Into the Abyss

For years we fought side by side, argued and loved, hardly out of each others sight for a moment. At times our guild called us the invincible duo, because although we were not invincible, we were both battle hardened and cruel enough to never leave our enemies alive. More often than not we came out just as bruised and bloodied as our most fearsome enemies, however we reveled and laughed, joked and worked side by side like husband and wife should. I loved him, he was my everything, from my most trusted friend, to my dedicated lover, each stolen moment in the snow only adding to my passion for him. It was rare we stayed in an Inn in the city, it was more often than not we made camp in the snow we both fought in so much. Stolen kisses and loving hugs, it was all I could do to keep from smiling every moment of every day. I had been taking unarmed lessons from him, and was getting quite good at being able to not get knocked on my ass every sparing round. However beneath the surface of joy and contentment, I waged my own private battle with the Lich King, between his promises and threats, between his anger and sweet seduction I tried my hardest to resist him, Malamok keeping me firmly in this world. Towards the last year I began to notice he would go off on his own for one day, and return happier. At first it meant nothing, It probably meant he was having an ale with a friend, but soon it became more and more frequent, and I began to grow more and more worried, so one day...I fixed it.


For years it worked this way, at each others side and rarely out of each others sight, the only times really were when I visited the Worgen city in Silverpine Forest in secrecy, for I feared my love to be as good as a tracker as I was. I was fascinated by them, and I pitied them, as if I knew what their condemned raced went through. Sitting silently on a nearby hill, I watched two children run in the village streets, their laughter sweet as innocence could provide, their curse almost non-existant if one was not paying close attention. However when a child turned into a wolf pup and then back again, I could only furrow my brows in concentration, wondering what the curse was. Was it genetic or given at birth? Perhaps it was both, one could contrive the curse and be born with it, which lead to even more interesting questions, though they had to be forestalled for now. Val lately had been sensing my distance to her, my secrets that I promised to never have, and she was growing more suspicious by the day. With a soft sigh I stood up and whistled for my wolf, hopping on and riding away, heading to Undercity to get back to Northrend, confident that I had once again completed a successful mission to this tiny village.

How utterly stupidly confident I was, to not check my surroundings or my trail, something I would have never done in the past, but no, now I was so confident in my ability that I felt no need to check. The footfalls of my wolf were dull thuds as we traveled quickly out of sight, and out of mind, foolishly, oh so foolishly. If I had merely glanced to the hill downwind of me, I would have noticed her sitting there, watching me watch them, her eyes blazing with the fury I had never hoped to see. But no, I did not, instead I left with the surefire confidence that I had made another visit undetected. Foolish...foolish me.


He came again, to this wretched shambled place these people called a village. Pathetic scum they were, lower than the dogs they turned into at the fall of the sun. How could he pity them? How could he want to be one? How could he abandon me? Me, who left everything for him, my home, my family, my inheritance, my life, just to be with him, and here he was, ready to betray his own race and faction. Grinding my teeth in sheer frustration, I looked back down at the village again, not even bothering to hide my presence as he rode away, thinking he had escaped again. Yes I said again, I had been following him for the past few weeks, wondering if was another woman he was coming to visit, and for some saddening reason I wished he was, that way I could drag her corpse through the streets of Dalaran as a warning, however this betrayel seemed only that much deeper. I never claimed to be a perfect woman, in fact my temper usually got the best of me nine times out of ten, however this time I would put an end to this foolishness, right, now.

Mounting up on my favorite talbuk, I rode down to the squabble these people called a town, through the front gates and into the town center. I watched with the utmost satisfaction as women fled with their children and men prepared to fight, some transforming, others standing their ground as they were. Dismounting as if I had nothing better to do with my time, I patted my talbuk and smiled sweetly, gesturing with open arms. My gloves off to reveal my empty hands, my body turning on the spot as I was surrounded. Most of the women and children were away, as well as some of the elders. This wasn't the whole town population I knew, however it was plenty enough to serve my purposes, my dark, despicable purposes. The lowered their weapons a bit, of course they wouldn't see me as a mage, merely a woman, I had learned enough in the past that announcing your class more often than not didn't do much of any good. I didn't want them to fear me right now, I wanted them to be at ease.

"My fellow beings, I come in peace, and I am here to cure your most unwelcome curse" came my voice in Thalassian, knowing they wouldn't understand."Consider a favor of the highest honor, and I shall need no reward" I hissed out, pulling into myself at the great store of mana I had there, my eyes closing as the warriors came towards me cautiously. Pathetic scum, thinking they could take on me, me! The one who could take on three masters and still be fine and ready to fight, me, who had single handedly destroyed an entire centaur village. These poor scums had no defense, thankfully anyways, as I felt my body seem to hum with the magic in the air, the sweet intoxicating mana. I knew Malamok would feel this from miles away and come running, and for some reason I wanted him to, I wanted him there as I did my deed. The men were shifty on their feet, not warriors in the slightest, and they should have been, for what happened could only be described to them as a catastrophe, but to me, sweet justice. With one large arcane explosion, I severed their heads, each and every man surrounding me and those left in the village fell to my attack. Not all fell though, as I looked around, perhaps there was something going on that I missed, with the village being half empty.

Turning on my heel, I smiled at my most recent handiwork, the strewn bodies evidence of my most wonderful art creation, their blood running in rivulets down the cobblestone pavement, the bodies around me a sweet scene. Some were wolves, others were still human, and if I looked towards the inn, I could see a few women and children that had not escaped the blast. Such sweet sweet riddance. However I should be spending this time preparing, and with a sadistic grin, I made my way up the hill to a balcony overlooking the scene and sat down, one leg over my knee as I idly picked my teeth with a splinter of wood as I waited for what I was sure was my husband. He would try to play the mysterious hero, because it was too early to draw attention, and I planned to teach him the lesson of a lifetime. Making myself comfortable, I waited, oh how I eagerly awaited.


The massive influx of mana caused me to skid my wolf to a halt, my eyes looking back at the worgen village, and without a second thought to myself I turned back and rode as hard as I could, the wind streaming in my long hair as the hood fell down, my mind reeling at the sheer need to get to these people. The mana only grew, before I felt a sheer wave of power, then nothing, no screams, cries or even groans of pain carried in the wind, merely silence, deafening silence. Pulling my hood up, I continued to ride, and it wasn't very long til I was once again standing at the village. There were no guards, already on edge I began to creep towards the center of town, dismounting and stalking from shadow to shadow. Whilst I was mid streak, I saw it, the bloody carnage of a pitiful race, though by a quick estimate only a quarter of the village was there. The headless bodies were strewn in the open, and I was left standing in sheer shock at the blood splatter that marred the walls around the massacre. Both knives clattered out of my hands as I even gazed toward the inn and town hall, seeing a few women and children caught in the blast.

"Do you like it? I call it ode to the weak" came the sweet voice of my wife from above me, her body relaxed as she leaned back on her hand, the other idly picking between her teeth as if she had just found the work amusing. "Don't be shy darling, tell me what you think" she added, jumping down and landing lightly on her feet in a pool of blood, innocent blood. With a roar I pulled a dagger and pinned her against a wall, my eyes glaring into hers, trying to bore into her skull, the sharp steel of my dagger at her throat. "Do it, Malamok, go on, cut the throat of your wife, of your own kin, defend your pathetic charges" she hissed at me, her eyes challenging mine. I should have known this was coming, I was paying the price for my betrayal. No, I hadn't betrayed her fully yet, but there was a not of satisfaction as she egged me on, of deep hurt of the betrayal I had caused her. She took my love of these people and used it against me, and for what? To teach me a lesson? I rose as if to strike, then caught myself, instead sheathing the dagger and picking up the other two, my back to her as I spoke.

"There was no need for this bloodshed, so many innocent lives were lost here, because of what? Your anger? How pathetic" I snapped at her, my own voice carrying venom that was alien to me, my eyes trying to avoid the bloodshed that surrounded me.

"You were going to betray your own people! My actions were necessary" she yelled behind me, her voice raising an octave. We had rarely argued, but by the gods this was going to be quite the argument if I did not stop it. Problem was, I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to. I could tell when she meant people, she meant herself, she was one of the few of "my people" that accepted me and all my faults, yet I could not stop the words coming even if I wanted to.

"I don't have a people! I was banned from my home city by your asshole of a father!" came my sharp reply, my body turning to face hers.

"Oh I'm sorry that I can't show more pity, seeing as how I shared the same fate for standing up for the one I loved! These pathetic scum needed to die, you are better than this, don't betray your friends and your faction!" came her terse reply, her hands placed squarely on her hips.

"I have nothing left in the horde" came my quiet reply before I could stop myself, and I inwardly cursed at myself as I saw her face fall before me. With deep scowl, she bowed formally to me, her long white hair spilling over her shoulders. Hair I had often run my fingers through as I kissed her passionately, declaring my love for her over and over again on the cold nights in Northrend as our breath misted before us. Hair that whipped around as she laughed happily as she gazed at me, now almost dull as she bowed formally to me. Hidden beneath the mask of anger was sheer pain, but I could not bring myself to do anything, the coward I was.

"Then so be it, Malamok, lord of the Barrens" she said softly to me, the mana swirling around her as she teleported herself to god knows where, faster than I could reach out to grab her. Gods be damned she was like smoke in the wind, and I, I nearly quenched that fire. Falling to my knees, I took a deep breath and looked around, seeing a few of the villagers start to return. Holding up my hands in surrender, they looked wary of me, until I began to pick up the bodies, laying them formally in the town square, listening intently as the men began to help, the women preparing funeral pyres for the dead. Sitting crosslegged, one of the men offered me a drink of water, and I began to listen, adding to the vocabulary I had picked up from watching them. I had brought ruin to these people by my foolishness, and ruin to myself by my arrogance, and I knew I was going to pay for it. However it was time to hold true to my words, there was nothing left for me in my faction if she had finally abandoned me. One woman patted my shoulder as I leaned my forehead into my palm, my eyes leaking tears of loss, loss of these people, loss of her, and loss of myself. Oh how the hot tears rolled down my face.


I landed in the barren mountains of Icecrown, the most remote location I could come up with, and fell to my knees in choking sobs. The lesson I had hoped to teach him only turned him against me, and now I was left suffering the consequences of my actions, my hands gripping the icy clumps of snow beneath me, my tears hot on my face. Screaming into the wind, I curled up into a fetal position and let go, finally crying myself to sleep. I would have frozen to death if it weren't for Belil, the dragon to which I was bonded. Somehow she had found me, and I was comforted by her warm presence. Her large wings covered over my form as she remained silent, any other time she would have been trying to say I told you so or speaking of some ancient proverb or another, but now, now she seemed to know that I learned the lesson myself. My wonderful husband, gone, his smiling face no more because of my own selfish actions. Slowly, my sobs put me to sleep in the snow.


Months had passed, and I had not seen his face. I continued to battle against those who wished me dead, taking out my opponents one by one. However my comrades commented on my lack of focus, telling me to stop going through the motions and pay attention. After a while I stopped working with them, going on suicidal missions into the valley, my depression deepening each day I went without him. I did not think he would ever want to see me again, so I began taking harder and harder missions, determined to try and find a worthy opponent to end my life so that way I could leave the misery I was going through. Seeing the group of Death knight initiates, I grinned hungrily and stumbled towards them as if drunk, not caring if I was nearly out of mana and my shield failing, I wasn't here to live much longer anyways. With a strangled cry I began, cutting down the first two without much ado, however I felt the old panic begin to set in as I realized I was out matched, and was most likely this time going to die. This was what I wanted right? So why was I fighting so hard? I still did not have an answer as another fell with a lucky shot. However panic began to well up in my throat, I was outnumbered, and it was my own doing. Not for the first time I wished Malamok was here, oh by the gods how I missed him. Narrowly missing another strike, I felt the hot tears run down my face as I prepared to meet my fate.


I hadn't seen her since that day, I couldn't bring myself to see her after I broke her heart, and though I debated it for months, I was putting it off. My guildmates told me she was falling away from sanity, falling deeper into a depression that they couldn't bring her out of, and yet still here I sat in front of Shadowfang keep, unable to bring myself to go to her. All it took was the simple focus of our wedding band, and I would be with her. I knew that she hadn't taken it off, the last report came in a week ago that she had gone off on her own, and she still wore the band and "mourned what she had pushed away" was what she told them. However unsettling it was, I could not bring myself to face my faults. Letting my mind go blank, I thought of her face when she was happy, the way her eyes lit up as if she felt she could do no wrong. All of a sudden a wave of panic hit me, then left as soon as it came, leaving me in a breathless stupor. Gazing at the ring thoughtfully, I felt it heat up as another wave of panic hit me, and I realized what it meant. However I hesitated, my body itching to go to her, but my brain holding me back, ashamed of myself.

"You should go to her" came the voice of a villager, his deep voice matching his grizzled look. I had taken to learning the language of these people, and had gotten quite good. Looking at the old man, I opened my mouth to ask how he knew, however for some reason, I trusted him and stood, pulling up my hood and focusing on the wedding band I had been ignoring until now. With a tightening sensation, I found myself in the valley of Icecrown. Turning frantically on the spot, I found her surrounded by the blank faces of death knight initiates, their bodies moving and attacking her. Three lay at her feet already, but I could tell she wasn't going to win, she was loosing her grip on reality and slipping, and if I did not work quickly she would fall, forever. She was thin, as if she hadn't eaten in weeks, and dried blood caked her clothes and body, something she would have never allowed before. Her eyes were dull with the exception of panic rising in them, and she seemed to just be fighting out of pure habit. With a strangled cry I sprinted forward, watching her stumble and falter, her mana slipping as she gazed at her opponents, her hands falling. Each second seemed to creep by in slow motion as I watched the man behind her prepare for a strike, and though I tried to put on a burst of speed, could not reach her in time. With a horrified feeling, I watched his sword pierce her abdomen, her blood coating his steel blade. She looked at it with a look of shock and surprise, her body falling to its knees as I watched the initiates go off with blank eyes once more. Skidding to a halt, I caught her as she fell the last bit.

"No no no no no! Valkelie no! Gods no" I screamed, desperately trying to wrap her in bandages to stop the bleeding. I was in denial, I knew she was going to die, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I mentally cursed myself for every kind of fool for leaving her, her blood flowing over my hands.

"Malamok? Is that you or am I dreaming again?" she whispered confusedly, her hand coming up to gently cup my cheek.

"I'm here love, please just hang on" I said in a strained voice, my hands fumbling again.

"I'm...I'm s...sorry" she whispered, tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry...f..for what I did....and I love you." Her mouth seemed to be struggling to say more in her last moments of life, as though she knew she had not said enough, and had prepared for what was to come, however she just couldn't seem to get it out.

And for that moment, time stood still as I felt myself lean down and gently press my lips to her thin chapped ones, my arms supporting her.

"Gods I love you too, don't leave me" I whimpered out, and looking at her face one last time, I saw her smile at me, that smile I missed, and craved, and loved, the last smile I would ever see. With one last cough, and a stream of blood escaping her mouth, she went limp in my arms, and I lost her, Seleine Theron, my wife, my love, gone forever.