The Confrontation
They saw us approaching on horseback long before we reached Goldshire. We slipped into the shadows and hoped that if a search was called out, it would be abandoned quickly. We reached our home, north of town, and headed up the stairs, relieved to find it devoid of cults and other distractions. But until we were sure they'd stopped looking for us, we stuck to the shadows.
Finally we relaxed and stepped into the light, warming ourselves by the fire in the room. But no sooner had we done so than we heard footsteps on the staircase. The eerie red eyes burned from beneath their hood in the doorframe.
Simayi.
I stepped between him in Thrage and raised my blades. He just looked at me with a twisted smirk and laughed. He batted playfully at my sword and stepped into the loft. Arms raised, he began the incantations that would call him into that horrible skeletal form once more...
Something went wrong in the incantation, and instead of morphing into a skeleton, he shrank to nearly half his size. I laughed mercilessly.
Thrage took the opportunity to test out one of his engineering gadgets as well.
Unimpressed, Simayi recast the spell and took on the skeletal form once more.
"They were able to bring Thrage back? How unfortunate, but good to see he's still in shock." He laughed in a way that rattled his ribcage.
"You promised to help us," I snarled.
He laughed again. "And you promised to stop him from killing any more innocents. Just last week the Ripper struck again here in Goldshire. A fine job you did!"
"You're lying!" But I had seen the letters from my various informants. Anmorata was not among them, but if she was on Simayi's side... I glanced towards Thrage, he had sat down and was staring at floor, refusing to look me in the eye.
It was true.
"You didn't even try, Undina. And when he killed again, what did you do? You MARRIED this monster!"
The anger clamped down on my mind again; I thrust my sword in his direction. "The monster you seek lies solely within the control of the Scourge. I married Thrage."
"They're one and the same. Why can't you admit it? Why do you insist on protecting him when he kills and kills again? You and the Scourge--you're no different to me anymore."
I clenched my fists around the hilts of my blades. Thrage looked at me silently, pleadingly... I fought to regain control over my anger.
"And yet I see how fond you are of taking on our form, Simayi dearest. A little too fond, maybe? It's very powerful for you, isn't it? You like it."
His twisted grin faded, and he stared at me with hollowed-out eyes. The aura around him faded for a moment before flickering back. "I did not plan to come to your house. I thought surely you wouldn't be so stupid to come here. But they called for help in the town and said two Undead had beeen spotted in the forest. You should go."
"This is my house," I said, but Thrage was already climbing to his feet, slipping into the shadows.
"Leave now. Don't make me kill you both. Leave NOW."
Thrage and I struck at the same time, but it wasn't enough. He channeled something and a crackle of lightning ensnared us both. "Run, Undina," Thrage begged me. "GO!"
We flew out the front door of the house amidst the shrieks of nearby villagers and the cries of Stormwind guards who had been passing on the street. Calling our horses, we leapt atop them--but Simayi kept hurling magic at us, kept laughing maniacally. The guards didn't know which skeletons to attack--us or him. We rode, fast and furious, splashing through the streams of the forest, past young villagers of Azeroth, through Duskwood, into the jungles of Stranglethorn, and didn't stop until we'd reached Booty Bay. At least in Booty Bay, the guards would protect us. It was there in a cramped room in the Salty Sailor that we spent our wedding night, not in our home, not even in our beloved Lordaeron.
But if Simayi can strike us down even in Lordaeron's ruins, is there anywhere that we're truly safe?
Finally we relaxed and stepped into the light, warming ourselves by the fire in the room. But no sooner had we done so than we heard footsteps on the staircase. The eerie red eyes burned from beneath their hood in the doorframe.
Simayi.
I stepped between him in Thrage and raised my blades. He just looked at me with a twisted smirk and laughed. He batted playfully at my sword and stepped into the loft. Arms raised, he began the incantations that would call him into that horrible skeletal form once more...
Something went wrong in the incantation, and instead of morphing into a skeleton, he shrank to nearly half his size. I laughed mercilessly.
Thrage took the opportunity to test out one of his engineering gadgets as well.
Unimpressed, Simayi recast the spell and took on the skeletal form once more.
"They were able to bring Thrage back? How unfortunate, but good to see he's still in shock." He laughed in a way that rattled his ribcage.
"You promised to help us," I snarled.
He laughed again. "And you promised to stop him from killing any more innocents. Just last week the Ripper struck again here in Goldshire. A fine job you did!"
"You're lying!" But I had seen the letters from my various informants. Anmorata was not among them, but if she was on Simayi's side... I glanced towards Thrage, he had sat down and was staring at floor, refusing to look me in the eye.
It was true.
"You didn't even try, Undina. And when he killed again, what did you do? You MARRIED this monster!"
The anger clamped down on my mind again; I thrust my sword in his direction. "The monster you seek lies solely within the control of the Scourge. I married Thrage."
"They're one and the same. Why can't you admit it? Why do you insist on protecting him when he kills and kills again? You and the Scourge--you're no different to me anymore."
I clenched my fists around the hilts of my blades. Thrage looked at me silently, pleadingly... I fought to regain control over my anger.
"And yet I see how fond you are of taking on our form, Simayi dearest. A little too fond, maybe? It's very powerful for you, isn't it? You like it."
His twisted grin faded, and he stared at me with hollowed-out eyes. The aura around him faded for a moment before flickering back. "I did not plan to come to your house. I thought surely you wouldn't be so stupid to come here. But they called for help in the town and said two Undead had beeen spotted in the forest. You should go."
"This is my house," I said, but Thrage was already climbing to his feet, slipping into the shadows.
"Leave now. Don't make me kill you both. Leave NOW."
Thrage and I struck at the same time, but it wasn't enough. He channeled something and a crackle of lightning ensnared us both. "Run, Undina," Thrage begged me. "GO!"
We flew out the front door of the house amidst the shrieks of nearby villagers and the cries of Stormwind guards who had been passing on the street. Calling our horses, we leapt atop them--but Simayi kept hurling magic at us, kept laughing maniacally. The guards didn't know which skeletons to attack--us or him. We rode, fast and furious, splashing through the streams of the forest, past young villagers of Azeroth, through Duskwood, into the jungles of Stranglethorn, and didn't stop until we'd reached Booty Bay. At least in Booty Bay, the guards would protect us. It was there in a cramped room in the Salty Sailor that we spent our wedding night, not in our home, not even in our beloved Lordaeron.
But if Simayi can strike us down even in Lordaeron's ruins, is there anywhere that we're truly safe?