Icecrown Citadel (20)
Weapons can be thrown!
Countless people believe that they can only feel at ease when they hold it firmly in their hands.
Nathanos shared this view, because weapons can only be used for parrying, slashing, thrusting, and hacking when in hand. A Warrior with a weapon will not feel alone.
Ironically, it was also a Warrior who taught Nathanos that weapons don't always have to be in one's hand. That Warrior, on the verge of death, hurled his weapon at a being a thousand times more powerful than himself, and then embraced his glorious moment—his victory.
Broxigar Saurfang —for some reason, Nathanos thought of that Orcs at that moment. Perhaps it was because his nephew had also died in this war. Whatever the reason, Nathanos had to thank the owner of the Oak Axe.
At this moment, Shadowmourne flew towards its target just like the Oak Axe had before. But this time, it was no longer a last stand by the weapon's owner. Nathanos desired victory.
Almost instantly, Shadowmourne pierced Sindragosa's weak spot in the abdomen.
"Ah!!!" The Frost Queen didn't have time to defend herself. She could only feel pain, as if the "gift" given to her by the Demon Soul tens of thousands of years ago had returned.
She was already dead, yet she felt death so close. The axe was widening the wound in her abdomen. Or rather, it was a release; the Lich King's Frostmourne had helped her suppress the power of the Demon Soul. Now, another weapon, similar to the Rune Sword, was undoing that "help."
Deathwing and Malygos, the Frost Queen saw in their eyes the former Black Dragon Aspect and Blue Dragon Aspect.
Fear paralyzed her; her wings lost their strength, and like a powerless airship, she plummeted into the abyss below Icecrown Citadel. She had fallen in the icy wasteland tens of thousands of years ago, and she was falling again today.
Nathanos lost control of his body, and after throwing Shadowmourne, he lost his balance even more. His back slammed against the platform, and his body didn't stop, followed by his head and arm joints. Nathanos finally lay face down on the cold ground, leaving a trail of blood.
He could no longer tell where the blood was flowing from. More than that, he wanted to know if he could still stand up. After a brief attempt, his brain gave him the following information: his left arm was paralyzed, his right eye was blind, and he had no feeling in his legs, but all of these were temporary.
Aside from the bone-chilling pain throughout his body, which he attributed to the impact, the Witherer confirmed that all these abnormalities stemmed from his forced second transformation.
The price wasn't high. Nathanos coughed several times, blood frothing at the corners of his mouth. He could no longer sense the Frost Queen's presence.
"Looks like I won't make it in time to face the Lich King," he said, coughing a few more times. "Ashbringer, please." Nathanos moved forward with his still-functioning right hand. His legs felt a tingling sensation as he dragged them across the ground, and he frowned, finding a bleeding wound.
"That's enough." He didn't stop, continuing to move in the direction Sindragosa had fallen. There was no time to watch the Frost Queen's demise now, but the Witherer had other things to do.
I gathered all my remaining strength and called upon Malygos for help, but the only response I received was the howling of a biting wind...
Sindragosa's words echoed in Nathanos's ears, growing clearer with each step he took, until he could feel the desolation of lying in the cold snow awaiting death when he reached the edge of the platform.
"I...envy...you, Sindragosa," Nathanos said to the abyss, the dark shadows obscuring his vision like a theater curtain. "You will never...know...whether Malygos ...was powerless, or whether he truly...abandoned you."
For a person, a question that veers into polarity is the fine line between heaven and hell. It can bring hope or despair, and people tend to lean towards the former until the question is answered. Nathanos was no exception.
If Alleria hadn't come in person, if Vareesa or someone else had come to eliminate him, he would have found solace in that tiny glimmer of hope. That hope would have convinced him that his beloved hadn't abandoned him. If that were the case, he would gladly accept death.
Why must one die knowing the truth? Wouldn't it be better to enter eternal slumber with beautiful hopes?
"I've already experienced it," Nathanos murmured with his eyes closed. "I don't want to witness it a second time." He focused his senses on Shadowmourne; the axe was precisely where Sindragosa had fallen. The Frost Queen's body was shattered to pieces, but her soul had not yet found peace.
She could be resurrected, but that would be too cruel.
Nathanos would not allow such a thing to happen again. He thrust forward, his entire body plunging into the abyss as his center of gravity shifted...
Valithria, the green dragon, looked gratefully at the heroes who had saved her: an Orcs Death Knight, a Forsaken mage, a Dwarf Warrior, a Blood Elf Priest who was healing her, and of course, the Forsaken who was on Stealth.
If they hadn't thwarted the Lich King's minions, she would probably be dead by now, leaving behind dragon tendons and bones for resurrection.
"The Green Dragonflight thanks you for your help, heroes of Azeroth."
"Our objective is to destroy Sindragosa, the Frost Queen. Do you know where she is?" Korok the Undead asked.
"Impressive courage. No ancient dragon would be unaware of the name Sindragosa." Valithria took a breath. "She is in the Frostwing Hall below the elevator behind me, but you are all more or less injured and are probably no match for the Frost Queen."
"Even so, we must continue forward. Even if it means death, we must do our utmost to pave the way for the Ashbringer." Korok was about to turn around and direct his companions to continue advancing when he saw Belmont walking over with a worried expression.
The Forsaken spoke up, "In fact, my leader has long since gone deep into enemy territory alone to face Sindragosa."
"What!"
Korok and the others looked at Belmont in surprise. The latter explained, "Everyone who attacks Icecrown Citadel has their own plan, and the Forsaken are no exception. It's just that the Witherer's mission is the most dangerous."
Valithria leaned closer to Belmont and whispered, "I don't know what kind of person this the Witherer you're talking about is, but I admire his courage."