 'An Honorable Heart', though it was actually started way before it. Just so everyone knows, not all my characters are real toons in WoW. The only ones that are would be Xiapha and Leonith, but they were the subjects for my first story. Anyway, enough of my rambling, hope you enjoy 'The Way of the Shadow' and if you do, throw me a good review ;)

* * *

Ella Lightstorm knew what it meant to be lonely. She lived in the pristine, holy city of Stormwind as a resident priest, healing the wounded and guiding young casters. Many citizens looked up to her with respect, but no one truly knew her. No one knew why she went about her life with a sorrowful frown on her face. She was but a mysterious ghost, silent and wistful as she performed her daily priest duties. Every day she would drift through Stormwind doing her work with regret still locked in her heart. She should've stopped him. Jonathan left because she finally said it was okay. She allowed it. How many times had she wished that there was a way to turn back time? She would have been stern. She would have pulled him back to her and avoid her painful future, but even with the magic skills people were discovering everyday, nothing could change her past.

The years before Ella was on her own, she was married to a handsome, brave paladin, Jonathan. She remembered him vividly, his long blond hair that he kept so kempt and the small tuft of course blond bristle on his chin. He was tall and well toned with glistening blue eyes. His eyes were always so captivating. Ella had never seen anyone with such breathtaking eyes. The highlight of her entire life was being held in Jonathan's eyes. They met in the abbey. They found each other attempting to kill the same kobold. They laughed innocently about it and that was it. She was forever locked in his eyes, his amazing eyes.

They spent their courtship sharing quests and fighting for justice. While turning in quests in the middle of Goldshire, Jonathan got on one knee and proposed to her. Ella had never known so much happiness. They went everywhere together, becoming skilled adventurers. Ella used all her skills to become a holy priest. Jonathan did most of the fighting while Ella healed his wounds, cleansed poisons and put words of fortitude upon him. After their travels, they decided to get married and settle down in Stormwind. They used the money acquired from their quests to buy a small cottage in the cathedral district. Ella began working for the priests of the cathedral, Jonathan became a guard and they were so very in love. They couldn't have been happier.

Sooner or later that fateful night approached. They were arguing about Jonathan getting summoned to go to war. Stormpike was calling for more warriors to fight in Alterac Valley. Jonathan suggested to Ella that they should go together and relive the old days. Ella had her own reasons for not wanting to join the battle, but Jonathan was stubborn. His duty was to fight for the Alliance and for justice. The quiet, eighteen year old priest wanted to wait to tell him that she was with his child. She knew it would make him stay against his will.

"You should go." She told him. "We could use the extra money."

"Money is not important for us, only love and justice." He was always so noble. She used to admire it, now she couldn't stand hearing about justice. Having her beloved be ripped from her grasp and thrown into the afterlife made her bitter over things she used to fight for. He used to fight for those ideas, now Ella lost the will to fight for what she used to believe in. It reminded her too much of Jonathan. Though she was sour towards honor and nobility, she still kept up a persona while residing within the holy city. She held up a mask of faith and righteousness to hide her true self.

It was a month after his departure when she was delivered the news. Jonathan had fallen in battle and no priests were nearby to resurrect him. By the time he was found, it was too late. Bloated from pregnancy, Ella fell into a deep depression. The birth of her son, Jace, occurred months later. It wasn't as happy an occasion as Ella hoped. Jace had his father's eyes and brought memories flooding back into her mind every time she saw her son. Even though seeing Jace brought sadness, she loved her son and raised him very well. She taught him the justice and honor that Jonathan had once believed in. Though Jace was very young, he was very intuitive and he could tell that every time his mother spoke of his father or of his beliefs, she would become very gloomy and alienated. He would sometimes ask, "Why does it make you sad mommy?"

Ella would just look upon him with a heavy heart and reply, "Because I am not able to change the past." She would never clarify what happened to his father, she would always just avert the truth every time he asked.

At the age of five Jace began to show an interest in the arcane arts. He was summoned to Ironforge to start his mage training. Ella reluctantly let him go. Though she would be lonely again, she could not deny her son the opportunity he deserved. Now that she was alone again, her bitterness and regret returned tenfold. It began to take a toll on her outside appearance now. Her trim, supple body that she used to hold with conservative pride was now slightly slouched. Her mahogany hair was usually wound in a tight bun, but was now sloppily gathered in a clasp uncaringly on her head. She had dark hollows underneath her honey colored eyes and her usually immaculate white robe was wrinkled and unkempt.

The people of the Cathedral began to notice her emotional breakdown pouring out over her appearance. One person who knew Ella a bit more than others began to worry about her. High Priestess Laurena was once Ella's trainer, now she could be considered a friend. Seeing the young priest in such distress was disheartening, so one afternoon she approached Ella.

"Ella, I'm worried about you." She began bluntly.

"Laurena," she sounded surprised at first, but then seeing Laurena's troubled expression Ella's eyes began to well up and she began to confess "why must I feel this way?"

Laurena looked upon her once subordinate, now her equal. "Ella, you are a woman full of sorrow for your lost love. You're living the same life you lived when he was alive. Perhaps it's time for a change?"

"I'm so frightened and lonely. Jace is away, Jonathan has been dead for years, but I still ache for him. If it wasn't for Jace, I'm not sure if I could stand living anymore. What am I to do?" She asked, seeking answers from her fellow priest.

Laurena smiled sympathetically and handed Ella a small pouch and a book. "I want you to take a vacation. Use this money for your flight and boat fare. I want you to make a change in your life. You need to let go of all your sadness. This book is about learning the ways of the shadow."

"Shadow?!" Ella exclaimed surprised. "I am holy, and shadow magic is far from holy."

"It's not as far as you think, Ella. I am indeed a holy priest, but I have tasted the power of the shadow. It's not necessarily evil, as long as you know how to use it. You might want to try it."

Ella stood there dumbfounded for a moment. Her shoulders fell as she attempted to make her decision. "This is all going by so fast. Am I making the right choice if I leave? What about Jace? What about my duties?"

"You must stop thinking of others, Ella, and start thinking of yourself. I will send Jace a notice of your leave and I'm sure he will contact you if he needs to." She placed a hand on Ella's shoulder. "You need this, even if you decide not to take the shadow training seriously. Get out of this city. Get away from all the cleanliness and purity. Take risks and for once, depend on yourself."

To be continued...


	2. Booty Bay

Her friend's last words still rung in her ears. She did have to start thinking of herself. She wrote Jace a letter explaining that she was going on a trip. She kept the details brief and told him not to worry and she'd be home soon. She packed a small satchel filled with some of her clothing and other supplies she figured she would need. She slipped her wand into the small holster on her hip and left her home in the glimmering cathedral district of Stormwind. She mounted a griffon and flew off taking one last look at the regal city where she spent most of her life. While on the back of the mighty beast, the wind whipping past her ears, she did something she had not done honestly in a long time. She smiled. She didn't know what caused it. Maybe it was the feeling of escape, maybe it was the hope of finally getting rid of her sorrow? Though she couldn't pinpoint it, she didn't want to spoil it so she continued to savor the small grin. Mentally, she made a decision. While on her journey, she would not be the Ella she was in Stormwind. She would not hold back her thoughts, even if they were dark or upsetting. She had to let everything out so when she returned to her son, she could be a new, happier person.

She landed in Booty Bay. It was a neutral fisherman's town run by the goblins. Ella had never seen goblins before, so the short, green-skinned creatures were surprising to her. Especially when trying to peddle their wares as soon as her feet hit land. When she left the flight ramp, she walked down towards the inn to pay for a room for the night. She felt it was still much too early to escape to her room, she felt a need to explore the strange place. She was looking around the town's sights, marveling over everything she saw. There were fish randomly thrown onto the wood, some flopping around frantically, others still and breathless. A variety of people stood at the edge with lines in the water, waiting eagerly for more fish. The town was one large dock above the water, so it was a superb fishing location. It was also an excellent merchant location; Ella had heard that all factions come through Booty Bay, so she imagined the goblins made a fortune. While she was so engrossed in the sights, she didn't happen to notice the figure in front of her and walked into a large heavy body.

"Oh…I'm..." she stopped speaking when she locked eyes with the towering orc.

Ella's eyes widened and he grumbled something in Orcish. She'd never seen an orc or a member of the Horde. The orc simply shrugged and continued on his way. Ella stood astounded for a moment. The orc didn't pay her any mind. She was safe here. Horde and Alliance were at truce here. Once she was able to move again, she made her way back towards the inn and into the tavern that took up the downstairs of the building. She entered and saw a small crowd already inhabiting the bar. Some were chatting, others were drinking. She thought she could enjoy one drink before retreating to her room. There was a couple seats open, but she chose the seat that was between a night elf and a tall blue-skinned creature. She felt more comfortable sitting next to someone from the Alliance. She gave the night elf a weak smile. The rogue scowled at her and moved from his seat. Ella gulped nervously, having no clue why the elf was so grumpy. Her nerves were worse when a large tauren sat down in the night elf's place. The tauren was so bulky that one of his large furred elbows kept brushing against the small priest. If she had leaned away any further, she would have been pressing against the creature on her other side. The tauren caught her eye and he gave her a drunken grin beneath his large, cow-like muzzle. She turned beet red and looked away. Ella knew the Horde only from pictures and descriptions. Now, she was squeezed between two of them, at a bar, feeling quite uncomfortable. She thought about leaving many times, but she kept telling herself, 'Come on you can do this, girl. Don't let those Horde intimidate you. Just order a drink.' Her mind was still torn in two as she stared blankly at the wooden bar top. The blue figure next to her spoke something to the bartender, then the goblin drink server placed a mug of frothy alcohol in front of her. She glanced in confusion at the bartender, then at the person next to her. It was a troll. His deep yellow eyes pierced hers and he raised his mug to her.

Ella thought nervously, 'That troll just bought me a drink?! Why would he do that?'

The troll didn't wait for the girl to respond; he looked away and continued his drink. Ella took her drink and sipped it cautiously. It was warm and sweet. It coated her throat as it went down, sending a small buzz to her brain. The soothing drink even helped her ignore the elbowing tauren. Though she was still curious over the troll's actions, she focused on the drink. She had never drunk alcohol before, so it was an exciting experience. Ella unfortunately was a lightweight and feeling quite tipsy by the time she was bold enough to order her second drink. The troll next to her placed some coins on the counter and got up. Without thinking, Ella followed him out of the inn.

She was a bit too drunk to notice the sun had already resided beneath the horizon and the moon hung high in the dark, cloudy sky. "Wait." She called after him, gaining a drunken trot to reach him.

The troll turned and looked at her curiously.

"I never thanked you for the drink." She said as she stopped before him.

The troll shrugged.

"Oh, I suppose you don't speak Common." Ella thought for a moment. She pointed to herself and said. "Ella." Then she gestured as if she were drinking, then gave a thankful bow. Then she did something that neither she nor the troll were expecting. She placed her hands on his shoulders, rose up on her toes and placed a gentle, slightly drunk kiss on his cheek, moving around the tusks that protruded from his bottom jaw. She released him with a sheepish grin on her face and their eyes locked for a moment. The troll's eyes were struck with shock and the priest's was glazed with drunken shyness. Then Ella turned away and continued back towards the inn. Ella climbed the stairs to her room, stumbled in and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

To be continued…


	3. The Thankful Troll

Zarak'hi was a warrior of good nature. He believed everyone in the bar should have a drink, even if they were scared. That was why he ordered the human girl a drink. She looked as nervous as a sheep surrounded by wolves and the only way to get her past her nerves was just to drink. He figured he helped her get past the first obstacle. She didn't try to speak to him. He figured she was a bit bewildered. He could tell by her face that she'd never seen a troll before. When she looked up at him in confusion, he locked gazes with her soft brown eyes. She was an attractive human priest; he had to admit, as he continued his drink.

After he had his fill, he left the bar. He heard a soft, slurring voice from behind. It was that human. He was a bit too drunk to realize what she was saying to him. He shrugged nonchalantly. Then the human pointed to herself and said, "Ella." Must've been her name. She began a charade of trying to say thank you for the drink. Before Zarak'hi could turn away, she placed a kiss on his cheek. The troll's eyes widened at the warmth on his face. His heart quickened at the sudden act of unneeded thankfulness. His mind was a blur, partially from being drunk, also from confusion of why a human had kissed him. As if it were nothing, the priest stepped back and met eyes with him. Her expression was unreadable, as all Zarak'hi could see was a cute, blushing smirk. He was still dumbfounded as she turned and stumbled to her room at the inn.

Zarak'hi was still very confused and still drunk as he wandered through the fishing town. His thoughts dwelled on that human and the kiss she had planted on him. He kept asking why, but he couldn't conjure an answer. According to her behavior in the bar, he knew she was a faithful member of the Alliance. A neutral person wouldn't have been so nervous between two Horde. So why was she so unmoved by kissing an enemy on the cheek. Perhaps it was strictly the alcohol? Zarak'hi was afraid he'd never know, but even as dawn began to break, he still couldn't stop thinking of her. He soon decided that he had to see her again, while she was sober, just to be sure.

Ella woke the next morning sprawled across her bed, groaning from the throbbing pain in her head. She quickly thought of her actions the night before. She remembered the bar, the snobby night elf, the elbowing tauren and…the troll. The memory rushed back into her head.

"Oh god, I kissed a troll on the cheek." She said to herself. "What an idiot I must've seemed. That's the last drink for me."

She gathered her things and decided to head to Kalimdor and find a peaceful place to study her book. She had always heard stories from the night elves that came into Stormwind about how beautiful their lands were. She walked out of her room and immediately recognized the troll standing at the top of the stairs. Embarrassment flushed over her.

'Why was he here?! To make me seem like a fool?' She thought. 'Should never have kissed that damn troll!'

He approached her and placed a hand on his chest. "Zarak'hi." He said to her in a deep, husky voice.

She turned her nose up to him. "Sorry but I don't associate myself with the likes of you." She turned away feeling lucky that the troll didn't speak Common.

"'Dat not be very nice. I only be givin' my name in return fo' hearin' yours."

Ella spun around in shock. "You-you speak Common?!"

"Aye."

"How could you deceive me like that, you animal?"

"I neva' deceived ya. Jus' neva' spoke." His accent was deep and exotic. Ella was intrigued by it, but she would never show it. She was stern and kept her snobby, stubborn expression.

"Listen, I thanked you for the drink, now you gave your name. Let us part ways."

"If 'dat be yo' wish, Ella." Ella shivered hearing her name roll off the strange tongue. Zarak'hi grinned innocently. "But I not be so sure 'dat ya want me ta leave."

Ella studied him for a moment, while maintaining her glare. He was so tall and muscles rippled under his blue skin. He had dark yellow eyes and black markings across his face. His tusks reached to his elongated nose and he had long, pointed ears and black, disheveled hair that fell along his back.

"Well, I have to leave anyway." She began again. "I have to study."

"Study? You still be in school?"

She laughed a beautiful laugh. "No, I'm studying to be a shadow priest."

"Takin' a walk on de bad side, eh?"

"Shadow priests aren't bad. Just more powerful instead of better healers."

Zarak'hi lifted a finger. "Bit o' advice. Fit de look." He reached over to her head. She flinched a bit. He pulled out the clasp that held her bun in place. Her silky brown hair fell lazily onto her shoulders. Just one simple motion formed her into a sultry vixen. Her wavy hair framed her face and shadowed her porcelain skin. "Mo' on yo way down de path of de shadow."

Ella blushed as Zarak'hi admired his work. "Thank you." She murmured, knowing she must've looked better by the way the troll's eyes moved over her.

"I gotta be goin' as well. My guild be leavin' tonight to do a raid on de Ahn'Qiraj." He stepped a little closer to her. "Will ya let me thank ya for yo thankin' me for de drink?"

She hesitated, knowing what the troll was asking. Her heart quickened and her mind told her to push him away. He was so close she could breathe in his scent. He smelled like the outdoors. Like the trees, or the rain, or maybe both. She couldn't let the troll wait any longer, she had to either accept him or deny him. She remembered the vow she made to herself while on her way to Booty Bay. No one would care if she gave in to the troll. It was her decision and no one else's. She bit her lower lip and she thought, 'What harm would it do?' Then she said to him softly, "You may thank me."

Zarak'hi smiled and leaned forward so their lips could meet. Ella's face fit perfectly between his two sharp tusks and she felt the warmth of his lips upon hers. A thrill shot up her spine. She hadn't been kissed in so long; she had almost forgotten how good it felt. She couldn't help but wonder if it felt even more exciting being a stranger and of the Horde. For being such a rough looking troll, Zarak'hi kissed her gently, almost as if he were afraid to hurt her.

Zarak'hi had never kissed a human before. She was so small and soft compared to him. She tasted so sweet. It excited him that she allowed him to take the kiss. He didn't want to stop; he wanted to go deeper and deeper. He didn't care if it was against the Horde's ways. Her lips made all of that vanish. At that very moment, the Alliance and Horde didn't exist. Booty Bay didn't exist. Azeroth didn't exist. It seemed in that brief blissful kiss, it was only the two of them.

It was Ella that reluctantly broke the kiss. "That was lovely." She told him as she slowly backed away smiling gleefully. "But I must get supplies for my journey. I have to be ready to catch the boat tonight." Ella pondered the reaction she would get if she stayed with him longer, but they both had objectives and other reasons holding them back. Her entire outlook on the situation had changed. She dropped her stubborn visage and became the risk-taking, independent woman she wanted to be.

Zarak'hi nodded solemnly, but understood her reasons. He sighed deeply as he watched her leave, and then headed to the tavern to meet with his guild. The guild was already gathered in the back corner of the tavern. He seated himself, leaned against the table and propped his chin up on his fist. His guild was discussing their strategies for Ahn'Qiraj. Zarak'hi was physically there, but his mind was flooded with thoughts of Ella.

"Zarak!" An orc shouted at him. "Pay attention, man, you're tanking this thing."

"Sorry, mon'. I got 'dis." He reassured the guild leader.

A lean dark blue figure who was seated next to Zarak'hi inched closer to him and whispered, "Where yo' mind be today, mon?" Said the feminine but husky voice.

Tyrisa the troll shaman seemed worried when Zarak'hi turned to face her. "Fo' once I be tinkin' about women." Zarak'hi chuckled to himself.

"Oh?" Tyrisa seemed surprised and hurt at the same time. Tyrisa had joined the guild about the same time as the warrior. The guild consisted of mostly orcs, tauren and Forsaken with a small group of blood elves. Tyrisa and Zarak'hi were the only trolls, so they hit it off pretty well, but Zarak'hi was a full blooded warrior, he only ever thought of weapons and fighting. Being so engrossed in his skills as a warrior, he was often oblivious to Tyrisa's attempt to confess her feelings for him. So when Zarak'hi told her he was thinking about women, especially ones that were obviously not her, it caused her heart to split in two. She turned her attention back onto their leader and decided not to speak again on the subject, for she could tell Zarak'hi's mind had drifted back to whatever he was thinking.

To be continued...


	4. A Complicated Boat Ride

Ella spent the rest of the afternoon buying food and materials for her journey. She filled her sacks to the brim, just to be on the safe side. She stocked up on food, water, bandages and potions. Throughout her shopping she couldn't help but wonder if Zarak'hi was still in Booty Bay. She didn't know what to think of the troll. Besides, it was just a kiss; she was already trying to forget it, though it seemed to be plaguing her. It was a wonderful kiss and she only wanted to forget it so she wouldn't want more.

As she approached the boat dock, she saw the large group of Horde there waiting on the boat. They were all wearing the same tabard. Black and red with a symbol resembling a skull stitched on the front and back. They were all heavily armored and ready for battle. She silently stood towards the back of the group. When the boat arrived, the Horde all got on and stayed on the lower deck. Ella made her way to the upper deck and scanned the crowd. The entire Horde group was chatting amongst themselves, but she noticed one that was frozen. She spotted the armored figure that seemed to be watching her. He was wearing a large helmet, so Ella couldn't tell who it could've been. Then she realized, she only knew one Horde. Her eyes darted around nervously. She couldn't speak to him with all the other Horde around. Casually, she walked down into the bunk area for people who wanted to sleep. It was empty. It wasn't long until she heard the heavy footsteps come down the stairs behind her. He entered, shut the door and watched her for a moment. His eyes peered beneath the small opening of the helmet.

Ella noticed he was wearing heavy plate armor. Large shoulder pads, a plated chest piece and that large red helmet. The helm seemed specially made to accustom his tusks which curved out from the bottom. An agonizing silence had fallen between them. Ella wondered why he followed her into the room. The more she watched him, the more their kiss crept upon her and made her wanting it again. He pulled off his helmet, sending his hair in every direction. He tossed it onto one of the hammocks that hung to the side of the room. Ella now looked directly into his eyes, which seemed strained with some sort of tumbling emotions.

"Zara…" Before Ella could finish saying his name, Zarak'hi moved. He closed in the space between them in three swift, long strides. Ella had no time to resist or say a word. In a blink of an eye Zarak'hi had scooped up the back of her head with his large hands and claimed her lips. He was more intense this time, but Ella enjoyed it. It seemed like Zarak'hi wasn't afraid this time, but hungry. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Ella placed her arms around his neck, it was a bit awkward from his armor, but she didn't mind at the time. Ella felt dizzy, almost like she was in a dream. She couldn't hold back her desire for one more kiss, so she allowed herself to savor it. Her mouth moved with his and her knees went weak as he let his tongue nudge its way between her lips. Ella's body felt like it was going to explode with heat. Unfortunately, with the amazing kiss, came unwanted thoughts of Jonathan. He rarely ever kissed her like this. Ella tried to push the memories away, but her emotions were still torn deep down, though she had left to do away with those emotions. Part of her old self felt as if she was betraying Jonathan, her newer self just wanted to forget and enjoy the kiss. Zarak'hi separated for a moment, catching his breath.

He rested his forehead on hers. "Eva' since last night, I can't stop tinkin' 'bout ya'." He sighed and pleaded softly, "Why ya' be doin' dis to me?"

Ella was dumbfounded as well. They just met, but their meeting opened a door that they tried to close, but would never succeed. Ella hadn't been touched in so long, that it was no surprise that she couldn't stay away. Zarak'hi, on the other hand, had paid no mind to women, until this one gave him the unexpected thank you. Zarak'hi was about to lean in again when they both heard footsteps coming towards the door. Zarak'hi quickly spun around and grabbed his helmet. The door opened and a figure shrouded in darkness stood in the doorway.

"Zarak?" The figure questioned in a raspy voice.

The two spoke in Orcish to each other. Ella guessed by their hand gestures that Zarak'hi told him that he was attempting to sleep and she interrupted. The figure stepped further into the room, fear gripped Ella. He was a Forsaken and a warlock. Along with fear, something else made Ella freeze. She didn't know what it was, but her heart quickened at the sight of this Forsaken. His robes were a deep purple, a hood hid his face and he had shadow magic oozing from him. Ella suddenly understood Zarak, he was speaking Common to the Forsaken.

"'Dis priest here wants to learn 'da ways of de shadow. Maybe ya could show 'er a few tings, Kieran?"

Ella could feel the heat of the Forsaken's eyes upon her, studying her. She looked desperately at Zarak. He nodded in reassurance. He wouldn't let the Forsaken hurt her.

"I don't waste my time training naïve priests." Kieran hissed.

"We ain't got nuthin' betta' to do on 'dis boat anyway." Zarak shrugged.

"First of all you need to get out of your holy robes. Get yourself a robe that will enhance your shadow skills. Shadow magic is similar to holy magic, but mostly opposite. Holy magic heals, while shadow magic corrupts. Warlocks are the result of delving fully into shadow magic and demonology. Shadow priests only touch the barrier. If you break it, you'll be a warlock forever."

Ella gulped nervously as Kieran paced in front of her. "If we're going to do this, might as well test your power." He paused and Ella could feel a twisted smile hiding under that hood. "Duel me."

Zarak stepped forward in hopes to intervene, but stopped cautiously when Kieran continued. "Not to the death. Only to see how your holy powers have developed."

Zarak noticed that Kieran didn't even summon a demon. He stood rigid and held one hand behind his back. Either to tease her, or to pronounce his expertise compared to the priest. Ella nervously reached for her wand. She wasn't used to fighting. She would always heal and people would protect her. Ella raised her hand and whispered a shadow word of pain upon Kieran. Kieran retaliated by placing a curse upon Ella, she winced in pain as the curse drained her strength. She saw Kieran's boney gloved hand surrounded in darkness, he was charging a spell. Ella thought quickly and put the power word of shield upon herself. It absorbed the hefty shadow bolt, but obliterated the shield. Ella did a quick healing spell to heal her from the damage of the curse. Suddenly, Kieran was right in front of her, she could smell his rotting stench. He put a spell over her and she cowered in fear, she couldn't move, just sunk against the wooden wall behind her. Then he raised his hand and her life started floating away, healing Kieran. Ella could feel her breath leaving her, her heart was slowing and she felt as if she could just collapse.

"Dat be enough!" Zarak broke the life draining spell. "Ya don' wanna be causin' no deaths on de neutral boat."

Kieran backed off and Ella fell to her knees. Ella felt the Forsaken's eyes burn into her. "If you want to attempt to control shadow magic, don't be afraid of it or it will eat you alive."

Kieran spun around, his robes swayed like the wind on his skinny frame. As he began to walk out, he shot a glance at Zarak and murmured something in Orcish. Zarak watched him leave, then rushed over to Ella and helped her to her feet.

"You okay?" He asked her softly.

"Feel like I've been run over by a stampede." She put a hand to her brow and leaned on Zarak's arm to keep her balance.

"Maybe ya should tink twice about 'dis shadow magic?"

"No." She looked up at him and her eyes turned dark. "I liked it, I want it to be mine."

To be continued…


	5. Lust is a Mighty Foe

The boat arrived at Ratchet and everyone poured off into civilization. Zarak donned his helmet again and his guild master gathered everyone on the dock. Ella walked past them, trying her best to not make eye contact with Zarak, though she could tell he was watching her from beneath his helmet. She did make eye contact with someone unexpected. As she glanced over the crowd, she spotted Kieran in the back. He was crouched as if he couldn't care less what the guild master was instructing. For some reason, Ella's gaze stopped on him, and like a moth to a flame Kieran felt the eyes upon him and turned his head towards her. Though she could not see his eyes, she could tell they were on her. She only wondered what kind of expression he kept underneath that shadowy hood. Before it would seem like she was staring, she spun around and left the dock. She immediately made her way to the inn. After her encounter with that warlock, she could use a rest and a drink. Though she had promised herself she wouldn't drink again, she figured since it was under certain circumstances, she would understand. She put all of her belongings in her room then made her way down to the tavern. She immediately recognized the black and red skull tabard everywhere. Zarak's guild apparently inhabited the place. Her eyes darted around for a familiar tall blue figure, almost afraid that she would find him. She did notice the warrior up at the bar drinking. She gathered her courage, approached him cautiously and sat next to him.

"I thought your guild was going to raid?" She asked him, almost regretting being close to him again.

"We be startin' our journey in de mornin'. Most of us be too tired to leave t'night." He sipped his ale. "Want a drink?"

Ella nodded nervously and Zarak ordered a mug of ale. When it arrived, Zarak passed it to her. She reached for it and their fingers brushed, sending electric shock through each other. Ella knew she had to control her feelings. She couldn't be caught in the arms of the troll. She was shamed of herself for even having trouble maintaining her calm disposition. She began to drink in attempt to numb her nerves. Unfortunately, the alcohol had an opposite effect and the more she drank, the more it got harder to control herself.

By Ella's fourth drink and Zarak's eighth, Ella was losing herself. "It's so hot in here." She hissed through her teeth, pulling at the collar of her white robes. "There are too many people in here." Zarak glanced at her. She began fanning herself with a limp hand while looking around the room. She averted her drunken gaze back towards Zarak and a sly grin smeared across her face. "I'm going to my room, its room three if you're interested." His eyes widened as she looked at him with those darkened, dangerous eyes. She turned and strode away from him, floating up the stairs like a white ghost. Before he knew it, she was heading into her room and he was still bewildered in the bar. He wasn't sure what to think. Would it be right to go? Would anyone notice? He searched over the faces in the bar. Kieran seemed to be dozing off in the corner. Tyrisa was discussing healer tactics with the priests and paladins. No one would see him follow the human. Now he only had to decide whether to.

Ella woke the next morning, her head throbbing worse than the first time she drank. She cursed herself for breaking her own word. She moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. She rubbed them softly with her fingers, draining out some of the sleepiness. She tried lifting her body but something held her back. She looked down and saw a large arm snaked around her midsection. Her heart leapt into her throat as she turned to see the body it was connected to. Zarak was sleeping peacefully, nuzzled against the pillow. His arm was draped caringly over her. There was a blanket thrown over them. Ella peeked under it and realized she was naked as a jay bird. So was he. She could've sworn she turned ten different shades of red.

'Oh gods, what did I do last night?' She thought to herself, slowly remembering. She remembered telling him her room number. She was in her room for quite a while before Zarak snuck in. They didn't even bother with pleasantries. It was like all their emotions exploded in one second and they were ravishing each other, with some primal instinct, removing each other's clothing piece by piece. She noticed his body was amazing, though she didn't know average troll standards. His muscles rippled beneath his slightly furred blue skin. He took such great care while kissing her all over her body, so not to impale her with a tusk. Her mind was screaming at her, scolding her, but her emotions and desires were too powerful. She allowed him to place her delicately onto the bed as he ran his thick fingers through her silky hair. She remembered being underneath him while he was buried within her. They moved together with rhythmic lust that neither of them had experienced before. Ella's entire body was overcome with pleasure. It felt so good, she hadn't felt so good in so long.

She flushed almost purple as her thoughts conflicted, recalling the hot, passionate night. She knew how he made her feel, but how could she admit that with a troll? She knew she had to end it, not only for her sake, but for Zarak'hi as well.

Ella carefully lifted Zarak's arm and placed it at his side. He mumbled incoherently in his sleep as Ella slipped out of bed. She quickly gathered her garments which were tossed in every direction across the room. She slipped on her robes and turned around to see Zarak sitting up in bed. His was dragging his fingers through his hair sleepily, watching her with eyes half lidded.

"Leavin' so soon?" He asked her.

Her shoulders fell as her plan to escape before he rose was ruined. "Listen, I'm sorry, I never meant it to go this far. It was just meant to be a harmless kiss." She groaned as her emotions were ripped in two.

"Seems like ya got trouble becomin' yo' new self. Seems like ya be actin' like da holy priest ya used to be." He said as he attired with Ella blushing in the other direction. "What be holdin' ya back?"

Ella looked back at him and Zarak'hi could see her eyes were swelling with tears. She took a shaken sigh and sat at the end of the bed. "I never was like this. I was always a good, wholesome priest. Never left home, never betrayed the Alliance. There was always this voice in the back of my mind though, always thirsting for darkness. I shunned it away." She paused for a moment, afraid to share the truth. "I was married once." Ella felt Zarak shift in surprise. "My lost love was killed by the Horde and here I am sleeping with one." Her voice trembled from holding back her tears.

"You be a diff'rent person now." Zarak tried to console her.

"That's not the point. You shouldn't even be involved with me. I know nothing about you, you know nothing about me."

Zarak sat next to her. "We got time ta learn 'bout each other."

Ella stood up, almost outraged with tears streaming from her face. "What are you suggesting?! That we run off and get married? That will live happily ever after in good old Orgrimmar? Do you know I have a son? Are you going to be the responsible father figure for him? I'm too much of a burden for you to deal with."

Zarak was speechless. He didn't know what to say. There was no way he could make anything right. He wanted to tell her that he didn't think of her as a burden, but he was afraid of angering her further. The only thing that escaped his mouth was, "I wish things be diff'rent."

"Things will never be different. So I've got to suck it up and live with my mistakes. I'm not going to hold back anymore. I'm going to become a shadow priest." She clenched her fist tight, afraid to meet eyes with the troll. "No more crying. I'm sick of it. Zarak'hi, I do thank you for caring for me, but if we meet again, I won't be the same. I wish you luck and farewell."

Zarak'hi watched Ella grab her things and head out the door. "Farewell, Ella." He murmured.

Ella marched down the stairs to the bar, she stopped when she passed a familiar, rotting stench. She turned and noticed the Forsaken warlock standing in the corner watching the people socializing in the bar. She fearlessly approached him. She could tell when he noticed her. He stood up cautiously, he realized her stance was much less mousy.

"I'm going to Azshara to learn the ways of the shadow." She paused and glared at him. "Next time we meet, I will beat you."

Kieran smiled under his hood at her audacity. He couldn't help but have a strange feeling when he watched her leave. He cursed himself for being interested in the priest's future progress. As his eyes wandered back to the bar, he spotted Zarak'hi heading down the stairs. Seeing the troll come down straight after the human confirmed his suspicion when he saw Zarak'hi stumble up the stairs after the priest went up.

"Hey, 'mon!" Zarak'hi greeted him kind of solemnly. Kieran smelled the priest all over him, as he grunted in response. Kieran decided to keep his mouth shut as they headed out for the raid.

To be continued…


	6. Drunk on Memory

Two months had passed since Ella started her intense self training. She learned much about the art of shadows from the book and her practice. She abandoned her healing and beneficial skills and adopted spells which drained life and struck fear in the hearts of her prey. She stayed in Azshara practicing her new found magic on the local naga and furbolg.

Every day she woke and ate a small meal consisting of supplies she usually acquired from the Night Elf settlement of Astranaar in the forest to the west, Ashenvale. She would read over some of her book for a few hours, and then practice her skills for most of the rest of the day. She usually slept in a small camp she had made for herself. Sometimes she would treat herself to a night in a warm bed in the Astranaar inn.

Through her self training, Ella stayed stern and strict. As if she was her own slave driver holding a leather whip over her back. She only stopped training for her trips to Astranaar. She would read a section of the book, practice its words, then read over it again. She wanted to soak in every aspect of the shadow skills. She was absorbing knowledge like a sponge and practicing it like a dutiful servant.

She knew she was getting more powerful and she was enjoying it. The addiction to the shadow magic affected her appearance and her personality. She was letting her dark side consume her while she was in the forest. She figured no one would see while she was in the wilderness.

One dusky evening, Ella was manipulating a naga into fighting its own kind. She was channeling the mind control with a wicked grin on her face. That's when the stranger that approached her knew she had thrown out all of her restrictions. She was no longer the helpless priest in need of protecting. As the two naga killed each other, Ella heard the rustle of hooves in the grass behind her.

"That's a little evil you know." The deep raspy voice said. "Putting two allies against each other, that's not very priest-like. Looks like you're having a bit too much fun."

Ella turned and glared. "You." She looked up to the figure on the towering skeletal horse.

Kieran dismounted. "You have progressed."

Ella smiled. "You have no idea." Without warning, Ella's form became dark and transparent. She started channeling a mind flay spell. Kieran was caught off guard. His movements were slow because of the flay, he had to think fast. The flay broke and Ella whispered a word of pain upon him. Kieran started charging his shadow bolt; he didn't have time to summon a demon, though he was wishing he did. Suddenly, his casting stopped. He couldn't cast anything! The few seconds of silence seemed to last an eternity. Kieran recomposed and put a curse upon Ella, then corruption, then immolated her. Ella retaliated with another mind flay but Kieran was already charging another shadow bolt. When the bolt was sent, it hit Ella hard, knocking her to her knees. The critical blow left Ella breathless for a moment. Rage exploded from her when she felt the dreaded life drain upon her once again. Kieran was healing, she was losing. In a fit of rage she flung at Kieran. Their bodies met with force and Kieran stumbled backwards from the unexpected impact. He landed on his back, Ella was out of her shadow form, on top of him with her fists clenched ready for brute force. She prepared to start smashing his face in out of her fit of anger. Kieran was shocked but the closer look of her showed him how much she did change. Her hair was raven black now, it was loose and hung to her shoulders. It hid a small portion of her porcelain face. Her green eyes were shadowed dark and were like daggers piercing his. Suddenly, Ella's face was no longer twisted with rage, but with surprise. Her mouth slowly opened as her eyes widened, looking directly at Kieran. Kieran realized his hood was thrown off. Ella was frozen as she straddled the fallen Forsaken.

Kieran hoisted his upper body to rest on his elbows. "What? Never seen a Forsaken in the flesh before?" It didn't bother him, he was mostly just curious of her reaction.

Ella stared into his crystal blue eyes. "J-Jonathan?!"

"I have no clue who you're talking about, but get off me unless you're going to make this worth my while." Kieran hissed.

"You have the same eyes." Ella started to smile. Kieran's face was pale and decomposed. His few locks of blonde hair poked through his rotting scalp. His eyes were as blue as they sky, still shimmering as bright as they had been the last time Ella saw his face. "It has to be you." Her smile reached from ear to ear and she leaned down and embraced Kieran.

Kieran grunted in surprise having the woman hold him. Not a lot of women did, him being what he was. It felt good, but it was against his nature. His cruel way of breaking it made him say, "Ah, so you do enjoy lying with the Horde. Zarak'hi was lucky to have found you first."

Indeed Ella broke the embrace. She knew when he spoke of 'laying' he meant her and Zarak'hi's night in the inn together. Now he was implying that she would sleep with him. Ella looked into his eyes with disgust. She placed a swift, hard slap across his face. Kieran blinked a few times. Out of all the times he's fought enemies, he'd never been slapped by a woman, it seemed to have stung more than it should have.

As Ella got off of him, she spoke. "You may be different now, but you are still Jonathan. You are still in Jonathan's body." She turned away from and her voice shook. "I wanted so badly to see you once more, even just for a moment. I needed to tell you something and though you are what you are now, I still must tell you. When you left for Alterac and… died in battle, I never got to tell you that I was pregnant." She paused. "We have a son."

Kieran was silent for quite a while. He finally stood and spoke softly, it was a tender voice he didn't use often, but he was beginning to feel pity on the priest. "I am not this Jonathan you speak of. If I was in a previous life, I have no links to that life."

"But you are still Jonathan, even if you are undead, you are still in Jonathan's body." Ella repeated and turned to face him with tears streaming down her face. "Can't you try to remember?" She pleaded holding her hands up to her chest.

Kieran felt even more pity on the human. She was obviously so in love with this Jonathan, but he couldn't fathom the idea of once being him. If she was right, that means he had a living son. The thought of it was strange, it was uncharted water. His mind was conflicted. He wanted to be the cruel-hearted Forsaken that he knew best, but deep inside of him he felt an ache when he thought of having a son. "I can't remember anything of my previous life."

"We lived in Stormwind together. You were a paladin and a great one. We were so in love." She cried as she touched his boney hand.

Kieran had an excitement that Ella was not bothered by his grotesque appearance. She was looking at him as if she were looking into the eyes of her lost love. For the sake of the priest's sanity, he tried remembering as far back as he could remember. He thought of just leaving her in her distraught state, but something was holding him back. He recalled waking up in the crypt, but before that? He closed his eyes trying to concentrate. He remembered the cold, white powdered lands of Alterac. Suddenly he remembered the arrow that pierced his chest and stopped his heart.

Kieran looked back into Ella's hopeful eyes. "I remember how I died." His raspy voice was broken in his confusing emotions. His mind was racing with so many different thoughts. He never imagined his life before he became a Forsaken. "I-I remember the last thought that came to me before I woke up in that tomb. I thought 'I wish Ella were here to heal me'."

Pain suddenly struck Kieran's brain. His memory had been stretched further than the Forsaken curse would allow. He raised his palm to his forehead and winced in pain. It wasn't just the pain in his head, it was the agony of reliving his life before death all in a matter of moments. The one memory opened the door to the life and love of Jonathan the paladin. Kieran had fallen to one knee, clutching his pounding head. Visions of Jonathan's memory flashed through his mind. He suddenly knew Ella better than he had expected. He saw visions of their meeting at the abbey, their first shaky kiss at the Darkmoon Faire. He remembered sweating nervously at the alter watching his glowing bride walk down the aisle, their first night of intimacy and the conception of their son. Kieran brought an eye on Ella, his gaze shifted quickly and his pale skin flushed instinctivly as he realized that he had seen her before without her robes.

Ella knelt down in front of him and placed her hand on his shoulder. She saw that a droplet had formed in the corner of his eye socket. "Name-?" He grunted, breathing heavily as the pain was finally leaving him.

"What?"

His hand slowly moved away from his head as he stared into the dry earth. "What is his name?"

"Jace Lightstorm." Her lips curved when he showed interest in their son. "He's going to become a great mage. He has your eyes."

His hand balled into a fist, regretting the life he missed. Ella slowly moved her hand from his shoulder, up his neck to his jaw. She lifted his head so their eyes met. He looked into Ella's eyes with a new found feeling. His heart was skipping and his stomach was on fire. He couldn't explain it, nor could he tell if he enjoyed it or not. His heart and mind were ripped in two. Kieran was telling him to push her away and be done with her forever, Jonathan, on the other hand, was ecstatic to have Ella near again.

Not thinking, Ella inched closer to him. Forgetting that he was a Forsaken, she brought her mouth to his. His lips were cold thin lines, but it didn't matter; he was Jonathan. Kieran was caught by surprise. Ella's lips were so soft and warm compared to his. He was frozen in place, looking down at Ella's eyes that were hidden by her long dark lashes. He didn't know what to do. She should be disgusted by him, but she wasn't. The undead warlock inside him was screaming at him to throw her off, get rid of the weak human. Ella separated, looking at him with disappointment, still breathing softly on his dry, icy lips. It seemed like an eternity knelt in front of each other, without moving, conflict raging inside Kieran. Ella could sense his battle and stroked the side of his rotting face. His heart finally won and he grabbed the back of Ella's neck and pressed his lips to hers. Their mouths moved together with a longing that Ella had felt for many years and that Kieran had almost forgotten forever. The heat in Kieran's stomach spread like wildfire to the rest of his body. He'd always felt cold and bitter, now the excitement almost made his body burst into flames. He brought his hand to her soft cheek, caressing her skin with his boney fingers.

Drunk on the forgotten memory, Kieran delved deeper into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Ella's waist. Shock went up Ella's spine and she threw her arms around his neck, making them both topple over. Ella was on top of him again, but this time met with much less restriction. Kieran was filled with a thrill feeling Ella's weight on top of him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this good. A lump formed in his throat when he felt Ella begin unbuttoning the top half of his robe. He almost grabbed her wrist and wanted to tell her to stop, but when her fingers brushed his chest's bare skin, he abandoned his warring thoughts.

To Ella, she wasn't touching the decaying flesh of a Forsaken, she was caressing her husband's skin. Though it was cold and clammy to the touch, to her it was as warm and inviting as it was years ago. Ella sat up straight and pulled her robes off over her head and threw them aside in the grass. She was in nothing but her undergarments, sitting on top of the warlock in the wilderness of Azshara.

Kieran was looking at her with such intensity. "There's no turning back." He murmured.

Ella smiled. "I'm having no second thoughts." She said as she put her weight back onto him, melting into him.

To be continued…


	7. The War Inside the Forsaken

Zarak'hi the troll spent the last two months exploring the strange and alien Outlands. He met new people and fought new enemies. He completed a large array of quests and gathered gold and armor by the sack load. All the while he thought about the human priest that seemed to have stolen his heart. For a long time Zarak'hi thought about finding Ella, but he was afraid she'd never want to see him again.

His friend Tyrisa could tell he was thinking about someone when he was caught with his mind wandering. Though it hurt her to know this, she tried her best to stay his friend. Though she couldn't sway him from the girl in his thoughts, she wanted to stay close to him, even if she sacrificed her feelings.

One evening while exploring Shattrath City, Zarak'hi spotted a strange couple. A female night elf with long flowing white hair, arm in arm with a male blood elf. Their small son was holding onto his mother's hand, trudging along. The family looked so happy and untouched. The young boy was a half-breed, but it obviously didn't matter. It made him realize that maybe him and Ella could be happy and he made the decision to find her.

He remembered speaking with Kieran briefly about her; he had mentioned something about her and Azshara. He decided to start his search there.

It was indeed a good lead, in fact it led Zarak'hi straight to Ella. She was practicing her skills on some nearby naga. He watched her for a moment, admiring how determined she had become. As he was ready to emerge and approach her, he saw someone appear from behind her. Focusing in the distance, he realized it was Kieran.

Zarak'hi watched the two as his heart crumbled each moment he witnessed. He couldn't hear anything they were saying, but it seemed Ella had recognized him as someone. Kieran pushed her away at first, but his memory was regained. Then as if the two were long lost lovers, they were in each other's arms.

The troll turned away when he saw Ella disrobe. He didn't want to watch someone else take the woman he thought of for so long. He stood and walked in the other direction, suddenly feeling very lonely. His large feet trudged through the grass and his mind wandered to the night he and Ella shared. The way she acted with Kieran when she saw under his hood couldn't compare to her two months ago. She was no longer the quiet, meek human. He was proud and heartbroken at the same time.

"Zarak'hi?" A voice was heard.

He looked up and saw Tyrisa standing in his path. "Tyrisa?" He was surprised knowing he had parted from her in the Barrens. "What you be doin' here?"

"I followed ya." She paused for a moment to catch her breath. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. "I knew ya'd eventually seek dis girl out. In a way I be hopin' that she'd accept ya just so ya could be happy, but I wanted ta be here in case she didn't."

Zarak'hi didn't have to say anything, knowing he always had a companion in Tyrisa. He smiled warmly at her and continued to leave the forest, with his best friend at his side.

--

Kieran sat up abruptly. His head seared with pain. He'd given in to the human luxury of love, now his Forsaken side was fighting back. It was getting harder and harder to fight his dark, evil side. His robes were sprawled over his naked boney frame and over Ella's who was enjoying the aftermath snuggle from her past love. She looked worried when he sat up so suddenly.

"Jonathan?" She murmured.

"Don't call me that." He hissed.

"But it's who you are."

He faced her with rage flaring from his eyes and his decaying teeth gritting against each other. "I was just fine until you had to come along and put this burden upon me." He stood, snatched his robe up and bellowed as he put it back over his body. "Why couldn't you just let me go?! You couldn't let Jonathan rest in peace and now I'll never be the same with these damned memories in my head!"

He gathered his weapons and other garments and whistled for his skeletal horse. Ella couldn't move as her eyes were glued to his back, watching him leave. Tears were slowly and painfully welling in her eyes as she was left naked on the forest floor.

Kieran got a far enough distance away so their eyes couldn't meet again. For if they had, he wasn't sure what would've happened. He dismounted and put his armor and weapons on as they were always meant to be. Then he pulled a white, flat stone from his sack Using its natural power, he closed his eyes and focused on his point of destination. The stone glowed a green hue and in a blink Kieran disappeared from the forest and into the hot, sticky city of Orgrimmar. He trudged through the dusty city, his hood was back in its menacing place. Passerby's still regarded him with fear and uncertainty. No one knew. He didn't know why he felt relieved. Of course no one would know that he just made love with a human an hour or two ago. They would definitely never know how much he enjoyed yet how much it tore him apart. Ever since he woke in that crypt, he would never think that he would have been able to touch and taste something as smooth and sweet as a young human priest, but he was too stubborn and malicious to ever admit.

Ella was an amazing lover, he had to accept it, but perhaps it was only because Ella was the woman he loved in his past life. Their burst of forgotten passion was awkward, only because Kieran couldn't fully let go of his Forsaken self. He never would've thought Ella would maintain control during their strange encounter, but he figured she was as wrapped up in lost memories as he was. Kieran recalled the strange grunts that emerged from his throat as Ella's hips rotated against his. He couldn't decide whether it was from the pleasure or from the uncomfortable feeling that kept him doubting his desire. Kieran took much enjoyment watching Ella on top of him, throwing her head back in ecstasy, moaning, whimpering and biting her lower lip while he was inside her. He was kind enough to let her reach her climax before changing pace. After the pleasure exploded within her, Kieran flipped her over in one swift motion. He needed to be in control, he loved being in control more than watching her arch above him. Now that he had taken over, more of his Forsaken thoughts had crept in. He forced his tongue into her mouth and moved at a hard, fast almost uncaringly tempo. He didn't falter until he felt his own climax sneaking up on him. It was something he hadn't felt is so long and it was so good that even the undead inside him was thanking Ella for giving him that experience again. Afterward was the most peculiar. Kieran wasn't sure what to say or do, except rolling off of Ella, which allowed him to become the Forsaken again. All he felt now was anger, mostly at himself, and hatred towards Ella for ripping him away from his undead life.

Kieran found himself in the inn, the meeting place for his guild. He scanned the tavern and caught the shocked eyes of Zarak'hi. He was seated next to his female troll friend, having a drink. When Zarak'hi spotted the undead, he stood and approached him.

"Where's El-" he cut himself off realizing he was not meant to have seen them. 'What has he done wit her?' He thought to himself.

"Everytin' okay, Kieran?" Zarak'hi asked casually.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kieran grumbled in his dark tone.

"Just curious, have ya heard from dat Ella girl recently?"

Kieran's body turned rigid. 'He knows! He knows!'

"Yes," he replied holding back his emotion, "but I don't give a rat's ass about that girl."

"What happened, mon?"

"I found her in Azshara randomly. I wanted to see how she progressed." His words stumbled further into a lie. Even if it hurt his ego, he could only think of one reply. "She was too good for me. She ripped me apart and so there's only one way to deal with her." Kieran spun around and continued under his breath, "And that wretched offspring."

To be continued…


	8. The Cruel Victor

Zarak'hi wasn't meant to hear his last words, but Kieran underestimated how good his hearing was. His eyes widened after hearing the warlock's words.

"Everytin okay?" Tyrisa asked as she joined him.

His mouth fell open as he added together the moments he witnessed between Kieran and Ella. "Dat means Kieran is de father of Ella's child. He used ta be Ella's husband!" Zarak'hi narrated his discovery.

"Ya mean de whole story ya just told me about dat priest…" Tyrisa faded off in her own realization. "Dat creepy warlock is de father?"

"I be tinkin dat and he don't sound too happy. He's gonna try ta hurt Ella an' her son." The color seemed to drain from Zarak'hi's face. He looked over Tyrisa for guidance and her expression had never seemed so serious.

"I know ya care 'bout dat girl an' we can't be waitin' round if we gonna go help dem."

Zarak'hi smiled at her. "It gonna be dangerous, fightin' warlocks ain't no picnic."

"Don't worry mon, I'll be healin' ya if ya get too roughed up."

--

Ella sat in the grass for the longest time, still in the spot where she had met and made love with her undead husband. The sun was beginning to set and she hadn't even noticed. The only thing she got up to do was regain her dignity and dress herself. Then she sat back on the ground, staring blankly at a single piece of grass.

Ella felt so relieved to have finally told her husband about their son, but in a way she was ashamed with herself. She had given into her lust with Zarak'hi and had now just slept with an undead. She kept telling herself that it should be okay, he was once her husband, but she kept being haunted by the words 'was once'. Deep inside she knew he was no longer Jonathan. She couldn't expect him to go back to being Jonathan. It was clearly impossible. Now matter how hard she tried, Kieran still overtook Jonathan's body. Even after sharing such an intimate time together. She had worked so hard to become strong; now everything that Ella had worked towards came crashing down. Eventually, her thoughts fell upon Jace. What would he think of his mother when she returned worse off than before? She would be afraid to face the five year old boy.

She suddenly realized nighttime settled in as she heard the crickets begin to chirp. She lifted her head and heard something other than crickets. The brush before her was moving. Someone was coming. She peered into the darkness before her and saw a familiar thin figure.

"Jona- err… Kieran?" She regretfully corrected herself so not to anger him again.

Kieran stayed silent, floating towards her as terrifying as ever. His hood covered his face once again. He kept getting closer until he was nose to nose with the confused human. Ella didn't know whether to smile, or be fearful. She couldn't decipher anything within the darkness of the hood. Kieran lifted his arm above her and Ella began to smile, thinking he was putting his arm around her. Perhaps he did change his mind? Instead she felt a sharp, hard elbow bone strike the back of her head. Then Kieran's dark form faded to unconscious darkness along with everything else in Azshara.

--

After Kieran had lied to Zarak'hi about Ella, he realized he had a solution to the situation all along. That was why he went all the way back to Azshara. He usually would've found it annoying having to go back to a place where he made such an angry, dramatic exit, but he had a purpose. He found Ella in the same spot he had left her in. When his eyes fell upon her again, hate and love merged together in a vat of explosive rage. He kept calm as he approached her though, so not to frighten her. He felt sick to his stomach as she looked up at him with hopeful eyes. He quickly finished his business there with a swift blow to her head and she instantly fell limp.

'No wonder she was so weak before her training,' Kieran thought, 'she made herself vulnerable by being in love. In love with someone who is dead especially.' That was when Kieran knew that love equaled weakness. He would never let his heart win over him again.

He mounted his skeletal steed with the unconscious Ella draped over his lap. He needed to move swiftly, once he got out of the wilderness he would hearth back to Orgrimmar and take the zeppelin to the Undercity. Then he could travel south to the Alliance lands.

He knew he would have to wrap Ella in a blanket to hide her from any curious eyes and he would have to keep her from waking. Just in case, he bound her wrists and ankles and gagged her with some scraps of cloth Kieran used to make bandages.

To his surprise, Kieran moved through Orgrimmar with no problems. No one paid attention to the large, mysterious package draped over his shoulder, but of course, who would expect he was carrying an unconscious human bundled in a blanket through the Horde capital. He only encountered a problem on the zeppelin to Undercity, when Ella stirred. He considered himself fortunate that he and Ella were the only ones aboard the craft, other than the crew, but Kieran had taken them both to the cargo hold to avoid them. He noticed the bundle's movement became more frantic as Ella slowly realized she was bound, seated on the floor.

Kieran smirked at her helplessness and pulled the blanket off her head to allow her some air. She immediately glared daggers at Kieran and murmured something incomprehensible through her gag. Something instinctive and desperate like "Let me go". Kieran laughed at her.

"I'm pretty sure you realize I can't understand a word you're saying." He said to her as he crouched down before her. A wicked grin was plastered over Kieran's pale face as he stroked a lock of hair out of Ella's face. He was mocking her. Ella began to tremble from the anger that was building within her.

'How could I be so stupid?! How could I let myself become so vulnerable?! I should've known Kieran could never be Jonathan!' Ella wanted to cry, but he wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't give Kieran the pleasure.

"I know you're aching to say something to me. I'll allow it, just this once." He crept a boney finger over the cloth blocking her mouth and pulled it down over her chin. Ella licked her dry lips cautiously and they began to quiver, unsure of what to say. She wanted to say so many things. "Come on, let it out." He said in a sinister tone as he pulled off his hood, allowing Ella to look into his face.

"You are pathetic." Her voice was parched. "Even as a Forsaken I don't understand how you could live with yourself. What do you expect to accomplish by kidnapping me?"

"I expect to rid my life of this burden you put upon me." He replied simply. "Let me ask you this: Do you still love me?"

Ella wanted to lunge at him and rip his cruel tongue from his throat. "I never loved _you._ I made the mistake of letting my feelings get the best of me."

"So that's what we shared in the forest?"

"What did you want it to be? It was a horrible, disgusting mistake. I could never love you. I loved Jonathan once, but he no longer exists. I only wish I could kill you and lay Jonathan's body to rest." Ella stayed strong and stared directly into his sparkling blue eyes.

Kieran's lips formed a thin, grey line and without saying a word, he forced the gag back over Ella's mouth. As he put the blanket back over her head, he muttered, "We are arriving."

While riding his swift undead horse, the trip to the snowy lands of Dun Morogh appeared before them in no time. Kieran left Ella conscious for the trip, uncomfortably positioned over Kieran's lap. Each step the horse took was like a punch to the chest for Ella. She stayed calm through it, only because each time Ella bounced up from the saddle, she was able to wiggle out of her bindings little by little. Each gallop allowed her to inch out of her wrist cuffs without Kieran noticing. Once her hands were free, she began using the impact of the horse's gallop to wiggle her ankles free. She was about to release her gag, but she felt the steed suddenly stop. Ella froze.

"We're almost there, my dear." Kieran told her.

This was her chance to act. Pressing her now freed feet against the horse's side, she pushed herself off the horse and tumbled into ankle-deep snow. She scrambled out of the blanket and stood facing Kieran.

He was still seated on his horse, watching her as if he was barely amused by her show. Suddenly, he began to laugh. Ella stayed rigid in the snow and removed the gag. He was laughing so hard; he threw his head back and laughed to the sky. Ella was afraid to move, she was afraid she would let her guard down and give him an advantage. She thought about running while he found humor in her situation, but surely he would just catch her.

Eventually, his laughter faded and he turned back to her. "That whole acrobat act was completely useless you know."

"Not the way I see it." She replied without hesitation.

"Are you suggesting that you can beat me?"

"Perhaps I am."

Kieran snickered. "Now you know I am so much stronger than you, we would be wasting time fighting in the snow."

"I don't care! I'll fight to my death rather than sit helplessly as you carry out whatever you're planning!" Her nails dug into her palms, nearly drawing blood.

Kieran sighed. "As you wish."

The warlock dismounted and stood before Ella. Without moving, the priest faded into her shadow form.

To be continued…

PS- Long live Arakem! :3


	9. Family Reunion

Kieran, being the proud, impatient warlock that he was, wasted no time in attacking Ella. He cursed her with damaging spells, fired shadow bolts at her and drained her life. Ella couldn't believe the level of skill he truly had. She could barely keep up, let alone defend herself. She was able to throw some shadow words and a mind flay, which didn't come to much use. She realized Kieran had been hiding his real ability. If she would have known, she wouldn't have challenged him. She would've taken her chances and ran.

Ella was beaten down hard and quick. She was thrown to her knees from the power of Kieran's shadow bolt. Ella was expecting death to hit her next, but nothing happened. She looked up at the warlock as he marched towards her. He wrapped his cold, boney fingers around her neck and lifted her from the ground, removing his hood with his other hand so he could return her hateful glare.

"You are weak." He hissed. Ella couldn't respond because of his grasp around her throat. "You love, therefore you are weak!"

Kieran's grip tightened. Ella could feel her consciousness fading.

"You can't die yet; I need our son to see it!"

Ella merely choked in response, clawing at the undead's cold hands. Suddenly, his grasp released and she fell to the earth. Ella and Kieran both turned to see what caused the interruption.

"Z-Zarak'hi?!" Ella cried.

"Well who could've foreseen this?" Kieran shouted to the two trolls as he pulled the arrow which had lodged into his arm.

Zarak'hi put his bow back across his back and unsheathed his sword and shield. "Kieran! You won't be hurtin' Ella no more!"

Ella was still in shock even though she didn't recognize the other troll behind Zarak'hi.

In the blink of an eye, Zarak'hi charged toward Kieran. The warlock whispered a spell and suddenly Zarak'hi began running away in random directions as if in sheer, uncontrolled terror.

"My totem gonna cleanse 'dat fear!" Tyrisa called out towards Zarak'hi.

Indeed the fear vanished from the totem's magic, but unfortunately this brought Kieran's attention upon the shaman. The Forsaken placed a curse on her, corrupted her and immolated her. All spells that caused continuous damage. She was kept busy by healing the life she was losing. Kieran fired a shadow bolt towards Zarak'hi and he reflected it with his shield. The troll swung at Kieran and sliced open his arm. Kieran shot him a glare and cast another fear spell upon him. As Zarak'hi ran with fear he couldn't shake, the warlock began channeling his life drain spell on Tyrisa. With so much damage being taken, she couldn't keep up with healing. With one last cry out to Zarak'hi, Tyrisa fell face down in the snow, breathless.

"Tyrisa!" Zarak'hi screamed as the fear spell wore off.

"Don't worry Zarak, I will resurrect her afterwards." Ella called to him.

The troll glanced back at her and smiled. He was ecstatic to see her again, but he couldn't let his emotions disrupt his battle.

"What makes you think there will be an afterwards?!" Kieran bellowed as he called upon fireballs from the sky.

Ella ducked and ran towards Tyrisa. She dragged the lifeless blue body away from the fray and under the safety of a tree. As she placed her delicately in the snow, she quickly cast a healing spell upon Zarak. It healed some damage, but Kieran had already cast so many curses upon him, it was hard for Ella to keep up.

"Tsk tsk Ella, going back to the pathetic healing priest in need of protecting." Kieran was able to throw out the insult while firing off shadow bolts and dodging Zarak's blade.

"At least I have people willing to protect me!" She yelled back. "You say I'm weak because I love, but it's because of my love that people come to my aid!"

As a quick, unexpected reaction, Kieran cast a shadow bolt right towards her. Unprepared and unprotected, the bolt hit her critically, knocking her back a few feet into the snow.

"Ella!" Zarak cried. This time he couldn't control his emotions. Now that the two people he cared about the most were down, he had to run to their side. Tyrisa was dead, if she wasn't resurrected soon, she'd be dead permanently. When he ran to Ella, he saw she was barely clinging to life.

"Lucky I didn't kill her before I found my son." Kieran sneered.

"You bastard." Zarak said to him.

The warlock smirked, knowing the troll left himself wide open. "It was nice knowing you Zarak'hi, you were a good warrior." In addition to the health Zarak'hi lost from the curses, the next two shadow bolts ended his life. Ella watched in horror as the troll collapsed in the snow next to her. She was too weak to move and she was slipping in and out of consciousness. She would have to wait for her to recompose enough to at least stand up. Kieran had said he wasn't going to kill her until Jace was near, but it was hard for Ella to hold Kieran to his word. She wondered how he was going to find Jace since he wouldn't be allowed in Ironforge. Ella only hoped she could regain some strength before the warlock and his son had an encounter, but as she struggled to stay awake, she slowly slipped into darkness.

"You are definitely more powerful than you let people believe." Kieran heard a young voice from behind him. He turned to see a small figure standing in the snow.

Though it was hard for Kieran to remember what he looked like in his past life, he could tell that this boy was a miniature Jonathan. His hair was dark blonde, kept as long as a five year-old's hair could grow. He was only five years old, but he stood tall and proud as if he was the most wise and aged mage in the land. He wore robes the color of fire trimmed with the color of ash. His eyes were brighter than the sky, but they looked at Kieran so intensely that the undead might have felt a hint of fear if the boy wasn't three feet tall.

"You must be Jace." Kieran noted.

"You must be my deceased father." Jace said without faltering.

The undead smirked. "I see you don't have a problem with denying it."

"Why should I hide from the truth? You were once my father, now you are a despicable person." The young boy spoke as if he held the knowledge of the world on his shoulders. "My mother hid from the truth and it forced her to have a mental break down." He briefly glanced at Ella's body. "I love my mother, she raised me well, but I know how much grief you've caused her and I can never forgive you for that."

"How do you know anything about me?"

Jace cocked his head. "Don't underestimate me because of my age. I am much more powerful than you think."

"Prove it." Kieran hissed.

Jace smiled and closed his eyes as he began channeling a spell. Kieran was ready to retaliate, but for now he watched curiously what his son had up his sleeve. Once the spell was channeled, a portal opened next to him. With one quick movement, Jace hopped through the portal. Kieran's eyes widened.

"What the hell?" Kieran muttered to himself. "Didn't think of the boy as a coward."

No sooner then he said this, a much larger figure leapt from the portal. The person that stood in the young boy's place was tall and had arcane magic oozing from him. He wore regal blue robes that glowed from the magic enchantments. His blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he had a coarse beard across his jaw. Kieran knew him now as he gazed into his eyes.

"How did you…" The dumbfounded Forsaken began.

"You didn't think I would fight you as a five year old, did you?" The much older Jace chuckled.

"I don't know what you just did, but it doesn't matter." While he spoke, Kieran mentally called a demon from the underworld. His imp Chokran appeared and immediately began shooting fireballs at Jace.

Kieran almost couldn't see Jace's casting, it was so skilled and fast. Suddenly, Kieran felt his body shrinking. Everything felt tight and when he cried out, his normal voice had morphed into a 'baa'. Fluffy white wool covered his body and he was only a foot tall. His boney frame now felt cramped within the body of a farm animal. He couldn't control his movements. He walked around randomly as a sheep and watched Jace destroy his imp in a couple of hits. Once the imp was dead, Jace drew his attention onto Kieran the sheep. He was charging a spell and from the time it was taking to cast, Kieran knew it was going to be harsh. The pyroblast was indeed harsh, almost killing him instantly. It broke the sheep spell and Kieran was forced to consume the powers of a healthstone to regain life. As his health was regenerated, he feared Jace and he let the mage run around helplessly as he bandaged the rest of his drained health.

"Don't think you can dispose of me that easily!" Anger flared from Kieran as he began putting curses upon Jace.

Jace defended by using his curse removing skill, then shot off a fireball. Kieran took the damage as he fired a shadow bolt.

The battle was evenly matched. When Jace was low on heath, he just morphed Kieran back into a sheep to make time to heal his wounds. When Kieran was gravely injured, he would fear Jace to make time for himself. Then it was back to fireballs and shadow bolts, cursing and removing curses, polymorphing and fearing; the battle went on for a long while. Eventually both of their mana pools were running thin.

While the father and son stood facing each other, their mana almost fully drained, Ella regained consciousness. She stirred and sat up, lifting herself with weak, shaky arms. She looked over at the two men positioned for battle. One was obviously Kieran, but the other one? She tried focusing her tired eyes onto the blonde haired man. Her mouth fell open. The eyes, the hair, the features; everything matched him perfectly.

She cried out suddenly. "J-Jonathan?!"

Kieran glanced back at Ella, and then burst into a cruel laugh. "How can you possibly think that he is me? You know Jonathan is dead forever!"

Jace looked upon his mother and smiled. "It's okay mom, it's me Jace. I'll explain soon."

Ella nodded nervously, still very confused. That man said he was Jace, but Ella knew that to be impossible. Jace was a five year old boy, not a man. She could only watch helplessly, but the more she looked on, the more she could see Jace growing into a man like the one before her.

To be continued..

* * *

AN: Just taking a brief moment to thank everyone's support and reviews. THANX GAIS!!1 I'll also take this time to put in a shameless plug: If you like this story then I suggest my others in progress. An Honorable Heart, The Village of the Shatterspear Trolls and The Hardest Thing. Anyway, hope you enjoy the last chapters of The Way of the Shadow!


	10. Blood, Snow and Magic

"I didn't think it would be this hard to kill you." Kieran said with a terrifying grin, slightly panting from his magic exhaustion. "But I have a something that would kill you faster than you can imagine!"

Kieran turned and pointed at Ella, who was still frozen from confusion in the snow. He began charging a shadow bolt, which even with the smallest damage dealt would kill her. Jace moved instinctively fast, using his blink spell to teleport into the path of the spell. The blast of shadow magic hit Jace square in the chest and knocked him on his back. With a sinister cackle, Kieran circled Jace and began his life drain. Jace's life was being absorbed by the warlock. He could feel the end coming near, all in order to spare his mother's life.

Just before Jace thought his world would be shrouded in darkness forever, the life draining spell ceased. As he looked upon the shocked warlock, he noticed the blade that ran through his chest. Kieran's eyes were wide with confusion, but he was able to turn his head to see the woman at the other end of the blade. Ella's face was distorted with rage and tears streamed down her face. With her jaw locked tight, she spoke to Kieran through her teeth.

"You will never touch my son again!"

Jace stood and Kieran turned back to face him again. The mage didn't speak, just put a hand to the undead's chest. As their eyes were locked upon each other, Kieran muttered softly, "I'm so proud of you." Jace detected a hint of a smile starting to form before he channeled a pulse of arcane energy into his father's heart, ending his life.

Kieran fell limp and his body slid off the end of Zarak'hi's sword. Ella still held the sword as she stared down at Kieran's corpse, now completely vacant of life. Her chin quivered from emotions building. She couldn't allow emotion to rule her again, more pressing matters were at hand.

"Mother…" Jace began, but Ella interrupted him suddenly.

"One moment." She held a finger up, gesturing him to wait. Even if Jace hadn't have waited, she still would have kept running toward the two fallen trolls.

She began casting her resurrection spell on Tyrisa, since she had been dead the longest. The spell was like a light from heaven for Tyrisa. She sat up slowly, bringing her hand to her head.

"Ugh mon, 'dat warlock be pretty tough." She grumbled. She looked up at Ella and smiled thankfully. Her eyes travelled over Kieran's body and she seemed to sigh with relief. When Ella rushed away, she turned to see what she was rushing to. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Zarak'hi face down in the snow. She stood up and watched as Ella resurrected him. Though she was incredibly thankful, her heart ached, wishing she could've been the one to save him. The shaman watched as Zarak'hi rose to his feet, becoming less disorientated and embrace Ella as he realized she was alive.

"Ella, I'm sorry…" Zarak'hi embraced her tighter, knowing he let her down. "Sorry I couldn't save ya'."

"It's okay Zarak'hi." Ella comforted.

The troll pulled away so he could meet her gaze. "Ella…" he whispered softly, "I be wantin' to tell ya' ever since ya left Ratchet. I tink I love ya'." Zarak'hi smiled nervously.

Ella returned the smile, but her eyes seemed to show sadness. "Zarak'hi, it warms my heart to hear you say that, but I cannot be with you." The words seemed to shock and hurt Zarak'hi and he tried hard to keep his composure. Ella turned back to look at Jace. To her surprise, he had changed back into a child. "That's my boy." Ella continued. "Jace risked his life, defeated Kieran all to save me as well as you and your troll friend." As she spoke, her eyes moved to Tyrisa whose head was lowered and facing the ground. Ella could guess why. "My life needs to be with my son Zarak'hi. I've been so selfish, but I now realize he needs me more than you. I hope you can understand."

Zarak'hi's heart was heavy, but he nodded. "I don't know what it be like bein' a parent, but I be sure to be wit' my child as well." It hurt him to say it, but he did understand.

"I also think there's someone in your life that needs you more than I do." Ella grinned.

The troll cocked his head curiously. "Who dat be?" Ella looked back over her shoulder to Tyrisa. "Tyrisa? She be my best friend."

"I think it's a tad obvious since she did follow you here and risked her life for someone you cared for. She'd do anything for you, I don't even know her and I can tell. I'm sure if you talk to her she'd confess her feelings."

Zarak'hi sighed. "Would it be right? She knew I cared fo' ya'."

Ella smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Believe me, when you're in love, you'll go to the ends of Azeroth. I'll give you time alone so you two can talk about it before we leave this place." Before moving away, the priest recalled the moment that had led to her to become an independent woman. "Thank you again for the drink." She said softly to the troll and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Ella approached Tyrisa again and told her Zarak'hi wanted to speak to her, which she acted on immediately and rushed to her dearest friend. Ella then moved back to Jace. She knelt before him and brought him into an embrace.

"Thank you my son and I'm so very sorry."

Jace chuckled. "You don't have to be sorry. People have problems sometimes. I just wanted to be there for you so we can take care of our problems together."

"So, how did you do it?" Ella asked as she stood and crossed her arms in a demanding, motherly fashion.

"Do what?" Jace replied innocently.

"Don't joke with me, five year olds don't age twenty years in a matter of moments."

Her son grinned and began. "Do you remember what you always told me when I asked why you were sad?" Ella nodded. "You always said 'because I cannot change the past'. Well since those times, I have worked day and night to try and find a way to change the past. I studied how to control time, a hidden magical art."

Ella raised a brow. "It's pretty impossible to believe a five year old learned to manipulate time."

"Exactly. So I just studied on how to transport myself through time, once I learned that one spell, I was able to replace myself with an older, more skilled version. Using this method, I learned more and more about time magic. I witnessed everything from you and my father's past. I saw him be reborn into the cruel Forsaken he had become, and I knew this day would come. The day I would have to confront and defeat him." Jace took in a gulp of air from speaking all at once.

"You really learned all that for me?" Ella was overwhelmed.

"Yes, and the good part is I succeeded." Jace bowed his head and channeled a spell, allowing a portal to open. "This portal will lead you to the day where you allowed your husband to go to battle. The day that led to his death. If you take this portal, you can fix everything."

Ella stood before the portal, her mouth gaping wide, as her heart and mind were ripped in two over the portal. It was up to her to erase all that had happened. Kieran would never exist, Jace would have a happy family, but she would never have become the way she was now and she would have never met Zarak'hi and Tyrisa. She couldn't contain her hesitation any longer as she faced the rip in time, the key to her happiness…

To be concluded


	11. Epilogue

The sun hung high shining upon the dense Stranglethorn Vale. It was a hot and humid day, but it seemed like the best day in the world for the vacationing group of people gathered on one of the many beaches.

"Mom! Mom! Has it been fifteen minutes yet?" The young boy shouted to his mother who was sunbathing in the warm sand.

"Jace, only five minutes has passed!"

"I promise that pie is not going to be a problem if I go swimming!" Jace pleaded.

His mother, Ella Lightstorm, sat up and gave him a playful glare. "If you get a stomach ache, you better not come crying to me."

With a squeal of excitement, Jace leapt into the salty water.

"Hey mon' watch out for de murlocs!" Zarak'hi the troll called out, causing the boy to cautiously inspect the water around him.

"Ah dis sun be feelin' good." Tyrisa said as she stretched with her head rested on Zarak'hi's lap.

"A definite well-needed vacation." Ella sighed to her friends.

A month had passed since the encounter with her deceased husband. Her son Jace learned how to make a portal to the past in order to change the future, but Ella did not give in to the easy route. If she had taken the portal, she would've lost everything she had worked so hard to achieve and she would've lost her closest friend. So she simply told Jace to cancel the portal.

"You know, now that I have no reason to practice time magic, I won't be the same twenty-five year old you met before." Jace had told her.

"I don't mind," Ella replied, "I'll love you if you're a time mage or not."

As they hugged, Jace joked, "I could be a polymorph expert."

They laughed as they heard more laughter coming from the trolls. From the looks of it, Tyrisa finally confessed and Zarak'hi welcomed it with open arms. Tyrisa was so happy that she was laughing aloud. Jace and Ella joined them and Ella was able to introduce her son to them.

"Nice ta finally meetcha Jace." Zarak'hi shook his hand as he greeted him.

"Ya, mon' you must be a wicked little mage ta be able ta defeat dat warlock at yo' age." Tyrisa had said to him with a proud pat on the shoulder.

"I think we all need a real vacation after this." Ella told them with a heavy sigh.

"I could agree to dat." Zarak'hi said as Tyrisa and Jace both expressed their agreement with wide grins.

They were all happy, yet unbeknownst to them, they had passed by a hefty mistake. They had each forgotten about an easily forgettable warlock skill: Soulstone.

--

Shattrath City was a busy, bustling place. Being within its walls was very uncomforting to Kieran, the Forsaken warlock. He spent most of his time within the World's End tavern, drinking and reflecting about recent events that occurred in his afterlife.

One dusky evening Kieran was recalling the fortunate feeling he felt as he was able to use his soulstone to resurrect him once everyone had left the area. Kieran was controlled by his emotion and rage and it got him killed. He wasn't sure what do with himself now. He thought about finding Ella and Jace again, but he didn't know what he would do if he saw them again. Though he considered himself a lone, cruel Forsaken, a part of him was still humane and he realized he put Ella through hell. He was still deciding if it was all a bad move.

His deep thought was interrupted by a small form approaching his table. It was a child orc. "Heya mister." The boy said. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I'm undead, how am I supposed to look?" Kieran grumbled.

The boy laughed. "I mean you look sad or something."

"Perhaps I am."

The orc looked at him curiously. "Do you have children?"

The warlock answered with a "Tch" and thought 'intuitive little runt'. Then he continued softly, "Yes, a son."

"What's he like?"

Kieran paused for a moment. "He's the greatest mage I ever met."

The End


End file.

Warcraft, Romance, Tragedy