Birth of a Death Knight, The

The Birth of a Death Knight
 * -by Merlet

(Shinrana's Tale)

Chapter 1
The huge gray cat sneezed twice from the stench of the air around her. A quick swipe of paw over her nose as it wrinkled up did not ease the itch and burn from the tainted air.

“Aye Sister, it does stink.” came the muffled comment from another Kaldorei.

The cat turned her glowing blue eyes towards her companion and nodded. White fur markings on the shoulder of the cat identified her as a Druid of the Claw. She was the only druid in the party, the rest were in various types of armor depending upon what it was they were here to do, and most had a kerchief tied over their nose and mouth to attempt to cut some of the horrible stench.

They were to meet up with a battalion of humans who were trying to turn back the tide of Scourge sweeping over the land, and she, Shinrana was the scout. So she had not the luxury of riding a sleek Fighting Saber or the ability to tie a kerchief around her nose and mouth. She had to be able to scent the presence of the undead so that her party could avoid them.

Their leader called a halt to check the map, they were nearing a village called Corin’s Crossing, which was believed to have been overrun by the Scourge. They were not traveling upon the road, and tried to avoid detection.

“Shinrana, scout ahead and see what is to be found.”

The cat nodded, phased into the shadows and moved off a head, slinking through the trees. Moving slowly and scenting the air around her she silently made her way ahead and eventually came across the village. Scourge born creatures, undead monstrosities and the humans who worked with them had over ran the village. Those who had not risen to join the mass of undead lay in pieces, strewn across the road and yards. Some bodies looked as if they had been gnawed upon. The cat’s whiskers twitched and her face took a pained expression. She backed into the underbrush and turned away from the village just as the wind shifted.

A ghoul turned at a new scent brought to it upon the air. Fresh meat, sweet blood, a living creature to devour. With an inhuman cry, it moved in a shambling run after the new scent. Others began to follow. Shinrana froze for a brief moment, at the noises behind her, she took off at a dead run. Calling out a feral cry to her Brother’s and Sister’s, hoping they heard her she tried to lead the scourge away from where her party was resting.

Running in a diagonal line away from the town, and slightly to the side of where the other Kaldorei were resting she dug her claws into the earth and ran hard. Behind her she could hear the ravening Scourge chasing her down, to the side she now heard the cries of her party, and the sounds of combat. Turning on a paw, she ran to meet her party. Breaking from the cover she saw a party of Scourge had ambushed them.

With a cry of rage and a prayer to Elune her body shifted from that of a swift sleek cat to a massive bear. The roar changed and intensified as it came from her new mouth and she dove into the fray to pull Scourge from her people. Looking wildly around, she saw a break and grabbed the first standing Night Elf in line of sight, stood up and with her massive head, tossed the woman clear. Diving back into the pile she pulled three more out and tossed them to safety before the Scourge turned upon her.

Of the twenty others who had been in their party, only six remained, those six managed to scramble away as the Scourge swarmed over the bear form of Shinrana. She cried out a feral roar to her brothers and sisters to run. The priestess nodded only once and turned, pushing the others before her and fled.

The creatures from the village clambered into view of the battleground, they roared at the scent of fresh sweet blood and meat. The swarmed over the dead bodies of the Kaldorei as a massive flesh monster pulled the torn bloody bear’s body from the pile. Shinrana could no longer hold the shape of the bear, her form resumed that of a Night Elf. The beast shook her, taking her in it’s massive hands and snapped her spine. She knew no more.

From somewhere deep within the lands a great power stirred, it had seen what the druid had done, and stayed his army before it could rip her body apart.

“Bring her to me. She will be mine.”

Chapter 2
Awakening

Cold unyielding stone was beneath her back, feeling as though it would freeze her skin to stone as well. The whisper in her mind was continuous, like the droning of an insect by her ear. A sense of wrong permeated her being, but she could not grasp what that Wrong was. Slowly she opened her eyes to look around her. A vaulted stone ceiling was above her, cold grey and dank, though it looked odd. Blinking she looks around herself and sees horrors about her. She was inside what looked to be some sort of scourge creation factory. She leapt off of the table in sheer panic, looking about her for some sort of weapon. The whisper became a roar within her mind.

“You are mine, my soldier, my possession, my Death Knight.”

She froze, he body held motionless by a will not her own. The words sunk deep within her mind, and part of it screamed in agony at what she could see there. She, a Daughter of Elune was now nothing more than an undead abomination, a play thing of the Lich King. As the time passed, less and less of her mind was her own. Arthas, now controlled her. A very tiny part of what she had once been managed to hide. Somehow Arthas missed it, perhaps he did not. Perhaps he allowed that to remain in an ultimate cruelty to what it was she would be forced to do under his complete control. “Ah, you are alert! I think the Lich King shall be impressed with you, you have turned out well.”

Another undead creature walked up to her as he spoke. She only nodded.

“Well you are up, you must train and gain your orders. Put on that armor there and report. He is most anxious to see how you’ve turned out.”

Again she nodded and turned to put on her armor, pulling the cowl down over her face she followed the whisper in her mind to face Arthas himself. She bowed before her new master, listened to his words and vowed to obey him. Her own will now subsumed, Shinrana was a Death Kinght, and will be trained to be an elite force welding the will of the Lich King. She received her orders and went to pick out a weapon, presenting it, she was ordered to the Runeforge to make a true blade of destruction from it. Turning from the forge, she threw the cowl back, and stood to her full height of over seven foot.

‘You are mine, my chosen, you will spread my will, my destruction, my new world. You are more than you were, MY CHOSEN Death Knight.’

The whisper in her mind continued, over and over telling her what she was. The Daugther of Elune was no more, she was a Death Knight and she would serve her lord. Now she strode back to gain the next set of orders with her head held high and her eyes glowing an eerie blue. She walked back to Arthas and knelt at his feet.

“Rise my chosen, you Shinrana, will report to Instructor Razuvious, he will give you further instructions, and you shall be paired with another for your continuing orders.”

Standing again, remaining silent she bowed her head to the Lich King and spun upon her heel to take up her next duties. Making her way in silence through the Ebon Hold, she looked around her, and down into a pit which held those unworthy to be of the chosen. Sneering at them she made her way to Razuvious. She waited silently beside Razuvious as a Human Death Knight approached.

(Excerpt from Rothiar Windrider's tale) "The great Rothiar Windrider. The Bloodletter. It's wonderous to see you again, but fighting for the right purpose."

Rothiar glared at him.

"Save your breath, Razuvious...I didn't come here for idle chit chat. The master said you had a task for me?" Razuvious nodded and gestured to the Night Elf.

"This here is Shinrana. She will be your partner as you deliever the Lich King's wrath across these lands...But first. You two must deal with an unworthy initiate that's been shown to be quite bothersome. He's currently chained down in the pit just behind you. Unlock him and allow him to get his armor and weapon...then eliminate him."

Rothiar narrowed his glowing eyes under his hood.

"Why bother? Why not just kill him where he stood?"

Razuvious chuckled.

"Lets just say we're considerate enough to allow him a second chance...if he lives. Now go."

(End excerpt)

Arching an eyebrow at the exchange, nodding to her partner she strode off and down into the pit, stopping in front of another night elf to wait.